Making a Fashion Statement (1 Peter 2:1)
If there is one thing my friends and family know about me, it would probably be that I am not fashion conscious. There are a number of reasons for that. First, I am a guy. Usually, guys get their sense of fashion from their mothers. But my mom was not a typical woman in this […]
The Jews of Jesus’ Day Were Seeking Everlasting Life – John 5:39-40 Reconsidered
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 Vince Deegan, a friend of mine, alerted me to the power of John 5:39-40 about twenty years ago when […]
Don’t Judge a Crop by Its Stalk
I once saw a picture of two bunnies standing next to their carrot crops. Beside the bunny to the left, a slight green stalk was coming up from the ground. It was barely a twig, not even reaching the top of the bunny’s ears. He was sad. In contrast, the bunny to the right had […]
How Often Does the Bible Use the Word Wicked to Refer to the Unregenerate?
It is quite common for Evangelicals to understand the expression the wicked as referring to the unsaved. Consider these verses as examples: And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23). God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day (Ps 7:11). […]
Theological Prison
Most of us have met people who are prisoners in a theological prison. Calvinists believe that God chose those who would be in His kingdom before they were born. If you were chosen, you are good to go. If you weren’t, you will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Calvinists and Lordship Salvation adherents […]
What about the Good Tree Bearing Good Fruit and the Bad Tree Bearing Bad Fruit?
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Matthew 7:17-18 Clearly, the Lord was not saying that believers produce only good fruit and unbelievers produce only bad fruit. We know that those who […]
GES Regional in Portland, OR: March 21-23
GES tries to conduct several regional conferences during the year. This allows people who may not be able to attend the national conference in May to attend one closer to home. Our next conference is scheduled for Mar 21-23 in Portland, OR. It will be held at the First Baptist Church of Portland. The pastor […]
What Is a Reprobate? (Part 2 )
In part one we saw that the word reprobate, derived from the Greek word adokimos, refers to unbelievers and possibly to particularly evil unbelievers. We considered five verses in which adokimos is used: Rom 1:28; 1 Cor 9:27; and 2 Cor 13: 5, 6, 7. In part two, we will consider three other verses that […]
Luke the Comedian, Part 2 (Acts 28:11)
In a previous blog, I argued that Luke shows a sense of humor in Luke 8:25, which records the disciples’ comment that the wind and sea heard and did what Christ commanded as He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Prior to this, the Lord had told the disciples to get into a […]
What Is a Reprobate? (Part 1)
Reprobate is a word you do not hear outside Christian circles. Even within Christianity, it is used much less today than in previous generations. When used in a Christian context, the word reprobate has the sense of–– “(of God) to reject (a person), as for sin; exclude from the number of the elect or from […]