Are All Believers Overcomers?
Recently I wrote a blog on Rev 3:5 and the question of whether non-overcoming believers will be blotted out of the Book of Life. See here. I received this excellent question about that blog from John: I’m going to add in red what I think Rev 3:5 means: He who overcomes shall be clothed in […]
It’s the Context, Stupid
In 1992, Bill Clinton was running for president of the US. At the beginning of the campaign, he faced an uphill battle. George Bush was the president and was very popular following a war in the Middle East. In addition, there were charges of corruption and sexual improprieties in Clinton’s past. His odds of becoming […]
Does Matthew 6:14-15 Disprove “Once Saved, Always Saved”?
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt 6:14-15). A group of Bible scholars and pastors recently released a free documentary called Once Saved, Always Saved, with the words Always Saved crossed […]
Saint Lucy
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Milan, Italy’s Duomo Cathedral–the most impressive building in which I’ve ever been. While there, most of what I heard and read about it was in Italian. I might not have all the facts straight, but I’m pretty sure I got the main points down. Construction of the cathedral […]
Does God Blot Believers Out of the Book of Life (Rev 3:5)?
Pastors and Bible scholars recently produced a documentary film titled Once Saved, Always Saved (see here). They argue that once saved does not guarantee always saved. One of the passages they use to prove that salvation can be lost is Rev 3:5: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not […]
GES Regional in Italy
On May 3-5, GES conducted a regional Bible conference at Christian International Fellowship, a church pastored by David Showalter, an American missionary. He and his family have been in Italy for many years. The church is located in Sesto Calende, Italy, which is near Milan. Obviously, the country’s culture is heavily impacted by the Catholic […]
Is Salvation Unconditional?
Dave sent me an article (originally a Facebook post) entitled “Salvation Is Not Unconditional” by Dr. Robert Gagnon (see here). Gagnon says that salvation does have a condition. Gagnon’s second paragraph starts out great: “One has to believe the gospel.” If by the gospel he means justification by faith alone (Gal 1:6-9), then he is […]
What Could Have Been
All of us have started a discussion with, “If only…” Often times, we follow those words with, “I had done (fill in the blank).” It could be something fairly unimportant, such as, “If only I had studied a little more, I wouldn’t have failed that exam.” However, the situation could also be a very serious […]
I Believe, Therefore I Am
Rene Descartes wrote in 1637, “Cognito, ergo sum.” That means, “I think, therefore I am.” We know we exist because we are sentient beings. During a dream last night, I thought, “I believe, therefore I am born again.” That is essentially a spiritual rearrangement of what Descartes wrote nearly four hundred years ago. How do […]
A Very Visible Enemy
A good soldier is always focused on the enemy. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the graduating students at West Point. They were about to become leaders in our nation’s army. World War II was a distant memory, and the Korean War was almost ten years in the past. But Kennedy knew that our […]