Demons – answers to a few questions
The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
What are these powers and forces? How do we wrestle against them? What do we need to know about demons?
Godly Sorrow
One thing for certain is that in reading the pages of the Bible which reveal to us our New Covenant with Christ, the writers in no way have a casual outlook of sin. There are no verses expressing the sentiment, “Oh well. I am a sinner. I guess there is nothing I can do about it.”
How Important is the church?
Let’s all take a moment to reflect upon the church. Let’s reflect upon the importance of the church to God. Let’s meditate upon our commitments as members. And, most of all, let’s think about what a great gift God gives us when He adopts us as His child and places us lovingly within the fellowship and community of believers.
Grace Instruction
Do we look at God’s grace as a teacher? In what ways does the grace of God instruct us?
Made in the Image of God (part 4 of 4)
Children of God Our contemplation about what it means to be made in the image of God must take into consideration the aspect of being children of God. The Apostle John speaks to us as children of God (e.g., 1 John 3). Being an offspring of God certainly carries the connotation of being in the…
Made in the Image of God (part 3 of 4)
How we understand what it means for us to be made in the image of God should affirmatively answer this question, “Does my understanding of how man is made in the image of God exalt Jesus Christ?”
Made in the Image of God (part 2 of 4)
Previous post: (part one) Are there aspects of God’s image He does not share with us? We need to know what “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him” does not mean. In other words, we need to keep in mind what attributes God does not give to…
Made in the Image of God (part 1 of 4)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in his…
Does Hell Exist?
Religious Pluralism and Christianity The purpose of this post is to help us understand the religious pluralism movement and its impact on Christianity.[i] Religious pluralism teaches we need to have a positive attitude and acceptance to the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. Perhaps you have seen the bumper sticker encouraging people to “coexist.” It…
To Lent or Not to Lent?
Why we choose not to practice Lent at Christ Community Church Lent season is coming soon. This year, Lent begins on March 6. Before long, we will be seeing people post what they have “given up” for Lent, or some of our coworkers will show up with a spot of ash on their forehead. At…
Why Observing the Sabbath is Not Applicable to the Christian
What should the Christian position be regarding the 4th Commandment? Should the Christian observe the Sabbath? Should the Sabbath be on Sunday or Saturday? How should the Sabbath be observed in practice? Is Saturday the Jewish Sabbath and Sunday the Christian Sabbath?
Camel, Needle, Salvation, and a Gate
It’s easier for a camel In December, I gave a message in which I spoke about the rich young ruler. After the ruler walks away, Jesus tells His disciples: And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples…
Celebrate Dependence on God on Independence Day
Celebrate Dependence on God on Independence Day Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th. It is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The signers of the document declare independence from the present King of Great Britain while stating causes which impel them to throw off British governance. They did not consider…
Why Read the Bible Every Day
Why Read the Bible Every Day I like to read the Bible every day. In talking about this, I like to think of it as, “No read, no feed.” This means, if I am unwilling to read the Bible, I should also be unwilling to put food in my mouth. Let me share a bit…
Members of One Another
Romans 12:1-7 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove…
Strength to Carry On
The Apostle Paul told the Colossians a specific prayer he had for their church. The prayer was they “may be filled with the knowledge of His (God’s) will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding …” (Colossians 1:9). God’s will is the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on…
Rewarding Children for Good Behavior
We are discussing Paul Tripp’s book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family during our Sunday Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF). At the end of the ABF, the topic of rewards came up. The discussion centered on using rewards to encourage our children to obey God’s moral law. Paul Tripp discusses rewarding our…
Four Steps to Humility
Four steps we may take to fight pride – putting on Christ’s humility Pride is an abomination to God as it is an attack on His glory. We don’t see our self-exaltation as an attack on God, but we should. When we exalt ourselves, we are encouraging others to look to us as a…
Will the cross of Jesus be in Heaven?
Some of the best conversations I have about our Lord happens with my seven-year-old son Jack! He asks some pretty tough questions like, “Will his stuffed giraffe go to heaven?” I am confident that giraffe will not be in heaven but how do you break that to an overtired seven-year-old with crocodile tears running down…
Does God give you only what you can handle?
Janet is lying in a hotel room 500 miles from home. Her husband Jon is lying just next to her sleeping. Janet, however, has not slept in days and is anything but peaceful. Thoughts of bills that need to be paid, the kid’s school projects, a relationship struggle with her mother, and other thoughts are…
Why are you a Christian?
Why are you a Christian? Have you ever asked yourself the question why? More specifically, “Why am I a Christian?” It does us good from time to time to ask ourselves this question. Do you know the answer? Maybe another question you can ask yourself is, “Is Jesus entrusting Himself to me?” John 2:23…
God Has a Wonderful Plan for Who?
God Has a Wonderful Plan for Who? The design of this next statement is with love. The words in Jeremiah 29:11 are not to you, me, or anyone living today! I think you will be happy to know that this verse is not about us when you understand why God…
Jesus in Our Midst
Matthew 18:20 is a verse where careful Bible study is needed. People think this verse is about praying. The confusion may come because Jesus says, “where two or three have gathered together in My name.” To end a prayer with the term, “in Jesus name” is how most…
Ask Seek Knock
Ask, Seek, Knock There are many who teach go to God to get what you want. They may teach go to God so you can get what makes you happy. If you desire a new car, house, relationship, or money then go to God and believe that you will receive…
God in Us
God in Us Romans 8 some say is the greatest chapter in the bible. Some refer to it as the golden chain of scripture. It is truly a dynamic piece of scripture that Paul uses to explain how one-sided our salvation is. Embracing these truths and living by them will truly bring life…
Paul’s Strength
Through Philippians 4:13 lets learn how to gain the same strength that Paul had. Who is “I”? Answer: The apostle Paul who is writing this letter to the Philippian church. He is thanking them for a gift and writing to encourage them to find their joy in Jesus. What does Paul mean by “can do”?…
Don’t be Greedy!
“Money, it’s a crime. Share it fairly but don’t take a slice of my pie. Money, so they say, is the root of all evil today.” These lyrics are from the Pink Floyd song Money and show a common misunderstanding of the bible really says about riches. Is money the root of all evil today?…
Take Comfort In Jesus
Take Comfort In Jesus Jesus and His disciples are at the last supper. Jesus washes all of the disciple’s feet, Jesus predicts His betrayal, Judas Iscariot leaves to betray Jesus, and Jesus starts talking about how He is going to leave them. Simon Peter announces in true Simon fashion that he would follow Jesus…
Creation Interprets God
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” Creation Interprets God Have you ever heard of the…
Humility
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Humility I’ve been thinking on the subject of humility & the way it is perceived. Often I think that I must put on humility like a garment, yet I also think that it is…
The Trinity
The Trinity The mystery of the Trinity is great! The word itself does not exist in the Bible but it does describe the being of God. At the onset of the Bible the mystery is made known in verses like Genesis 1:26 when God says, “Let Us make man in Our own image.”…
Work out what you have!
Work our what you have! The book of Philippians is a book of Joy. Paul’s admonition is to rejoice always! He says this multiple times in the book. One of the commands he gives is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Another way of saying this is work hard to understand…
True Rest
True Rest The people that the writer of Hebrews was writing to seemed to be experiencing a lack of rest during that time. They may have been characterized by complaining, a lack of perspective on the current situation, and an incapability to communicate truth about God in an effective manner. There also seemed to…
The Cure for Being Heavy Burdened in Life
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The Cure…
The Gift of Holiness
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The Gift of Holiness Exodus 20:18-19 reads, “All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound…
Christmas
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Christmas Let…
Jesus Lives
Hebrews 10:1 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” Jesus Lives The Law was and is the foundation of Jewish…
The Fix
Acts 17:31 “Because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” The Fix The Daily News out of New York projected a title on 12/3/2015 that reads, “GOD ISN’T…
The Choice
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…….” The Choice Imagine having a choice. If you choose to obey person number 1 you can live in bliss with no struggling, no pain, no sorrow, no death, no wars, no fighting, no depression, no anxiety, and have everything that you need supplied to you…
The Glory of God
Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness and truth; who keeps loving-kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of…
Delight in the Lord
Psalms 37:4-5 “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Delight in the Lord Human beings are constantly pursuing things that we believe are going to make us happy. We cannot escape this…
The Voice of God
Hebrews 3:7-8 “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness.” The Voice of God The nation of Israel in the Old Testament witnessed some awesome sights. They saw all the…
Let’s all Pray through Romans 12 and 13 this week
Let’s all pray through Romans 12 and 13 this week. Romans 12 and 13 are challenging Scriptures to obey. We cannot be obedient to the Scriptures without the Lord’s help. God has commanded us to be a people who are set apart by our love. We need God’s help. So, we are going to ask…