“Teach these things to faithful people who can teach others.”
2 Tim. 2:2
The Danger of Familiarity
It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. In the beginning we coveted the presence of the Lord, but today perhaps we take it for granted. In the beginning we were awed by Him, but today perhaps we are not so amazed. His visits become more routine, more ordinary, more commonplace. The Lord is taken for granted.
Gathering: But Not For the Better!
Can fellowship only occur in the context of a church meeting? Once we realize that our fellowship is supposed to be based on a relationship with Jesus, not a relationship with “church”, we will discover that there are more opportunities for fellowship OUTSIDE the local church building than there are INSIDE.
Ziklag: The Test of Kings
Even someone who is after God’s own heart, someone who seeks Him early and often, someone who desires Him more than anything else – yes, THAT kind of person, ESPECIALLY that kind of person! – will be called upon to endure some of the most excruciating physical, emotional, and spiritual rigors imaginable.
To Him That Overcomes
If the Overcomers are not earthly conquerors or crusaders, what are they? Overcomers are simply Christians who live the normal Christian life. That is, the normal Christian life, as God intends, is a life that overcomes. It is a life which demonstrates the preeminence of Jesus Christ over all things.
Pauline Expressions of “En Christo”
Why do scholars find the essential foundation and pillar of Pauline thought, and the vocabulary he consistently uses to communicate that thesis, so difficult to understand?
Why I Don’t Go to Church Anymore
The turning point in my life came in 1995. At that time I was a 24 year-old burned out pastor of a church that had just closed. I was a little angry, a little frustrated, and a little depressed. As I was half-reading and half-praying, I came across a passage that I had seen hundreds of times before…
The Priests of the Lord (Part 1)
Through a series of painful experiences the Lord brought me to a deeper understanding of what ministry to Him is. In this writing I would like to explain this deeper ministry. I have referred to it a number of times in other writings and in my spoken messages, but by the grace of the Lord I would like to take some time here and expound a bit on this perspective of ministry.
The Most Urgent Need of Our Time
That we are living in the “perilous times” of the last days is seldom questioned – and yet, it seems too many Christians carry on with “business as usual,” taking for granted the unique dangers of living in the last days and being more concerned with personal needs than with the most urgent need of our time, a crisis that threatens the moral and spiritual fabric of our society and of the Kingdom of God.
I Know Whom I Have Believed
As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe. Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity.
OTC 19: Looking for Fellowship in All the Wrong Places
Kind of like that old song - “Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces.” I suppose that applies to some Christians looking for love in the form of fellowship, too; looking for fellowship in all the wrong places, looking for fellowship in too many faces. Why do we do that? I think there are a couple of reasons why...
This online course is for anyone who wants to grow closer to the Lord – especially if you want a deeper relationship with God without religion, church, and all the other “stuff” that complicates the simplicity of that relationship.