The Gospel Of Repentance

There are things that God promised us as Christians that we will never care to claim, such as tribulation (John 16:33).  Under that title umbrella, we discover suffering as a promise and believe it or not a gift of God. Two reasons I will give why we suffer as believers are 1) we are children of God and 2) because we identify with Christ. In John 15:18-21 Jesus says this, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you, a servant is not greater than his Master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know him who sent me.” So, because we are children of the Most High, we automatically have a target on our backs from the wor

This is very extreme language wouldn’t you agree? This is antithetical to what Jesus and the Bible commands, that we are to love one another – even our enemies. So, why in the world would Jesus demand that we must be willing to hate those most precious to us to be his disciple? On the surface this demand seems awfully discouraging, but I have learned and continue to learn that Jesus is perfect in all his ways. So even if he says something that admittedly offends my sense of ethics, there is perfect wisdom attached to his statement(s). In Luke 14:26-27 we read, “If any comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. The word hate is the Greek word miseo. Most common meaning of the word is to be malicious with unjustified feelings of evil toward someone. In relation to our text it means to pr

                                                               Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov 1:9). What does it mean to fear God? The word fear in our culture is a negative. For instance, the word of God tells us God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7) So why is fearing God a good thing, a virtue? A healthy fear [1] of God is acknowledging that 1) He exists, that he is real.  2) We need to fear God for his majesty, there is none like him in all the universe. 3) We need to fear God for his power. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. 4) We need to fear God for his provision, that he meets our needs. 5) We need to be afraid of God when we sin for we displease him. We need to run to him and beg forgiveness for he is merciful (1 John 1:9). Continuing this theme, fearing God is also to be in awe of him to the degree that we submi

If you can get to know someone well you learn things about them, perhaps you learn what their favorite color is, their favorite food, what type of music they enjoy, etc. From there the relationship usually goes into the area of religion and politics. Two things people say we are not to ever discuss. Ironically, it is the two things we probably discuss the most. For this article, I want to discuss religion and worldviews. If you ask a person if they believe they deserve to go to heaven, most would say, “Yeah!” When you ask them why the general response would be, “Because I am a good person.” Many give to the poor, feed the hungry at the mission centers. Counseled those who have abused alcohol and drugs. Demonstrated through marches and protests for equal rights for all people through the doctrine of civil disobedience and the benevolent deeds go on and on. These things humanly make our souls feel clean and free wouldn’t you agree? But, is man actually good? Who determines if

Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”     Genesis 1:26 There are misconceptions about what it means to be made in God’s image. Some believe it to mean we as humans are “gods”, or can become “gods”. That is a gross error. Humans can and will never be gods. Not in this life, nor in the life to come. Even in mythology gods are immortal which human beings are not; we do eventually die. So, what does it mean to be made in God’s image and likeness? How is man like God? The word image in Hebrew is tseh’-lem which means a phantom, resemblance, representative figure.      The word likeness in the Hebrew is de-mooth which means model, shape, fashion, similitude. Scripture tells us that God the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24). That is one way we are in God’s image because we are spirits as well within a physical body. Other ways we are image bearers is that we have will, emotions, we can make choices. God like himself has granted us dom

There are numerous places in the Bible where it appears God changes his mind, but that is against what scripture teaches us. Malachi 3:6 tells us the Lord does not change. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. That should bring tremendous relief to us as believers. Why? Because all the promises of God will remain true forever. Now, I want to look at some accounts where it “appears” God has changed his mind and try my best to explain the text we are examining. In Genesis 6:5-7 we read that “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (emphasis added). And the Lord regretted or was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them” . W

Therein lies an interesting question. We know that because of Saul’s disobedience in not utterly wiping out the Amalekites he was rejected as king of Israel (1 Sam 15:26). We read in the same chapter that God declares to Samuel that he “regretted that he made Saul king for he has turned from following me” (vs. 10). Didn’t God know Saul would rebel before he chose him as king? Yes. The answer is because God wanted to. Saul despite his wickedness Saul was God’s anointed (1 Sam 24:6).  God made a sovereign choice although it caused the Lord grief when Saul turned his heart away from the Lord. It is very important to understand that when God said he regretted or was sorry he chose Saul as king over Israel, he didn’t change his mind regarding his choosing as some may think when reading this text. Rather, God was sorry for the wickedness of Saul manifested in his persistent disobedience of the Lord’s commands. How can a leader who is a minister of God (whether they know it or not)