“True Bible-readers and Bible-searchers never find it wearisome. They like it least who know it least, and they love it most who read it most. They find it newest who have known it longest, and they find the pasture to be the richest whose souls have been the longest fed upon it. When one of our missionaries had to read a certain Book of the Old Testament through a hundred times while he was translating it, he said that he certainly enjoyed the hundredth time of reading it more than he did the first, for he understood it better, and it seemed to him to be fuller and fresher the more familiar he became with it.”
Category Archives: The Bible
WHY does anyone choose Christ. . .
. . .and why is it important as long as we choose?
These days, if you even ask the first part of that, you might be told that it’s not important or that you are just being divisive. The only thing that matters is that a ‘decision’ was made. Some of those who do not think it’s an important question might accuse you of being divisive and maybe even being ‘lost’ and not saved at all! You’re just all into theology and book learning, and since you didn’t provide a testimony with the ‘theology’, about how you went downtown to feed the homeless, you’re just not saved!
My friend, I am here to tell you this morning, as God is my witness, that the answer to that question is of critical importance, and has eternal consequences! It’s the difference between eternal life in the presence of God and an eternity in the everlasting torments of hell!
IF you came to Christ for any other reason than because you realized your desperate straights apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that you are a spiritually dead and lost sinner; and realized that God sent His beloved son to die in your place – to suffer the just wrath due your sin; and based upon that realization, you believed in Christ, it is entirely possible that you believed in vain and are as destined for hell this morning as before you walked an aisle, signed a decision card, or said a special prayer!
Many, if not most invitations to Christ that are offered these days from the stages of alleged ‘churches’ these days are all about having lives ‘fixed in’ one way or another, and never bring up the sin issue, the central and perhaps only issue of biblical evangelism! .
To omit the single most important issue of the gospel message, is to have NO gospel message! To leave out the issue of sin is to be a fraud and a charlatan – a spiritual ‘snake oil’ salesman. To save the sin issue for later (after they like you a lot) and invite people to Christ to have their lives ‘fixed’, is a spiritual ‘bait and switch’ con game.
So this old man is going to continue to ask the question. Eternal lives are at stake!
I am saved because GOD SAVED ME! He gave life to a dead man and opened his ears to hear the gospel and his eyes to see Christ. And when he saw Christ, he desired Him so strongly that there was no way he would not end up at the foot of the Cross. It was ALL God.
Friend, examine your heart this morning. WHY did you choose Christ? IF it was for some other reason, any other reason than for the forgiveness of your sin, you have cause to be concerned about your eternal destiny. Search your soul, search scripture, asking God why He sent His Son to die or you.
This is my plea.
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life and death
How Reliable are Biblical Accounts of Christ’s Resurrection?
One of the reasons we can trust the reliability of biblical accounts are supernatural acts of God (miracles) that are not only recorded in Scripture, but that also have historical and archeological evidence. The intent of this blog post is to peak your interest and encourage personal Bible study and research. In addition to increasing personal confidence in the truth of Scripture, such endeavors will serve to equip the believer for conversation/debate with non-believers.
There are two events in the Old Testament that are significant examples; the fall of the walls of Jericho, and the defeat/destruction of Sennacherib’s army, which had beseiged Jerusalem. I’ll leave further investigation to those interested in history and archeology, and ask that research be done without any agenda (pro or con). So if you are curious, go for it! You can just perform an online search for “historical/archeological evidence of ___________” for either, and have a lot of information to filter through and research.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is second of three events recorded by Paul as integral to the Gospel message:
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” – 1 Cor 15:1-8
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was raised according to the Scriptures, and was seen by many after the resurrection. The first two events were prophesied in previously recorded Scripture, and the third provides evidence that the first two had to be either a hoax or a supernatural miracle.
Three possible proofs for a supernatural act of God are these:
1. Motive: Why would so many Jews follow a crucified man?
2. Corroborating evidence of gospel accounts: If all other historical facts prove to be true, why not the resurrection?
3. The empty tomb: Even the greatest antagonists to the resurrection of Jesus affirm His tomb was empty!
All three possible proofs fall into the arena of human logic. At the same time, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so critical to our Christian faith, that Paul emphatically declared in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, that if the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not true, our faith is in vain!
Does this writer have a personal opinion? Of course, but his ‘opinion’ is not the issue. As open, professing believers in Christ, we eventually are engaged in discussion about the genuineness and reality of our faith, with other believers, as well as non-believers (unless we are ashamed of the gospel).
Such discussions with non-believers are more than just ‘words’ deep, they are engagements in spiritual warfare and opportunities to present logical intellectual arguments to those who ostensibly appeal to logic and rational thinking in order to prove our faith illogical and irrational.
Hopefully the next few posts will encourage greater development of the Christian ‘mind’ and equip readers to defend their faith on the enemy’s terms.
If you are reading this, stay tuned for separate posts addressing the aforementioned proposed proofs of the Resurrection!
The Original Version is Always the Best
Have you ever noticed that about movies and television series spin-offs – the original is usually the best version? I think the same thing applies to the Bible.
I saw another article about another book about Jesus this morning, by an author who has written other books about the Bible and even contributed to a popular ‘theme’ styled Study Bible.
It’s probably a good read, but it’s not The Book. It’s doesn’t sound like spiritual ‘junk food’ – Christian book stores are full of those too, and they’re usually the best sellers. Si it will probably do well, but not make the author a bazillion bucks.
I have a modest library of books that aren’t The Book, even some of the ‘junk food’. A lot of years have taught me that the Original is still the best.
I think that’s because God wrote it
The Battle Cry 