Gospel Living

And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15  and have authority to cast out demons. Many disciples follow the Lord at this point.  Even so, He calls only twelve to send out with His message.  He does so for two main reasons, and their appointment will become the bedrock of the entire church.  Our Lord wants those He chooses to be with Him.  They’ll be trained by spending time with Jesus, eating and walking with Him for the remainder of His earthly ministry.  All involving themselves with the Lord’s ministry must spend time learning from Him.  All must also know the security that comes with being with the Lord.  He tells the disciples in Mt 19:28, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  As our Lord says...

1 John 4:7–12 | Pastor Shaun Marksbury | Cornerstone Church of Savannah | http://cornerstonesavannah.org/ | 4 October, 2015 John says here that because Christians have a true connection to God, we can love as we ought, even in the midst of spiritual confusion.  In fact, John will really spend the rest of this chapter on that thought.  So, we begin today to examine our motivations for loving one another.  Why should Christians love one another?  I. Love because you know the God of love (vv. 7–8)  II. Love because you know God’s demonstration of love (vv. 9–11)  III. Love because you know God better through love (v. 12)

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The good folks at the Master's Seminary want to see the Christ's church as biblically-oriented and God-honoring as possible. As such, they have been placing their class lectures online for free.  This act of love provides wonderful opportunities for discipleship, training, and review. This post highlights the second of four theology classes offered by the seminary (the first is here ). Here are a few questions these videos will help you answer: Who was Jesus of Nazareth? (Christology, the largest section) What claims did He make? Why did He come to earth and die? What false beliefs and heresies about Christ have arisen over the years? What prophecy points to Him? Who is the Holy Spirit? (Pnuematology) Or, should the question be what is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? What does it mean to be indwelt by the Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit work through the Charismatic-type churches? What are angels and demons? (Angelology) Who is Satan, for th...

What Does It Mean to Be "Led by the Spirit"? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130423 In anticipation of the sold-out Truth Matters' Strange Fire Conference taking place October 16-18, 2013, we will be looking at each of the promo videos.  God bless!

What does it mean to be one with Christ?  I recommend this helpful chart that Andy Naselli posted to help us understand.

hat might it be like for those indwelling Hell to visit Heaven’s glories for a day? C. S. Lewis helps us envision this bizarre scenario in The Great Divorce .  There, we meet a woman seeking her son who happened to trust in Christ, and thus avoided the torments she endures.  Even though she's presented with a rare, post-mortem opportunity to convert (Scripture gives no indication that such an offer would ever take place), she not only rejects Christ again, but states that she would rather her son spend eternity with her in the pit rather than for her to continue to endure their separation. Though she called her emotional attachment to her son love , we recognize it as being twisted and deformed by her controlling nature.  We notice it because we can think of real-life examples of false love.  As our society continues to pollute love with things like lust, power, and control, the genuine emotion seems to slip further from our cultural conscience.  ...

A message for your new year: "How to Have a Worthy Walk," Ephesians 4:17-32 The Master's Seminary - 8 December, 2011 Just as sin weighed down the Ephesian believers, sin will keep you from walking in the freedom you have in Christ. This is a message you will use every day of your lives from now until glory. We note two simple instructions Paul gives the Ephesian believers so that we may also have a mature walk in Christ. I.  You have a mature walk when you put off old thinking (v. 22) II.  You have a mature walk when you put on new thinking (vv. 23-24) (As a side note, I am coming to the end of my seminary career and have my church resume and related information posted here , for anyone who is interested.)

(HT: DefCon )

From today's Grace Gem : ( James Smith , "A New Year's Motto" 1865) " Look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!" Luke 21:28 We are entering upon a new year, we shall have new toils, new trials, new temptations, and new troubles. In whatever state, in whatever place, into whatever condition we may be brought this year--let us seek grace to follow our Lord's loving advice, and " look up! " Do not look back --as Lot's wife did. Do not look within --as too many do. Do not look around --as David did. But "look up!" Look up to God--He is your Father, your Friend, your Savior. He can help you. He will help you. He says, "Look unto Me, and be delivered--for I am God!" Look up for light to guide you--and He will direct your path. Look up for grace to sanctify you--and the grace of Jesus will be found sufficient for you. Look up for strength to enable you to do a...

This is a practical question for a couple of my friends from seminary, now missionaries in Cambodia.   Read about one particular conflict and its biblical resolution .

Facing down a Catholic priest, William Tyndale vowed, "If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than thou doest!" Tyndale, facing the threat of death, published his popular pocket New Testament , the first translation of the original languages into modern English. The heroes of our faith have shed their blood to ensure that we common folk could have God's Word open to us. They did this because they understood that the Bible, not fallible human beings, is the rule of our faith. We should take the opportunity this lesser-known holiday allows and ponder if we indeed approach life's questions from a biblical foundation. John MacArthur gives us a glimpse of this kind of approach in his consistent answers to questions asked him on Larry King's program: (HT: Apprising Ministries )

For your Sunday reflection: We've Been Expecting You: Part I - Message 6 The Two Offerings Bible: Genesis 4; 1 John 3:1-12 Two sacrifices to God were made in the same chapter by two brothers, Cain and Abel. God alone determines what He will and will not accept. Cain brought the best he had; Abel brought what God required. This is one of the earliest examples of "religious substitution" replacing God's Word with man's design. God did not accept it then or now.

For your Sunday reflection: We've Been Expecting You: Part I - Message 5 God Breathed Dust Balls Bible: Genesis 1-3; 2 Timothy 3:17 When the Bible teaches all Scripture is inspired by God, it uses a term that means literally in the Greek "God-breathed." The other significant use of this is with Adam (Gen. 2:7). Thus, both God's word and God's creation of humanity became eternal. If you are heading for heaven, this is glorious news. Sadly, for those who are headed for hell, this is terrible news unless the solution of salvation through Jesus is received.

One of the things we are often exhorted to do in churches is to "s tep out of our comfort zone ."  The leader is desiring to induce Christian growth by asking people to do something new, something unfamiliar-yet-worthwhile. David Hegg, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, offers us a more excellent perspective .

The Biblically Identifiable Fruit of Sanctification Keith Essex Listen to MP3 As a review, there are 3 stages of sanctification: 1) Positional, 2) Progressive, and 3) Culminated. The focus for today's lecture is stage 2. Essex rightly points out that God sanctifies through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here is the tension: the New Testament saints must obey the imperatives of the New Testament. They can do this only through the Holy Spirit. Dr. Essex provides a summary of some points J. C. Ryle wrote in his 1879 work, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, & Roots . FIRST, sanctification is not : 1) talk about religion; 2) religious feelings; 3) outward formalism and external devoutness; 4) retirement from our place in life; 5) occasional performance of right actions. BUT, sanctification is: 6) habitual respect to God’s law, and habitual effort to live in obedience to it as a rule of life; 7) an habitual endeavour [sic] to do Christ’s will; 8) an habitual desire to ...

Adapted from John Richard Sampey, “Psalms, Book of,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. http://www.studylight.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T7141 Ethical Ideals Behavior Psa 1 contrasts the righteous and wicked Psa 15 describes “What Sort of Man, Then, Would the Psalms Acclaim as Good?” Psa 131 proclaims humility Psa 133 magnifies brotherly love Psa 24:4 “a compend of ethics in a single sentence.” Speech—see Psa 12; 52; 120 Ministering to the Needy Psa 82, justice Psa 41, kindness “The Ideal Ruler is both just and beneficent (Psalms 72:2,12-14).” Praying against the wicked “To be a good lover one must know how to hate.” Note: “We ought to study the psalms of imprecation in the light of their origin. They are poetry and not prose ... the psalmists pray with God's glory in view” (Ps 139:21). “We ought to use the imprecatory psalms in the light of our Lord's teaching. We cannot pronounce curses on our personal enemies.”