Why I Like, “I Believe”, the Amazon Prime Movie
Sharon told me about the movie and suggested we watch it. Amazon Prime members can watch the movie at no added cost. The trailer for the movie sounds like a Focused Free Grace presentation: The pastor asks the boy, “Do you believe in Jesus?” The boy responds, “Yes, I believe.” You can see the trailer […]
大能的话语(路 4:31-36)
《路加福音》4：31-36 记载了基督传道初期发生的一件事。主在迦百农的会堂里教导人。毫无疑问，祂是在讲授即将到来的神的国度。无论大多数人是否相信祂是基督，路加记录了他们对祂的教导的看法。他们对祂所说的话感到惊讶，因为 “祂的话是有权柄的“（第 32 节）。他们被深深打动了。 造成这种反应的原因是，祂没有教导别人教导的东西，也没有用别人教导的方式来教导人。当时的拉比引用了过去的拉比的话。即使是几个世纪前的先知们，他们也只是说了一些自称来自上帝的话。他们预言了将要发生的事情。 但基督并没有向以前的拉比求助。祂以自己的权威说话。他自称是预言的应验。所有这些先知都在把这个民族指向他。在祂身上，神的国度被献给了这个民族。事实上，既然祂在那里，就可以说神的国临近了（可 1：15）。祂可以将神的国度带给神的选民。 谁能说出如此独特的话？如果他说的是真的，那他的话语中一定蕴含着怎样的力量？ 在这几节经文中，路加讲述了耶稣在会堂里不只是教导人。就在祂讲道的时候，一个被鬼附着的人喊叫起来。耶稣只说了一句话，那鬼就被赶了出去，场面十分壮观。 无论犹太会堂里的人听说过什么驱魔仪式，这一次都与众不同。没有神奇的咒语。没有仪式。主只是说了一句话，它就发生了。他只是告诉魔鬼 “从他身上出来”。在会堂里所有人的注视下，那个一直在哭喊的魔鬼按照主的吩咐做了。 人们对这一神迹的反应与他们对耶稣教导的反应几乎完全相同。他们从未目睹过这样的事情。他们对祂的讲道感到惊讶。魔鬼被赶出去之后，他们也感到惊讶。他们把这个奇迹归功于祂的话语，因为祂的话语是带着权柄和能力的（第 36 节）。祂通过这个神迹表明，祂大有能力的话语宣扬了神的国度，能够战胜撒旦的权势，使神国成为现实。 很明显，路加说的是，基督的传道和他赶鬼的能力都表明，他的话语因其固有的权威而具有言出必行的能力。 祂也将这强大而权威的话语传达给我们，这难道不是很棒吗？我最喜欢的例子之一是 “我实实在在地告诉你们，那听我话，又信差我来者的，就有永生“。祂应许说，凡听见祂的话就信祂得永生的人，将永远与祂同住在祂的国度里。这是一个强有力的话语！它战胜了死亡本身。 无论我们信主多久，祂的话就是这么奇妙！我们相信祂的人可以像迦百农的人一样，对他们所听到和看到的作出反应。事实上，我们可以在更大程度上这样做，因为我们已经相信祂是基督。我们对祂大能的话语为我们所做的一切感到惊奇和惊讶。
Mentor-Mentee Models: Moses-Joshua and Paul-Timothy
By Philippe R. Sterling The word mentor comes from The Odyssey. While Ulysses was away fighting in the Trojan War, he placed his son Telemachus under the tutelage of a sage named Mentor. The personal name has become a term meaning someone who trains a less experienced associate. Mentoring is widely employed in business, education, […]
To Delight a King
By Kathryn Wright Princess Problems The Book of Esther is a bit of a conundrum for many Bible students. It reads almost like a fairytale. A Jewish Cinderella is crowned queen and saves the Jewish people from the evil villain Haman. Add a goofy sidekick and an epic music number, and we’d have a Disney […]
Are Eternal Rewards Secure? Part 1
By Bob Wilkin Jeff raises a great question: Do you think a believer earns a reward each time he does a good deed in Jesus’ name (or to honor God). In other words, as he lives each day, does he lay up gold, silver, and precious stones in heaven for the good he does? But […]
Running With Endurance Toward Eternal Glory: Hebrews 12:1-2
By Chuck Deveau “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, […]
Just Accept It: You’re Going to Blow It
By Ken Yates Eternal life is given to the person who believes in Jesus for it. It is a gift that cannot be lost. The believer cannot give the gift back even if he wants to! Being a disciple of the Lord, however, is completely different. A disciple is one who follows the Lord and […]
Voice From the Past: Short-Sighted Believers (2 Peter 1:9)?
By Zane Hodges1 For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. The writer of this article has been nearsighted since grade school. My 7th-grade teacher noticed me squinting as I tried to read the blackboard. She shared this observation with my […]
Walking on Water: A Lesson in Pleasing God, Matthew 14:22-33
By Bill Lee One of Jesus Christ’s best-known miracles was walking on water. It occurred during the night following the day that He fed the five thousand on the northeast coast of the Sea of Galilee. What is less known is why He did it. He had a reason. The Lord Jesus Christ had a […]
Strive to Enter the Kingdom? Matthew 7:13-14
By Bob Wilkin A reader sent in this question: Hello. Thanks for your articles. I genuinely believe in salvation by faith alone, by trusting in Jesus Christ as God and His atoning death/blood for the forgiveness of sins. However, one Scripture that has always confused me is Matthew 7:13-14. What does Jesus mean when He […]