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I was recently in Boston to present at the Sound Faith apologetics conference. I thought I would record an episode based on one of my talks there. CreditsHost: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews; Dr. Habil. University of Helsinki) is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Lucerne, and a docent of dogmatics at the University of Helsinki.Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions.rtmullins.comSupport the Show:https://www.patreon.com/user?u=66431474https://ko-fi.com/rtmullins
FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageDebates over “Christian nationalism” are loud, confusing, and often heated. We cut through the noise by defining the term, tracing its historical footprints, and then asking a better question: what kind of political love do Christians owe their country? From Constantine's Roman empire to Spain after the Reconquista to the paradoxes of American civic religion, we map how faith has shaped law, identity, and public symbols—and where that fusion has harmed religious liberty and the common good.We then turn to the modern surge of interest, from the Moral Majority to Stephen Wolfe's call for a Christian nation state, and weigh it against Taylor Marshall's counterpoint: nationalism is the wrong frame. Patriotism, grounded in the virtue of piety, is the older, wiser path. Drawing on Aquinas, we explore the ordo amoris—God, parents, family, neighbor, fatherland—as a safeguard against idolatry of nation and against indifference to civic life. Your homeland deserves love and service, not worship; your neighbor deserves charity, not coercion.What does that look like in practice? We outline a posture that favors persuasion over compulsion, subsidiarity over sweeping control, and laws that protect life, family, and human dignity while guarding conscience and pluralism. Public symbols can unify when tied to shared goods, but they cannot replace the slow work of formation in homes and churches. If you've felt torn between withdrawal and culture war, this conversation offers a third way: confident, ordered love of country that remains accountable to God and oriented to the common good.Key Points from the Episode:• definition of Christian nationalism and its claims• case studies in Rome, Spain, and the United States• symbols, laws, and the limits of state power• Moral Majority to Stephen Wolfe: modern currents• Taylor Marshall's critique of nationalism's roots• patriotism as a virtue in Aquinas's piety• the ordo amoris guiding civic love• practical guardrails for public faithOther resources: Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly!
No Christian minimizes the importance of prayer, yet this is an area where most of us struggle. While an incredible privilege, prayer is also a discipline, so listen as John offers insight and shares a simple guide for prayers.
No Christian minimizes the importance of prayer, yet this is an area where most of us struggle. While an incredible privilege, prayer is also a discipline, so listen as John offers insight and shares a simple guide for prayers.
The San Francisco 49ers got humiliated by the Houston Texans in their Week 8 26-15 loss that drops them out of first place in the NFC West!!Today we'll cover the defensive concerns and lack of adjustments from Robert Saleh to stop C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense. We'll also dive into the lack of offensive power and execution, Christian McCaffrey usage and how it cost the 49ers. Plus, we take a look at George Kittle as he celebrated National Tight Ends Day with a touchdown, Mac Jones performance, the offensive line being dominated by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, and fans turning on Jauan JenningsVisit Sports Spyder for up to date 49ers content: https://sportspyder.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/newsFollow us on Twitter @49ers_AccessFollow us on Instagram @49ers.AccessSeatGeek: “49ERSACCESS” for $20 off your first purchase!#49ers #FTTB #NFL #Podcast
One out of two American Adults do not believe that the Bible is literally true. 50% of WE THE PEOPLE do not believe that the Bible is literally true. That is according to the findings of a recent survey conducted by the CHRISTIAN POST.Another survey conducted by LIFE WAY RESEARCH found that 48% of Americans believe:THE BIBLE, LIKE ALL SACRED WRITINGS, CONTAINS HELPFUL ACCOUNTSOF ANCIENT MYTHS BUT IS NOT LITERALLY TRUE.And yet another survey found that 44% of all American Adults do not believe the Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches.Then comes the Barna Group's recent survey which found that only 4% of American Adults and 6% of professing Christians hold a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW.Those are really fascinating conclusions, are they not? Like all surveys, they are partially true, indicators, generalities, and conclusions reached on the basis of survey information by the respective survey companies. But, as with every survey, there are indeed some facts and some truth, however little. Surveys should never be taken as literally true as these surveys claim that half of American Adults do not take the Bible as literally true.But if the Bible is not literally true (and it is), then no teaching, document, or sacred treatise of any kind is true, absolute, but merely insightful, a guide, little more than human inspiration. With the many different types of cults and religions in this world today, without a document that is literally true and authoritative:ANYTHING GOES.Anything. In short, you could believe anything you wish and what you believe and what you determine as truth, especially spiritual truth, is as good as, as right as, as authoritative as the view of anyone else. ANYTHING GOES.If the sacred writings in the Bible, all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are nothing more than helpful accounts of ancient myths, then the spiritual wisdom it contains, the historical accounts of great men and women led by God Almighty, the codes of ethics including the 10 Commandments are little more than advisory, opinions, moral generalities to be followed or not, to be believed or not. If the Bible isnot accurate in all that it teaches, if the Biblical worldview of Scripture is no more than a collection of the great thinkers, then the Judeo-Christian Bible is no different than any other sacred writing, has no more authority, and is little more than a collection of interesting stories, historical accounts, and ancient myths. According to these surveys, one out of two American Adults, including Christians, believe just that. What a tragedy that Americans have such a low view of Scripture and the Bible, not recognizing or believing that it contains the truth, the inspired Word of the Living God. It is no wonder that Americans see Scripture as really irrelevant. If it is one of many, then a form of UNIVERSALISM exists. Truth is everywhere or perhaps DEISM. There is a God, but that God is mysterious, vague, and hard to know, or perhaps as even some secular philosophers admit, there is a GREATER POWER, but that is all that human knowledge can ascertain.It is just simply impossible to be a Christian, a real Christian, and not believe fully and completely in the authoritarian, truthful, factual accounts, anything but mythical, in the 66 books of the Bible. Those books are for the TRUE BELIEVER, the real Christian:THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.They are for us the written gift of revelation. Those books are Holy-Spirit-inspired. They contain the truth of life here and eternal life hereafter. They are, those words are, absolute, uncompromising, accurate in every way and authoritative. No other sacred writings measure up. No other human understanding or spiritual insight can compare. Our Bible contains the Holy Revelation and words of God Almighty. And, the full expression and development of the ultimate spiritual facts and truths in the words of Jesus Christ:I AM THE WAYTHE TRUTHTHE LIFENO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH METhat is not mythological, advisory, a spiritual possibility, but rather:THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.So, my fellow Christians, when it comes to your Bible, HIS BIBLE:READ ITBELIEVE ITLEARN FROM ITAPPLY ITTEACH ITBE THANKFUL FOR ITThere is no other truth, spiritual truth. The real Christian knows that the Bible is truth, literal truth. It is accurate, accurate in every way. The Bible offers every Chirstian a Biblical worldview which is absolutely necessary and enlightening in this skeptical day and age. The Bible is more relevant and necessary today than ever.Read it. Treasure it. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, and divine interpretation of the truth therein. No Christian, no real Christian, can ever doubt that the Bible is not the inspired, truthful, accurate:WORD OF THE LIVING GOD!
There have always been calls for the church to de-emphasise doctrine. Sometimes these calls come from those who wish to promote 'unity' at any cost—enter the ecumenical movement. Sometimes they come from those who feel that the truths of the faith are encumbrances or 'stumbling blocks' to those who just want a simple faith. This week's episode shows why such calls are so misguided. There can be no true Christian ministry without a setting forth of what B. B. Warfield called 'the great Christian verities'. The great need of the church, in every age, is to treasure, set forth, and 'to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints'. (Jude 3). Featured resources: – Michael Haykin, 'A Lesson from a Victorian Preface', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 457 (October 2001). – B. B. Warfield, 'The Indispensableness of Systematic Theology to the Preacher', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 613 (October 2014). This first appeared in Homiletic Review (Feb. 1897) and is featured in Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry, vol. 2, pp. 497–504 (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2012). Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast
He was born to Muslim parents in Konitsa of Albania — the ancient region of Epirus. His father was a prominent ruler among the Muslims and a member of the Sufi order, sometimes called dervishes, a mystical Islamic sect. John himself became a prominent Sufi and settled in Joannina. Though not a Christian, he attended to his conscience and lived a sober and prayerful life. Over time, he became increasingly attracted to the Christian faith and, in time, asked for holy Baptism. No Christian in his region dared to baptize him, knowing the reprisals that would follow. So John migrated to Ithaka, was baptized, and settled there in a village called Xiromeron, where he married and lived as a simple countryman. In 1813, John's father somehow learned where he was, and that he had become a Christian. He sent two Sufis to bring him back and restore him to the Muslim faith. Because of this, the Ottoman authorities on Ithaka learned who he was and brought him before a judge. To each of the judge's questions John would only reply 'I am a Christian and I am called John.' Realizing that no amount of persuasion or coercion would move him, the authorities determined to behead him. At his execution, since they would not loose his hands so that he could make the sign of the Cross, John cried out 'Lord, Remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!' With these words he submitted himself to a Martyr's end. The Turks intended to leave his body for the dogs, but pious Christians retrieved it and secretly gave it honorable burial.
He was born to Muslim parents in Konitsa of Albania — the ancient region of Epirus. His father was a prominent ruler among the Muslims and a member of the Sufi order, sometimes called dervishes, a mystical Islamic sect. John himself became a prominent Sufi and settled in Joannina. Though not a Christian, he attended to his conscience and lived a sober and prayerful life. Over time, he became increasingly attracted to the Christian faith and, in time, asked for holy Baptism. No Christian in his region dared to baptize him, knowing the reprisals that would follow. So John migrated to Ithaka, was baptized, and settled there in a village called Xiromeron, where he married and lived as a simple countryman. In 1813, John's father somehow learned where he was, and that he had become a Christian. He sent two Sufis to bring him back and restore him to the Muslim faith. Because of this, the Ottoman authorities on Ithaka learned who he was and brought him before a judge. To each of the judge's questions John would only reply 'I am a Christian and I am called John.' Realizing that no amount of persuasion or coercion would move him, the authorities determined to behead him. At his execution, since they would not loose his hands so that he could make the sign of the Cross, John cried out 'Lord, Remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!' With these words he submitted himself to a Martyr's end. The Turks intended to leave his body for the dogs, but pious Christians retrieved it and secretly gave it honorable burial.
To be a Christian, especially today, entails a considerable risk of life and limb. That is so the world over, and now it begins, in a real way, in our very own America. To be a Christian invites persecution, ridicule, rejection, to be ostracized from society and the world at large. A great theologian said that to come to Christ is to die. But we who believe knew that before we committed and became one with Him. It then became our lot in life to die to self, to sin, to the world.We knew what He did, we knew the horrendous story of the crucifixion, the persecution of Calvary. We saw no greater love than His as He laid down His life for His friends, for all mankind, for all humankind. We knew that to live for Him, to accept Him, would be to lay our all on the alter, including our bodies, willing to make them a living sacrifice. Charlie Kirk knew that, lived that, and died for that and more.And so did the Apostle Paul. Paul, then Saul, hated Christians and Christianity. It was his mission to persecute and kill the followers of Jesus Christ. No one hated or persecuted Christians more than Saul of Tarsus. He was a Roman citizen, a Pharisee of the Jews, a blood thirsty killer and persecutor of Christians and Christianity. Saul was a master of persecution. So many early Christians died at his hand, or were jailed, or persecuted in physical ways, and lost virtually everything they had.But then came the Damascus Road, where Saul met Jesus Christ and became Paul, and he was never the same. He turned from persecution to preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His conversion was instant, dramatic, and dynamic, change at work from head to toe. The Christ of Glory knew what Saul had done, his horrible persecutions, and He said that He would show Paul the sufferings, the considerable sufferings and persecutions he himself would endure. No Christian could forget the question the Lord asked:“SAUL, WHY DO YOU PERSECUTE ME?”Why, said the Christ of Glory, do you persecute and kill those who love and believe in me, why? There came no answer to that question, but only the beginning of a total commitment to his newfound Lord and master. Saul then became Paul, and he never knew the extent of the promise of Jesus Christ:I WILL SHOW THIS MAN HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME.And suffer Paul did, big time. Paul described those sufferings in his own words in 2 Corinthians 11. He said,“I have labored extensively for Christ. I have been imprisoned many times. I haveendured beatings without number. I am always in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. I was stoned three times. I was shipwrecked a night and a day. I have been in danger from rivers, from robbers, from my own countrymen, from the Gentiles, and from dangers in cities and desolate places. I have lived in danger from false brothers. I have endured many sleepless nights. I have endured starvation and thirst. I am often hungry and cold and without enough clothing. I am under constant pressure of concern and persecution for all the churches of Jesus Christ I have established.”Compared to those Pauline sufferings, so many of us Christians in America have had it easy, perhaps too easy.Paul eventually endured the ultimate suffering, the ultimate persecution. He was murdered. He was beheaded, a brutal way to die. He lost his life in a split second at the cut of a guillotine. Charlie Kirk, the Christian and Conservative, lost his life in a second from the bullet of an assassin's rifle.Paul gave his life for the Lord he loved and in whom he firmly believed with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind. So did Charlie Kirk.Violence and vengeance seem to be on the rise in America now more than ever. In many quarters, it is dangerous to be a Christian and a Conservative. And, if one is both Christian and Conservative, the danger is doubled. Charlie Kirk was both. The bullet of an assassin, a young, irrational killer, fame-seeking and revenge-minded, ended Charlie's life immediately. Charlie Kirk died for his country, and his Lord-Savior. The Apostle Paul died for his Lord Jesus Christ and as a Roman Citizen. They were great men, martyrs, heroes, missionaries, courageous, loving, an example to all of us who followed in so many ways. These two men laid down their lives for their fellow loved ones and families, and in fact all humankind. These two men showed the world that there was no greater love than that of a man, each of them, laying down his life for his friends, for all. And so did Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord. The Christ of Glory died young, 33. Charlie Kirk died young, 31. Paul lived longer, but suffered persecution longer. All three died brutal deaths, the Lord of Glory the most brutal, and violent, and painful, and suffered the most and longest of the three, for us, for you, for me. No greater love was ever shown to mankind than that of Calvary.We often wish for vengeance, retribution, and justice. But our Lord commands us to love our enemies, one of the most difficult things in all of life. He tells us that vengeance is none of our business, but that He, when and how He wishes, will be the instrument of vengeance. He requires us to turn the other cheek and promises He will make things right. Violence only begets more violence. Love, on the other hand, real love, never stops producing miracles. You could say that love in the face of violence and evil is the greatest weapon of all. The greatest vengeance, the greatest get-even is to pray for your enemy, do good to him or her, and show the love of Jesus Christ in every way. The only way you and I can do that is with the power, the courage, and the strength of our Lord.Like the Apostle Paul, Charlie Kirk knew that, believed that, and died for that.
No Christian ever plans on backsliding, that is, moving away from Christ. Yet it happens. The prophet Jeremiah even admitted, “Our backslidings are many” (Jeremiah 14:7). Sometimes, a city can be in shambles because the lives of its people are in shambles. Nehemiah left Jerusalem for a short time and returned to find the people had gone back to practicing their old ways. Let's consider four mistakes they made and how to prevent them from happening to us.I. Misplace Your Bible (vv. 1-3)II. Misalign Your Companions (vv. 4-9)III. Misarrange Your Priorities (vv. 10-22)IV. Mismanage Your Family (vv. 23-24)Talk with God: Prayerfully consider the people you turn to for encouragement and advice. Are you surrounding yourself with strong, healthy believers who will sharpen you (see Proverbs 27:17) and urge you to grow in your faith?Talk with others: Ask a believing friend or mentor to hold you accountable to pray and spend time in the Word daily as you recommit to a habit or create a new one.Talk with kids: How did Gideon test God's words?
Send us a textThe digital revolution has placed unprecedented power in our hands. "I can only imagine what it would be like if we all did it," remarks one speaker, contemplating the impact if every believer leveraged today's technology for Gospel advancement. This thought-provoking conversation explores how modern Christians can embrace digital platforms as mission fields rather than merely entertainment venues.What would Paul or any of the apostles have done with TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram? The speakers paint a compelling picture of these biblical figures utilizing every available channel to broadcast truth across nations. "Hymns would be on all the musical airways, sermons would be all day long everywhere," one participant muses, highlighting the stark contrast between the apostles' limited reach and our virtually limitless potential.The conversation shifts to the unique gifts each believer possesses and how these differences serve God's purpose. Like players on a football team, some Christians may stand in the spotlight while others work behind the scenes, but all are essential for victory. "No Christian should ever be wondering what their service, what their ministry is," the speakers assert, challenging listeners to discover their place in this digital mission field.Perhaps most powerfully, the discussion turns to how Christian light becomes more visible against growing darkness. "The darker this world becomes, the brighter your light will shine," one participant declares. This isn't about competition between believers but collaboration toward a common purpose—allowing God's truth to illuminate spaces that would otherwise be filled with contrary messages.You don't need extraordinary talent or massive followings to participate in this digital Great Commission. Even small acts like reposting content, sharing encouraging messages, or supporting others who create biblical content can extend truth's reach exponentially. What gifts has God given you, and how might you use them to advance His kingdom in the digital age? Your light—however you choose to shine it—matters more than you know.Support the show
Istrouma Baptist Church (ASC) Jul 6, 2025 ========== July 6 - These Words Changed My Life Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo The Church As Family Mark 3:31-35 (CSB) Mark 3:31-35 (CSB) 31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” 33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers? ” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said,“Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” I. We Are Members of God's Family Through His Obedient Son Ephesians 1:3-6 (CSB) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. Dietrich Bonhoeffer — “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community or more or less than this…Without Christ we should not know God, we could not call upon him, nor come to him. But without Christ we also would not know our brother, nor could we come to him. The way is blocked by our own ego.” II. As Members of God's Family We Have a New Father and Belong to a New Household A New Family Salvation is a community creating event Matthew 13:54-55 (CSB) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Isn't this the carpenter's son? A New Father Displays the Authority of God has over His Church Matthew 23:8-9 (CSB) “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.” A New Father Displays the Care of God for his People Matthew 7:10-11 (CSB) “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” III. This Family Language Establishes How We Should Relate to One Another in the Church Acts 9:13-17 (CSB) 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him,“Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” How We Relate as Family 1. Commitment 2. Conflict 3. Care 4. Cost IV. The Church is a Real Family Not a Perfect One Trevin Wax — “It's paradoxical but true. You can only truly benefit from the community of faith in its healthiest expressions when you don't expect something from the church that God alone can give. The church doesn't solve loneliness. Only God does that. Yes, often he does that through his people. But the way he accomplishes this work is by putting you through the difficult, sanctifying process of loving people who don't seem to love you back and remaining fiercely committed to people who may be a source of heartbreak in your life. This is the hard part of seeing the church as family: bearing with your siblings through thick and thin, recognizing Jesus in them but also realizing they're not Jesus. That's the only way we can live and love as the family of God, without idealistic expectations crushing our spirits.”
Here we are once again in the political silly season. And you know, it’s a hard time for Christians to keep our hats on straight. And there’s no time that’s more important that we do keep our hats on straight because our’s is a government of the people and by the people. And, since we Christians fall in that broad category called the people, we are responsible before God for what this government does.Now, what do I mean when I say it’s hard for us to keep our hats on straight? Well, there are two broad categories of Christians at large in the world. (Listen to this carefully now.) There are Christians who read the Bible regularly and there are Christians who don’t. Now I can throw the numbers at you, but you know I’m right on that. About a third of Christians read something from the Bible at least once a week. About a third reads something from the Bible once a year or less. The other third, well, they’re somewhere in between.Now, I don’t’ have any statistics, but my reading suggests that in the eighteenth century those numbers were very different from what they are today. For one thing, in the seventeen hundreds, books were a lot more scarce than they are now. They were expensive. Many families may have only had one book in the house and it was—guess what—the Bible. Many people learned to read from the Bible. Books were expensive; books were rare. And while the founders of our country were careful not to establish any religion for very good reasons, they were all biblically literate and they governed the people who were biblically literate. So when Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, he didn’t speak of this or that God; he spoke of the Creator. That was a good thing. What our founders and presidents personally believed was not important. That they publicly acknowledged the Creator as the guarantee of the rights of man, now that was very important. So, where did the idea germinate that this is, or was back then, a Christian nation?Well, it was because people read the Bible and their lifestyle and their human relations were influenced by the Bible, if not governed by it. Now mind you, I’m not talking about reading the Bible and then trying to preach it to your neighbor. I’m talking about living a life influenced by the Bible which, in turn, influences the people with whom you come into contact. The influence of the Bible on early American society was indirect, but pervasive. And the influence of Christian conduct on society was powerful. Not in any authoritative structure. No Christian wants a theocracy, but in the structure of example, persuasion and influence. Whether we like it or not, the strongest influence on the moral fiber of this young nation was the Bible. Let's look at how Jesus said it in Matthew, chapter 13.
Sermons given at Mount Hope Church's campus in Belmont, MA
Sermons given at Mount Hope Church's campus in Belmont, MA
Organization: Mount Hope Christian Church Campus: Burlington | Belmont
Organization: Mount Hope Christian Church Campus: Burlington | Belmont
No Christian really needs to be convinced that Godliness is the goal. God's plan is that we would be conformed into the image of Jesus. Jesus told us that it is enough to be like the master. The Psalmist helps us to know what godliness looks like not only in our our own life, but also in the life of the ones who will influence us. DNA Questions - Psalm 86Discover:How can the Psalmist say that he is "poor and needy"?What are the implications of the fact that the Psalmist calls upon the Lord in the day of his trouble?Do you honestly believe that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness? Why or why not? Nurture:Do you tend to see yourself in light of who God is or in light of those around you? Why does that matter?Are you quick to notice when the Lord gladdens your soul? Why or why not?Is it easy or difficult for you to ask God for a sign of His favor upon you? Why or why not? Act:Every time you pray this week, ask the Lord to gladden your soul and see what happens. Commit to write down such instances no matter how little or big.Every time you pray this week, thank the Lord for all the ways you know He has delivered you AND for all the ways in which you are unaware. Take note of instances that you notice no matter how little or big.
No Christian really needs to be convinced that Godliness is the goal. God's plan is that we would be conformed into the image of Jesus. Jesus told us that it is enough to be like the master. The Psalmist helps us to know what godliness looks like not only in our our own life, but also in the life of the ones who will influence us. DNA Questions - Psalm 86Discover:How can the Psalmist say that he is "poor and needy"?What are the implications of the fact that the Psalmist calls upon the Lord in the day of his trouble?Do you honestly believe that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness? Why or why not? Nurture:Do you tend to see yourself in light of who God is or in light of those around you? Why does that matter?Are you quick to notice when the Lord gladdens your soul? Why or why not?Is it easy or difficult for you to ask God for a sign of His favor upon you? Why or why not? Act:Every time you pray this week, ask the Lord to gladden your soul and see what happens. Commit to write down such instances no matter how little or big.Every time you pray this week, thank the Lord for all the ways you know He has delivered you AND for all the ways in which you are unaware. Take note of instances that you notice no matter how little or big.
Developing a mature spiritual life requires consistent, high-quality nourishment from God's Word taught by a well-qualified pastor. No Christian can read the Bible and attain spiritual maturity on their own. The Bible is a textbook designed by God to be taught by a man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. “Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You” (Ps 119:11). Scripture is layered—the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know. When you understand God's Word and store it in your heart, it reveals your weaknesses and strengths.Download Transcript: https://rhem.pub/qualified-pastor-ec8824
Our services are live streamed on YouTube every week from our church in Corpus Christi, Texas at https://www.youtube.com/@HBCCorpus More information about our church or what it means to be a Christian can be found at: http://www.heritagebaptistcctx.org Follow us on Facebook for upcoming events! https://www.facebook.com/HeritageBaptistCorpus/
Questions about why we should treat everyone respectfully, how to reconcile Jesus calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers with the instructions in 1 Peter 3:15 to treat people with gentleness and respect, and the charge that Christians have no evidence for God. How would you explain to a believer why we should treat everyone respectfully when Hitler shouldn't have been treated respectfully? How do we reconcile Jesus calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers with 1 Peter 3:15, which says we should show gentleness and respect when defending the faith? Religion is synonymous with pretending to know things you do not know. No man has ever seen God. No Christian has any evidence for God. Yet you claim authority based on a book and an invisible God. Talk about ego. Wow!
It's Monday, November 11th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Hundreds of Hindus attacked 14 Christians in India As police officers watched in India, hundreds of Hindus attacked 14 Christians on October 30 in Chhattisgarh, after the believers defied orders to abandon their Christian faith and harvested crops from a communal farm, reports International Christian Concern. Several of the Christians, including two women, were beaten with wooden rods and suffered head trauma and broken bones. The mob also demolished the believers' homes, destroyed the crops they had harvested, and injured a police officer who had tried to help. Nagesh Micha, a Christian rights activist, said, “The police, which are supposed to uphold the fundamental rights of an individual, have allowed 14 people to be beaten in their presence. This means there are higher authorities who are supporting the mobs.” According to Open Doors, India is the 11th most dangerous country worldwide in which to be a Christian. Trump flipped Nevada and Arizona While Donald Trump was declared the presidential victor over Kamala Harris, the vote counting continued. Last Friday, Trump flipped Nevada 50.6%-47.4%, reports The Epoch Times. And on Saturday night, Trump was declared the victor in Arizona, 52.6%-46.4%. Remarkably, that means Trump has now won all seven of the swing states. Trump earned 312 electoral votes to Kamala's 226. To win, 270 electoral votes were needed. U.S. House: GOP has 213 vs Dems at 202 And, in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republicans have won 213 seats compared to the 202 seats won by the Democrats. Outstanding races where ballots are still being counted are located in Arizona, Alaska, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Oregon, and Washington State. The party with 218 seats gets the majority. Trump selects first-ever female Chief of Staff President-elect Donald Trump chose Susie Wiles, the co-chair of his presidential campaign, to serve as his chief of staff, reports Fox News. She will be the first woman ever to serve in that role. Franklin Graham urges Trump to seek God daily Evangelist Franklin Graham tweeted, “Congratulations to Donald Trump on being elected the 47th president of the United States of America! I pray that you will look to God every day for His guidance and wisdom.” On the Billy Hallowell CBN podcast, Graham added these cautionary words. GRAHAM: “Our country, I believe, is doomed unless we repent of our sins and call upon the name of Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ. “The entertainment industry, they're normalizing sin. It's in every program you watch on TV. They try to make sin normal. It has a dulling effect, I believe, on us spiritually. It takes the sharp edge off of us, and we just begin to kind of become ‘ho hum' about it. We should be shocked. We should be embarrassed. “We should never accept it within the church. Unfortunately, many churches have accepted sin.” 3 things Christian should do in wake of Trump's victory In the wake of Trump's re-election, Pastor Josh Howerton tweeted three things that Christians should do. First, “Give thanks. Our nation was given an undeserved mercy. It is a window for repentance. No Christian anywhere should've supported the policy platform that was mercifully defeated and saying that should never have been controversial. In fact, it should prompt deep reflection about what happened to the U.S. church…. It is not wrong to celebrate and give thanks today for being spared from something our rebellious nation deserved … ‘When wicked things perish, there are shouts of joy' — Proverbs 11:10” Second, “Pray. Not only because we are commanded to pray for our governing leaders in 1 Timothy 2:1, but because of the situation. We elected Jehu, a flawed leader who defeated a greater evil, not Josiah, a righteous leader who led national revival, and that comes with risks. “The command to “trust not in princes” (Psalm 146:3) means there is Someone 10 trillion times greater than a President and something 10 billion times greater than an election that we should ache and hunger for — an outpouring of the Spirit in our generation.” Third, “Hurl yourself into the purposes of God in our generation. … Judeo-Christian values can keep a nation out of chaos, but they cannot keep a person out of Hell. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can do that.” Former DNC official: Biden should resign & appoint Kamala president Jamal Simmons, a former deputy director of communications for the Democratic National Committee, proposed an idea so wild that even the CNN panel he was taking part in seemed skeptical, reports Red State. SIMMONS: “Joe Biden has been a phenomenal president. He's lived up to so many of the promises he's made. There's one promise left that he could fulfill, being a transitional figure. “He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris the president United States.” CNN CONSERVATIVE CONTRIBUTOR SCOTT JENNINGS: “Woah!” SIMMONS: “He would absolve …” DANA BASH: “Wow!” SIMMONS: “…her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat. And it would dominate the news at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things that the public wants to see. This is the moment for us to change the entire perspective of how Democrats operate.” BASH: “This has now jumped from an internet meme to a Sunday morning show.” If Biden resigned and appointed Kamala as president, this would indeed dominate the news. The message sent would be that the Democrats treated the presidency like a participation trophy. No doubt, if President Biden were to take this foolish suggestion seriously, he would both sully what's left of his reputation and simultaneously cement the Republican hold on the White House for decades to come. Big snowstorm hit Colorado (“Let it snow” song) God sent a whole lot of snow into Colorado, reports the Denver Gazette. Not only did Denver receive 8 inches and Colorado Springs got 14 inches, but Evergreen got 18 inches of the white stuff and La Veta Pass was buried in 37 inches of snow. Deep sleep boosts brain health, reduces memory problems And finally, deep sleep could be the key to forestalling slow declines in brain health that may one day lead to Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, reports Science Alert. Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist at the University of California Berkeley, said, "Think of deep sleep almost like a life raft that keeps memory afloat, rather than memory getting dragged down by the weight of Alzheimer's disease pathology. This is especially exciting because we can do something about it. There are ways we can improve sleep, even in older adults." Want some more deep sleep yourself?. Cut out coffee late in the day. Get exercise. Then, right before bed, avoid screen time, and take a hot shower. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, November 11th, my 18th wedding anniversary to my beloved bride Amy, in the year of our Lord 2024. Check out our love story at www.AdamsWedding.net. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
In this episode, Kyle explains why people that think all metal music is Satanic are foolish and wrong. Also, in the Quick Hitters segment, we discuss Gen Z men and boys flocking back to churches, famous and influential pastor Steven Lawson blowing up his life and ministry because of an affair with a woman in her 20s, collegiate women's volleyball programs finally standing up against the harmful gender revolution, Kamala Harris' husband being accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend, Kamala's appearance on a popular sex podcast, Democrats lying about the details around a Georgia woman's death following an abortion, former First Lady Melania Trump coming out as fully Pro-Abortion a month before the Election, Kamala saying that she would nuke the filibuster in order to force federal abortion protections, an Afghan national with plans to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day arrested by authorities in OKC, Biden waiting a week before surveying the damage from Hurricane Helene, the US Government warning that it does not have enough funds to last through hurricane season, Pope Francis continuing to be a feckless heretic, Israel pulling off one of the most amazing missions in modern warfare history, Jill (not Joe) Biden running the first Presidential Cabinet meeting in almost a year, and the most unintentionally hilarious political advertisement in history. Let's get into it… Episode notes and links HERE. Donate to support our mission of equipping men to push back darkness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No Christian practice can take the place of experiencing God. It's in experiencing God that we begin to live in response to the unconditional, unfathomable depths of God's love. It's in experiencing God that we learn to discern and trust his perfect, pleasing will. And it's in experiencing God that our hearts are transformed into powerful reflections of his wonderful character. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” When we see God face-to-face everything changes. You can't see God and stay the same. Encountering him always requires something from us. Experiencing his holiness always calls us to be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:15). Experiencing his love always calls to love because he has “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And experiencing his heart for transformation always calls us to surrender our lives to him as a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing” (Romans 12:1). In Isaiah 6:1-6, Isaiah's encounter with the living God speaks to the truth of transformation through experience. In response to seeing “the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” and hearing the Seraphim calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,” Isaiah's natural response was, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” And upon declaring the truth of his depravity a seraphim touches his lips with a burning coal and says, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah was transformed through experiencing God. If you want your life to be transformed you must set out to seek the face of God. You must respond daily to his invitation to meet together. Your life must be centered around the fact that perfect, blameless Jesus gave his life that you might simply have relationship with the Father. If you do—if you give your life to experience the fullness of God's love, power, and presence—you will never be the same. May you “[behold] the glory of the Lord” today as you enter into a time of guided prayer (2 Corinthians 3:18).
He was born to Muslim parents in Konitsa of Albania — the ancient region of Epirus. His father was a prominent ruler among the Muslims and a member of the Sufi order, sometimes called dervishes, a mystical Islamic sect. John himself became a prominent Sufi and settled in Joannina. Though not a Christian, he attended to his conscience and lived a sober and prayerful life. Over time, he became increasingly attracted to the Christian faith and, in time, asked for holy Baptism. No Christian in his region dared to baptize him, knowing the reprisals that would follow. So John migrated to Ithaka, was baptized, and settled there in a village called Xiromeron, where he married and lived as a simple countryman. In 1813, John's father somehow learned where he was, and that he had become a Christian. He sent two Sufis to bring him back and restore him to the Muslim faith. Because of this, the Ottoman authorities on Ithaka learned who he was and brought him before a judge. To each of the judge's questions John would only reply 'I am a Christian and I am called John.' Realizing that no amount of persuasion or coercion would move him, the authorities determined to behead him. At his execution, since they would not loose his hands so that he could make the sign of the Cross, John cried out 'Lord, Remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!' With these words he submitted himself to a Martyr's end. The Turks intended to leave his body for the dogs, but pious Christians retrieved it and secretly gave it honorable burial.
He was born to Muslim parents in Konitsa of Albania — the ancient region of Epirus. His father was a prominent ruler among the Muslims and a member of the Sufi order, sometimes called dervishes, a mystical Islamic sect. John himself became a prominent Sufi and settled in Joannina. Though not a Christian, he attended to his conscience and lived a sober and prayerful life. Over time, he became increasingly attracted to the Christian faith and, in time, asked for holy Baptism. No Christian in his region dared to baptize him, knowing the reprisals that would follow. So John migrated to Ithaka, was baptized, and settled there in a village called Xiromeron, where he married and lived as a simple countryman. In 1813, John's father somehow learned where he was, and that he had become a Christian. He sent two Sufis to bring him back and restore him to the Muslim faith. Because of this, the Ottoman authorities on Ithaka learned who he was and brought him before a judge. To each of the judge's questions John would only reply 'I am a Christian and I am called John.' Realizing that no amount of persuasion or coercion would move him, the authorities determined to behead him. At his execution, since they would not loose his hands so that he could make the sign of the Cross, John cried out 'Lord, Remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!' With these words he submitted himself to a Martyr's end. The Turks intended to leave his body for the dogs, but pious Christians retrieved it and secretly gave it honorable burial.
The Apostle Peter wrote the letter we call 1 Peter while persecution against Christians was simmering in and around ancient Rome. He wanted his readers to be prepared for hard things to come, and he sought to prepare them by reminding them of their identity as the chosen people of God, living as exiles in a world of suffering.We continue our series in 1 Peter looking at 1 Peter 3:7.Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. 1 Peter 3:12Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way…so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7“So concerned is God that Christian husbands live in an understanding and loving way with their wives, that he ‘interrupts' his relationship with them when they are not doing so. No Christian husband should presume to think that any spiritual good will be accomplished by his life without an effective ministry of prayer. And no husband may expect an effective prayer life unless he lives with his wife ‘in an understanding way, bestowing honor' on her.” - Wayne GrudemLife Group Discussion Questions: lifechurchnc.com/exilesLife Church exists to glorify God by making disciples who treasure Christ, grow together, and live on mission. Salisbury, NCFollow us online:lifechurchnc.comFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter
No Christian has a right to intrude on the privacy of another believer. A loss of privacy is a loss of freedom. As a believer, you have the right to be left alone. Others shouldn't intrude into your life. And you shouldn't intrude into theirs. Jesus Christ set the example when He dealt with His disciples in private. “He was explaining everything to His disciples in private” (Mark 4:34). God is the only One who needs to know the details. “For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and He watches all his paths” (Prov 5:21). Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/loss-privacy-e32700
Daily Radio Program with Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
Daily Radio Program with Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
No Christian, ever, should listen to David French. This episode discusses David French and others like him trying to pull Christians leftward in politics. We also talk about The After Party, which is a curriculum on RightNow media which seeks to convince Christians to vote Democrat. It is troubling, deceptive, and believers need to be mindful of what ideas and content they consume.Stay in touch with us:LinktreeFacebookInstagramJoin our email listOr just email us at bpfaithinfo@gmail.com. We will actually respond ;) Bullet Proof Faith is a weekly podcast aimed at teaching parents Christian worldview and apologetics, so that they can equip their children.
"No Christian is strong following God from afar." - Pastor Angie
No Christian is intended to live out their spiritual life in isolation. No Christian is intended to grow in maturity in isolation. No Christian is intended to carry out the ministry God has given them in isolation. Becoming a Christian is not just a private decision between each person and God, it involves being joined into a community of God's people. In these verses we read today, Paul gives us a deep look into what it really means to be part of the Body of Christ. He originally wrote to a diverse church composed of Jews and Gentiles and he told them they had now been formed by God into one new family with God as their Father. God wanted them to love each other and work harmoniously with each other. Most of us today struggle with the busyness of our schedules; with fear of involvement based on past experiences; and with the almost universal, rugged individualism that pervades America. So, this passage holds a special call to Christians like us today. We need to understand why we need each other, and few places in the Bible answer this more clearly than this passage.
Bible Reading: Romans 14:7-13Hattie lay on her bed in the dark, thinking about Uncle Dale. He was in the hospital, badly hurt. He might even die. "Cleo," she whispered, "are you asleep?""No," came the answer from the other bed. "I wish Mom and Dad would get home from the hospital.""Dad said the driver of the other car was drunk." Hattie's voice broke. She sobbed softly. "It's not fair! Uncle Dale might die, and that other man is walking around perfectly okay."When their parents finally arrived home, the girls were still awake. Dad came and knelt between their beds. "First," he said, "I want you to know that Uncle Dale is doing a little better. And I met the driver of the other car tonight. He's very sorry and upset.""Well, he should be," said Cleo. "That man should be put in jail--forever!""He may have to go to jail," said Dad. "He told me he was a Christian, but--""I don't believe that!" Hattie interrupted."He said his friends talked him into drinking tonight," Dad continued. "He could have chosen not to drink and drive, but he didn't. Now he's very sorry, but he can't take back what happened. He knows he deserves to be punished.""No Christian would do what he did," said Hattie."Christians sin, Hattie," Dad reminded her. "We all do things that are wrong, and people are affected by our actions whether we like to think so or not.""I guess that's true," said Cleo. "Remember when my friend Sophie didn't want to come to Bible club with me at first? She said it was because Christians weren't any different from other people. She knew some Christian kids who lied and cheated on tests and did stuff like that just as much as other kids did."Dad nodded. "Our sins don't just affect us--they affect others too. Sometimes they hurt someone else directly, like what happened to Uncle Dale when that man decided to drink and drive tonight. Other times they hurt others' perception of what it means to be a Christian. The good news is that Jesus promises to forgive our wrongs and help us do what's right. The next time you're tempted to do something you shouldn't, think of who else it might hurt besides you. Then trust God to help you make the right decision."–Alyssa LiljequisHow About You?Do you think your sin isn't hurting anyone? Every time you do something wrong, it affects others. Things like drugs, drunkenness, and stealing can ruin whole families. But things like lying, cheating, and laughing at others cause deep hurts too. Whenever you're tempted to do something wrong, trust God to help you do the right thing so your actions won't hurt others or yourself.Today's Key Verse:None of us lives for ourselves alone. (NIV) (Romans 14:7)Today's Key Thought:Your sin affects others
Election Election derives from the Greek verb eklegō (ἐκλέγω) which, according to BDAG, means “to make a choice in accordance with significant preference, select someone or something for oneself.”[1] According to Norman Geisler, “The word election (or elect) occurs fourteen times in the New Testament. An elect person is a chosen one; election (or elect) is used of Israel (Rom 9:11; 11:28), of angels (1 Tim 5:21), and of believers. In relation to believers, election is the decision of God from all eternity whereby He chose those who would be saved.”[2] Geisler further states, “The words chosen and chose are used numerous times. The terms are employed of Christ (Luke 23:35; 1 Pet 1:20; 2:4, 6), of a disciple (Acts 1:2, 24; 10:41; 22:14; John 15:10), and even of Judas (John 6:70; 13:18), who was chosen to be an apostle. Soteriologically, a chosen one is a person elected to salvation by God.”[3] Election is that free choice of God from eternity past in which He chose to save and bless some (Eph 1:4-5). The elect are the ones chosen. God elects groups (Luke 6:13-16; John 6:70) and individuals (1 Ch 28:5; Acts 9:15). Election is to salvation (Acts 13:48; Eph 1:4-6; 2 Th 2:13), spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3), holy and righteous living (Col 3:12; 1 Pet 2:9), and service for the Lord (Jer 1:4-5; Gal 1:15-16; cf. Acts 9:15). In election, God is sovereign and people are free. Both are true. This is why Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Here we observe the coalescence of God's sovereignty and positive human volition as the Father gives and people come of their own choice.[4] We observe something similar in Acts where Luke wrote, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). Here we observe Gentiles who were appointed to eternal life, and that they personally exercised their volition and believed in the Lord for salvation.[5] Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "[Election is] the recognition by God, before the foundation of the world, of those who would believe in Christ; the sovereign act of God in eternity past to choose, to set apart, certain members of the human race for privilege, based on His knowledge of every person's freewill decisions in time. While God is sovereign, having the right to do with His creatures as He pleases, never has He hindered or tampered with human free will. He did not choose some to be saved and others to be condemned. Instead, in eternity past, God first chose to accomplish the work of man's salvation through the Son. Then, He looked down the corridors of time and elected for salvation everyone He knew would believe in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:4). God elected believers in the sense that He knew ahead of time that their free will would choose for Christ….Moreover, God did not elect anyone to hell: unbelievers are condemned to eternally reside in hell only because they have used their volition toward unbelief (John 3:18)."[6] Predestined by God When writing to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul said, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:4-5). The word predestined translates the Greek word proorizō (προορίζω), which means, to “decide upon beforehand, predetermine.”[7] Harold Hoehner defines the word similarly as, “to determine beforehand, mark out beforehand, predestine.”[8] Geisler notes, “Just as God predetermined from all eternity that Christ would die for our sins (Acts 2:23), He also predestined who would be saved. As Paul says, ‘Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son' (Rom 8:29).”[9] According to Paul Enns, “Even though election and predestination are clearly taught in Scripture, man is still held accountable for his choices. Scripture never suggests that man is lost because he is not elect or has not been predestined; the emphasis of Scripture is that man is lost because he refuses to believe the gospel.”[10] Predestination refers to what God purposes for us. The Bible reveals that God has predestined us to adoption as His children (Eph 1:5), to our ultimate conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29–30), and to the blessings of our future inheritance (Eph 1:11). Warren Wiersbe states, “This word, as it is used in the Bible, refers primarily to what God does for saved people. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that people are predestined to hell, because this word refers only to God's people. Election seems to refer to people, while predestination refers to purposes.”[11] According to Robert B. Thieme Jr., predestination refers to “God's predetermined, sovereign provisioning of every believer for the purpose of executing His plan, purpose, and will in time (Eph 1:4-6, 11).”[12] Thieme further states: "In eternity past God decreed, or established with certainty, the believer's destiny for time and eternity. However, the divine act of predestination is never to be confused with the ideas of kismet [the idea of fate] or any other human-viewpoint system of fatalism. God did not negate free will or force anyone into a course of action. Rather, He only decreed and provisioned what He knew would actually happen. He predestined believers based on His eternal knowledge that they would, by their own free will, accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Long before human history began, sovereign God determined that every Church Age believer would be united with the resurrected Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Those who believe are predestined as heirs of God and joint heirs with the Son of God—sharing the eternal destiny of Jesus Christ Himself (Eph 1:5). Furthermore, God predestined believers with everything necessary to fulfill His plan in time. No Christian is dependent upon human energy, personality, or human effort, because God established a grace way of life and furnished the divine means of execution (2 Tim 1:9). Every believer in this age has equal opportunity to either accept or reject God's predestined provision. Regardless of personal failure or success in time, all believers are predestined to be completely “conformed to the image of His Son” in resurrection bodies in heaven (Rom 8:29)."[13] Foreknowledge Peter wrote of God's elect as those “who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2). Here, the word foreknowledge translates the Greek noun prognōsis (πρόγνωσις), which means “to know beforehand, know in advance”[14] Foreknowledge simply means that omniscient God, from eternity past, knew in advance all that would happen in time and space, and He knew the actions of every person and whether they would be saved or not. Jesus communicated His foreknowledge when He said to His disciples, ‘“There are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him” (John 6:64). God also knew His own actions in time and space, either to direct, permit, or overrule human or angelic decisions, and to judge everyone fairly for their actions. According to Norman Geisler: "Being omniscient, God also eternally foreknew those who would be saved: “Those God foreknew he also predestined” (Rom 8:29). Indeed, they were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Pet 1:2). Since His foreknowledge is infallible (He is omniscient), whatever God foreknows will indeed come to pass. Hence, His foreknowledge of who would be saved assures that they will be."[15] In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). The word “foreknew” translates the Greek verb proginōskō (προγινώσκω) which, according to BDAG, means “to know beforehand or in advance, have foreknowledge.”[16] Here, the word connotes God's knowing people in an intimate sense and not merely what they will do. This speaks to the richness of the relationship God has with each individual. Though we exist in time and space and live our lives in a chronological manner with one experience sequentially following the next, God exists in the eternal realm, beyond time and space, in the eternal now. This means that God is present at all times and places in human history simultaneously. Scripture speaks of what God foreknew from eternity past as it relates to the choices of His elect, but His foreknowledge is not detached or impersonal; rather, it is intimately connected to the formation of His family and the execution of His purposes in the world (see Jer 1:4-5). Prevenient Grace Prevenient grace refers to the grace of God that precedes and prepares a person's heart and will for salvation. The term “prevenient” means “preceding” or “coming before.” According to Geisler, “Prevenient means ‘before,' and prevenient grace refers to God's unmerited work in the human heart prior to salvation, which directs people to this end through Christ…This grace is also seen in the fact that ‘the goodness of God leads you to repentance' (Rom 2:4). Thus, prevenient grace is God's grace exerted on our behalf even before He bestows salvation on us.”[17] Because God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9), He works in a preparatory manner to convince the fallen human heart to welcome Christ (2 Tim 1:9). Jesus spoke of the role of the Holy Spirit in the dispensation of the church age, saying, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:8-9). According to Geisler, “The act of convicting, then, is that by which God persuades a person that he is a sinner and, thus, is in need of the Savior.”[18] This prevenient work of God is necessary because of the sinfulness of mankind. It is not considered to be salvific in itself but rather a preparatory grace that allows individuals to cooperate with God's saving work in Christ. In this perspective, salvation is seen as a cooperative process where individuals have the ability to accept or reject God's offer of grace. Christians are Elect in Christ From eternity past, God intended for His grand plan of salvation for all humanity to be achieved through His Son. Scripture reveals “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14), and “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He is “the Lamb who has been slain” from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). Jesus is the Father's Chosen One. God said, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen One in whom My soul delights” (Isa 42:1). And He said of Jesus, “This is My Son, My Chosen One” (Luke 9:35). And Peter describes Jesus as “chosen and precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet 2:4). Jesus was chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be the Savior of all mankind, and Christians are elect because we are in Christ. Geisler states: "Christ is eternal, and the universal church was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4); hence, in the mind of God, the church of God is eternal. Further, Christ is the elect of God (Matt 3:16–17), and we are elect in Him; not only is Christ the elect One, but in the New Testament those “in Christ,” the church, the members of His body, were elect in Him before time began."[19] Scripture reveals that Christians “are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2), that Christ “was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet 1:20), was “chosen and precious” in His sight (1 Pet 2:4), and that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). The prepositional phrase “in Him” (ἐν αὐτῷ) speaks to our election and union with Christ (Eph 1:4). According to L. B. Smedes, “This strongly suggests that God elects people for salvation in the same decision that He elected Christ as their Savior.”[20] Because Jesus is God's Chosen One, it is asserted that we, God's elect, were chosen at the same time as Christ, and He “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim 1:9). When we believed in Jesus as our Savior, God placed us into union with Christ, for “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:30). Paul wrote, “I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen [eklektos], so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:10). The prepositional phrase, “in Christ” (ἐν Χριστῷ), emphasizes the idea of believers being in union with Christ. This union is not merely a metaphorical expression but signifies a profound spiritual reality. The Apostle Paul frequently uses this expression to convey the intimate and transformative relationship that believers have with Christ (Rom 8:1; 12:5; 1 Cor 1:2, 30; Gal 3:28; Eph 1:3-4; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2; 2 Tim 1:9; 2:10). Being “in Christ” signifies that believers are, in a real spiritual sense, united with Him. This identification includes sharing in His death, burial, and resurrection, for we have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), and “we died with Christ” (Rom 6:8), were “buried with Him” (Rom 6:4), and “have been raised up with Christ” (Col 3:1). In a real way, we were with Him on the cross, in the grave, and at His resurrection. In the eyes of God, His experience has become our experience. This identification with Jesus is real, even though we were not physically alive at the time of His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, or ascension into heaven. Furthermore, “In Him we have…forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph 1:7), “have been sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:2), have “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23), and are told there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). This kind of identification in and with another is true in other instances. For example, it was said of Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb” (Gen 25:23), even before Israel was called into being as a nation. Similarly, the writer of Hebrews speaks of Levi who “paid tithes” (Heb 7:9), and this while “he was still in the loins of his father” Abraham (Heb 7:10). This means that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek, even before he existed, as he was in the loins of his father, Abraham.[21] Furthermore, being “in Christ” reflects a believer's new position before God. It signifies that, through faith in Christ, believers are accepted and justified before God. Their sins are forgiven (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7), and they are seen through the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). The phrase also emphasizes that believers participate in the benefits of Christ's redemptive work. This includes reconciliation with God (Rom 5:10), adoption as children (Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5), the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16), and the status of being a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Believers are seen as co-heirs with Christ, sharing in the inheritance of eternal life (Eph 1:3-14; Rom 8:17). This positional truth is foundational to the concept of salvation by grace through faith. While being “in Christ” has personal implications, it also has a corporate dimension. It speaks to the collective identity of the Church as the body of Christ, with believers being interconnected and sharing a common life “in Christ.” Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Through the baptism of the Spirit at salvation, every believer of this age is removed from his position in Adam and secured in his position “in Christ” (1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:5–6; cf. Gal 3:27). The believer, no longer spiritually dead, is made a “new creature” with a totally unprecedented relationship with God (2 Cor 5:17a). The “old things” that once kept him alienated from God have passed away; phenomenal “new things” have come by virtue of his position in Christ (2 Cor 5:17b). The believer shares Christ's eternal life (1 John 5:11–12), His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21), His election (Eph 1:3–4), His destiny (Eph 1:5), His sonship (John 1:12; Gal 3:26; 1 John 3:1–2), His heirship (Rom 8:16–17), His sanctification (1 Cor 1:2, 30), His kingdom (2 Pet 1:11), His priesthood (Heb 10:10–14), and His royalty (2 Tim 2:11–12). This new position can never be forfeited."[22] In summary, the prepositional phrase “in Christ” encapsulates profound theological truths about the believer's union with Christ, identification with His redemptive work, a new positional standing before God, and the communal identity of the Church as the body of Christ. It serves as a key concept in understanding the richness of Christian salvation and the transformative impact of faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Steven R. Cook [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 305. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 220–221. [3] Ibid., 221. [4] Other passages that emphasize God's sovereign choice: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44), and “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65). Paul wrote, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:4-5). And to Christians living in Thessalonica, Paul wrote, “We should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Th 2:13). [5] Romans 9:1-18 is often cited when discussing election to salvation; however, when one looks at the context of Roman 9, it does not pertain to salvation, but to God's selection of the progenitors of the nation of Israel. In a similar way, God sovereignly selected Nebuchadnezzar to be the king over Babylon (Dan 2:37-38; 5:18), and Cyrus as king over Persia (Ezra 1:2). In fact, God's sovereignty is supreme when it comes to selecting all human rulers, for “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings” (Dan 2:21), and “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan 4:17). At times, He even raises up young foolish kings to discipline His people, as He told Isaiah the prophet, “I will make mere lads their princes, and capricious children will rule over them” (Isa 3:4). [6] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Election”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, (Houston, TX., R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, 2022), 81. [7] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 873. [8] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 193. [9] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 221. [10] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 329. [11] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11. [12] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Predestination”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 203. [13] Ibid., 203-204 [14] Moisés Silva, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 138. [15] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 221. [16] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 866. [17] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 222. [18] Ibid., 222. [19] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things, 50–51. [20] L. B. Smedes, “Grace,” ed. Geoffrey W Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 551. [21] These two analogies with Rebekah and Levi help convey the idea of a connection or representation that transcends mere physical existence. In the case of Rebekah, the passage refers to the statement, “Two nations are in your womb” (Gen 25:23), highlighting that this declaration occurred before Israel was called into being as a nation. This serves as an example of a connection that existed before the actual historical formation of the nation. Likewise, the reference to Levi paying tithes while still in the loins of his father, Abraham (Heb 7:9-10), is another analogy used to illustrate a connection that goes beyond the immediate physical existence of the individual. It suggests a representation or identification that precedes the individual's own existence. [22] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Position in Christ”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 200.
If you can't be the evangelist who goes out, support someone who can. The purpose of the church is to reach all people in all nations with the Gospel Truth. No Christian is exempt from that calling. In Acts 11, Peter defends his actions to the Jerusalem church after preaching to the Gentiles. He shares how God led him to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and how the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the message, just as it had on the Jews at Pentecost. This pivotal moment underscores that the Gospel is for everyone, not just a select few. We evangelize in different ways, and that's okay, but we need to share the message of hope in the way that we are able. We are the messengers — we are not the message. Our calling is to simply deliver it, and God will do the rest by His power and might, not by ours. Just as the Holy Spirit guided Peter, we too must trust that God will work through our efforts, no matter how small they may seem.
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“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34) No Christian could ever question the preeminent importance of love. ... More...
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34) No Christian could ever question the preeminent importance of love. ... More...
No Christian parent wants to see his or her kids struggle through adulthood. Yet sadly, that's where many parents find themselves today. John and Danny will give hope to parents who have a child that's far from God. You'll also hear from Jim Daly and Dr. Erwin Lutzer, who discuss why focusing too much on your kids' behavior is not helpful. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the A Practical Guide for Praying Parents for your donation of any amount! Learn About the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Listen Anytime Hope For Parents of Prodigal Children Contact our Counseling Department If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.
Welcome to episode 148 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we begin our study in the Book of Galatians, covering chapter 2:11-21. The series is called “Free.” Today, we will cover: The need for Paul's rebuke (vv. 11-14) The nature of Paul's rebuke (vv. 15-21) Key takeaways: Paul's public reprimand of Peter was warranted because Peter's sin was committed in the public sphere, and it had public consequences in that others followed his example. Peter, by refusing to eat with the Gentiles if they did not keep the food laws, was, in effect, compelling the Gentiles to live like Jews to be part of the people of God. Peter and his friends did not act out of conviction but were motivated by fear. If members of the covenant people (both Peter and Paul) need to put their faith in Christ to be right before God, and if they cannot be righteous in God's sight by keeping the law, then it is senseless for Peter to require Gentiles to observe the law for them to have a right relationship with God. Reinstituting the law transgresses God's will because it denies that righteousness is in Christ and returns to the old era of salvation history. Therefore, to reach back to the law for righteousness constitutes sin since it denies righteousness is in Christ. Quotable: Human beings do not stand in the right before God by observing the law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. Application: Even the most spiritual and advanced Christians, like the apostle Peter, are still liable to sin. No Christian reaches a point where he or she is without sin, and even if we are experienced Christians, we may sin in significant ways. None of us live a solitary life. Our sins always have an effect on others. As believers, we are responsible for both encouraging and rebuking fellow believers. No one can stand before God on the basis of what they have done. Salvation is of the Lord, and it is received by faith alone. Righteousness cannot come via the law. If it did, then Christ's death on the cross is superfluous. Christ's self-giving on the cross would be completely unnecessary, for right standing with God would be attained through observing the law rather than by trusting in what God has done in Christ to grant salvation. Connect with us: Web site: https://springbaptist.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus) https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus) Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/ If you haven't already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider.
No Christian should ever settle for spiritual defeat. The Holy Spirit wants to give you victory in every spiritual battle, so if you want to defeat Satan, learn these Holy Spirit secrets.
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