Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Mormons, some New Agers and other non-Christian groups would cheerfully say, “Jesus is Lord” if they are put on the spot to do so. This becomes puzzling to some in light of Paul’s words to the church in Corinth. He wrote: Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in … Continue reading
Many seem surprised at how easily and quickly blatant false teaching is spreading today throughout the Evangelical church. But in fact, what we are seeing is not something new – heresy and deception have been with us since the beginning. The first deception is that of Satan himself, and that involved self-deception. Isaiah 14 recites the arrogant claims of the King of Babylon. According to the Faithlife Study Bible, verse 13: …serves to identify the … Continue reading
After I spoke at a church this past weekend, I was asked, “How is it that so many celebrity preachers, celebrity Christian authors, and celebrity pastors take the stage with known (and popular) false teachers?” There are, of course, many possible reasons. It could be they seek to maintain or add to their own personal popularity. It may boost their ego to speak to large crowds of 25-50,000, or it may boost their personal wealth … Continue reading
The story is told of a young pastor who developed a series of talks titled, “The Ten Commandments of Child Raising,” which was a big hit – making him a much sought after speaker. By and by he and his wife had children of their own, and after a while he retitled the series to “The Ten Suggestions of Child Raising.” It was less popular but still in some demand. When his children grew into … Continue reading
We all know how often the “how and why questions” are utilized by human beings, and we all know that often they either cannot or will not be answered to our complete satisfaction. A mother walks into her young child’s bedroom – which is a disaster area – and asks, “How did this room get to be such a mess?!” Of course, mother already knows exactly how it happened and who did it, but will … Continue reading
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia to address some very important issues which they had forgotten – Christian freedom chief among them. Along with that, he also laid out some obligations of the Christian life. As I considered the celebration of the birth of our nation and our freedom earlier this month I was reminded anew of the above letter, written in 49 AD, just prior to the Jerusalem Council. (Acts 15) … Continue reading