Features Bible Study Commentaries, Categories, and Lectures. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Are you good enough to get to Heaven? Well, how good is good enough, and who determines that? What’s the golden standard of good? If you can be good enough to please God, why did God send His Son to the cross to die in your place if you can just “do it yourself?” Many people believe that doing good…
Satan was handed the keys to this world by Adam and Eve when they sinned. They had authority over the world and everything within it. At the moment of their disobedience, control of the world was handed over to satan, the great deceiver. Bad things happen because this is the devil’s world. He holds the keys now, not us. “Why…
Please open your personal copy of the Word of Truth (Bible) to Ephesians 6:12. As believers, we wrestle against spiritual wickedness in high places. In Ephesians 6:12, they are spiritual rulers. These darkened dignitaries operate under divine permission, exercising transcendental authority over nations and earthly rulers. This verse is packed with information in the original Greek. First, lets look at…
The doctrine of forgiveness may be defined as: letting go of resentment; excusing a guilty person of trespass; release from payment; forgetting an offense, never throwing it back on the person again; and finally, it means loving those who mock us, bully us, talk about us, and malign us behind our backs. Forgiveness is contrary to our nature – we…
When God created the universe, it was instantaneous (Genesis 1:1). At some point thereafter, in eternity past, God created angels. Then, after an indeterminate amount of time, God created man. There are perhaps billions of angels (Psalm 68:17; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:11; 7:11). Angels are spirit beings (Psalm 104:4). Angels do not have physical bodies as we do,…
“Spiritual compassion is not measured by how well we expose another person’s sin issues, but by how well we stand with them to resolve their issues, gently.” – C. S. Craig Define Compassion in two words: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). “Jesus wept” says it all. Jesus in true humanity was so compassionate (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; 23:37; Mark 1:41)….
TOLERANCE If disagreement did not exist, then tolerance would be unnecessary. Real differences exist between real people, therefore real, authentic tolerance is a necessity to co-existence. Dialogue between persons of differing viewpoints requires respect, not agreement. Tolerance, as used here (and not how it is used and abused today), is best defined as: we agree to disagree with respect. The…
God’s Covenant To Israel (Genesis 17:1 & 2) – Origin of the Jewish Race From the sons of Noah, God chose one branch of the family – the descendants of Shem – to start a new race of people on the Earth. Ninth in line from Shem was a man named Abram. At the age of ninety-nine, God appeared unto…
The Cross is the Centrality of Life Philosophy insists on the power and virtue of man by reason. World religions promise favor by the gods for virtuous acts (people earning favor from the ‘gods’). Christianity on the other hand is God’s plan for the human race, which has three phases: Phase One: God provided salvation for the human race by…
The often heard term “Mother Nature” is a revival from paganism. It is a derivative of “Mother Earth.” Mother Earth was worshiped by the goddess cults of the ancient Middle East. Nature is not a deity, nor is the earth itself. However, calling Creation “Nature” or “Mother Earth” is deification which deliberately discredits and denies God as Creator. Creation on…
In our attempt to reach the world for Christ, many times we drive the world away from the church by too much solicitation. The church is designed to be an academic classroom. That is the purpose, the calling, and the mandate of the pastor-teacher – to teach the Word! Some pastors will read this study and be offended. Some will…
Skeptics believe in something, even if that belief is nothing – therefore, there is a believer in every skeptic. World religions are the assimilation of human viewpoint whereby humanity creates their own god and their own salvation. The subject of God as the source of moral authority has more implicating evidence than any other source. A divine source, more than…
INTRODUCTION God pre-designed the plan of grace before the foundation of the world; Jesus Christ executed the plan; the Holy Spirit reveals the plan through Bible doctrine to mankind. The word grace and its eternal meaning were forever exalted by the incarnation of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union (which means both God and man simultaneously). The one and only true…
Right after birth, the new born baby soon learns that crying will get it what it wants. Since it cannot talk, crying is also the baby’s only way to communicate that it is wet, or hungry, or something is wrong. When over-sensitive parents overreact to every little peep from their precious possession, they soon learn that that was a mistake….
The late Chester McCalley, a linguist of the original languages and expository teacher, in his book entitled The Foundations of Our Great Salvation wrote: “The more Grace is used, the more it increases.” He went on to say: “Appropriating God’s Grace is like having your bank account increase every time you withdraw money.” In John 1:16, grace is exchanged for…
There are two wills in life: “I will” and “God’s will.” When we become more important than God, “I” dominates our thinking. When God is more important than self, God dominates our thinking and our lives. “Self is god of our life or God is God of our life. It’s one or the other.” – C. S. Craig C. S. Lewis…
WHAT IS TRUTH? It is not that Christianity is good as much as it is Truth is good. The result of truth is good. “Truth comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Truth originates with God. Truth is the criteria for establishing truth. Jesus Christ is Truth. Truth redeemed mankind and the truths of God’s Word are…
America’s spiritual heritage is on the brink of cultural disaster. The greatest tragedy is: while the naturalist and the liberal slander and mock the Christian faith, they destroy their own freedom and their own soul by the weight of their own liberal humanism. Christianity can never be annihilated because its Savior (Christ) has risen from the dead. If one says…
Hard questions from real people, both believers and unbelievers, require solid, accurate, Biblically-based answers. Bible doctrine must be taught from the pulpit and must also be learned by everyday people who attend our churches. Pastors must be objective and remain objective in the Gospel declaration, regardless of ego and familiar faces in the congregation. Critical Biblical Details in Profiling a…
“The real battle in life takes place in the soul, for the soul.” – C. S. Craig Recognition, Affirmation, Approbation Recognition and the need for approval are deep-seated in the soul of humanity. The need for affirmation is a necessary ingredient in all of us. Approbation, however, is one manifestation of the lust-patterns of the soul, and has been an…