Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘Bible’
More To Come
Are you worn down? Nerves on edge? Wondering what is coming next? These have been challenging days for so many, but we should not be surprised. As we near the end of time things in this world will no doubt seem more and more “out of sync.” Ours is a world out of step with the Creator. God predicted it and we should expect it! “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13). Do not be in despair.…
Read MoreHow God Used A Christmas Passage To Show Me His Will
It was Sunday, September 7, 2015. My mind was racing in so many directions. I knew that God was working in my life to show me His will but it still was not clear. After church that afternoon I sat down alone in my study and opened my Bible with no real idea of where I was going to read. I only knew I needed to hear from God. My Bible opened to the beginning of the New Testament and so I decided to begin in the gospel of Matthew and read until I knew God had spoken to me. Through the genealogy in chapter one. Into the familiar account of the magi following the star in chapter two. Isn’t…
Read MoreChristians Should Vote!
As Americans citizens we have been blessed – spoiled, in fact – to grow up in freedom. It is a freedom that few have enjoyed throughout history and many will never know. The blessings of God always come with a responsibility, a response of gratitude and obedience. Christianity is not American, and being American is not Christian. However, American Christians have much for which to answer to God. It is shameful to enjoy liberty and do nothing to exercise and defend that liberty. Our freedom grew out of strong biblical principles about individual soul liberty. When these are forgotten it is not long until all of the corresponding liberties are lost. The current attack on religious liberty will inevitably lead…
Read More5 Books to Read On The Book
There is no book on earth like God’s Book – it is the very Word of the Living God, and every word of it is for us! I love the Bible. This library of 66 books has changed and continues to change my life. We should never allow our reading of good books to substitute for the reading of Scripture. In my study of God’s Word I have come to appreciate a number of helpful resources that deal with the divine revelation, inspiration, preservation, translation, and illumination of Scripture. In uncertain times believers should be certain about the Bible. I recommend these books to you with the hope that they will help to strengthen your own conviction and love for…
Read More5 Books To Read As Commentaries
Frequently I am asked what Bible commentaries I would recommend. This is a broad question without an easy answer. Some commentators are better on some books than others. For example, if I am going to study the Psalms I would be sure to have Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. I would not think of studying Philippians without Guy King’s Joy Way. And it would be very wise to have Andrew Murray’s The Holiest of All nearby as you walk through Hebrews. Personally I love F.B. Meyers expositions of Scripture and especially Bible characters. (Click here to view a good recommended book list compiled by Dr. Clarence Sexton on each book of the Bible.) There is not one book that is…
Read More5 Books To Read For Answers
Ours is an age of questions, skeptics, and debate. Paul described the last days well when he wrote, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). This is a day for believers to know what they believe, why they believe it, and how to express it to others. Apologetics is the defense of truth. I agree with Spurgeon that the gospel is like a caged lion – it does not need to be defended so much as we simply need to open the cage door and let it out! Or to use an athletic analogy, the best defense is a good offense. Truth faithfully preached and taught will convince and convict. The…
Read MoreStop (Just) Reading the Bible!
Yes, that’s what I said. Stop it. Stop reading the Bible. It is not that the Bible should not be read, rather, it is that too often we substitute Bible reading for the greater work. Reading Scripture passages is just the entry point! Our communication with God must be much more than that. American Christianity has too often portrayed that following a system of Bible reading is the essence of walking with God. This easily creates “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). Merely reading the Bible will not take you beyond a surface understanding, and it will not allow the truth to get beneath the surface of your life. We must go more deeply…
Read More5 Books To Read On Preaching
It is a great privilege to stand and preach God’s Word to others. In fact, it is a high and holy calling that should never be taken for granted! Preachers who are serious about what God has given them to do will not only work on sermons, they will work on themselves. You cannot separate the message from the messenger. When I had the privilege of teaching homiletics to college young people we used a well known classic, Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson in the undergraduate program. Currently I am helping to facilitate an online graduate level course and we are using Preaching and Preachers by Martin Lloyd-Jones and Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon. All of these are…
Read More3 Things To Look For As You Study the Bible
Are you hungry to know God in a deeper way? We come to know God through His Word – literally, through His words. We believe that the very words of Scripture are given by God and that every word is essential (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “Every word of God is pure…” (Proverbs 30:5) The Lord Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He also promised, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Pay attention to every word of the Word! Here are 3 things I try to look for as I study God’s very words… Repetition. When…
Read MoreWhat Do You See When You Look In The Mirror?
The Word of God is an amazing book. Only through its divine lens do we begin to see clearly. Without it our view of reality is skewed by sin and clouded by the world around us. God’s Word is a window that shows us God. The Bible sheds light on who God is. As we gaze through it we are given a vision of his holiness. God’s Word is a telescope that shows us the future. It is full of prophecy – looking beyond this sad, broken world and into eternity. With eyes of faith we see what cannot be seen around us now (Hebrews 11:1). God’s Word is a microscope that shows us truth. Scripture reveals the truth about…
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