Jesus Will Save His People
The following is a condensed version of a Christmas sermon I delivered in 2013 at Grace Chapel in Orange, CA. I hope you find it encouraging. What do you think of when you think of Christmas? Well, spiritually-minded Christians think of the Lord Jesus Christ becoming a Man, what we call the incarnation. We don’t […]
You Don’t Need What You Think You Do
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire (Josh 11:6). I spent a long time in the military. During that time, fortunately, I did not […]
Catholic Celibacy
The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recently concluded a study confirming widespread sexual abuse of children in Roman Catholic institutions. Here are some blood boiling quotes: “Of the survivors who reported being abused in a religious institution, 61.4% said it occurred in a Catholic organization.” “In February 2017, the commission […]
If You Love Me — John 14:15
What’s does Christian spirituality look like, in a nutshell? Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15 NKJV ). Each of those words gives us an important insight. “If.” Wait, “If”? Shouldn’t He have said “When”? “When you love Me”? Isn’t loving Jesus inevitable? Many churches teach it is. They say every […]
The Fruit of the Spirit is Not About You
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:26). So often we are blinded by our own traditions and culture. I think this is true when we talk about the fruit of the Spirit. Most of us have at one time or another memorized the fruit of the […]
Flock or Herd
Who are you following? One of the great indictments in the Old Testament is this: In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 KJV). They did what was right in their own eyes. They followed themselves. They did what they wanted, […]
Is Eternal Security Essential to Saving Faith? — The Arminian Question
Do Arminians believe the saving message? Someone asked that question in light of their denial of the doctrine of eternal security. Actually, some Arminians even say that eternal security is positively evil (see here)! What is the saving message? It is Jesus’ promise of eternal life. And this is the promise that He has promised […]
What Did Zane Hodges Mean When He Said That the Holy Spirit Quickens Our Hearts to Obey the Gospel?
I received the following question in my in box: I have purchased and read most of the books and articles written by Zane Hodges. His insights into Scripture are wonderfully enlightening. As I was reading through the commentary on 1 Peter I was hit by and interesting comment on page 36 in the context of […]
Should we celebrate Thanksgiving Twice?
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God (1 Thess 3:9) We just finished the Thanksgiving season here in the United States. During this time we gave thanks for many things. My guess is that many who are reading […]
The Fear of Missing Out
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). The exodus generation. They had so much potential. So much promise. So much God wanted to give them in the land He had prepared for them. Instead, […]