Month: March 2017

”As long as what you are afraid of is something evil, you may still hope that the good may come to your rescue.  But suppose you struggle through to the good and find that it also is dreadful?  How if food itself turns out to be the very thing you can’t eat, and home the very place you can’t live, and your very comforter the person who makes you uncomfortable?  Then, indeed, there is no rescue possible: the last card has been played.” -C. S. LEWIS, Perelandra The Lament Who am I? I know who I see in the mirror, …

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Recently, I had a phone conversation with a very confused and troubled Christian. My heart went out to the poor brother. He had major and persistent problems with understanding the doctrine of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. When asked, he provided a clear testimony of his salvation. He knew his works were not the issue. He readily admitted that Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork was the only means whereby he could be saved from his sins. The man knew it and believed it. So what was his problem? Unfortunately, for 20 years, denominational churches had produced in him a lot of …

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By Ron and Nathele Graham “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13). This was a general question, but one that would lead to a more pointed question. The disciples had seen many wondrous things He had done. They had seen miraculous healings, they had seen Him use a few fish and loaves to feed thousands of people, they had heard Jesus teach, and they had also been witness to the confrontations with the Pharisees. These twelve men had followed Jesus …

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Jesus made a sacrifice so great for us that it’s impossible to ever fully understand it—but we must try Matthew 26:36-46 (KJV) 36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his …

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Jack Kinsella You’ve all seen him. The defeated Christian. The guy who tries and tries, but after being saved for thirty years, he still hasn’t quit smoking. Instead, he hides his cigarettes before coming to church and won’t get too close when shaking your hand for fear you’ll smell the smoke on him. Or the Christian who you know is saved, but he just can’t quite give up the bottle. Or the Christian who got saved, but doesn’t go to church, because he just doesn’t think he fits in with the rest of the crowd? Or won’t go because he …

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Reflections   For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10) The relationship between grace, faith, and our works, is given in this passage. In short, we are saved BY grace, THROUGH faith, UNTO good works. If we alter this relationship we are in danger of creating a false gospel; a false Christianity. It is a fact …

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What does this sweet prayer teach me? It shall be my evening’s petition; but first let it yield me an instructive meditation. The text informs me first of all that David had his doubts; for why should he pray, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation,” if he were not sometimes exercised with doubts and fears? Let me, then, be of good cheer, for I am not the only saint who has to complain of weakness of faith. If David doubted, I need not conclude that I am no Christian because I have doubts. The text reminds me that …

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Waiting frustrates us because we are not in control. But our God uses delays to teach us patience Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” No one likes to wait, but have you ever wondered why? Perhaps it’s because delays show us that we are not in control. Someone or something else is calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the immediate cause—like a traffic light or the long checkout line—ultimately the One who controls all our delays is the Lord. Since He is sovereign over everything in heaven and …

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“Jesus shed His blood for you”—it’s not just a powerful statement; it’s a message woven throughout God’s Word 1 Peter 1:17-21 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the …

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