GraceUnlimited

Biblical Church Members 6

The gospel is astounding in Paul's letter to the Romans. Against the dark backdrop of depravity, He highlights God's saving grace in justification through faith. A community saved in that way, Paul anticipates, will constantly remind each other of the truths they have come to embrace. They will do this with a good attitude, educated and motivated through Scripture and with true biblical hope. What Paul is calling for is the universal Christian responsibility to counsel one-another. They must ...

Biblical Church Members 5

The astounding grace of God in salvation is something that should drive us to the joy of communion with Him in prayer. As God loves Jesus, He loves Christians. Is this something you understand- Is prayer like breathing to you- Paul provides guidelines on how to pray in this way. The first is that we pray in every situation. God loves to hear praying saints. We must always pray according to the Spirit's desires, loving the word of God and depending on the Spirit in prayer. God also wants us to...

Biblical Church Members 4

The Church has a mission statement. It involves making disciples. This is the responsibility of the whole church. In other to fulfil this mission, Christians must pray for opportunity to speak intentionally to people about Jesus. Look at your own area of influence and write down names of people you want to speak with about Jesus. Christians must also be ready to share the gospel. What words will you use- This is not about letting people go to hell thinking you are a nice friendly person. Even...

Biblical Church Members 3

What gets you going in the morning- How is it that some people take initiative and others don't- People take initiative in the secular world, but does initiative belong in the church- It certainly does- Unfortunately, many people take initiative in the church because they are self-centred. Some don't take initiative because it is outside of their arena of personal comfort. But God saved His people and one of His purposes for you right now is to serve other people in the church. This is an act...

Biblical Church Members 2

True church members are responsible to check whether what is being preached is an accurate representation of God's word. Without this, people fall into misery. Their diet becomes pleasant preaching. You can grow in your ability to discern good preaching from poor preaching by being a faithful listener to God's word. The second feature of a true church member in this regard is that he also submits to and works at obeying God's word. Prepare to hear it. Meet regularly with other believers. Stud...

Biblical Church Members 1

Is a church member defined by being a member of a church- Is he defined by his giving, service or attendance- Not at all. Scripture defines a biblical church member as a person who has been truly born again, who understands the true nature of their depravity, who has repented of their sin, and has trusted Jesus as Saviour. Many will claim to be true church members on the day they see Jesus, but many will be found to be fakes. Where do you stand-

Misquoted: By His Stripes

How does God want you to respond to sickness- Should a Christian feel sad- Are there right and wrong ways to be sad over sickness- Christians are trapped between suffering and the new order of the coming kingdom. Are there right and wrong ways for Christians to desire to get better- Is God able to heal Christians- Is it considered a lesser healing if you went to a doctor to be healed- If God is able to heal you, should you always expect God to heal you- And if God does not heal you, does that...

Misquoting: Lord's Anointed

Are you easily deceived- Someone has said that the church is damaged by error in the pulpit and public gullibility. For example, a gullible congregant would sit and listen to a pastor who claims to have direct revelation from God. John warns Christians to cultivate discernment regarding what they listen to. One current deception that has tricked many people is that a pastor can live a life free from accountability because he refers to himself as the Lord's anointed. This title awards him immu...

Misquoting: All Things

What would you like for someone you love- Spiritual stability is certainly a worthy desire. Consider Paul's spiritual stability throughout his four years in prison. He can still write to the Philippian church with joy. At the heart of his stability is the drive to make God look beautiful, even through suffering. Even through suffering there are moments where people are not actually suffering. The painful moments in spiritual suffering do not destroy the good ones. In relationships too--we can...

Misquoting: Greater Things

Misquoting: Do not Judge

How do we relate to people who are different to us- Today there is such a strong public attitude that you should not judge. Even if people don't care about the Bible, they us it to support their objection that you should not judge them. God's wrath is certainly not instructing us to never make a judgement. It that were true, it would make it impossible for society to function. Notice that people who criticise other for judging, are actually judging. Rather, Jesus provided a framework in which...

Giving Your Last Coin

How you define greatness is going to have an impact on your life. Jesus looks at the widow putting all she had to live on into the treasury. Some people measure respect by qualifications, clothes, family history, power, etc. It is notable that Jesus measured people differently--He spent time with the poor and sinful. Jesus highlights surprising examples of success. There was huge poverty in Jesus' day. The rich are showing off. The widow was poor and vulnerable. She deposits two coins into th...

Beware of these People

Everyone has an opinion. Many speak with such authority that you think they must have significant experience in the field. Some people get irritated by other people's opinions and eventually ignore all outside input. Others believe everything. There is no wisdom in either of these extremes. Therefore, you are in a dangerous position. You need to listen to what people say, and you also need to know whose advice to reject. How do you cross a 12-lane highway of dangerous ideas without being impa...

Who is Jesus?

As we look around at different ideas of who Jesus is, we should ask ourselves why anyone would want to crucify any of the people who match that idea. One reason people would want to crucify the real Jesus is because of His exclusive claim to authority. People even have to deny themselves in order to become a follower of the real Jesus. Does Jesus have the right to such a demand- He requires worship. Can He even do that- Where does His authority come from- On what basis do we worship Him as ab...

Christ's Resurrection Authority

Why do good people hate Jesus- The answer to that question is not complicated- you can summarise it in one word. Authority. People don't have a problem with Jesus the friend, teacher, counsellor, and miracle worker. But people absolutely hate King Jesus. This is true because His kingship has implications. It means that rejecting Jesus is rejecting God, which amounts to eternal condemnation. Jesus' authority means that you can't merely use Jesus for your own benefit. He has the right to tell p...

Jesus the King

Jesus is the most significant person in the universe, but He is also the most misunderstood. Think of Warner Solman's portrait of Jesus, who matches the society in which Solman grew up. We don't want to have a wrong understanding of who Jesus is in our own minds. Who is Jesus- What does Jesus do- The Son of God, who came to preach the gospel, is prophet, priest and king. The Jerusalem crowds hailed Him as king- the promised King. God's plan is to have one man rule the whole world. This man is...

Taking What is God's

False religion, from the outside, is not always obvious. So, what is going on in the heart of the religious person who eventually begins to hate Jesus- The problem is not clarity, or God's generosity. There is a hardness in their hearts. That's what Jesus says. Sadly, this happens so many times today. At the heart of this false religion is the desire to receive blessings for themselves. They might even be grateful for God's goodness. When the goodness seems to end, however, he begins to quest...

Judgement

Some people who ask questions don't really want an answer. This, Jesus' final parable in Luke, has a vineyard at its core. The Pharisees are pictured as the hired servants in the vineyard. They have not seen that the vineyard is the privilege and responsibility God has given them. Rather than cultivating this privilege, they turn on the owner. But God is patient. Very patient. See how the owner is treated unfairly. The wrath of the owner is expected, but doesn't come at first. The shock is th...

Destructive Greed and Zeal

Did you know that false teachers can appear more serious about the truth than people who are seriously seeking the truth- And a greedy false teacher is a very dangerous person- even more than any other greedy person. They are more concerned about money than the kingdom of God. They care more about people's opinions than truth. They want to control and manipulate people. Other people's lifestyles irritate false teachers. They want people to think well of them and do what meets with their own a...

Theft in the Name of God

If you walked into a nursing home with a plate of cookies, and were killed for it, you still would not generate the same bewilderment as was generated by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Why would they want to murder HIM- The Jews were irate because Jesus was claiming to be God. Even as Jesus declared judgement on rebels, He wept. They were not ignorant, they had rejected His clear claims. They were driven by greed. Even the temple, which was an absolute privilege to have, was used for extort...

Guard Your Heart

Being Born Again

Seeing God in Christ

Triumphant Humility

On a Friday night, Jesus arrives in Bethany. He is preparing to fulfil God's prophesy given through Daniel. The King is going to enter Jerusalem, a critical city in the Bible. Having seen the when and where, of what Luke is narrating, we now come to the what. he is going to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. The glory of the event was more than any observer to could imagine at that moment. The King entered on the exact day foretold hundreds of years before. Had the children remained silent, eve...

Contented Faithful Servant

Many questions occupy people's minds. One major question has to do with the future judgement of God. Yet our starting point should be that the judgement of God is coming. The main question then becomes, -What will you personally do in the meantime-- In Jesus' parable of the talents, this is the main issue. What will you do while you wait for the certain return of the King- You need to plan for your future way beyond this world. Some people will view God as unreasonable and will therefore not ...

Faith Demands Relationship

Life is hard. Many people have a problem with God. They are His enemies. Yet God is the only One who can solve the world's greatest problems. But more than that, God is going to inaugurate a new kingdom. And this is news that demands a response. Jesus' audience heard this warning but ignored it. They didn't respond in faith. This leads us to the critical question, -What is faith-- God defines it. Faith demands a relationship with Jesus more than caring what other people think. It convinces pe...

Holiness

Christian Success This Year

Kingdom of the Humble 2

Kingdom of the Humble 1

Overcoming Discouragement

No More Darkness

The Story of a Geneology

Christ The Greatest Gift

Overcoming Fear 4

Taking a stand for truth is going to involve a bold step against personal fear. Jesus, in fact, actually sends His people out like sheep among wolves. Christians seldom desire to be hated by all men. Jesus committed Himself to such a mission. A mission of sorrow. He knows that those whom He sends will face the same, but He still tells us not to fear. Why- Because God's cause wins- Regardless of what seems to be failure. We can look back, look forward, and to our present. His present perspecti...

Overcoming Fear 2

Overcoming Fear 3

Overcoming Fear 1

You struggle with fear. Agreed, some people do have a more fearful disposition. But as a Christian, an entirely different phenomenon is in force. God the Holy Spirit both lives in your and works in you to change you- With such power at work in you, you are obligated to tap into it. You may no longer be controlled by your own personal fears. Knowledge of the love of God is a powerhouse in the Christian life. Fear is not about circumstances, it is about unbelief. A fearless person is a person w...

Fearing People

Fearing people and trusting God are incompatible. The fear of people is a false trust. It says that if people think I'm unsuccessful, then I am unsuccessful. That is why people fear gossip so much. It strikes at their God. Fear manifests in both covert and overt behaviour. Both can also be present in the same person. it can be very difficult to identify. So, not only is it deceptive, but it is distracting too. It distracts from true worship. Other people's opinions can dominate a fearful pers...

Natural and Sinful Fear

Scripture doesn't require Christians to be fearless but to distinguish between different types of fear. Not all fear is sinful. Jesus, for example, was alarmed in Gethsemane as He anticipated the cross. Other types of fear, however, are an expression of wisdom. A good example is the fear of doing wrong. How can we distinguish between natural fear and sinful fear- We could ask ourselves some questions such as- Has this fear stopped me from doing what I know to be right- Has this fear caused me...

Escaping Fear Traps

You have surely faced anxiety to the point where you have been eaten away by it. Public misrepresentation is a good example. When people slander you, and you are not able to respond or contain the damage. Such was the experience of the speaker. There are three common traps you are in danger of falling into when you are tempted to become consumed with fear. The first is doubt, the second is worry, and the third, envy. Doubt asks, -Why me-- -Why now-- -What is God doing-- Yet even as Christians...

Wise Parenting

Wise parenting is cumulative. If you are struggling to know where to start, begin with focusing making wise decisions. Speak to your children about God's wrath against sin. Teach your children to listen. Good listening doesn't come easily so you need to put effort into teaching them to listen before they reach their teens and then leave home. Poor listeners will struggle at school, in the church, in their careers, in their marriages and in all types of interpersonal relationships. Bound up in...

Compassion

Remarkably, it often happens that when Christians grow in knowledge, their hearts also become smaller and colder. Yet compassion is commanded. It is also required for brotherly love. Such love doesn't fake it- it genuinely cares. Such care is faithful. It is soft. Love for the truth must produce compassion. What we say may be accurate, but it is ruined by the offensive ways we say it without compassion. In contrast, people who most deeply love the truth, are the most compassionate. Jesus and ...

Preservation and Perseverance

Why Die in Sexual Sin?

You can't afford to stop listening to what the Bible says about sex. It guards you from talking foolishly about sex. Biblical wisdom is different to the voice of society. Sexual temptation lies to you. The lips of an adulteress drip honey yet sexual sin turns scalpel sharp and poison bitter. Porn, for example, brings guilt, shame, complicated problems, and hinders you from growing. Think of Jack Nicholson, who was a rich playboy actor, but is now an old lonely man. Sexual sin leads those who ...

The Prosperity Gospel

The gospel is the only important message in all of history. If this is true, you need to know exactly what this message is. You may have heard many years of preaching but never heard the gospel. Can you identify the fact that so much of what is called the gospel today is a damnable lie- You absolutely must be able to tell the difference. Some insist that it is always God's will to be health and wealthy. These are achieved by the things you do. For example, do you believe that the Old Testamen...

Using and Abusing Money

Yes, money is shown to be a blessing in Proverbs. Yet Proverbs also warns people against trusting in it. Wealth, for example, provides security in a rich person's imagination. But money can't prevent a rich person from dying. Also, there are other things that are far more important that getting money. Wisdom, for example, is more valuable. People may relocate for a better job, but seldom for a better church. The fear of God, love, humility, peace, a good spouse, honesty and reputation are bet...

Communication

We all speaks so much and Proverbs shows us that what we say and how we say it are very important. The writer compares good speech to fine silver. Speech also has power, therefore it needs to be wise. A fool's mouth ruins him. God's word is powerful but fools keep babbling and justify themselves, argue, claim to already know, try to distract. Such a fool doesn't even realise how ruined he is. Speech, like air-borne disease, affects other people. But speech can also do huge good. Your speech e...

The Fear of God 2

Some people have a problem with the concept of the fear of God today. They don't believe that God should be feared because that is a negative concept. Before embracing that assumption, consider the fact that translation is a complicated matter and it would be wise to consider what the Bible is saying about the fear of the Lord before dismissing it. English is a precise language, while Hebrew is not. Hebrew packs a lot of meaning into fewer words. Therefore, concepts like love, trust and hope ...

The Fear of God 1