Grace is defined in Scripture as God’s unmerited favor. It’s due to his goodness that God bestows this favor, along with its concomitant, Mercy, upon mankind. However, to understand these attributes in their deeper significance, the student of Scripture must first understand God’s judgment. This teaching is about two men – Adam and Jesus Christ. It was through the God’s …
Exercising Our Authority in Christ
The key word in this inspiring teaching is “authority,” which is the Greek, exousia. It means, “the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)”. As you probably know, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing. When he sent out the …
Light and Darkness
The power of God is light and the power of Satan is darkness. This is the way in which the servant of God must discern things. Since God is light (1 John 1:5), it is God alone who defines what light is, just as Satan shows us what the opposite of light is – darkness. This truth provides in God’s …
Pentecost: E Unum Pluribus
You may recognize the Latin words, E Pluribus Unum, which are the traditional motto of our United States of America. They mean, “Out of many, One.” As you know, Jesus Christ changed A LOT of things, and on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the newly appointed Lord reversed the last two words and made his motto, “From ONE, …
What The Bible Says About Hypocrisy
There is one trait that is constant to the human species: it’s hypocrisy. What we intend and what we actually do aren’t always the same. This informative teaching takes a look at what God’s Word says about hypocrisy, and how we can combat moral defect through lives built upon simplicity and integrity.
The Importance of Faithfulness
Faithfulness is one of those defining virtues in the character of any man or woman that’s required for success in virtually every category of life. It’s the faithful spouse who stays true to the marriage when tempted to do otherwise; it’s the faithful parent who nurtures and admonishes his or her children through the challenges of child-rearing; and it’s the …
Collision Of World Views
In today’s world, the Christian is confronted with a variety of points of view. From the social doctrine of humanist Christianity, to the promises of the prosperity doctrine, to the recent political ideologies of the Social Justice and Black Lives Matter movements, our churches often find themselves as the center of these conflicts. There is a collision of worldviews occurring …
The “Smiley Face” of God
On Easter, Christendom celebrates the joyous Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The contrast between death and life cannot be more pronounced. Death elicits faces twisted in grief, and weeping, while the birth of a new life brings radiant countenances, and laughter. The face is an essential element of every human relationship. Even God, to make himself known by men, had to …
The Perpetual Victim
Our modern Western culture has embraced so many of the debilitating ideologies of victimhood. It’s taught to our children in schools and mandated in our business and cultural policy. What is the servant of God to do? It’s been said that “Suffering is universal, but victimhood is optional.” Each of us daily must face this choice – to either acquiesce …
A Journey Through Philippians
Last month, John taught on one of the other two reproof epistles, The Heart of 2 Corinthians. He is following up with Philippians, another such epistle that corrects the behavioral deviation from a doctrinal epistle (Ephesians). Short and sweet, it is a remarkable letter that is LOADED with heart and pathos. If you first read Acts 16, the scintillating account …