Christians are not called to be agents of wrath, seeking to execute vengeance upon the wicked, but to be agents of peace, seeking rather to bring about their redemption! We don't use force to crush our enemies, we depend upon the grace of God to transform them through the cross of Christ which we carry into this world.
The Covenant People
When we consider the basis for the identity of the Church, we should begin with our identity as God's covenant people. Once we understand what it means to be God's covenant people, then we can understand what God's covenant people look like as his Church (i.e. Assembly). PAST COVENANT Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (CSB) “The Lord had …
REPENT AND TURN TO GOD
Acts 26:20 (CSB) — 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. Ambiguity is one of the enemies of conviction, which is why the …
Freewill Restored: Arminianism 101
Abstract: Arminianism has been used so broadly that it means different things to different people and, as a result, it has been unfairly accused of sentiments that are not truly Arminian. Arminianism champions the Biblical theology of redemption in Christ as being freely offered to all by grace through faith. The need in our time …
God’s Answer to Sin: 1st John 2:1-2
Exposition of 1st John 2:1-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJnkLBp0Bg&feature=youtu.be Introduction In John’s first movement, he explains how Christians experience eternal life in fellowship with joy, and to do that he begins with the nature of God. He shows that God’s nature is holy and entirely separate from all darkness; there’s no shadow of deception or unrighteousness in the …
Who Are You, Lord? Acts 22:8
When Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem to provide his defense, Paul chooses to defend Christ rather than himself. He makes no mention of the Jewish charges being brought against him. He does not try to justify his ministry. He chooses to defend Christ by recounting the narrative of his conversion to demonstrate …
The Pursuit of a Willing Spirit: Psalm 51:12
Psalm 51:12 (CSB) Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. One of the fiercest enemies of Christian joy is an unwilling spirit. An unwilling spirit must be dragged along the way of Christ, kicking and screaming, because its will is at odds with the purposes …
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The Issue of Homosexuality
The issue of homosexuality has taken center stage on Christian and secular discussions; “high-profile” leaders on both sides of the issue have come out to take sides, perhaps culminating with President Obama’s recent statement of support for homosexual marriage. I believe it's of utmost importance that we understand the spiritual warfare going on here: this …
Thanksgiving Grace & Joy
Thanksgiving is a time to realize grace and express joy to the Lord for His provision. It is also an attitude from which overflows humility, gratitude, and immense thanksgiving because of the abundant provision that He has made for us. We stop to reflect on the grace of the Lord shown to us. Thanksgiving (the Holiday) …
The Gospel: Salvation and Hope
The Gospel Declared The gospel has been heralded for many ages in God’s Word and it has been the summation of His revealed will since the beginning. With extreme specificity God declared through His prophet Micah His word saying, “‘But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (lower Bethlehem), Too little to be among the clans of …