The Gospel Then and Now
‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.’
Seeking the Dedicated Life
In what sense is Christ the Saviour of all, even the unsaved? Here are answers, and the debt that is owed him. Here also are the four ‘departments’ of a true preaching agenda, and what is meant by the ‘gift’ given to Timothy.
Biblical Roles of Men and Women
In Christ ‘there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Neither male nor female is superior to the other in the sight of God. All are equal in spiritual value before God.
Taking Care of Others
When the Saviour spoke, he spoke volumes. We take a little of his gold and hammer it out into acres of gold leaf, for we cannot talk ingots of gold as he did. His words had infinite meanings which only he could fulfil.
Paul’s Desire for the Church
‘Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.’
A Spiritual Growth Check
Growth means dependence upon God, communion with Christ, daily engagement in holiness, prayer and proclamation. We cannot select one or two of these but must engage in all.
The Necessity and Justification for the Free Offer of the Gospel
What a Gospel this is! Christ, his love, his pardon, his righteousness, his Spirit, his holiness, his strength and his fulness, are all offered freely to poor, miserable sinners. Nothing must interfere with this freeness.
The Truth – Rejected or Respected?
‘Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.’
Paul’s Praise and Prayer for the Church
‘Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.‘
Long-Term Praying
Why does the Lord sometimes cause us to pray for some things repeatedly, often over a long period of time? Every praying Christian sometimes experiences long waits in prayer, sometimes extending over several years.
Man’s Way or God’s Way?
‘Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.’
Christ’s Resurrection Gifts
Over forty days following His resurrection, the Lord appeared ten times. Although He had repeatedly spoken of His resurrection, it was not expected. Here we see the appearances, and what each one gave to His followers then, and to us today.
When God Reminds Us Who is in Control
‘And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.’
A Fearful Thing
‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’
Let Your Life Preach
The apostle begins by spotlighting reverence as the leading element of our testimony. Touching on the limitation and spiritual dangers of bodily exercise, we show how Christ in several ways is Saviour of all. Finally, Paul identifies the six main elements of holiness that ‘preach’ to the lost.
Worship or Entertainment?
Where will your church be five or ten years from now? With the adoption of contemporary worship, many have changed beyond recognition. This is one of the most important issues confronting churches today.
Sanctifying Power – and Films, Music and Leisure in the Christian Life
Is our continuing sanctification impeded by worldliness? Here is how we may rediscover the secret power. We need always to ask – Is it clean? Is it edifying? Could I take the Lord there?
The Pilgrim Concept
The concept of pilgrimage is tremendously important to the Christian, especially today when an increasing number of evangelicals advocate being ‘culturally relevant’, exhorting us to be like the world.
Who Needs Repentance?
Here are answers to questions from Christ’s parable of the lost sheep. Why did God have to become man in order to save us? Why do people think they do not need to repent? What happens in repentance and what are the common mistakes?
Christ in the Beatitudes
‘And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him.’
Beware of the Counsel of Gamaliel
Whenever wisdom is needed to assess the latest strange idea or movement to penetrate the churches, we hear the ‘counsel of Gamaliel’ quoted – especially when there is no scriptural support for something.
Keeping the Church Separate from the World
‘..if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?’ Our Lord demonstrates that if the sharp distinction between the church and the world is ever broken down, then the power of the church is gone.
Follow Me
‘The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.’
Blessed Are They Which Are Persecuted For Righteousness’ Sake
‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
The Power of Life that Christ Gives
Said the Lord – Whosoever drinks of material water shall thirst again. Life is a continual hunt for satisfaction and meaning, but the void within remains, until spiritual life is received from Christ. Here is how this life remains within, an ever-growing experience of walking with the Lord.
Blessed are the Peacemakers
‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’
When God Is For Us
‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’
How to Stand in the Faith
The apostle shows how in the last days antagonism will be aimed at the work of Christ. He answers – what are doctrines of devils? Are fake teachers aware they are lying? – along with other key questions.
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’
The True Role of the Church
Our way of conducting church life is entirely given by the Word, and not for us to devise. Each congregation is to proclaim, guard and defend the Word as the only explanation of existence and the only way, through Christ, of reconciliation with God.
When Jesus Calls
‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
The Secret of Holiness
Paul’s list of graces that should be evident in officer-bearers is chiefly composed of qualities that should form and grow in all believers, if they truly hold the mystery of the faith. Here is that priceless ‘secret’ (verse 16) and how we benefit.
No Condemnation in Christ Jesus
‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’
How To Keep an Ardent Spiritual Life
So much hangs on vigilance in the Christian life. There can be no stand, no defense of truth, and no progress in holiness, without constant watchfulness. Here, not only for overseers but for all, are the principles of vigilance from key exhortations of Christ and of Paul.
The Holy War – Do we dodge enlistment?
Satan aims to bring down Christ’s people by denying their sincerity and salvation, and scheming their backsliding. No wonder Paul is inspired to use the terminology of combat. There is no hiding from this battle.
What Is Your Life?
‘Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’
Where Are The Preachers?
One of Paul’s five utterly trustworthy sayings is the excellency of a longing to be a preacher of the Gospel. Here is the office of ‘over-watcher’ or elder, and we look particularly at the elder who labours in the Word, also called a pastor.
Jesus the Great Shepherd
‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’
Blessed Are The Merciful
‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’
The Mind Under Quarantine
‘For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?’
God’s Will for Women
Here are God’s reasons why women may not be teachers in the church. Here also is how saved women are to be mightily blessed in saving a new generation, and in similarly supportive roles. The key is faith, love, holiness and sobriety (or self restraint).
Review of Tabernacle-Supported Overseas Pastors
‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.’
The Gate to Life
As salvation is a free gift of God, in what way must we strive for it? What makes it a narrow gate? Why do many seek to enter, and fail? Here are the hindrances, the way to enter, and the experience that awaits us.
Christ is Pre-eminent
It is often assumed that Paul is speaking here of the conduct of public gatherings, but this topic does not truly begin until verse 11. Before then we have pastorally precious and profound exhortations to all believers praying wherever they are.
Christ Describes the New Birth
‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.’
Addicted to the Ministry
‘I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.’
To Give Light To Those That Sit In Darkness
‘To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
Blessed Are They That Hunger After Righteousness
‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
The Eternal Regret of the Rich Man
‘There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores.’
Unity Amidst Diversity
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
The Gentleness of Christ
‘He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.’
Blessed Are The Meek
‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.’
The Dissolving of Doubts
‘These things have I written unto you… that ye may know that ye have eternal life…’ (1 John 5.13). This verse is written for those who doubt whether they have been forgiven and saved by God, and struggle with assurance.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
‘Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.’
Blessed Are They That Mourn
‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’
The Seeker’s Infallible Prayer
Don’t be misled by the so-called sinner’s prayer so often quoted today. It generates mainly deluded and nominal ‘Christians’. The real thing is the prayer provided by Christ. If this is sincerely prayed, the seeker will surely find the Lord.
The Primacy of Prayer
The apostle urges four forms of prayer for all groups and classes of unbelievers as the vital foundation of all Gospel witness. Here also is the purpose of prayer for rulers, and the degrees of sympathy and desire that undergirds all intercessory prayer.
Ye Are the Light of the World
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.’
Incomplete Without Christ
‘And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.’
The Mighty Magnet
‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’
Ye Which Are Spiritual
‘Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.’
Outreach to Ethiopia
“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” Acts 18:9-10
Gains and Losses in Rejecting the Lord
What if we give no thought to spiritual matters and turn away from God? What difference will it make to our life? Here are the advantages of rejecting God and the soul, and here also are the disadvantages – all that will be lost.
The Charge to Preach
Paul’s directions to Timothy are not only a tremendous challenge to preachers, but they apply to all believers, conveying the seriousness of our mission and the promises of God that sustain us. Here are the measures to keep alive faith and a good conscience.
Christ Describes True Religion
When Pharisees denounced Christ’s disciples for not observing their ceremonial excesses, He gathered all around Him and gave a vital principle of true faith. From this we learn the only valid approach to God, and may enter into new life and a walk with Him.
How An Apostle Worshipped
A sudden burst of praise breaks into Paul’s epistle, showing that praise punctuated his life constantly. And such praise! Here he provides our worship agenda for us, virtually defining true worship, and challenging us to bring worthy homage to our King eternal.
Dealing With Temptation
‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.’
Who Cares?
‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’
Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
Examine Yourselves
‘Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?’
The Distinctiveness of the Christian Life
‘For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’
The Only Certain Fact About Life
The supreme, sure statement that says everything that is important about life, its purpose, its chief problem and its highest experience and goal – knowing and walking with God. Nothing in life except this is certain and trustworthy. Here are nine words that transform lives.
The Magnitude of God’s Mercy
What Paul meant in calling himself the chief of sinners, and why the Lord showed such mercy to him. His testimony is set as the first of millions that would give gospel light and guard faithful churches from nominalism (or believing without experiencing true conversion).
The Most Amazing Prayer Answered
Here are astonishing and unexpected words. A dying Saviour in extreme agony looks upon a vast crowd, screaming out insults, hatred and abuse, and prays, ‘Father, forgive them!’ Here is Christ’s mighty love, the definition of forgiveness, and how the prayer is answered.
The Ultimate Purpose of the Gospel
The moral law was intended to show our need of forgiveness. Believers are not under its power to condemn, but salvation has inscribed its positive virtues in our hearts to be our ‘voluntary’ aim and longing – the highest mark of grace.
The Chief Thing to Know to Know God
Justification by faith! What does it mean? It is the simplest yet the most profound teaching in the world. It is the most important thing anyone can know; the most surprising, the kindest, the most powerful, and the most costly (for God). It gives eternal life.
The True Goal of Preaching
Our aim is the building up of the church by Gospel and teaching. Paul provides this great summary of all Bible teaching, the servicing of the three pillars that support love: a pure heart, a good conscience and faith unfeigned. Here is how.
Grace, Mercy and Peace for Those Converted
Why does Paul here use terms that refer to conversion to also describe what God imparts to converted people? The same benefits advance holiness, happiness, instrumentality and assurance, and here is how they may be hindered or helped as they flow to us.
Exercising a True Deliverance Ministry
The title of this article is obviously not meant in a charismatic sense. We offer no advice on how to cast out demons, rather on how to help true believers who have been heavily influenced by charismatic ideas such as tongues, visions, prophecies, ecstasies, dancing, falling down slain etc, and who have come to see them as wrong.
How God Uses His People in Soul Winning
Are you a soul winner? Jesus Christ is glad to save sinners, but most of all He is glad to save them by the means of those already saved. This article is a must-read for all who seek to honour the Lord in winning souls to Christ.
A Vital Question from the Lord
‘And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.’
The Doctrine of Biblical Separation
The loss of separation has already led to a weakened, worldly, psychological evangelicalism in Britain, and the situation will grow worse still without a return to former standards of loyalty to Christ and his Word. But the commands to stand clear of false doctrine, immorality and worldliness are still in the Bible.
What Satan Can and Cannot Do
With Calvary before Him, the Lord spoke these remarkable words – ‘Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.’ From this time Satan would be curbed in his power, still able to work much wickedness until the final day, but severely limited. But how exactly was Satan cast out by Christ’s death?
Determined To Save
‘And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.’
Onesiphorus
‘The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.’
Privileges and Responsibilities of Knowing God
‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’
The Most Neglected Commandment
‘And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.’
The Word of the Lord
‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.’
Captive To Christ
‘Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’
The Judgement on the Sorcerer
Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. (Acts 13:9-12)
When the Body Fails: Facing Death Through Sickness, Age or Tragedy
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
First of All
‘For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.’
Strength in Weakness
‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’
The Astonishing Power of the Gospel
‘To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.’
Reflecting on Eternal Things
‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’
Excellent House-Building
‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.’
Christ is Everything to Those Who Find Him
When people become Christians, they are ingrafted into Christ so that His holiness and perfection become theirs in the sight of God the Father. Here is the meaning of the words: ‘Christ Jesus… is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.’
What is Faith and How Do I Get It?
Faith, says the Bible, is essential to finding the Lord, even though faith itself can accomplish nothing. So why is it the only way to approach God? Here is the Bible’s own explanation, showing the precise nature of Faith, and how it draws us to God.
The Armour and its Order
The famous ‘armour of God’ passage, drawn from the Roman soldier’s equipment, shows the approach to the spiritual life for holiness and fruitfulness. Each item, and the order in which each must be put on, provides safety and advance in the spiritual warfare.
Anger is a Tender Virtue
He who would be angry without sin must not be angry at anything except sin. Our Saviour was angry with Peter, and angry with the Pharisees for the hardness of their hearts. Moses was filled with holy anger at the people over the golden calf. Equanimity in such circumstances would be no better than complacency or listlessness.
Facts About the Book of Life
Using an earthly object to portray something in the infinite mind of God, the Bible speaks of a book or record containing every experience of life on the way to heaven had by those who know Him. Here is scriptural information on the book of life.
Magnifying Salvation
The seven great benefits that flow from justification are revealed by the apostle. Here are the incomparable riches of Christian life and experience that lift believers over tribulations and make communion with Christ a daily reality. A ministerial compendium of blessing.
The Cancer in all Human Relationships
The apostle’s prophetic analysis of perilous times has proved harrowingly accurate, and serves as a powerful vindication of the inspired accuracy of revelation. Nothing is happening which we have not been told to expect, because all is known to our God. The world does not understand itself, but it desperately needs the saving message of Christ.
The Saviour in the Psalms
‘And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.’
The Supreme Mark of Grace
A simple study on love shows that it is the chief mark of grace or evidence of conversion. It is communicated at conversion, uniquely unites us to Christ, and assures of eternal life. Here is how it may fade, and how it should be revived.
Keep Yourselves
‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’
How Will You Hear?
‘And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.’
The Battle for Souls
We are ‘saved to serve’, but that little maxim is unfashionable today. It is, however, biblical and right. We are called to the tremendous work of the great commission of Christ to his disciples in every age – the gathering in of lost souls. A believer whose mind and heart is not engaged in Christ’s cause cannot expect to make spiritual progress.
Being Reconciled With God
The Bible speaks internationally when it says there is one mediator between God and man. No other religion presents a mediator. All say that humans can achieve acceptance with God. Why is a mediator so vital? How did Christ carry out His role?
God in Three Persons
The Three Persons of the Godhead are named in this verse, leading us to marvel at the glory of God and His electing love, secondly to see the work of the Spirit in saving and sanctifying, and thirdly how Christ accomplished redemption.
The Seven Pillars of Counselling
Over the last decades there has come in among Christians a craze for counselling borrowed from secular psychology, largely formulated by atheists opposed to biblical teaching. It is astonishing that even evangelical churches are hiring counsellors to ‘heal’ Christians who need biblical advice, not psychological therapy.
Missing the Point of Life
Paul, walking alone through the streets of Athens, is moved by the spiritual confusion around him. Summoned to speak to philosophers and the public at Mars Hill, he gives his earnest demolition of the outlook that people still cling to — in modern atheism.
Focus, Fellowship and Fruitfulness
In closing this most practical epistle the apostle lists tendencies that ruin the vital objective of a church, and those that ruin fellowship. He then urges every working believer to support the work of God. Here also is the meaning of ‘grace’ being with us.
Spiritual Joy
Spiritual joy is a deep cheerfulness and gladness of heart. It is happiness and a calm spirit. It comes to us as the direct result of knowing Christ Jesus, along with all that he has done for us, and will do, not just in this life, but eternally. It has a constant property, flourishing in the worst soil, and coexisting with fierce conflict, disappointment and loss.
The Minister’s Ministry
‘And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.’
Investing in the Incorruptible
‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
Living Trophies of Grace
The lifestyle that adorns and commends the Gospel induces here obedience to the civil authorities, the only exception being if God’s laws are contravened. Here also are the standards of conduct towards unbelievers generally, and the Gospel doctrines such conduct authenticates and commends.
What Is Our ‘Inner Person’?
The Holy Spirit works in the mind and conscience to show us a) the disaster of ignoring Christ, b) the gift of righteousness secured for us by Christ, and c) the failed and condemned condition of this present world order.
Priorities for Christian People
The Apostle emphasises the duty of looking for Christ’s return, and here is how this should be done. He then provides aspects of Christ’s work to reflect on, urges a sacrificial attitude with fervour for good works, and summarises the work of pastors toward believers.
The Mystery of Iniquity
Why does God allow Satan, sin and the Fall?
Knowing About Christ vs Knowing Christ
We all know much about people we have never met. It is empty religion to have only head knowledge of Christ. To be able to say you have met with Him, and that you know his power and love – this is the greatest objective in life.
The Manner and Decorum of Biblical Ministry
Titus is to be a model of right conduct (speech, actions, possessions, dress) and never accommodate in teaching error, irreverence or entertainment. Words such as gravity (dignity) and sincerity stand out. Here is the believers’ deportment.
The End of the Old Life
Christ’s (almost) last words, ‘It is finished’, refer directly to His agonising atoning death, but also to things that His atonement brought to an end in the lives of all who trust in Him, such as guilt, fear of death, alienation from God, and other consequences of being ‘lost’.
Safe-Mindedness for Young Men
While possessing much great potential, energy and capacity to learn, young men are vulnerable to many wrong steps. Here is biblical counsel, including treatment of so-called ‘intentionality’ in courtship – so contrary to major principles of Scripture and potentially deeply harmful.
The Discovery of Christ
What point was Christ making when He said that a grain of corn must be buried before it could yield a harvest? And what did He mean when He said whoever loves his life will lose it, while whoever hates it will have life eternal?
Heaven on Earth
Here are behavioural goals for older women. First, deportment in dress, speech and actions, the things to avoid. Also, they must show the young women by example and advice safe-minding, love for family, self-control, purity, home management, kindness and honouring of their husbands’ role.
Who Is In God’s Kingdom?
‘And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’
Six Goals For Senior Men
‘But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.’
The Conclusion of Spiritual Warfare in this Age
The immeasurable encouragements of the final events seen in the triumph of Christ the Lord and the rewarding, by grace, of his people.
The Conduct of Spiritual Warfare in this Age
The central figures of the beast out of the sea, and the beast out of the dry land, so pivotal to the understanding of all Gospel-age attacks on the true church of God, together with the manner of response.
The Manual for Spiritual Warfare in this Age
How to view Revelation – laying out the groundwork and providing a survey of the purposes and symbols through the book.
How Revelation Equips Pastors for the Work of Ministry II
Providing abundant insights for encouraging and equipping believers to be overcomers in the battles they face.
How Revelation Equips Pastors for the Work of Ministry I
Providing abundant insights for encouraging and equipping believers to be overcomers in the battles they face.
How Revelation Encourages Pastors in the Work of Ministry
Pastors experience relentless spiritual warfare as they shepherd the people of God. Revelation is rich with resources to strengthen pastors in the battles they face.
How God Draws Us to Find Him
‘And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
Our Glorious Lord
‘Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’
Sacred or Profane Worship? The Third Broken Principle
The third major departure from biblical principles of worship is the modern refusal to accept the great gulf between sacred and profane, so that the entertainment forms of the world are imported into the church for the praise of God. To be profane is to pollute sacred and biblical things with irreverence or disregard.
Christ Reaches Out
‘And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.’
The Age of Faith Begins
In the Lord’s first resurrection appearance to the gathered disciples we see the significance of His standing in the centre of that small group. Here are the seven hugely significant lessons and the encouragements; why, for example, did the Lord ask them to give Him food?
Rational or Ecstatic Worship? The Second Broken Principle
Ecstatic worship (the opposite to rational worship) takes place when the object of the exercise is to achieve a warm, happy feeling, perhaps great excitement, and even a sense of God’s presence through the earthly, physical aspects of worship such as music and movement.
The Deep Things of God
‘For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.’
The Spirit does not search in the sense that he needs to find out. He is the Holy Spirit, eternal, all-knowing, equal with the Father and the Son. He searches in the sense that he surveys and penetrates all knowledge and all events. He has the past, present and future in his mind all the time.
Christ’s Immeasurable Accomplishments
When the Saviour, on the cross, said, ‘It is finished’ He probably referred firstly to His earthly ministry (here are seven major accomplishments) but chiefly to His redeeming work on Calvary. Here is a glimpse of the depth of His atonement, and its eternal efforts.
Two Vital Ways to Wield the Tongue
‘Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.’
God’s Remedy for Shame
The only source of knowledge about God and how to know Him comes from the Bible. Here is proof that it is God’s infallible truth. And here is what we must believe about Christ to find Him, and to avoid the shame of a lost soul.
Holding Fast the Word
We learn that apparent believers enter churches bringing unbiblical activities. Some may be reformable, but their ideas must be refuted, or Christians will be damaged. Here is the authority of Scripture. Here also is the shamefulness of those who make money out of the faith.
Jacob’s God-Given Growing Faith
‘By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.’
War or Peace with God?
By peace, the Bible refers to cessation of war and the close union that replaces it. Whether we are aware of it or not, all are at war with God. Here is how, and here also is the amnesty that transforms life and eternity.
The Appointing of Elders
Paul unfolds the assignment of Titus in Crete, the ordering of churches with a non-hierarchical leadership, each one having its own elders. Here are their qualifications, some relating to the preaching of the Word, and some intended also for all believers.
Christ Shuts the Good Out of Heaven
One of the most common impediments to believing in Christ is that of self-righteousness. It is a powerful ‘enemy within’ each one of us. Here are its forms, and the only way to shed it and know true conversion to God.
Our Aim and Commission
Titus, a Gentile convert of Paul, and over the years a trusted and effective prototype pastor in different postings, receives in Crete a letter for churches throughout time on the conduct of personal and church life. A truly pastoral epistle to lift and advance the spiritual life.
Humility Essential for Blessing
‘Humility of mind’ – what a term! We do not always see this on the evangelical scene today. We see ministers revelling in what they call authority and power and gifts, endlessly expressing their opinions and devising new methods of worship and outreach with huge self-confidence. But the motto of Paul is ‘all humility of mind’.
Mutual Debts in Marriage
Christ has purchased us, freed us from condemnation, and given us a better life and a glorious eternal home, by His precious blood. How readily we should now pay our due debts to the one God has given us for the journey of life – our very own spouse. Are we meeting our obligations?
How Much Atheism Steals from You
Atheism is the most common condition brainwashed into us today. Exactly how does it affect us? How does it change us? Here are the aspects of life torn from us by atheism, and how much God will do for those who seek Him.
Crowning Principles for Spiritual Blessing
The closing words of the epistle are rich in promised strength from the Lord. Here we expound the peace and mercy of believers, the ‘Israel of God’, how we bear the marks of Christ, and consciously keeping our spirit or soul.
Secondary Separation – When to Stand Apart from Biblical Error
The duty of separation, whether primary or secondary, is laid upon us in the Bible by the infinite kindness of God. Far from being loveless, it is a Gospel-preserving and a church-protecting duty. It is to keep us from a thousand snares and heartaches.
Is Temptation (Such as Same-Sex Attraction) Sinful?
‘But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed’ (James 1.14). We often hear it said, ‘It is not a sin to be tempted. It only becomes sin when you succumb to temptation.’ But this statement is seriously inadequate and mistaken, being contrary to many biblical passages and also to the great confessions of faith.
Knowing Christ and Proving Him
John the aged apostle looks back to his three years with Jesus Christ. What was He like? Will He speak to us today? Where do we find Him? What will He do for us? How will I know if I will find Him?
The Magnet of Christ’s Love
The supreme love of believers (enshrining total trust, dependance, dedication and delight) is vested in the cross – the redemptive love of Christ. Here are some of the glories of the cross by which the world dies to us, and we to the world.
Cessationism — Proving Charismatic Gifts have Ceased
Does the Bible teach definitively that the charismatic gifts have ceased? The ceasing of revelatory and sign-gifts in the time of the apostles is so plainly taught in God’s Word, that the opposite view has only seriously appeared in the last 100 years.
Long-term Resentment in the Young
‘And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6.4). It hardly needs to be said that parenthood is a tremendous responsibility, and we are glad of every word we have in the Bible showing how we should go about it.
The Clothing of Humility – Putting on the Garments
‘..be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility..’ What an amazing exhortation this is in these days of assertive self-confidence! As Christian believers we are to be ‘subject one to another’, not assertive, not resistant to advice, but ready to respect the experience and light of others.
Priorities in Presenting the Faith
In our efforts to make the Gospel acceptable, we find ourselves confronted with two obstacles: man’s fallen nature and the Satanic forces which surround him. Very few apologetic works today give them serious consideration.
The Merger of Calvinism with Worldliness
A new form of Calvinism took the shape of a movement around 2005, but it differed in its acceptance of ‘the world’. ‘New Calvinism’ is not a resurgence of the old but an entirely novel formula which strips the doctrine of holy conduct, and unites it with the world. But the Scriptures say that ‘the friendship of the world is enmity with God.’
Christ’s Plan for You
The Lord’s first recorded miracle, the changing of water into wine at Cana, was an illustrated manifesto for the saving of souls. After Calvary it would be so obvious that here were the vital elements of conversion. Here is its life-transforming message.
Christian Beautiful Works
Following ‘Walk in the Spirit’, Paul turns to well-doing, or beautiful deeds, the practical outcome of unselfishness and humility. Here is mutual correction, and burden-sharing which fulfils Christ’s law of love. Paul presents these as the great tests of true Christian progress.
‘I am Alpha and Omega’
The eighth of Christ’s ‘I am’ sayings occurs three times in the last book of the Bible. Here is the meaning of the most wide-ranging claim of the Saviour of the world, and how it affects us – for life and eternity.
Expository Preaching – Benefits and Pitfalls
What exactly is expository preaching? It is preaching that draws the message from the biblical text, clearly and methodically, honouring the sense of the text, and the style of communication employed. Here are some of the benefits and common mistakes of consecutive expository preaching.
How Real Life Comes from Christ
On the last evening before His crucifixion, the Lord walked with His disciples from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. At that time He exclaimed, ‘I am the True Vine.’ Here is the necessity of gaining life from Him, and what it accomplishes.
Nine Spirit-Given Virtues
Endowments, seen supremely in our Saviour, are hopefully growing continuously in believers by the power of the Spirit as they mortify the deeds of the flesh. Here is the key to our happiness in the Lord and our usefulness for Him.
How is Christ the Way, the Truth and the Life?
Christ the Saviour does not merely guide us to eternal life, He is personally the road that leads there. Here is what He did to be the only true and certain way, and why only He can impart life to our souls.
How the Spirit Sanctifies
From defining the command, ‘ Walk in the Spirit’, Paul turns to how the Spirit works, because after conversion the desires of our fallen natures are still within us. Here is the progressive conquest of the old nature by the new, through the work of the Spirit.
Raiders of the Soul
In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Christ urges us to ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves’. ‘Beware!’ means – keep your mind focused on dangers. It urges us to watch out intelligently. Do we assess and evaluate the ideas about life which are pressed upon us today? Do we check out the various lifestyles and values on offer?
Seven Voices of Calvary
In John 12 there are seven ‘voices’ about the Messiah. There is the voice of the people, first of all. Then the voices of prophecy, the witnesses to the raising of Lazarus, the Pharisees, the Gentiles, Christ speaking of his own death, and finally the voice of God speaking from Heaven.
Christ Describes Conversion
In His fifth great ‘I AM’ statement, the Lord uses the future bodily resurrection as an illustration of the spiritual resurrection which must take place in one’s life in order to know Him, and have eternal life.
The Believer’s Victory Over Sin
It is a magnificent promise, that if we walk in the Spirit we will not succumb to the lusts of fallen nature. Here is the Bible’s definition of walking in the Spirit, with the five points of special attention required by the Spirit.
Witchcraft in a Modern Guise
In reviewing the sins of the flesh (Galatians 5.19-21) the apostle uses a word for ‘witchcraft’ which we have in English today. It is a form of our word ‘pharmacy’. Obviously, no translation would use this term, because for us it denotes a healing profession, not a sin of the flesh. So in what way were witches of old times involved in pharmacy?
Companions of the Apostle Paul
Towards the end of Paul’s remarkable letter to the Colossians, written during his first imprisonment in Rome, he names seven men who assisted him at that time, men whose lives have much to teach us, and who continue to challenge and encourage us today.
Christ – The Shepherd of Souls
Each of Christ’s ‘I am’ sayings shows an element of His saving work. ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ points to the love and mercy of Christ as He reaches out to and calls individuals. Here are the feelings and actions of the ‘lover of souls’.
Guarding the Truth
The Gospel of eternal life through the atonement of Christ is the most precious treasure, and believers are called to proclaim and guard it. Here are Satan’s methods of hindering and obscuring the Gospel, and the duty of opposing them and those who promote them.
Recognising and Responding to Seasons of Exceptional Apostasy
The remarkable picture of the present age given in the prophecy of Paul in 2 Timothy 3 is breathtaking both in scope and detail. It is the voice of God that speaks in this passage, providing his people living in days of apostasy with the explanations, warnings and guidance so sorely needed for their safety and survival.
Where Are Your Sights Set?
‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’
Resolving Our Doubts
‘But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’
The Door to God – Open or Barred
The door to God and heaven is for ever closed to all who never want or seek Him. But to all who want to find Him the door stands open. Christ is Himself the door, and this is how He enables us to enter.
Christian Liberty and Love
This message considers: 1) what Christian Liberty does and does not mean; 2) activities and objectives that entangle and ensnare us; 3) that Christ’s church has only two symbolic actions (ordinances); and 4) The visible evidence of true faith (love) and its forms.
A New Creation
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Knowing the Will of God
How easily we slip, as believers, into living without consideration of all that we do. In the Apostle’s call to vigilance, we review the ‘departments’ of life needing close attention, and the seeking of God’s will in the major decisions of life.
Why Did God Allow Sin And The Fall?
How could it be that God allowed the Fall, and all the evil and horror that was brought into the world, when our first parents fell? How was it that sin was ever permitted in the first place? Our limited, human way of reasoning soon calls into question the righteousness of God.
Review of Tabernacle-Supported Overseas Pastors
‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’
How is Christ Light of the World?
At the feast of Tabernacles, when the Temple was illuminated with additional giant lampstands, and torchlight processions passed through the evening streets, Christ proclaimed Himself as light to the world, and the light of life. Here is the meaning of His momentous claim.
Buying Up Time
How important it is to review our stewardship of time! The ‘redeeming’ word is highly significant, because we buy it back from harmful thoughts and actions to positive and spiritual use. Here are the biblical steps for the sanctified use of time.
What Terrified the Nativity Shepherds
The shepherds of Bethlehem suddenly found themselves immersed in an extraordinary light of such intensity and power that they felt under judgement and utterly weak within. Yet this was the beginning of a life-changing spiritual experience- a personal encounter with the living God.
The Incomparable Claims of Christ
While on earth, Christ made seven astonishing claims, using the words of God to Moses ‘I AM that I AM’. The first claim ‘I am the Bread of Life,’ describes the work of Christ as Saviour, securing pardon and life for all who believe in Him.
Faith and Faithfulness
‘And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.’
How God Speaks to All
The Lord’s parable of the vineyard labourers tells us that our reconciliation with God is an event initiated by God, in which people in every age-group renounce their hostility and resistance to Him, and trust in the work of Christ for acceptance and new life.
A Biblical Pastor’s Objectives
How earnestly Paul pleads with the Galatians to leave the Judaisers! He urges, warns and reasons – the features of true preaching. How strenuously he evangelised and taught despite his own infirmity! We see his persistence, patience and prayerfulness in securing Christ’s reign in their hearts.
Facts About the Soul
What is the soul? How does it differ from the physical body? What are its unique and priceless capacities? What happens if it is neglected or disowned? What happens if a dormant soul is enlivened and enabled to function by God? What makes it eternal?
Do You Have the Holy Spirit?
Christ redeemed all who trust in Him, and the Holy Spirit applies salvation to them. The Spirit is sent from on high to every true child of God to reside in the ‘heart’. Here are the results and evidences of His presence. Do we have them?
How is the Conscience Wounded or Repaired?
We often hear it said that the conscience is a religious invention, a myth, inherited from ignorant generations, But such shallow thinking is easily refuted. Here is the Bible speaking on how conscience is abused, and how it may be cleansed.
Spiritual Rags to Riches
Paul here focuses on the coming of Christ, and we consider why the timing was chosen by God, the love that sent Christ into the world, the obedience of Christ to the law, His redeeming work, and the privilege of adoption as sons and daughters.
The Immeasurable, Personal Love of Christ to His People
It is an astonishing concept for us that Christ Jesus, the Lord of glory, should dearly love his people. Here is an opportunity for us just to skim the surface of that mighty, unspeakable love. He has bound himself to each one of his people, even to the weakest, the youngest, and the smallest, with a depth of affection beyond human comprehension.
Sincerity First and Foremost in the Christian Armour
When several virtues are presented as the Christian’s armour, sincerity is the piece which must be donned first as foundational to all others. If not the ‘greatest’ it is a pivotal virtue. Do we possess it? And do we know how to maintain it?
When God Changes Your Mind
Here is the very first sermon of the Christian Church, given by Peter in Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews were challenged to change their entire way of thinking, and to seek the forgiveness of Christ. This is what happened and how 3000 were totally changed that day.
Everything Depends on Christ
Who is the ‘seed’ of Abraham to whom the promises of salvation were given? Saved people from all lands (many not being descendants of Abraham) are the outcome. Christ primarily is the seed, and the redeemed are His by adoption. Here is the key to so much.
A Great Supper for the Soul
‘Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.’
The Pattern for the Church
When we speak of the sufficiency of Scripture, we mean that the Word of God provides all that we need to know in order to be saved, to be sanctified, to worship, and to organise and operate the church of God (2 Timothy 3.16-17). It clearly shows a pattern for the church.
Reasons Why Salvation is by Grace
A passage in which Paul gives all the reasons why salvation is through faith, and not by works, providing a full rebuttal of the ‘Judaisers’ who called Gentile believers to observe Jewish ceremonies. An insight into the subtle power of error in every age.
Regeneration and Gospel Persuasion
It is the will of God that people will be consciously awakened and convicted to experience a sincere desire for God’s mercy and a change of thinking. They must see their need, and what Christ has done, and come (as the old confessions say) most freely and willingly to Jesus Christ.
A Personal Encounter with Christ
Conversion is an intensely personal experience. It is a conscious awareness of Christ intervening in our life. We become certain that Christ, in incomprehensible love, bore away the punishment of our sin in His sufferings on Calvary’s cross. It is to become truly related to Him.
An Apostle’s Colossal Blunder
When Peter fell into compromise, Paul gave six convicting reproofs. It was caused by faithless fear, set a disastrous example, destroyed the Gospel, defamed Christ, placed Peter in opposition to the truth, and effectively proclaimed that Christ died for nothing. Here are today’s lessons.
Experiencing the Unsearchable Riches of Christ
Coming to Christ brings us to taste and feel and experience His power and kindness. It is far deeper than head-knowledge or mere sentimentality. Here, from the prayer of Scripture, we show what Christ gives to all who trust in Him.
Preaching and Guarding the True Gospel
God’s true message is a simple, exclusive plan of salvation. Paul, like the other apostles, needed three years of training in God’s revelation to prepare for the task. Here are Satan’s attacks, the apostles’ resolute defence, and how they reached out to different forms of unbelief.
Our Home is in Heaven
‘For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.’
Does Your Religion Change You?
‘Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.’
Our Response to Impossible Tasks
‘After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.’
How We Treat the Holy Spirit Within
The personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer is such an amazing privilege that the mind never wholly grasps it. A daily succession of joys, temptations and trials produces various reactions in us, often without stirring our awareness that God is in residence, and will be pleased or grieved by what we think, say or do.
Instructing Heaven
‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,’
Love That Is True and Secure
‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.’
A Death to Life Experience
When Christ healed a paralysed man, He first pronounced that his sins were forgiven. To prove that He had power to forgive, He then healed the body, giving life where all had been limp and motionless; illustrating the changes in conversion to Christ.
Christ Revealed in the Heart
To prove that his Gospel was not a human product, Paul points to his Jewish training and zealotry. He did not comprehend the gospel until Christ was revealed in him. Here is the meaning, and how Christ should be seen by us daily.
The Unstable Peace of Life
Surely nothing is more tragic than to believe life is peaceful and secure without God, only to discover one day that one faces eternal disaster. Here is the false peace that imprisons us in this material world and keeps us from seeking and finding the Lord.
There Can Only Be One Way Of Salvation
For Luther, the best of the Bible and the rallying call of the Reformation, these verses affirm the one and only true Gospel, by contrast with the alternatives offered in Paul’s time and today. Here is the message that leads to God and eternal life.
The Kind of Faith Given by God
The meaning of faith, how it is acquired, and its role in salvation and then in the ongoing spiritual life. Astonishingly, terms are used such as ‘substance’ (or ‘foundation’) and ‘evidence’ as proof. Does our faith honour these powerful words?
The Golden Chain of Blessing
The apostle is about to unfold the great ‘cycle’ of spiritual experience for Christian workers by teaching the golden chain of pressures (prayer: encouragement: thanksgiving). He wants all Christians to see pressures turn into spiritual encouragements, such as deliverances, provisions, strength and fruitfulness.
Using Scripture Personally
‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.’
The Beautiful Conflict
‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.’
Should churches comply with government instructions about coronavirus?
Current coronavirus restrictions deeply affect our worship, our fellowship, our Sunday Schools and our outreach. No one likes them or wants them. Recently, a British evangelical periodical asked the question – Should we have a debate about this? Are we doing the right thing? Should the churches, ruled by Christ, surrender so easily to the state – the kingdom of this world?
Believing in the Word of the Lord
‘So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.’
A Crucial Principle for Spiritual Vitality
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The Perfect Work of Patience
‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.’
Let Him That Stole, Steal No More
‘Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.’
Forsaken
‘And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’
See and Follow the Lord Jesus
‘Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.’
Seeing and Receiving Jesus
‘And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.’
The Fruit of Longsuffering
‘And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you.’
Who Do We Think We Are?
‘Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.’
How Mosaic Worship Foretold Christ
‘Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all.’
Why Should We Believe?
God appeals to our intelligent minds – but will we listen? Our inclination is to turn away, but if God in His mercy places in us a thirst for certain things, we listen and come to Him. Here are the needs that draw us to God.
Being In Christ’s Covenant
‘Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.’
Four Chief Attitudes to God
‘And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.’
Perceiving the Presence of God
The apostle’s remarkable summary text provides five objectives in the believer’s life that secure a deep sense of God’s embracing love and of His nearness. All five are essential, and here is how we pursue them, by grace.
The Person and Attributes of Christ
‘For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.’
The Healing of the Leper
‘And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.’
The Necessity of Evangelistic Preaching (2)
We post this week this message from our recent Day of Special Studies, due to its immense importance in our churches today. Here are the biblical arguments for the revival of a once-universal practice. (This is Part II of two addresses.)
The Necessity of Evangelistic Preaching
We post this week this message from our recent Day of Special Studies, due to its immense importance in our churches today. Here are the biblical arguments for the revival of a once-universal practice. (This is Part I of two addresses.)
Heaven in the New Testament
The New Testament reasons with people to be saved from condemnation and receive eternal life, and here are several famous passages where heavenly glory, and how to be sure of it, is proclaimed. Here also is the urging of God’s heart of love for lost souls.
What Is God’s Will For Us?
‘These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.’
An Anchor for Life’s Journey
The anchor is as old as ships, but is used as an analogy in the Bible only in this verse. Scores of ‘anchors’ are used to steady and inspire life in the world. But there is only one powerful and effective for the soul and for eternity.
Things That Accompany Salvation
‘But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.’
God’s Glory in View
The climax of 1 Peter is the prayer that we, having suffered in some measure on earth, will be fully repaired, fixed firmly on the road, providing a sure basis for those who follow us. Here also we explore the definition of God’s glory.
A Parable of Perseverance
‘For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.’
Attacks of the Devil
The apostle Peter asserts the necessity of restraint and abstention concerning self-indulgence, coupled with watchfulness for temptations. Then he warns of Satan’s constant activity, and gives the roaring, devouring lion analogy, showing the believer’s response, and God’s sovereign purpose.
Those Who Fall
‘Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.’
The Revelation of God’s Law in Man
‘And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.’
The Deep Things of Christ’s Priesthood
‘For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.’
A Description of Conversion For All Time
Over nearly three years the disciples learned from Christ and came to love him, need him, and recognise him as divine. But for most, personal conversion came late in this period. Peter’s vital response is a model and challenge to seekers in every age.
He Careth For You
In a decisive prayer, burdens are to be passed entirely to the Lord. Here we consider what is and what is not to be passed, and the harm and sin of keeping anxiety. Here is how the help comes, and the tremendous promise of God’s care.
The True Nature of Belief (2)
‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’
The Spiritual War of the Soul
Paul personifies sin as an emperor who conscripts us into his army and drills us in unbelief and lust to bind us in his service. Then Paul shows how we may be ‘brought out’ of our bondage to walk with the Lord God.
The Clothing of Humility
Beginning with humility in preachers and church officers, Peter calls all to place themselves under them. Exactly what is intended? He then speaks of being ‘clothed’ in humility. We explore the helps and hindrances to advancing in this essential grace for all believers.
The True Nature of Belief
‘Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.’
The Narrow And The Wide Gates
Christ sets out life’s options. Here is the meaning of the wide gate, through which one is carried by the crowd into purposelessness and spiritual disaster. In contrast – the narrow gate; and why it gets this description, when in fact it is the gate of enduring happiness.
Partakers Now of Christ’s Glory
While urging pastors to live humbly as patterns to others, and to be forward to preach and to watch, the apostle speaks of being partakers now – in some measure – in the glory of Christ to be revealed at the end. Here are the glories we taste even now.
Robbed of Gospel Blessing
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.’
Antidotes to Backsliding
‘Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.’
Evil is Present
‘I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.’
Testing and Sifting of Believers
We are not to think that bad treatment of believers is abnormal, says the apostle. It is bound to happen if our lives show Christ and salvation. Here is counsel for tried believers and how assurance is strengthened and God’s promises are gloriously fulfilled.
The Blessings of Faithfulness
‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.’
Realising What Matters Most
‘When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.’
Five Rules For The Church
In the light of the approaching end, the apostle gives duties to churches: (1) safe-mindedness; (2) watchfulness for prayer; (3) fervent love in the fellowship; (4) the exercise of all talents; (5) the earnestness and authority of preaching and teaching.
Distinctive Glories for Christ
‘For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.’
“To Whom Shall We Go?”
A message tracking the enthusiastic pursuit of Christ by many who wanted a materialistic, earthly return to prosperity, while He proclaimed His purpose – spiritual and eternal life to all who depend on Him as divine Saviour, and His redeeming work on Calvary.
The Believer’s Mentality
Peter here brings out the new mentality of believers through conversion, and how they have done with sin and the world, to conduct their precious remaining years to God’s glory. Here is the distinction between today’s worldly evangelicalism and a truly godly lifestyle.
Exemplary Personal Witnessing
‘Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’
The Sanctifying Power of Hostility
When subjected to unreasonable and hostile acts, we pray. If God does not immediately relieve us, or there is no means of redress provided for us, then endurance is our calling. Here is love for enemies, and the example of the Saviour and of Noah.
When Grace Slips Away
‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.’
The Curse of the Fruitless Fig Tree
‘And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.’
The Resurrection is a Saving Truth
The Lord’s famous words to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life,’ are required by him to be believed for salvation. Here are the life-giving features of the resurrection, and how these revived the flagging faith of doubting disciples.
Behold the Lamb of God!
‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’
The Glory of Christ
‘But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.’
The End of the Commandment
‘Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.’
The Ministry of Angels
‘And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.’
Representing the Lord
To have a high view of Christ, and His divine attributes, in our heart is the greatest spur and personal preparation for making Christ known. Here is the duty of readiness, the manner of witness, and what is meant by giving ‘a reason’.
Surmounting Barriers to Blessing
‘Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.’
Magnifying Christ in the Heart
A very striking and unusual exhortation commands our special attention. How do we ‘sanctify’ God in the heart? Is it Christ who is to be hallowed? What is meant by the ‘heart’? Here is the believer’s essential preparation for securing blessing in trials or witness.
All The Fullness Of The Godhead
‘Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’
Their God Is Their Belly
‘For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.’
Precious Calvary
‘For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?’
The Immeasurable Glory of Christ
‘God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.’
Conversion – The Greatest Change
To switch political parties or to change opinions are significant acts, but nothing is as profound and permanent as conversion. Here Christ illustrates the magnitude and wonder of conversion, and how it changes many aspects of a person to make ‘a new creation’.
The Call to Longsuffering
Seven verses show how God calls His people to tenderheartedness, meekness under provocation, and the promotion of peace. We are also exhorted to love this present life, and hear things we can only do for God’s glory while here on earth.
Features of Christian Marriage
This challenging and informative passage begins with God-given roles, urging conduct and hope for an unbelieving spouse, extolling the beauty of Christ’s character, and showing how the equality of saved husbands and wives (in spirituality, illumination, sanctification and usefulness to God) is consistent with male headship.
The Eternal City of God
‘And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.’
The Two Truths that Lead to God
The message of the Bible has two major truths that illustrate our need of God and how to find Him. These are LAW and GRACE; the first warns, the second saves. Found throughout the Bible, here is what they mean, and what they do.
Never Out of His Care
This passage shows that the believer’s duty of respect for civil authorities applies also to employers, even the unjust. Our obedience is rewarded by God. When we were called to Christ we saw His patient endurance. It saved us, and called us to be like Him.
The Vision of the New Jerusalem
‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.’
What Makes Christ Supreme
Paul esteems the cross of Christ as the greatest event in history. You might think a horrific death ending Christ’s earthly mission would be a disaster. But it was a matter of WHO died and WHY. Here are the eternal achievements secured for us on Calvary.
Obeying Civil Rulers
God rules all men through civil authorities whether good or bad, but here are circumstances in which believers obey God rather than men. Here are our biblical duties – for the Lord’s sake and glory – including abstaining from any abusive speech toward authorities.
The Millennial Vision
‘And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.’
Attacks On The Soul
With words only meaningful to believers, the apostle warns of the desires of the ‘lower’, fallen nature residual in them. Here are the core fleshly lusts and how they may be launched at believers, the need of vigilance and the remedies for their defeat.
Immeasurable Advantages
In five verses, Peter lists six magnificent blessings given to believers to mark them out, and to adorn them as God’s special treasure. Awareness of these is uniquely uplifting and strengthening through all the rigours of life. Here is the happiness and security of our walk.
The Triumph of the Redeemed
‘And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.’
To Know the Divine Shepherd
When we first hear it, the analogy of humanity as a flock of sheep shocks us, and we recoil from it. But here are the unmistakeable similarities, and how Christ the Lord operates as a shepherd to gather and restore individuals to spiritual life.
The Ongoing Faith of a Believer
The inspired apostle shows the way believers should approach God, and how they should think in corporate and individual prayer, to secure a true sense of Him. Our approach should include a full commitment to our role as a ‘holy priesthood’.
Lessons from Babylon
‘So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.’
The Light of the World
‘Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’
I Commend You To God
‘And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.’
The Seven Last Plagues
‘And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.’
Becoming Spiritually Alive
At first it shocks us that the Bible describes us as spiritually dead – walking dead; physically alive but inert and lifeless in the soul. But this picture shows what we lose and miss while away from God, and how our souls may be brought to life.
The Stages of Sanctification
The apostle’s call for brotherly love depends on sanctification – being made holy. Beginning with the new birth (with treatment of the doctrine of perseverance), this involves our putting off the soiled clothes of named sinful traits, as challenged and moved by the Word of God.
God’s Astonishing Announcement
‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’
The Song of Simeon
‘And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.’
Brotherly Love
Beginning with the work of the Spirit at conversion, the apostle shows the plan of the resurrection in saving faith, then describes purifying of the soul and obedience to the truth, as he builds up to the great exhortation to brotherly love, here explained.
Believers At The End Of Time
‘And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.’
Greatest Motives for Holiness
The first motive is the goal and purpose of our calling- obedience to God and His Word in all aspects of life and behaviour. The second is the purity of God. The third is the eminence of the Redeemer who shed His blood for us.
Jesus Giving Thanks
‘At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.’
The Vital Turning Point Of Life
A towering figure in world history, Moses achieved remarkable things while remaining uniquely untarnished and unspoiled by power. A turning point in life had led him to remove royal status to find life with God. Here is how this may be our experience today.
Joy Should Never Fail
Inexpressible joy is the privileged possession of every believer, a joy distinct from the short-lived pleasure of, say, amazement or humour, or of unexpected kindness, or a gift. Spiritual joy endures alongside trial and grief, but it must be held tightly. Here is how.
Satan’s Earthly Agents
‘And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.’
The Life of Anticipation
We are, with Peter, born again into an ever-active anticipation (expectation) of a heavenly inheritance. Our duty is to reflect on this, resulting in security and loyalty to Christ. Here also is the testing and refining of faith.
Satan’s War Against Christ
‘And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.’
Seek With All Your Heart
‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.’
Actively Anticipating Christ the Lord
Introducing 1 Peter with the opening themes, including – why we should love and worship the whole Godhead, the significance of the ‘sprinkling’ of the blood of Jesus Christ, and the fruit of constantly keeping active and alive our anticipation of eternal glory.
Lowliness: Its Beauty and Duty
‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’
The True Nature of Saving Faith
We see that faith is ‘receiving’ Christ, our taking hold of Him for rescue, pardon and life, because we have become convinced that He is the Saviour who has paid in suffering to secure our forgiveness, and we are lost and condemned without Him.
The Necessity of Spiritual Power
After the Great Commission (Mark and Matthew) and the personal, pastoral Great Commission (of John) we turn to the commission in Luke and Acts, noting the accelerated education of the apostles, new reliance on the Holy Spirit and primary work of evangelism.
The Last Days of the Church’s Witness
‘And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.’
The Greatest Power in the World
Even if surrounded by the might and superiority of imperial Rome, Paul cannot be intimidated, for he proclaims a message of over-towering power, that illuminates minds, transforms hearts, unites people to God and grants eternal life – this is the only message of spiritual rescue.
The First and Greatest Duty of Believers
From study of the great commission we turn to Christ’s personal word to Peter and other disciples. Here is the searching question to all who are saved, and its implications for bearing fruit. Our answer determines the kind of service we will render to Him.
Satan’s Little Season
‘And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.’
Emptiness in Abundance
‘And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’
Christ Commissions His Own
To Mark’s Gospel we add the promise of the great commission in Matthew, viewing the scope of the Lord’s words to all who uphold His name and message to this hostile world. Here is the essence of the nearness and power of the risen Lord.
The Seven Trumpets of Present Warnings
‘And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.’
The Saving Grace of Repentance
The risen Lord’s command and commission to the disciples (and their successors) refers to their hearers who ‘believe’. Here we show that belief in Christ means dependence upon Him as a Saviour from sin; faith and repentance being inseparable graces. We define true repentance.
When God Directs Our Course Of Life
All who have responded to the call of Christ can say with Paul, ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God’. Is our course of life disordered, or planned by the Lord all the way to eternal glory?
The Unbelief of Believers
None of the Lord’s disciples and immediate followers, men or women, expected the resurrection. All lost sight of His teaching of His rising again the third day. Only the hostile chief priests remembered it. Here is why, and what we should learn from it.
The Calling and Security of God’s People
The meaning of the sealing of the 144,000, and the distinctive marks of true believers presented by this imagery, together with their eternal security.
Christ’s Most Famous Call to the Soul
Nothing can compare with the call of Christ, made uniquely to mind, heart and will; a summons, yet an appeal, even a pleading call; inaudible and yet penetrating and drawing. Here is a call to radical change, yet requiring a response made so easy.
While Christ Lay Dead
What provision was made for the Lord at death? Where did His soul go? Are there two departments of Sheol? Did the Lord literally descend into hell? First, we see how Calvary galvanised Joseph of Arimathea, then provide answers (with application) to these questions.
Opening The First Six Seals
‘And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.’
From Spiritual Darkness to Spiritual Light
‘Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.’
How Christ Appeals to our Hearts
‘Incidental’ events at the cross of Calvary that have momentous significance for the soul, showing how God has made salvation possible, and how this is experienced by all those who turn to Christ and trust in Him.
The Power and the Glory of Christ’s Resurrection
‘Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.’
Three Core Experiences in Personal Conversion
The apostle Paul names three overwhelming experiences that come to all who seek and find the Lord. These are the chief marks of conversion. Named as power, love and a sound mind, here is the form in which they come to believers in Christ.
The Price of Forgiveness
The scene at Christ’s crucifixion, especially the words of onlookers, who showed their guilty rejection of His mighty miracles, their blindness to what was really taking place, and who unwittingly (in their jeers) affirmed the necessity of His atoning work. Also – the dark hours.
The Church-Age Visions Begin
‘After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.’
Rejecting Christ the Lord
The events of Christ’s three hearings before Pilate, the monumental choice of Barabbas over the Lord, and the Saviour’s humiliation by the imperial guard all show the full depravity of unbelief, and the immeasurable love of God in redemption.
Revealing the Church Age
‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’
The Training Power of Grace
‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’
God’s Plan for His Church in Revelation
Of the three great ‘secrets’ fully unveiled in the New Testament this book is the third – revealed by Christ. It is the explanation of the great struggle between the church and the world throughout the Gospel age. Here is great wisdom and discernment for us.
What Is Your Life?
‘Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’
Securing The Lord’s Blessing
‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.’
A Believer’s Attitude to God
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.’
The First Trials of Christ
What a scene of dishonesty, hostility and brutality! Christ, the creator of all, the Holy One, put on trial by corrupt sinful people! How far He would go for our redemption! Here also is His proof that Scripture had promised a divine Saviour.
The Saints’ Rest (2)
‘There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.’
The Parable of the Harmful Eye
Christ’s parable of the ‘evil’ eye portrays our inability to grasp spiritual matters. It shows that blurred spiritual vision is a wilful condition, for we do not want to know about the Lord. Here is how we may ‘see’, and find God’s forgiving love.
Lessons For Us From Peter’s Denial
Peter’s collapse from bravado to denial was rapid and humiliating. How did fear so quickly overpower him? Here are the five failings that led to his fall, including the failing of love. Here also are the means to keep us from failing today.
The Jealousy of the Spirit
‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’
Christ Bringing Home His Sheep
‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’
Challenges Facing the Churches
‘One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith..’
The God Who Cannot Lie
‘Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began..’
Personal Struggles: Their Cause and Cure
‘From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.’
If Only You Knew Christ – The Gift of God
Whether we live in a Christian age or in an atheistic culture, people, by nature, are unaware of the goodness and power of God if He is found and known. Here is why we are so far from Him, and how we may find Him.
Arresting the Lord of All
When Christ submits to being arrested like a criminal, we see the outcome of ‘nominal’ belief (in Judas), the venom of the Lord’s enemies, the deceitfulness of that shocking night, the reaction of ‘the flesh’ in believers, and a shining example of tenacious faith.
The Lord of All
‘The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)… How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’
Who Is Wise?
‘Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.’
The Saints’ Rest (1)
‘There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.’
Daybreak In The Soul
‘And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’
The Tongue On Trial
‘My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.’
Work Out Your Salvation
‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Only Christ Can Prevail
When the disciples were told by the Lord that they would forsake Him, all of them (Peter first) contradicted Him. Yet in Gethsemane Christ bore the crushing foretaste of Calvary unsupported. Self-confidence (with us also) leads to prayerlessness, weakness and failing the Lord.
Christ’s Directions to the Church
‘But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.’
The Riches of a Life Knowing God
A convert to Christ is someone who discovers the gospel (meaning the momentous news) of Christ, and the new life that He gives, and who surrenders all to Him. Here are the tremendous differences between the materialistic life and the Christian experience of life.
The First Lord’s Supper
The ‘last supper’ that led to the first Lord’s Supper. Here is how Christ ordained the supper for His people, and the six purposes of the supper, all of which are so greatly strengthening to the church and individual members. The ‘rite’ that shows Christ.
A Woman Who Surpassed The Disciples
Before Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, at a supper at Bethany, Mary, sister of Lazarus, anointed His head and feet with spikenard, to the dismay of the disciples. But her understanding and act of support outstripped theirs, and here is how, and the lessons for us.
Dispersing Gloomy Seasons of the Soul (2)
‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.’
Four Essential Components of Saving Faith
If an encounter with God, or reconciliation, comes by faith (trust) what does this exactly involve? Here are the few things we need to understand and believe in order to approach Him, all seen in the experience of a Roman centurion who trusted in Christ.
Christ Describes the End of the World
As they sat with the Lord on the Mount of Olives overlooking the golden side of the temple, four disciples asked about the end of the world, and He told them about the imminent end of the temple, and also of His own later return.
Dispersing Gloomy Seasons of the Soul
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.’
What Do We Think of Christ?
This is the question an atheistic society will never put to you, yet it is the most important, urgent, pivotal and constructive of all possible questions. Happiness and eternal life depend on what we make of Christ. Here is the life-transforming knowledge of Him.
Being Conformed to Christ
In this passage, the first step for advancing in communion with Christ is a full appreciation of His person. The second is the mortifying of self-love. The third is to see everything we possess as His, entrusted to us for godly management.
The Bible’s Own Rules For Personal Study
‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’
What Hinders You?
‘And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’
The Lord Answers Hostile Questions
During the Lord’s final week, He answered a series of hostile questions. His answers are often seen as remarkable ‘tactical’ ways of confounding His critics, but they were, in fact, completely relevant to the questions, leaving principles for all ages.
The Sin of Partiality
‘My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?’
Difficulties in Finding the Lord
Christ’s parable of the vineyard tenants, preached in the temple, speaks to hostile Jewish leaders, but it contains a life-saving message for us, showing the elements of our rebellion against God that must be recognised and regretted in order to approach and find Him.
Christ’s Person, Manner and Power
Christ’s last days on earth show His divine nature, redeeming purpose and power to end the Jewish era and bring in the Gospel age. He also teaches the crucial elements of true worship, and the way to experience God’s power in fruitfulness.
The Fellowship of Believers
‘Let brotherly love continue.’ ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
Finding the Astonishing Love of God
Militant atheists caricature Christian belief, reducing it to something childish and abnormal. They seem unable to grasp anything of God’s being, or the necessity, scope and kindness of His love. Here is the work of Christ, and how His love may be tasted and proved.
Ambition in Believers
Beginning the final journey to Jerusalem, where He would die at Calvary, Christ spoke of His death and resurrection. Then James and John revealed their earthly ambitions. The snare of pride in God’s people, how it is stimulated, its consequences and its curbs.
Christ on Marriage and Divorce
What it means for husbands and wives to ‘cleave’ to each other – listing the aspects of responsibility that honour God and cement the marriage union. The tragedy of divorce and its causes. Also the real nature of headship, contrary to today’s common idea.
Communion with Christ
‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.’
Signs For Sinners
‘And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.’
While We Wait
‘And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.’
Everlasting Glory
‘To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:..But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.’
How God Sees Our Lives
We are not stirred to seek the Lord until we see ourselves as He sees us. Here are the differences between our view of ourselves and His. Here also are Christ’s own illustrations of us, our need, and how we may receive new life from Him.
Christ’s Conditions of Service
The Lord calls His disciples to live modestly, without substance and eminence, and requires humility and approachability. He prepares them for the founding of autonomous churches, and commands them to give up any activity, pursuit or desire that spoils spiritual life and service.
Lessons from the Transfiguration
First we review seven purposes of the transfiguration; secondly, we ask how three disciples merited such privileged communion, setting an example to us; thirdly, we define the ‘secrets’ of the kingdom. Finally we find the special key in the transfiguration to Old Testament prophecy.
Pure & Undefiled Religion
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James” 1.26,27
The Simplicity of Saving Faith
‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’
Lordship Salvation or Not?
The Lord’s call to denial of ourselves and cross bearing has been used to teach salvation by works. It has also been used to insist on embracing His Lordship as a condition of salvation. Should it be added to repentance and faith? We answer from the Word.
The True Condition of Those Unsaved
The state of a severely affected youth healed by the Lord illustrates the serious condition of being away from God and spiritually lost. Here also is the power and kindness of Christ’s saving work, and how it operates in the lives of all who trust in Him.
Stages of Conversion to God
Conversion begins with regeneration, an instantaneous, invisible act of God in the soul imparting life, and immediately beginning to illuminate the mind, move the heart and incline the will. This proceeded in bursts in the disciples. Here is the Lord’s own illustration of this.
The Answer to Inner Yearnings
The appeal of Christ to a vast assembly in the courts of the temple was – ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.’ Here are the only two conditions for coming to Christ to receive life, pardon and eternal happiness.
A Long-Foretold Resurrection
A review of prophecies that Messiah would rise from the dead, coupled with the sevenfold purpose or message of this supreme act of power. Here is understanding, incentive and authority for a life of holiness, service and dedication to Christ.
How Christ Saves Us
First, we must know who He is who cares for our souls, then observe the nature of this love, then ask who gains from His love, then in what way He gave Himself for us, and how this obtains for us new life and Heaven.
Hearers and Doers of the Word
‘But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves… But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein… this man shall be blessed in his deed.’
To Know The Power of God
Knowing the scriptures and experiencing the power of God go together (declared Christ). Why God’s book is vital for understanding human life and God’s plans. How it traces all the powerful acts of God to the end of time, and brings us to know Him.
The Roots of Unbelief
Beginning with lessons from the Lord’s feeding of the 4,000, the Jewish leaders attempt to discredit Him. Here is why they would obtain no sign. Here also are their doctrines, why they should be avoided (with their modern equivalents) and how Christ is Himself the greatest sign.
Removing Faith’s Greatest Obstacle
The apostle’s famous words, ‘I am crucified with Christ,’ points out the greatest hindrance to reconciliation with God: the problem of self-regard. Here is how it ‘requisitions’ every part of a person to dominate life, and how Christ forgives and remakes us to walk with Himself.
What is Saving Faith?
The Lord delayed His healing of the Syrophenician’s daughter to bring out her faith. A seeker may have to wait for salvation. Sometimes it is defective repentance; sometimes faith is not set on the right object – Christ and His work and compassion. Here is help from a notable case.
The Certainty of Salvation
‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’
Receive the Word
‘Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.’
Anger Management
‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.’
The Losses and Gains in Conversion
Conversion to God is a remarkable phenomenon that altogether changes a person spiritually and morally. Here are its elements, highlighting the immeasurable gains for life and eternity, and the losses – the latter being deceptive and destructive features of life. Here is the wonder of finding Christ.
Seeing into the Heart
In rejecting extra-biblical customs of Jewish tradition the Lord was not freeing believers to live as they liked but calling for genuine holiness rather than ceremonial cleansing. Here is His searching review of the state of the unforgiven human heart.
Having Spiritual Reality
Crossing the Sea of Galilee at night against the storm, the disciples are ‘seen’ by Christ from miles away. He comes to them walking on the water. Why does He demonstrate His divinity this way? Here are six lessons for all believers and for seekers.
A Life Transformed
The narrative of Zacchaeus, a loathed tax-chief at Jericho, and how a germ of curiosity and inner need led him to an encounter with the Saviour that changed his entire nature and disposition. Here are the features and the effects of conversion to Christ.
The Supreme Teaching-Miracle
Miracles authenticated Christ and illustrate the way He heals and gives life to the soul. We learn of His compassion, and of His test of faith for the disciples. Then the eight purposes of the miracle, all showing Christ and how He should be proclaimed.
The Father of Lights
‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’
The Greatest Imaginable Legacy
At the end of His earthly life Christ spoke of His leaving a legacy to many millions of people in the history of the world. It was of infinitely greater value than anything that could be given by this present world. Here is what he gives.
Natural and Spiritual Convictions
This history of Herod Antipas and his imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist tells of the conscience, both its power and weaknesses. Here are lessons for believers and seekers from Herod, Herodias and ‘Salome’, far richer than the dramas from successful Hollywood screenwriters.
The Necessity of the Local Church
‘And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said… Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.’
The Destination of Life
Pictured here is the church in Heaven, the people who have come to God from every nation. What is this vast company like, and how did they gain access to Heaven? What is the ‘fountain’ of salvation? And why do many people never find it?
The Sending of the Twelve
Early in their training by the Lord the disciples are sent on their first preaching mission. They were ‘apostles’, a special office for the first phase of the church, but their terms of service apply in principle to all believers, and especially preachers.
A Time Bomb of Truth
The parable of the good Samaritan exposes the self-righteousness of a hostile questioner. But it also has a fuse attached. Once Christ had died and risen again it would be obvious that the Lord depicted Himself, and how to obtain eternal life.
Access to God
We trace, via the raising of a girl to life, stages in receiving the gift of salvation. First, recognition of Christ; second, the birth of faith; third, surmounting setbacks; fourth, sincerity; fifth, the vital filter of faith; sixth, how Christ acts; seventh, immediate life.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man’
Is God With Us Or Against Us?
Paul spells out how God has made salvation possible by the atonement of Christ and the work of the Spirit in the heart. Are our minds set on material things and the ‘here and now’ or do we know Christ inseparably for life and eternity?
Healing The Haemorrhage
A woman’s struggle for healing illustrates our quest for spiritual life. Do we search? Her ‘touch’ expresses faith, of itself powerless, yet seeking life. Her faith made her ‘whole’, but the Greek says it ‘saved’ her. Here also is the message of the miracle to believers.
Why We Should Believe in Christ the Lord
Christ said, “I most solemnly assure you” indicating the certainty of a conversion experience to all who hear His word, believe and respond. Here are the chief exclusive and verifiable facts taught in the Bible, and how Christ may be found personally.
The Legion of Demons
The unique casting out of demons miracle once debated publicly over months by Gladstone (Prime Minister) and Huxley (‘Darwin’s bulldog’). First: the event reviewed; secondly: the Gospel it portrays, especially the three pleas of mankind; and thirdly: its counsel for believers on avoiding backsliding.
Sowing Divine Seed
Christ begins with an evangelistic commission for all believers. Why do we fail in this? Rewards are promised in this life. Then a parable shows our part and God’s, in witness. Finally comes the quelling of the tempest, the encouragement of faith for the work.
Testing The Things We Believe About Life
Most people cannot live without having opinions and views about life, and how matters should work out for them. From where do we get these views? How do we know if they are true? Will they really help? Can they connect us with God?
To The Glory Of God Alone
‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’
Much More Than a Prophet
‘..the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.’
Valid or Invalid Prayer
Christ’s parable of the unforgiving servant is partly a plea for patience and forgiveness on the part of Christians. But it is chiefly a challenge to sincere prayer rather than self-seeking prayer as the only way to reconciliation with God.
A New Beginning
A new beginning for a new year from the parable of the sower. Why the Lord used parables. The universal tender of salvation vital. The various states of heart of hearers, with counsel to the unsaved and to believers.
The Search of the Magi
The wise men were noble scholars, priests, and philosophers from the distant East. This search for the incarnate Christ constituted a message from God about the status and future work of Mary’s child. Here is their search — and how it may be ours also, leading to God.
The Pre-eminence of Christ the Lord
First – why born of a virgin? Secondly: ‘God with us’ – the Saviour’s incomparable attributes. Thirdly: why a poor family and lowly birth? Fourthly: why shepherds and what did they symbolise? Treasures of the nativity increase admiration of Christ.
The Crown of Life
‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.’
Features of Apostate Behaviour
In Paul’s prophecy in 2 Timothy 3, he identifies nineteen prominent sins which will take over society, with the first five being about self. People will unashamedly focus their attention on themselves, being ‘lovers of their own selves’, so that self-service will become the approved goal for all people.
God Keeps His Promises
The goodness of God is fully demonstrated in the promises He makes in the Bible. That the Creator and Sovereign God should deign to give promises to us is amazing. Here are the major promises, how Christ makes them possible, and how we receive them.
Christ Prepares His Church
The call of the disciples, their unique role, and the care and patience of Christ in their training. Then the preparation of the church for extreme and persistent opposition, the reasons why demons were cast out, the unpardonable sin, and the supreme mark of true conversion.
A Dressing-Down on Dressing Down
According to Scripture we are to stand out as lights in the world and to be different, and this must surely be reflected in our dressing. If the clothing of the world is contrary to biblical guidelines, then we need to consider whether we are dressing like the world. But when the Christian develops inward beauty, their maturity and love for Christ will manifest itself outwardly.
Withered Affections
Christ was indignant and grieved at the scribes’ hardness of heart, and here is why. We also see what gives believers times of coldness, and show the remedies. The healing of a man’s withered hand illustrates the way saving faith operates to bring conversion.
Why Faith is the Key to Conversion
It is not difficult to believe in God but to have a general kind of belief does not lead to true reconciliation with Him. ‘Saving faith’ is the vital key. Why should this be essential? What is it and how is it expressed?
Lord of the Sabbath
Here are the purposes of the sabbath, the additional purpose after deliverance from Egypt, and the even greater purpose after the resurrection of Christ. Here also is the error of rejecting the fourth commandment today, and how Christ is the Lord of the sabbath.
Handling Trials
‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’
May Truth Be Found?
We hear of ‘your truth’. Can ‘truth’ be known by viewing material facts only, and ignoring the spiritual? Christ’s words, ‘I am the Truth’ show how He presents Himself as the reason for everything, the Creator of all and the revealer of spiritual life.
The Mind of Christ
First – what Christ saw in Matthew; second – Christ viewed as the Physician; third – why the disciples did not fast; fourth – the patching of the old garment and the new wine into old bottles: the distinctiveness of the testaments, and the necessity of total conversion for seekers.
Spiritual Apathy
The Jews of Paul’s day were intensely religious, and so were the Gentiles in their paganism. Yet neither understood nor sought to know God and His purposes. Here are the losses due to vagueness in matters of the soul, and here are the gains of finding Him.
Model Conversions
The first recorded healing of a leper by Christ and how it illustrates conversion, together with the healing of a paralysed man of Capernaum and its parallels with salvation. More than a demonstration of power, here is the call of Christ in miracles.
The Calling of a Preacher (II)
‘Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’
The Greatest Event in World History
The cross of Christ is without parallel in world history. Comprehensively prophesied, nothing has accomplished so much for countless millions of people. To be unaware of the reason of the cross of Christ is to miss the entire purpose and destiny of life.
Christ’s Purpose Displayed
We begin with Capernaum – a city of spiritually dead though religious Jews, and a significant healing in the synagogue. Then we give seven proofs that Christ’s healing miracles pictured His spiritual healing of souls. Then two special miracles and the message of salvation to us today.
The Calling of a Preacher
The inner calling of a preacher and its ratification; the required ministerial gifts; the preparation, testing and formation of character; the combined honour and lowliness of the calling, and the assured results, all surveyed in 1 Timothy.
The One Command of Salvation
‘And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.’
Godliness
‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’
The Wonderful Promise
‘Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’
Escaping the Limited Life
In the parable of the great supper the Lord speaks of three representative refusals to attend, each one picturing our refusal to the call of the Gospel. Why do we not respond to Christ? Here is what we miss, boxed in by the material realm.
Restoring a Broken Life
The healing of a speechless sick youth by Christ was not only an act of compassion, but an illustration of the spiritual disorder that racks all of us before conversion. Here is the problem and the healing of the soul.
The Distortion of Human Wisdom
Before conversion, we see the cross of Christ as the unfortunate end of a reformer-preacher. It has nothing to say to us. We trust human wisdom for life and happiness; we have no light on the soul. Here is the true meaning of that cross.
The Necessity of Love
These closing verses breathe the love and deep concern of the apostle to his readers, and here also is the warmth, commitment, hospitality and ‘addiction’ to the cause of Christ that make a church a place of zeal, light, holiness and happiness.
Hindrances in Finding Christ
Conversion is entirely the work of God, yet Paul is commissioned to open eyes and turn people to repentance. Why do so many struggle to find the Lord? Here are the common faults in repentance which may delay conscious salvation.
Principles for Believers
A number of practical instructions reveal ongoing ‘rules’ of conduct for believers and churches, including aims to pursue in living for the Lord and responsibilities that rest upon us for the defense of the faith and the work of the Gospel.
The Making of a Servant of God
‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’
Authentic Revelation
It may seem strange that God should reveal His purpose and plan for mankind in a book. Here are the reasons why this is precisely what we should expect and how the Scripture and their message are proved to be authentic, and vital to knowing God.
Indebtedness Our Motivation
Indebtedness to the Lord is the engine of real commitment, and the exhortation to serve Christ Jesus in this verse relies on an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Here are the duties we owe to God. Whoever is not moved to respond is possibly not saved at all.
Christ Dwelling Within
‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of … Continued
Rest for your Soul
‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Rescued by a Ransom
‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’
The Impregnable Church
The Lord said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, yet we live in a time of severe spiritual decline, when unbelief triumphs everywhere. Here are five great aspects of the victory of the true church seen even at the present time.
Resurrection Wonders
So much is here about our transformation to resurrection bodies at the coming of Christ. The bodies that have the likeness of animal life will be adapted to the physical yet heavenly realm of the new heaven and new earth. How? When? Paul tells all.
One or Two Natures in the Christian?
‘Two natures’ was the position of the Reformers, the Puritans and the mainstream evangelical position until the 1950s. Here is the scriptural support, also the mistakes of the one-nature view, and how the old view gives the most realistic view of the struggle for holiness.
The Most Influential Sin of All
One human trait stand out in the Bible as the ‘master sin’, which leads to so many others and becomes more entrenched as time goes by, yet is widely promoted. But God’s immeasurable love has provided a way of escape and eternal life.
Uniqueness of Christ’s Resurrection
Six things unique in world history to the Gospel. The prominent public witness of the resurrection. Its purpose in human history. God’s plan and order for salvation, and the judgement at the return of Christ. Here is the message and meaning of Paul’s resurrection teaching.
Comprehending the Glory of God
Isaiah was overwhelmed and convicted by it. The four and twenty elders of Revelation fell down before it. What is it like to sense God’s glory – its perfections and attributes? Here is how it is known through Christ, and how it must be honoured.
Christ’s Substitutionary Atonement
Paul speaks of Christ as our substitute and sin-bearer. Here are some of the prophecies he refers to about the atonement. Here also are texts from the Gospels and Apostles that show crucial aspects of Christ’s redeeming work, these being the basis of our love for Him.
Key Ingredients for Gospel Endeavours
‘After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.’
Where Sorrow is Helpful to the Christian
‘I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.’
Remember Lot the Righteous
‘..and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations..’
God’s Rules for Tongues and Worship
Reading these God-given rules and limitations of the ministry of prophets and tongues speakers we see the enormous gulf between what really happened in the formation stage of the church and what charismatics do today. The path of obedience is the true path of blessing.
The Road to Life
‘Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ Please have God’s Word open … Continued
The Israel of God
‘And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.’ Full chapter _____________ Galatians 6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. … Continued
Knowing the Love of Christ
Paul speaks of knowing ‘the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.’ This message describes the nature of Christ’s love towards those who find and know Him – actions of affection, kindness and power unmatched in human society. Here is how it may be experienced. ‘Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13 and verse 4, … Continued
The Supremacy of Love
Love must be the driving virtue and motive of all that is done for Christ, insists the inspired apostle. Then he shows how it acts and reacts in all circumstances concluding with the reasons for its supremacy over all the gifts and graces.
The Abandonment of Consecration
Why is there virtually no concept of Christian consecration today among Reformed evangelicals? Why do so many churches and Christians find worldliness acceptable? James demonstrates how the Holy Spirit yearns for our entire consecration to the Lord — beginning with humble submission to Him. Full chapter _____________ James 4 From whence come wars and fightings … Continued
Christ’s Illustration of Conversion
Christ’s healing of a man born blind was a liberal act of compassion which is also intended to demonstrate the way a person may be forgiven and renewed. Here are the striking similarities between his healing and the receiving of spiritual life from the Lord.
The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Paul speaks of the revelatory and sign gifts given while the New Testament was being delivered. These were never for individual benefit, but for the whole body. Here they are reviewed , along with the famous analogy showing the mutual dependence and care of believers.
Great Glories of Christ
‘God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.’ Full chapter _____________ Hebrews 1 God, who at sundry times … Continued
How God Evaluates Prayer
Christ tells of a man with a great need who is obliged to get help from a friend already retired for the night. He obtains more than he needs, but only by his ‘importunity’, showing how we may successfully pray to God.
Paul’s Request for Prayer
‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.’ Full chapter _____________ 2 Thessalonians 3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And … Continued
The Golden Rule
‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ Full chapter _____________ Galatians 6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a … Continued
God is Not Mocked
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in … Continued
Eternal Glory
‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ Full chapter _____________ 2 Corinthians 4 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; … Continued
Forgiveness, Our Greatest Need
Why do we need forgiveness? Why should we be accountable to God? What are God’s motives in requiring repentance? What is the role of Christ in reconciling people to God? How does a person seek forgiveness? Is forgiveness and reconciliation with God a verifiable experience? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just … Continued
The Necessity of the Lord’s Supper
Corinth had combined a fellowship meal with the Lord’s Supper, but Paul firmly separates them. The Supper is presented as a spiritual banquet, distinct, and calling for deep earnestness. Here are the symbols and what it signifies to ingest them. Here is the Covenant of Grace. You can look at the different epistles in the … Continued
Sowing & Reaping
‘Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.’ Full chapter _____________ Galatians 6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s … Continued
God’s Order for Men and Women
Paul answers the question on the roles of husbands and wives and affirms conformity to the dress code of head coverings in Greek society at that time. With Calvin and major confessions we show that the ‘message’ of clothing may change in other ages and lands. You can look at the different epistles in the … Continued
The Process and Scope of Conversion
The deranged man of Gadara desperately sought Christ’s help, but on meeting him shouted to be left alone. His healing sparked alarm among his neighbours. Why is there such antipathy to Christ? Here is our resistance to Him, and the depths of conversion. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over … Continued