Kenya, Here We Come
A number of people associated with GES support Kathryn and me via prayer and finances for our travels to other countries to teach in schools and churches. We leave for Kenya early on Friday (July 29) and I thought you might be interested in what the trip will look like. We will leave home around […]
The First Rejection of the Creation Mandate (Genesis 11:1-9)
God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth” (Gen 1:28). After the Flood, God repeated that same command to Noah and his sons (Gen 9:1). Man was to reproduce and fill the earth. This was a command, not a suggestion. We do not know how well mankind had spread over […]
What Does That Mean to You? (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Recently, my daughter, son-in-law, and I were looking at a slide that was part of a presentation by my friend at GES, Bob Wilkin. We were looking at it in preparation for a study he was going to go do on the word “salvation,” and Bob was not present at the time. His slides were […]
Judgment at the Bema Won’t Be Pass or Fail: Lessons from Second Kings
Most people do not believe there will be degrees of rewards in the kingdom. But they should. There is clear teaching to that effect in both the OT and NT. A much-overlooked treatment of accountability and rewards is found in 1-2 Kings. The books of 1-2 Kings make it clear that God judges both whether […]
“You Don’t Take Sin Seriously!” (Romans 3:8)
A little while ago, I was teaching a class in a Bible institute in a foreign country. The students were young, between the ages of 18 and 20. As the class progressed, it was clear that they had some issues with the gospel of eternal life. I decided to stop the planned instruction and address […]
The Role of Jesus in Our Salvation, Part 4: Jesus’ Role in Our Evangelism
Many people wrongly think that there was one saving message for OT people, another saving message for people at the time of Christ, and yet another saving message for people after the church was born. But the Lord made clear that the message He preached is the same message by which Abraham was saved (John […]
The Role of Christ in Our Salvation, Part 3: The Promise of Christ
Not only did Jesus need to be the right Person and do the right works for us to be saved, but He also had to make the right promise. Without the promise of everlasting life, no one could be saved. Why is the promise of Christ essential for salvation? Because the promise of everlasting life […]
A Pretty Lady Day (1 Peter 3:3-4)
One of my grandsons, who is five years old, was talking with my daughter (his mom) recently. She had asked him how his day went. He said that he had had a “pretty lady day.” His mom asked him what that meant. He said that he had seen a bunch of pretty ladies that day. […]
The Role of Christ in Our Salvation, Part 2: The Work of Christ
Some like to speak of the Person, provision, and promise of Christ. I prefer to refer to the work of Christ rather than the provision of Christ because His work was broader than His death on the cross for our sins. His work includes His incarnation (John 3:16), His sinless life (2 Cor 5:21), the […]
Tell Us Something Negative (Acts 4:13)
When I was in the Army, they sent me to seminary for a year. It was a conservative Christian school. To be accepted, I had to get letters of recommendation, and one had to be from someone who knew me well and was in Christian ministry. I asked a fellow chaplain and friend of mine […]