Humility: Orientation to Reality, Authority, and Truth The Cross of Jesus Christ, Yeshua, the Messiah, is the starting place for genuine humility. Genuine humility is oriented to reality, which is God. It is also oriented to proper authority—God’s Words of Truth. Humility may be defined as “freedom from subjectivity by proper orientation to God.” Humility is the virtue of teachability…
The Subjection of Truth THINGS TO THINK ABOUT… MORALITY IS TRUE Americans, in general, have lost their sense of objective moral truth. Frankly, so has most of the rest of the world Sentiment is not an excuse for compatibility with truth. Truth is not a relative thing. The compromise of truth negates objectivity. Without absolute truth there can be no…
The Lamp and the Sword As we begin this third part of our series, it is important that you have your study Bible in hand, opened, and ready to read the scripture references for yourself. Please, be sure to read the commentaries where applicable, usually found at the bottom of the context page in most Study Bibles Categorical studies on…
Empowered Mentality “The mentality of mankind needs both the empowerment and the enlightenment that only God can give through His fascinating Word.” This part five of our study is designed with you the reader in mind. The purpose is to challenge you to consider God’s viewpoint regarding all the details and circumstances in life. Think God, then seek God before…
“It is Written” As I meditated on the mysterious supernatural nature of the Word of God, I thought about the proclamations of our Lord, when He so often stated “It is written.” Wow! What powerful words! What powerful authority Christ gave the Scriptures (Matthew 7:28-29). What a powerful endorsement. Christ validated the Old Testament and then fulfilled its promises in…
Profitability The Apostle Paul described the Bible as Divine Authority, when he wrote the following in a letter to a young pastor named Timothy: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God (literally,…
The Living Bible “The spirit-filled, supernatural Bible is the most precious book ever written, the most important knowledge ever given, and the most important record this world will ever possess. There in nothing more important than the Word of God… truly, there is nothing truer in all the world than the Word of God.” — C. S. Craig “All the…
The Christian Objective The Christian objective is to be conformed to the “Image of Christ” (Romans 8:29) “by the renewing of our minds.” We must continually renew our minds with the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Our objective is to be “imitators” of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 5:1). We are to become a spiritually mature believer, at which…
Thinking Good and Evil – Part One The story of mankind, presented by God, written by man, begins in Genesis and consummates in Revelation with the events of the last days. From Genesis to Revelation the perfect plan of God, is being lived-out. The scroll of time/history/creation is constantly rolling out as ordained by our Heavenly Father through His creation….
Bible Study – “It is written” “The foundation for knowledge is the Bible.” — C. S. Craig When Christ began His earthly ministry, He overcame the temptations of the devil with a threefold statement: “It is written.” Then, on the cross, He defeated the devil with our salvation by stating “It is finished.” These two declarations of Christ still echo…
Thee or Me, Oh Lord POINTS TO PONDER Does your thinking revolve more around you… or Christ? Is your thinking more about yourself… or others? Is your concern for your own security, or the less fortunate, or even the homeless? What is your goal in life? Is your goal a goal that pays you dividends in time or, more importantly,…
The Sharp Edges of Faith THE QUESTION OF UNANSWERED PRAYER AND THE ADDICTED WHO FEEL DEJECTED ARE THE OBJECT OF THIS STUDY THE DEFINITION OF FAITH: CONFIDENCE IN THE INTEGRITY OF GOD We believe in a transcendent God, all-powerful, yet personable. But, so much about life cannot be understood rationally, especially unanswered prayer. I’m not certain that prayer is as…
Thinking Good and Evil – Part Two TWO CONTRASTING CONCEPTS – A DEEPER LOOK What we think is who we are in the present, and what we become in the future. As we learned in Part One, there are two systems of thought; two power systems; two contrasting realities—good and evil. And each power system has a powerful leader: Satan…
Ego Trips and Fame-Seekers “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Notice we are the result of His workmanship, created in Christ for good works – God has a plan for each of His children. Even more astounding, notice this verse tells…
The Searchlight and the Dipper A Devotional for Meditation and Action Desperate men and women subconsciously yearn for God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. They are in search of truth, peace, and light. As ambassadors we hold in our hands a searchlight and a dipper. The searchlight shines in the darkness so that humanity can see the cross. The dipper is…
Walking with Our Paraclete (The Holy Spirit) The modern world of secularism has done deep damage, deep treason to eternal Truths, and it is up to Christians to stand fast on Truth, to pray to the Father for guidance, to study God’s Word daily, and to spread the Gospel. We are to plant seeds of God’s Truths wherever the Holy…
If Only… IF ONLY… If only everyone respected the Lord, they would respect each other. If only everyone loved the Lord, they would love each other. If only everyone were a giver, there would be no getters. If only everyone was a servant, there would be no needs. If only everyone was obedient, there would be no crime. If only…
Smudge Pot or Torchbearer The Doctrine of Worry In certain parts of California, it can be a disaster of catastrophic proportion to the citrus crop if the temperature drops below 32°F. Therefore, the industry, in an effort to help reduce loss of crops, place thousands upon thousands of little pots in the citrus groves which they light at night during…
The Etymology of “Edification” We will look at several Greek words, which will help us understand certain points of doctrine, beginning with the word Edification Etymology of the Word Edification. This term comes to us in Scripture from the Koiné Greek of the first century. Three different Greek words have been translated edify or edification in the King James Version….
Divine Guidance “The pure thoughts of Biblical Truths, illumined by the Holy Spirit, not the deceptive thoughts of man, are the basis for divine guidance. The Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit, is the light by which everything is enlightened that has enlightenment.” — C. S. Craig Do not depend on human viewpoint. Do not depend on the…