DISCIPLE

There is no doubt that in the case of some believers God's Spirit seemed at the time to work so irresistibly that they most naturally infer this to be always the case with every believer, and because they have utterly forgotten their resistance to all God's previous strivings with themselves (by His word, by His providences, and by His Spirit), they conclude that the time when they did yield to His gracious influence was what they call "God's own good time," that then, and then only, an "effectual call" had been made; being utterly forgetful of the fact that the term "effectual call" is quite an unscriptural teaching,* and that "God's own good time" in Scripture is always "now" - "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2). * The unscriptural teaching involved in the doctrine of "outward calls" and "effectual calls" to unbelievers must no...

Psalm 110:3, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power," is frequently brought forward as if it were a proof that unbelievers were not made willing and therefore could not believe in Christ, until some particular day comes in the course of their lives -- on which day they are made willing to believe in Christ as their Saviour; and that this day on which they do thus believe is here called "the day of His power;" or in other words "the day of irresistible sovereign grace," and is a day which it is supposed must be patiently waited for , because no one can possibly believe until it comes.     But is this the Bible view of "the day of His power?" If we look at the sense in which this Psalm is quoted in the New Testament, as in Acts 2:34, compared with 1 Co. 15:24, 25, and Heb. 2:8, etc. we shall see that this "day of his power" is a prophecy of the last days, and will not be fulfilled until all Christ's enemies "...

"It will be a dreadful day for the impenitent Gospel despiser when, at the last, he sees for the first time that through all his lifetime God was doing ALL THAT COULD BE DONE to make him happy, and that in all the heaven above, in all the earth below, and in all the universe around, the great and loving heart of the Almighty could find nothing , yea, absolutely NOTHING, to deliver his soul from death, but the blood of the down-trodden Lamb." (Robertson)      Having rejected the Saviour of sinners, and "trodden underfoot the Son of God," he has "done despite to the Spirit of Grace," "blasphemed the Holy Ghost," and committed the unpardonable sin;¡ (Matt. 12:31-32) "for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   Act 4:12. "BUT THERE BE SOME THAT TROUBLE YOU,  AND WOULD PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST"     If then "God so loved the world ," i.e. every man, woman,...

The Word of God tells us that the moment one trusts in the finished work of Christ, he is a child of God, a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The moment one places his trust in Christ, his standing is secure. Even as the moment a child is born in the family of a king, he becomes a prince; he may not het behave in a princely manner, yet his standing is never in doubt because of his royal birth., In the same way, the Christian's standing in Christ is secure through regal birth. At his new birth, the Christian receives a new nature, a new relationship, and a new power. The new nature enables him to enter fully into his new relationship with Christ. Out of this vital, living relationship comes the strength [and motivation] to live a godly life.      Our standing is not based upon a process of improving the flesh. It will never do to take the material of the "old man" and, through fastings, vigils, and religious discipline, attempt to make the corrupt flesh ac...

T he emerging church is a magnet for those who have rejected the “old-fashioned” New Testament faith and who despise traditional Bible-believing churches, dogmatic biblical preaching, and biblical “judgmentalism” in regard to lifestyle choices. Many of the books I have read by emerging leaders make this admission. For example, in Blue Like Jazz Donald Miller tells how that he refused to be restricted by the teaching of traditional-type churches. He wanted to drink beer and watch raunchy movies and talk trashy and run around with atheists and other rebels. In discussing his involvement in church in his youth he says, “I wished I could have subscribed to aspects of Christianity but not the whole thing” (p. 30). He complains, “In order to believe Christianity, you either had to reduce enormous theological absurdities [i.e., Garden of Eden, universal flood] into children’s stories or ignore them” (p. 31). He wanted to believe the gospel “free from the clasp of fairy tale” ...

The farther you stray from the Bible, the deeper you get into sin.   I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.      Love lifted me!     Love lifted me!     When nothing else could help,     Love lifted me! All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing, Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs, Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs. Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves, He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves; He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey, He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.                                   ...

     While the world hails Stephen Hawking and mourns the death of a great mind, Christians have another perspective, a Biblical one. Hawking was an atheist and enemy of the truth. He led millions astray with his foolish declarations like: "God did not create the universe." Romans 1:22 describes such statements: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."      He spoke with false authority on things he knew nothing about, and was practically worshiped for whatever he said. Long before this frail mortal man of less than 80 years duration came on the scene, God declared: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God was there way back then, but Hawking wasn't.  The Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, communicated faithfully the same truth, that God made all things.     Today is indeed a sad day for Hawking, for he has passed into eternity and ...