When God Isn’t Good…
If you were to listen to the way some Christians speak about God, you’d have to wonder if He really were good all the time. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “God has been good to me today!” When someone says that (most likely out of ignorance) it begs the question — when hasn’t God been good? Does God have some quota of goodness to meet before it can be defined as good?
The Indescribable Grace of God
Our culture today believes not in a God of forgiving grace, but in a concept of fortune or misfortune that will revisit a person who is either good to others or evil to others. It's called Karma. The world believes that karma will settle the score. Karma says, “do this, and it will be done back to you”.
But grace says, “Even though you did something, favor and mercy will be given to you.” The word ‘grace’ is the Greek word charis. It describes the complete and unmerited favor bestowed on someone irregardless of their worth or whether they deserved it or not.
A Study in the Book of Hebrews: The Centrality of Jesus
We aren't sure exactly who wrote the book of Hebrews. Some say it was Paul the apostle, but that is doubtful. Others say Barnabas—or because of the writing style, perhaps it was Luke or even Apollos—but we don't know for sure. The letter reads more like a sermon—a sermon that was written and shared among believers in the first century and now throughout eternity.
Why Does Corporate Singing Matter?
God has made His people a singing people. We are hard-wired to sing. From the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) to the Seven Hymns of Revelation (Rev. 4,5,7), the Bible is filled with the songs of God’s people. Three books of the Old Testament—Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations—are collections of songs. In fact, music not only plays a vital role throughout Scripture, but is one of the few activities that we know creation carries out on earth, as well as in heaven.
Which Bible Translation Should I Choose?
So many bible translations, so little time... Where do we begin in sorting through which bible translation(s) to choose? There are over 100 million bibles sold or distributed each year, many of them in a variety of different translations. Most of these bibles are incredibly similar in style and substance, but there are some which have taken great liberties with the original texts.
A Critique of Bill Johnson's "The Way of Life"
I had heard much about Bill Johnson and Bethel Church over the years. From what I observed, I knew that there were numerous doctrinal differences that I had with him and his church. Bill Johnson really began to come onto my radar after watching the testimony of Lindsey Davis and the film “American Gospel: Christ Alone” However, I had never read anything written by Bill Johnson prior to reading “The Way of Life.” I had read much about Johnson but had never read anything by Johnson. That all changed when I promised a local pastor (who is friendly with Johnson and Bethel Church) that I would read and discuss the book with him. He graciously purchased the book for me and I kept our promise to meet.
Coronavirus and The Word of Faith Movement
There is a saying in the political realm that says, “never let a crisis go to waste.” Usually, this refers to how politicians abuse their power to gain from an unfortunate event. However, this statement is true in all aspects of life as men often hunger for power. This is most certainly true of the Word of Faith movement.
What is Worship: Worship in Truth
What exactly is worshipping in truth and why is it so important? In our desire to focus in on this topic, let’s journey together to the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. The setting of the narrative is that Jesus is passing through Samaria. During his travel, he stops to speak to a woman at a well. Being a Jew, Jesus should not have been speaking with her according to the norms of the day.
The Bible Is About Jesus
Often at church, when we do an Old Testament character study, we compare ourselves to that character, and then the moral of the story or sermon becomes "Dare to be a Daniel," or "Have faith like Abraham" or "Don't blow it as Lot did." Now those aren't wrong in themselves--they aren't incorrect, but they are incomplete. We could be tempted to study David's life (for example), and look at our outline like this:
Virtual Church: An Oxymoron For Our Times
However, a church, although it can offer some of what it does online, can not be defined virtually. That is because a church is defined by what it is and not just what it does. A church has an innate and organic reality that is different than restaurants, businesses, schools, or government agencies. Therefore, the concept of virtual church is an oxymoron.
Solus Christus
Imagine a time when Christ was not sufficient to save. The Roman Catholic Church historically defined the priest or the church as the means of grace. So Christ's finished work on our behalf--or the idea of being united with Christ, of having His righteousness as sufficient and imputed into our account to justify us by faith--was not enough to save.
Soli Deo Gloria
We have here another Latin phrase, Soli Deo Gloria, which means, “Glory to God Alone.” While this seems obvious, it is often in practice and not a profession where it is denied. This phrase was often emphasized during the Reformation because the Roman Catholic church believed that the system of sacraments was to dispense grace to those who attended Mass.
Why Does the Resurrection Matter Today?
Those of us who proudly wear the badge of “historically orthodox Christian” love to proclaim the truths of Good Friday and its staggering implications for all of mankind. But in our desire to keep the cross at the forefront of our faith, have we pushed the empty tomb to the background?
Why Was The Cross Necessary?
There are many reasons why the Cross was necessary, but we will focus in and hone in on one particular reason. Both Jesus and the Apostles said, that Christ was to die to fulfill the Scriptures (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-24; 20:17-19; 26:54 and their parallel passages through the Synoptic gospels; John 12:20-34, Acts 3:18; Acts 17:2-3; 1 Cor 15:1-5). While we see that Jesus was supposed to die, we seem ultimately that He was supposed to die in a specific way.
Can Theology Be For The Young?
It seems that in today’s western Church, the word “theology” has become taboo for many. Some Christians hear the word and think of a lofty system of teaching reserved only for seminary students. Some hear the word theology and think of that Bible trivia jerk they once encountered in a bible study or Sunday school class. Still, others hear the word and find it to be nothing more than an accolade. They falsely conclude by then saying, “I don’t need theology, I just need Jesus.” It seems that those who would identify with one of these false statements are operating with a poor definition of theology.
The Immutability of God
So, is Heraclitus, correct? Is the only constant in life change? No, there is a much more and sure constancy. One of God’s attributes, which is foundational to His nature, is His immutability. This means that God does not change. This doctrine is much more important than you might think. How is it that God does not change?
WHAT IS PRAYER? - THE LORD'S PRAYER
Prayer is often misunderstood or misrepresented. It is commonplace after a tragedy is highlighted in the news media for many people (even irreligious) to send their "thoughts and prayers"--but what does that mean? Is prayer merely quieting myself and meditating while I think pleasant thoughts of comfort toward people? Does the Bible explain what prayer is--and is not?
Suffering & Sovereignty: a special Gospel Forum Roundtable
Suffering & Sovereignty: A Special Gospel Forum Roundtable -- Dan Sardinas, Pilgrim Benham, Nick Potts and James Goetke discuss this timely topic!
JESUS: THE GREATER DANIEL
God sent a willing Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar to be a mediator and redeemer of his people. God had also given to Daniel all that was needed to appease the wrath of the king. Jesus was sent by God the Father (John 3:16, Romans 8:3) to do for his people what his people could not do on their own (obey God’s commands and satisfy His wrath). Unlike Adam, Jesus fully obeyed God’s law and fulfilled all righteousness. He stood in his people’s place and satisfied the wrath of God the King perfectly. (1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21) He saves completely so that his people can go free and are no longer condemned. (Romans 8:1)
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The church is a building. Perhaps you are envisioning a grand cathedral, a quaint chapel, a location in a strip mall, or a school auditorium. While these are just a few of the many places that the church gathers, this is not the sort of building pictured throughout Scripture. In fact, it is ironic that when you ask most people about the church they attend they usually identify a physical building. Yet we see that Romans 16:5 says