Tag Archives: Bible

The Second Commandment

One of my heroes of the faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a pastor in Nazi Germany. Rather than “Go along to get along” he actively taught against and stood up to the Nazi atrocities committed in the concentration camps. Bonhoeffer could have taken the easy way out and run away when the Nazis began executing and burning Jews and other prisoners of war. He was martyred for standing up to evil, strangled and hung up naked in the very concentration camps he fought against. Bonhoeffer wrote:

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.”

Many people today are on the “wrong train”. Many are on a “long, black train” like Josh Turner sings about.

There’s a long black train comin’ down the line
Feedin’ off the souls that are lost and cryin’
Rails of sin, only evil remains
Watch out, brother, for that long black train

You get on a “Long, Black Train” when you get away from God’s Ten Commandments. … Continue reading

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What You Need To Know First

2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Christianity is very unique among all the other religions of the world because Christianity is God made. Last week we saw that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was NOT a fantasy or a myth made up to trick people. People saw Jesus, heard God the Father say “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased”, and were willing to die gruesome deaths rather than deny what they saw. Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured on Mount Tabor. Two out of three of these men died martyrs deaths, refusing to renounce Christ.

When God became Man (for Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us – Matthew 1:23), the Holy Spirit moved on Mary. The Bible says that Mary was told:

Luke 1:35 (ESV) … The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Mary was not perfect – but her Son, created of God, was perfect and sinless. Mary said when hearing the Angel,

Luke 1:46-47 (ESV) … My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in GOD MY SAVIOR …… Continue reading

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Introduction To The Ten Commandments And The First Commandment of God

The Ten Commandments are the basis of a good and godly government. They were not only given to Israel at the base of Sinai, but to any nation that wanted the blessings of God. Continue reading

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Witnesses Of Jesus

The Merriam-Webster dictionary always announces it’s “word of the year”. This year the “word of the year” is “AUTHENTIC”, which means “not false or imitation, real, actual”. Sadly, I don’t think most people understand what the word actually means. What I’ve seen advertised is “be your AUTHENTIC self”, and they attach this to transgenderism or some other abnormal fetish. Being authentic today is subjective, meaning to be true to your feelings. John Stonestreet of Breakpoint notes:

“This new definition of “authentic,” that what I feel inside is the highest truth, would have baffled people in centuries past and still baffles many non-Westerners today. However, the real problem is that this new definition of “authentic” is utter nonsense. Truth is not primarily subjective but objective. Reality is not decided by individuals but given by a Creator. One of the things our Creator both demands of us and enables us to do through redemption is conform our inner selves to His will and design, which He reveals, objectively, in both creation and Scripture.”

Comedian and Author Brad Stein – also a conservative Christian – said he had no problem understanding the difference between male and female as a child. He had a sister, and one Christmas his parents got them both bicycles. The girl’s bike has a bar in front of the seat that goes downward to the lower frame, whereas his bike – a boy’s bike – has a bar that is horizontal in front of the seat. Brad said that the first time he was standing up and slipped off the petals – he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he was a boy!

That’s AUTHENTIC!… Continue reading

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God’s Blessings Come Through Little Things

Luke 1:39-46 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord ..

I have a video from Homicide Detective J. Warner Wallace. He is a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center and an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at the Talbot School of Theology. It’s only about three minutes – but it answers the question “Are there many ways to God?”

What makes Christianity unique is Christ Jesus Himself.

He was uniquely born into this world, unlike anyone who has ever been born. It was prophesied of God in the Old Testament that the Messiah or the Christ was going to come into this world uniquely through the Prophet Isaiah. Of all the Prophets of the Old Covenant, ALL heard the Voice of God but very few looked into Heaven. Ezekiel saw into Heaven, … Continue reading

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God Used A Little Old Couple

How did we come by December 25th as the time to celebrate Christ’s birth? The earliest Pastors believed that Christ was crucified on the 15th of Nisan, 33 AD. Many Bible scholars consider this to be March 25th. Around 300 years after Christ’s crucifixion the Church came to believe that Jesus was concieved 9 months from March 25th, the day that He died on the Cross. … Continue reading

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Be Of One Mind (Do You Really Believe?)

The CHRISTIAN is to follow the laws of the land that are around us. Certainly we do not disobey the Word of God to do the word of man. As Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). We never rob from God the glory He is due. But insomuch as His command of our lives is not abrogated, we are to obey the laws of the land around us. When the laws of the land commanded that the Apostles not preach the Gospel,

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Christians are to obey the laws of the land as long as we may honor God in doing so. Servants are to obey even cruel masters. And now we have, “Likewise, ye wives”.

When God created the institution of marriage (and God created it – not the Supreme Court), Man was to be the leader and Woman
the follower in that union. Only Satan endorses anarchy!

This concept has come under attack because of certain forms of feminism and social justice militants. People think that submission is to degrade, or to make lesser…. Continue reading

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The Importance Of Keeping The Word

I was watching a video from Prager University the other day called “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions”. The phrase is often attributed to a French Christian named Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Dennis Prager noted that in the 20th Century about 100 million people were murdered by despotic regimes. Most of those murdered were Communist countries, regimes supported by “nice people” who had or believed they had good intentions. It was American and British citizens who, with good intentions, delivered to the Soviet Mass Murderer Joseph Stalin the secrets to making an atom bomb. Many of the teachers who bring up topics robbing young children of their sexual innocence are motivated by good intentions. Those who vote for politicians who want to defund the police – a sure way of increasing murder, rape, and other crimes in our country – have good intentions. Those who seek to criminalize hate speech have good intentions, though what they seek is a serious threat to our First Amendment rights.

Prager went on to say that the only way we can have a better world is by seeking wisdom. Knowledge without wisdom is useless. You can learn knowledge in a laboratory – but WISDOM COMES FROM GOD. James has told us this four times. In

James 1:5 we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (ESV).

Wisdom is the proper application of what God has said is wise. King Solomon, a man who got wisdom from God, said “wisdom is BETTER THAN JEWELS, and ALL THAT YOU MAY DESIRE CANNOT COMPARE with {wisdom}. ‘I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion’” (ESV). You can find knowledge without wisdom, but the Bible calls you a fool. But if you find knowledge THROUGH WISDOM, through God and His Word, then you are wise. James told us in chapter three:… Continue reading

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Faithful Is The Word (Part 3): Gospel Truths

This past Sunday we looked at several of the Apostle Paul’s “faithful sayings” that he gave to Timothy and Titus. Timothy was chosen of God to build the Church in Ephesus, whereas Titus was building the Church in Crete. Paul introduced these faithful sayings with πιστός λόγος {pistos logos}, or literally, “Faithful is the Word”. Our Jesus is faithful. God’s Word is faithful. Tonight we turn to,

1 Timothy 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

When We Are Saved By The Word Of God,
We Must Feed Our Souls On The Word Of God

Word Study:We read “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation”, pistos logos, which means “Faithful is the Word”. This pistos logos focuses on the word of the world, and the Word of God.

God’s Word is faithful, but man’s word is not.

In our world today there is the unprecedented spread of evil, spread liberally by technology. Now, I’m not against technology. I love technology. I program my own computers with the Linux Operating System, because – to me – Bill Gates and Microsoft are greedy for money. I use the internet to study and research Scripture. There are amazing resources available freely to those willing to use them, resources that used to cost hundreds of dollars to access. Praise God for the internet. Praise God for technology. But Beloved, you need to know that Satan himself uses the same devises to evil.

Satan and the fallen world has always used God’s
good gifts for evil, and always will!… Continue reading

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What Is Truth? God’s Word Is Truth!

Pilate extensively examined Jesus. Jesus was no threat to the Roman empire. “My kingdom is not of this world” (36). Pilate asked Jesus if He were a king. Jesus refused to assume the title at this point in history. Jesus is indeed “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15), but His primary role at this time is “to bear witness to the truth”:

John 18:37 To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to “bear witness to the truth”. Those who are of the truth hear Jesus. Those who are of the world ignore Jesus, judge Jesus, mock Jesus. Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (38). Jesus is truth. God’s Word is truth.

The trial of Jesus gives us an insight into the eternal struggle between “Truth” and “truth”. The religious court, which was suppose to support God’s Truth, ignored the truth. Pilate, a career politician, ignored Capital “T” Truth. If you ask people about truth today, they will tell you:

Truth is what you make it.
Truth is based on what you feel.
Truth varies from person to person.

If truth is little “t”, constantly variable, then… Continue reading

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