There are some things we believe that are worth putting your stakes down for, and the essentials are certainly those things to contend for. No Compromise The old expression, “Putting your stakes in the ground,” comes from a time when people made claims on land. They’d put a stake in the ground, signifying property ownership, and that stake was there to stay, so there’s nothing wrong with putting stakes in the ground over certain beliefs. We can drive our stakes... Read more
It’s easy to ask for forgiveness, but it may not always work, but at least you have done your part, so how can you learn to forgive like God does? Forgive What? One of the most powerful chapters in the Bible is Romans 5. This chapter shows just how much God has forgiven us, but we cannot compare how much God has forgiven us as to how much we must forgive others. It’s no contest. The Apostle Paul says that... Read more
It may not be easy, but we can forgive others, but what about forgetting? What do we do with that? Forgive and Forgiveness The Bible teaches us to forgive others as we have been forgiven, but what about forgetting what others have done to us? What happens when others won’t forgive us? And, have they really forgiven you if they keep bringing it up? To be human is to probably have offended someone at one time or another. If you’re... Read more
Every believer has at least one gift, probably more, so how do you recognize the gifts of the Spirit in your life? Receiving Gifts The Bible has much to say about spiritual gifts and their purpose. The Apostle Peter wrote, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in... Read more
The Bible teaches us that we must answer people with gentleness and respect with regards to the hope that is in us. No Partiality One wise old pastor said, “We are not better than others…only better off,” and he’s right. There was no good reason God had to save us. The Bible says that none are good, and to cover every exception, “No, not even one” (Rom 3:10-12). Everyone has fallen infinitely short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23), so there... Read more
Is it possible that believers can blaspheme God? The answer might surprise you. Old Testament There were serious penalties for blaspheming the name of God in ancient Israel. The law of God said that “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death” (Lev 24:11), but there are other ways to blaspheme God... Read more
We are saved by the grace of God, but what are different facets of God’s grace? God’s Seeking Grace Jesus said that God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), but no one can even come to Christ unless the Father first draws them (John 6:44), so the first thing about grace is, God draws us to Himself by His Spirit, and His Spirit reveals Who Jesus is and why we need Him. We... Read more
How does Jesus’ sending out the 72 apply to Christians today? Are there lessons we can gain from their experience and Jesus’ instructions? Two by Two I remember one old preacher telling the church that they either evangelize or fossilize. They had no outreach. They had no mission’s board. In fact, they expected the pastor to do all the evangelizing, sending him out instead of going out themselves, but he’s not supposed to do it alone. It says that “the... Read more
The Word of God is sharp and it cuts, but it cuts in order to heal. It comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. Good to be Afflicted When we think about afflictions, we generally think of them as something we want to avoid, but afflictions can do more good than harm. The Psalmist knew enough about life and the Word of God that he could say from experience, that “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I... Read more
Two of the most beautiful words in the Bible are “but God.” The Walking Dead No, this is not about the endless series you see far too often on cable. It’s about “but God!” Every time I read a verse that says “but God,” it is fantastically good news that follows. There are dozens and dozens of verses that have “but God” in both the Old and New Testaments. When people are convicted so badly that they feel they can’t... Read more
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