I have often heard preachers speak disdainfully about Elijah’s depression when he felt that he was the only one left of those who were faithful to the Lord. (1Kings 19:14). Most of these preachers seem to have great difficulty having any sympathy for a man who, a few days before, had called fire down from heaven and who was now fleeing from a woman. Those who look down their noses at this discouraged and dejected prophet seem to pride themselves…
The greatest need among Christians is not for more teaching, even though good teaching is necessary. It is also not for more churches, more fire in the pulpit, or for more programs. What the church needs today, more than ever, is simple obedience. Yes, that’s what you, I, and every Christian, needs more of. If all teaching and all preaching stopped today and we all began to put into practice the things we already know, we would be busy until…
Ebenezer “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” (1Samuel 7:12). The word “Ebenezer” is from “Eben” which means stone and “Ezer” which means help. So literally a stone of help. But it is not the stone that helped them. As Samuel said: “The Lord has helped us this far”. The stone was simply a memorial to remind them of the Lord’s…
The Lord Jesus Christ must have the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1:18). There is no greater truth than this. He must be the first and last and the all in all. This must not only be true in theory but in practice. He must be the most important in the life of the believer, in the church and in our preaching. I do not hear anyone denying this truth for indeed, to deny it would be the worst form…
There was a time, not so long ago, in western countries, that society was pretty civil, people were basically decent and business could be done on a handshake. Even when people disagreed, they did so with civility and a certain amount of respect for the other person. Christians, churches and pastors were respected by unbelievers and Christians tolerated one another, even if they did not always love one another. But now it seems that not a day goes by without…
AKA Hyperdispensationalism AKA Bullingerism I have been surprised by the extent to which this doctrine has permeated Bible-believing churches on every continent. In some cases the followers of the doctrine prefer to remain within orthodox churches where they quietly and subtly spread their ideas. At the same time there are hundreds of churches that have formed around these teachings. These churches, at first glance, appear to be orthodox and not unlike other fundamentalist, Bible-believing churches. Some of these churches operate…
Prophets being wrong about their predictions is not new, but at no time in history have more prophets been so dramatically wrong about the same thing. The same prophets who all prophesied that 2020 was going to be a great and wonderful year, and who did not see Covid-19 coming, predicted that Donald Trump would be reelected and would have been installed for the second term. Not only was he not reelected, he was not installed and on the contrary,…
“but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,” (1Corinthians 1:23). Paul is emphatic that the church only has one message – the cross. Not wisdom, not miracles, not Israel, not even the church, but the cross and the cross alone. Everything flows from, and must be subject to, the message of the cross. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2). His…
As Christians we live in momentous times. Everything around us is being shaken – politics, the economy, health, churches, and believers all around, are crumbling. Anyone who is a true believer living in 2020 is affected and if you are not, then you are living on another planet. I have never seen a time like this. It is not only the Corona virus and the many side-effects of this plague that is shaking us, but believers are facing unprecedented struggles…
In the 48 years I have been in ministry, I have seen much error and heresy. I have seen many fads come and go, and in the process these have drawn many into perdition. But I have never seen anything like what we are seeing now. There is a fight to the death for the souls of believers. The grounds of the struggle is truth. Not only doctrinal truth, but everyday truth. Lies and propaganda have become the order of…