Eternal Approach

“That the God of our lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:” (Ephesians 1:17)

Salvation is not simply an agreement or assent to the idea of Christ or to a carefully constructed presentation of verses about Him.

We must believe the Word of God AND we must receive a “revelation” of the Lord Himself.

Does that sound shocking?

Continue reading “Revelation and Salvation” →

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Continue reading “The Way into the Holiest” →

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)

Those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior walk in two worlds. They walk in the world which we see and in that world which we don’t see. One is physical; the other is spiritual. One is temporal; the other is eternal.

This world and that world operate on entirely different principles. On entirely different laws. As we are bound in this world by physical laws like gravity, the spiritual world is also governed by laws.

When believers attempt to walk according to “the rudiments of the world“, (Colossians 2:20) they are trying to apply natural laws and techniques to spiritual work. This is why so much that we see in our churches often seems powerless and hollow. It is why we are often left with the feeling that we are not truly touching something living, but dead.

Continue reading “Not of This World: A Higher Call” →

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1: 4-5)

I work in a cemetery. When we are not preparing for and supervising funerals, there is mowing, weed-wacking, seeding, cleanup and all the little jobs people take for granted.

But there are often times to stop and reflect on life. So, the other morning, while waiting for a very large funeral procession to arrive, I had one of those special “moments of clarity”.

Continue reading “Among the Living Dead” →

Each of us will be somewhere in one hundred years, one thousand years, and even one million years from today.

In our age, many people are living as if they have just this life with nothing beyond. Their philosophy is to “live in the moment”. To sample all that life has to offer. To grab it and wring out all the pleasure it can bring.

Continue reading “Somewhere Forever” →

When I say unto the wicked , O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  (Ezekiel 33:8)

This is a sober warning. Its point is all about making sure that the lost man receives the gospel message.

“Simple enough”, you say. “But how is the gospel message to be presented?”

It involves the fullness and clarity of the message. And it involves how the message is presented.

Continue reading “God is Not a Humanist” →

“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We are living in a world where most men and women follow their own religious codes. Many are very moral people. Some are religious. Others are more secular.

Many of the secular folks believe that their morality, without Christ, can stand on its own before God. That their actions are what count; not their religious observances or doctrines.

Within many mainstream “Christian” denominations, many believe that God is just like an old grandfather that loves them and accepts all but the most evil characters. Others believe God is very demanding and must be appeased by a life of dedicated religious works.

Continue reading “By Grace thru Faith Alone” →

Nothing is more important to the Christian than the Word of God. It is the one thing that he can physically hold in his hands that is eternal and sure. There is no tradition, philosophy, creed or catechism that can replace the word by word revelation of God to man.

It is by His Word that all things were created. He spoke and it was done. And it is by His Word that all things will be judged. No authority exists on earth or heaven that exceeds or is even equal to His Word.

Jesus Christ is The Word. His incarnation was the written words of God expressed in physical form. This was the eternal GodHead perfectly revealing Himself in the Son. The “express image of His person”. (Hebrews 1:3)

ABOVE even His Name

Continue reading “By the Scriptures Alone” →