10 Signs of True vs False Conversion

In this article we are going to looking at a few differences between someone who professes to be a christian and someone who has had a born again experience. Please note that before we begin we must take into consideration that not everyone is at the same level in their christian walk, in other words it's not fair to have the same expectations of a new convert than for someone who has been walking with the lord for 30 years and is a leader in the church. We must also take into consideration issues of  conscience as well. Say perhaps you have a conviction over a specific thing that isn't specifically condemned in scripture but another person doesn't share that conviction, it doesn't mean they are not a christian brother. With that said let's begin.

Luke: Evangelist To The Rich

So what have we seen in Luke’s Gospel? We’ve seen that the rich face unique dangers. They can be callous toward others, haughty, proud, cheats, swindlers, wrongly confident in themselves, and foolishly trusting in their wealth. If that is your life now, Luke says, you are in for a rude awakening at the end of the age, because everything will be turned upside down. The humble poor will be lifted up, and the arrogant rich will be cast down.

On the other hand, we see how the rich can be faithful with their wealth. They support Jesus and his ministry. They stand up for what is right. They use their money wisely for spiritual gain. The righteous rich in Luke are still rich, but they are also generous, repentant of any wrongs, and faithful to the cause of Christ.

In the book of Acts, just as in Luke, we see both kinds of examples. We see rich people at their worst, and we see how rich people can inherit the kingdom of God and live out its values.

[...]

So how can the rich enter the kingdom of heaven? What does it look like for rich Christians to “get it”? Importantly, “getting it” doesn’t mean to feel constant shame for being rich. It doesn’t mean trading places with the poor. And it doesn’t mean prophetic denunciations of material goods or income disparity.

But it does mean something. A lot, actually. According to Luke-Acts, to be a rich Christian who “gets it” means (at least) these seven things.

We believe. Christ is our everything, our all in all. We cannot serve two masters.

We repent. We turn from any cheating, swindling, or lying, and we make amends with those we have mistreated.

We put Jesus before profit.

We are generous. We give freely to help the poor and to further the cause of the gospel.

We are good stewards. We don’t try to be manipulate our way to God by lying, putting on a show, or trying to accrue power with our wealth. We are always shrewd but never power-hungry.

We do not trust in our money. There is no real security in dollars and cents. The righteous rich do not expect their earthly riches to last. They live for the heavenly riches that do.

We demonstrate humility. We consider everything we have to be a gift from God. We are meek before others and meek before God.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/luke-evangelist-rich/

A Rather Ingenious Pro-Choice Refutation

For this months article I thought that I'd go over an interesting refutation to those who think that it's ok for a woman to abort her unborn child. Now before we begin let me just say that if you have had an abortion please know that although yes abortion is murder this doesn't mean that God won't forgive you, because he will, if you come to him in repentance and place your trust in Jesus alone for salvation. With all that said let's get started.

The Gospel According To Leviticus

For the Jewish faithful, the sacrificial system was, at it’s simplest level, the way to God. The NLT phrases it well I think. “ Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.” (Leviticus 1:4) In the Jewish tradition, and the reformed Jewish tradition that we call Christianity, there simply is no forgiveness with out blood. We tend to think of this as harsh, but the reality is that the consequence of sin is death and God is a just God, thus the price must be paid. God’s justice however is always tempered by His mercy so the price paid becomes the sacrifice. We have done a good job of whitewashing this turning God into a petty vengeful tyrant, or a cosmic Santa instead of allowing ourselves to wade into the actual nature and character of God. The Jewish sacrificial system is the way to God. It always was and it still is. More on that later on though.

Three other things set the Jewish sacrifice apart from it’s ancient neighbors making it even more unique. The first thing is that nearly all pagan sacrificial rites involved a sexual aspect of some kind. It could be cultic prostitution, bestiality, orgiastic ritual, etc. The Jewish sacrifice not only did not ever involve these things, it strictly forbade doing so. Ancient sacrifices were general restricted to certain times and days in order for them to work. The Jewish sacrificial fire was always burning, so that the way to God was always open to His chosen. Yes, there were specific days, such as the day of atonement, that were set aside, but God was still available to His people. Finally, the pagan sacrifices were a necessity to the gods, just as the Jewish sacrifice is a necessity, but the difference lies in Leviticus 1:9 “…It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” God delights when His people turn back to Him. This is distinctly different than the demands of pagan gods of the day.

So, what does this have to do with the Christian? Our answer is in the gospel of Matthew spoken by Jesus Himself. “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. “The purpose of the sacrifice was to provide a way to God, and Jesus comes to fulfill that purpose, thus Jesus is the way to God. The sacrifice was not abolished, but the requirement of blood for forgiveness was fulfilled once and for all time. Consider the words of the author of Hebrews: “So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.16 Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. 17 The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.18 That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19 For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20 Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” 21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.”24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.“ (Hebrews 9)

Now, while the blood sacrifice has been fulfilled, and our way to God secured, the sacrifice as a whole is not abolished either. We will speak of priestly things later, but it is enough to understand that Christ is our high priest, so the atoning sacrifice is His to make, and he has. We however, are also priests, (But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.-1 Peter 2:9) and as priests, we are responsible for keeping the fire burning so the way to God is open (evangelizing), and for bringing the lesser sacrifices that are pleasing to God. How is it then that we accomplish this? How can that be when there is no death required, and no blood price to be met? Paul, in his letter to the Romans, explains it rather simply. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1.

https://unsettledchristianity.com/the-gospel-according-to-leviticus/

Regarding Islam And Infanticide

For today's topic we will be going over what Islam's view is on the killing of babies by taking a look at a particular passage of  Muslim scripture, we will also be covering infanticide in general. I know this is a particular gruesome topic so I will try to keep this post short. With that said let's begin.

A Description Of The Nature Of Truth In The Gospel Of John

While Jesus did not answer Pilate’s question during his trial, the nature of truth was already taught in John’s Gospel in three ways. First, one must define what is meant by truth. Aletheia is the Greek term which is translated as truth. It describes something as it exists in reality. So, when Jesus or John describes truth, they are noting the reality of their point of reference. Thus, the term aletheia holds that truth exists and is knowable.

Second, Jesus describes the nature of truth throughout John’s Gospel. Jesus noted that anyone who lived by the truth, desiring to know what was real, would come into the light of God’s glory and his revelation so that his or her works would be shown to be accomplished by God (John 3:21). That is, a person living for the truth acknowledges God’s existence and desires to live for God. Jesus teaches that God desires people to worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Jesus not only noted that truth exists and can be known, but he also taught that the truth brings freedom (John 8:32). Jesus contrasts the truthfulness of God from the lies of the devil (John 8:44). By doing so, Jesus acknowledges the laws of logic by pointing out that truth exists, that the opposite of truth is a lie, and that something cannot both be true and false. Jesus denotes that he is the exclusive way to God the Father because of him being the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus also teaches about the truthful nature of God’s Holy Spirit (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:7, 13). Jesus prays that the Father would sanctify, or set apart, his children by their devotion to God’s truth (John 17:17). Before Pilate’s epic philosophical question, Jesus had already noted that he came to “testify to the truth” (John 18:37, CSB) and that “Everyone who is of the truth listens to [his] voice” (John 18:37, CSB).

Third, John also acknowledges the existence of truth in his opening epilogue. When discussing the Logos (i.e., the “Word”), John notes how the Logos became flesh. That is, the Wisdom of God became a human being. As a disciple, John states that he was one of those who observed the glory of the incarnate Logos. He also stated that the Logos was sent from the Father and was full of “grace and truth” (John 1:14, CSB). John acknowledges that Jesus spoke the truth in all that he said and done. Furthermore, while Moses gave the law, grace and truth came from Jesus (John 1:17). In the Gospel’s postscript, either John or an editor of the Gospel noted that John was a witness to the events of Christ’s life and that his testimony is verified to be true.

So, what can we know about truth from John’s Gospel? First, we find that truth does exist. Truth is not personal, but it is objective. Truth is what exists in reality. It is the way things really are and the way things operate. Truth is the opposite of a lie, and something cannot both be true and false. Finally, the Gospel of John notes that true leads to the reality of certain theological truths: 1) God’s existence, 2) a salvific relationship with God through Christ, and 3) redeeming and freeing aspects which bring about transformational living.

To answer Pilate’s question, truth is found in a transcendent, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent reality known as God. This God is the basis for all truth and all reality. For without God, nothing would exist that exists (John 1:3; Col. 1:16–18; Heb. 2:10).

https://bellatorchristi.com/2019/09/30/what-is-truth-a-description-of-the-nature-of-truth-in-the-gospel-of-john/

The First Sexual Revolution: The Triumph Of Christian Morality In The Roman Empire

Harper’s book is a work of academic history. For the most part, he doesn’t comment on the history he presents either to approve it or condemn it. It should go without saying—but I’ll say it anyway—that the first centuries of the church’s history were not necessarily purer or better than subsequent centuries. I trust that few Christians today are pining for Christian Empire, let alone the enforcement of Christian morality by physical mutilation. The lesson for the church today is not to attempt to recreate the church from another age. And yet, there are lessons to be learned from the transformation of sexual morality in late antiquity. Let me mention three.

First, for most of its early history, the church’s power came through preaching, writing, and through its own rigorous system of membership and discipline. Even when she was ignored, harassed, or outright persecuted, the church still wielded important power simply by consistently preaching the truth, developing an apologetic for the truth, and insisting that its members believed and lived out the truth. You can’t win the larger culture by losing your own.

Second, Christianity went from cult to culture in part because the sexual ethic was considered better and safer and more freeing for more people. Obviously, not everyone found Christian morality to be an improvement on traditional Roman standards. But Christian ethics meant a profoundly improved lot in life for women, children, the enslaved, and the poor. The changes came slowly—over centuries, not over years and decades—but changes did come. Virginity, for example, became a loud advertisement for the Christian religion, and women in particular took notice.

Third, we should expect conflict over sex. If Christians in late antiquity had made peace with the world over sex, Christianity would not have been true to itself. The same can be said today. Profoundly different versions of sexual morality cannot be wished away by civil discourse (though civility is good), nor washed away by theological compromise (that would be bad). “Because the problem of sex is inevitably tied to the problem of Christianity’s relation to the world, it is a tension that will surface during any great readjustment in the relationship between Christianity and the world” (160). In other words, the problem is not going away. Let’s hope the church’s winsome commitment to beauty and truth doesn’t either.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/first-sexual-revolution-triumph-christian-morality-roman-empire/

Is The Apocrypha Inspired?

For today's article I'm going to cover 5 big reasons as to why the Apocrypha isn't considered inspired scripture by the protestant church. Without further ado, let's get started!

Money And Missions

Much has been written in the past few years on the negative effect of North American funding of overseas Christian endeavors. I personally observed the slow unraveling of a Papua New Guinea (PNG) national training program due to North American monies channeling into the hands of PNG missionary trainees. When it became known that North Americans were funding the trainees, local giving diminished, eventually causing the local PNG sending churches to request the training facility be shut down.

It truly is difficult for financially secure North Americans to think soberly when seeing “poverty-stricken” local workers doing their best with limited means. A very understandable response is, “Surely some financial help will only enhance the efforts of these wonderful local teachers and allow them to put more time into the teaching of God’s Word.”

On a micro level in our own village, when the Iteri church met for corporate worship and someone stood up to share God’s Word, everyone would notice his belly. If it was noticed that he had eaten more food than he admitted to (secret eating is offensive and the offender’s stomach would directly reveal that), his credibility went out the door. Credibility is everything—to the pastor standing in your pulpit on Sunday, to the Iteri standing and speaking to the church, and to the Indian pastor who has now been elevated to a higher status by someone buying him a bicycle so he can travel to more villages. On the surface, paying him a salary so he doesn’t need to toil in his garden makes sense. But when his hands no longer have the callouses that he previously had, his credibility is impacted. I could go on in the ways that North American funds have backfired in overseas contexts.

So what is the North American church to do to make use of the resources available to her? It’s a fair question. First off, we must identify the basic commands of Scripture and the need to get the gospel message to the ends of the earth. It takes patience and a long-term strategic mindset. We start by doing our homework. While it’s much easier to write a check and no doubt meet some pressing needs, those in a position to truly enhance Great Commission work can find themselves lured by the promise of immediate benefits—benefits that may impede long-term goals.

Drawing from his own gut-wrenching observations and research in Africa, author Glenn W. Schwartz wrote “the book” on dependency issues [‘When Charity Destroys Dignity’ Glenn W. Schwartz, 2007. Pgs. 45-57.] He devotes an entire chapter to “What Should Wealthy Churches (Individuals too) do with their Money?” The author’s first three suggestions are:

• Preach the gospel where it has not been preached.
• Consider providing full support for a missionary family.
• Invest in cross-cultural training for missionaries.
He also expresses some cautions about sending funds overseas:
• Don’t send money to individual church leaders.
• Be careful of providing scholarships for people to be trained outside of their cultural context.
• Avoid building church buildings for people who can build them for themselves.
• Be careful about food-aid projects which may have the potential to negatively affect local prices.

The impact on local farmers, truckers, store owners, builders, and yes…even local churches, oftentimes goes unnoticed by generous donors. The direct recipients will always show genuine gratitude, but they have little to gain by pointing out the unintended consequences.

Giving with a “Great Commission Focus” is difficult to do well, especially with the ability to quickly affect a situation physically, even if only for the short term. In 2001, only 1% of Christian monies earmarked for “missions” went to reach the unreached, 99% going to areas that already had access to the gospel or to fund projects in those areas. Giving strategically can be challenging and does take work, but for those who do their research much good can come from their investments.

https://www.radiusinternational.org/money-and-missions/

The Hillsong Generation

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Why Did God Create?

Why did God create? Certainly not because He needed someone to love. Throughout all eternity past, God enjoyed perfect love and intimate communion within His own being. The three persons of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Spirit—enjoyed perfect relationships and completely fulfilled one another. Thus, God was not inwardly lonely or personally empty; He was entirely self-satisfied, self-content, and self-contained. So God did not create because of some limitation within Himself. Instead, He created everything out of nothing in order to put His glory on display for the delight of His created beings and that they might declare His greatness. The book of Genesis records God’s extraordinary display of sovereignty in speaking creation into being—and in saving it.

In Genesis, Moses first recorded the stunning demonstration of God’s sovereignty in creation. God did not look down the tunnel of time and see the universe evolve out of nothing. He did not foresee a big bang and then adopt the chaotic results as His eternal plan. To the contrary, God intentionally spoke into being everything out of nothing. He was under no coercion to create. There was no external pressure upon Him. Rather, His act of creation magnificently displayed His imperial sovereignty. No outside restraints can be placed upon God’s supreme authority, not by Satan and his fallen angels, and certainly not by mere men.

A. W. Pink writes with thought-provoking wonder of the extraordinary sovereignty of God before creation:

In the great expanse of eternity, which stretches behind Genesis 1:1, the universe was unborn and creation existed only in the mind of the great Creator. In His sovereign majesty God dwelt all alone. We refer to that far distant period before the heavens and the earth were created. There were then no angels to hymn God’s praises, no creatures to occupy His notice, no rebels to be brought into subjection. The great God was all alone amid the awful silence of His own vast universe. But even at that time, if time it could be called, God was sovereign. He might create or not create according to His own good pleasure. He might create this way or that way; He might create one world or one million worlds, and who was there to resist His will? He might call into existence a million different creatures and place them on absolute equality, endowing them with the same faculties and placing them in the same environment; or, He might create a million creatures each differing from the others, and possessing nothing in common save their creaturehood, and who was there to challenge His right? If He so pleased, He might call into existence a world so immense that its dimensions were utterly beyond finite computation; and were He so disposed, He might create an organism so small that nothing but the most powerful microscope could reveal its existence to human eyes. It was His sovereign right to create, on the one hand, the exalted seraphim to burn around His throne, and on the other hand, the tiny insect which dies the same hour that it is born. If the mighty God chose to have one vast graduation in His universe, from loftiest seraph to creeping reptile, from revolving worlds to floating atoms, from macrocosm to microcosm, instead of making everything uniform, who was there to question His sovereign pleasure?

God’s dazzling display of sovereignty in creation was a primer on His right to rule in matters of salvation. God, who commanded the light to appear on day one of creation, soon would order gospel light to shine into the darkened hearts of spiritually blind sinners. God, who separated the waters on day two, would cause an infinite chasm to separate Himself from sinners. God, who gathered the waters together on day three, would gather sinners to Himself. God, who created the sun, moon, and stars on day four, would omnipotently create saving faith. God, who began to create the animal kingdom on day five, would graciously send His Son to be the Lamb of God to take away sin. God, who created Adam and Eve on day six, would soon re-create sinners into His image. His free grace would perform the second Genesis in the salvation of lost men and women.

This excerpt is taken from Foundations of Grace by Steven Lawson.
https://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-did-god-create/

A Bible Study On Selfishness

For this article we are going to go over the subject of selfishness. Just how bad is selfishness? Let's find out.

Jesus And The Study Of Scripture

“And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15)

In the midst of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, “Jesus went up into the temple, and taught” (John 7:14), and the unique caliber of His teaching (literally “indoctrinating”) caused the Jewish scholars there to “marvel.”

Their question on this occasion was how an uneducated man, who had never been taught by the scribes and rabbis, could have acquired such a remarkable understanding of the Holy Scriptures. He had never had formal training in the Word; yet, when He taught, “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

His answer to their question was amazing: “My doctrine [or ‘teaching’] is not mine, but his that sent me” (John 7:16).

There are two factors at work here. First of all, His working knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures was encyclopedic, acquired in the same way any other student of the Word can acquire it—by diligent and prayerful personal study thereof. He had done this all His life from the time He was a small boy. Remember how He had “asked questions” of the astonished doctors in the temple, and then how He was “subject unto” His parents, and how He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:46; 51-52). In all of this, He is a perfect human example to us as we also seek to learn the Scriptures and to grow in wisdom and in favor with God.

But beyond His human understanding of the Word, of course, was His own innate divine wisdom and authority. He was eternal God, as well as perfect man. Thus, He not only has authenticated the former Scriptures and given us an example in their study and use, but has also conveyed perfectly to us, through His holy apostles and prophets, the Scriptures of the New Covenant as well.

https://www.icr.org/article/11309/

Marvel's War On God

In today's article we are going to be looking at some instances in Marvel comic movies that prove that Marvel makes the Christian God of the Bible out to be the villain of the movie whereas they portray Satan or Anti-Christ as the hero. I grew up as a Marvel fan before I came to Christ, namely because I enjoyed watching spiderman cartoons as a kid. Now however my stance on Marvel has changed. In this post we will see how Satan portrays himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14-15), and how that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God (Luk 16:15). The movies that we will be covering is Iron man 1-3, Thor 1&3, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black panther, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, and Avengers 2,3,and 4.

Solving Our Problems

"Current thought suggests people find solutions for their problems through understanding their emotions, improving relationships, obtaining counseling, making a new commitment, or getting to know God better. Human problems, people think, cannot be resolved through doctrine since “mere theory” is not “practical”.

Some even suggest that there really are no “answers” in the end, since the ultimate questions dissolve at last into mysteries. True Christian maturity, some say, is measured by our commitment in the face of final paradox rather than by any kind of knowledge. People who want “answers” are just immature, that’s all!

We are to solve all our problems, therefore, by first allowing the Bible to change our minds about the truth, then by learning what God’s answer is to our problem, as God defines and explains both problem and answer in His Word. The spiritual breakthrough comes when in humble dependence on God’s mercy we accept His account of the matter and obey what He tells us to do about it. The results of this obedience are predestined to be successful and to meet infallibly the need of the believer sooner or later. The Bible calls this process “making disciples”, and the primary method of disciple-making is by something called “teaching”, a noun synonymous with “doctrine.” Jesus set forth the priority of “teaching” in the Great Commission recorded in Matthew 28:19-20"

R.K. McGregor Wright (1940-2012, Australian Baptist theologian and apologist)
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/solving-our-problems

A Study On Street Preaching

In today's article we are going to see what the bible says about street preaching. I also want to include a few tips that may prove useful if you are planning on going out to street preach. 

Why Bible Translation Is So Important

The Bible is one of the oldest and most popular books of all time. But is it just a book, or is it much more?

We believe that the Bible is God’s Word to us — something that everyone should be able to understand in a language and form that clearly speaks to their hearts. But approximately 2,000 languages* around the world are still waiting for a translation project to begin.

When people finally get Scripture in their own language, lives often change in amazing ways. People are transformed as they discover Jesus Christ and enter into a right relationship with God.

That’s why [groups such as] Wycliffe Bible Translators exists — to help speakers of these remaining languages get the Bible for themselves. And we won’t stop until all people have God’s Word in a language they understand.

The Worldwide Status of Bible Translation:

More than 1,500 languages have access to the New Testament and some portions of Scripture in their language.

More than 650 languages have the complete translated Bible.

At least 7,000 spoken or signed languages* are known to be in use today.

At least 1.5 billion people do not have the full Bible in their language — that’s more people than the entire continent of Africa!

More than 2,500 languages across 170 countries have active translation and linguistic development work happening right now.

Approximately 2,000 languages still need a Bible translation project to begin.

https://www.wycliffe.org/about/why

Vampirism & Lukewarm Christianity

In today's article we will be covering the topic of vampirism and what the bible says about drinking blood.

Satan’s Vast Experience

"By his very longevity Satan has acquired a breadth and depth of experience which he matches against the limited knowledge of man. He has observed other believers in every conceivable situation, thus enabling him to predict with accuracy how we will respond to circumstances. Although Satan is not omniscient, his wide experience and observation of man throughout his entire history on earth give him knowledge which is far superior to anything any man could have."

Charles Ryrie, Balancing the Christian Life, pg.124

Answering Thirty Arguments For "Pro-Choice"

For today's article I am going to be giving responses to thirty arguments pro-choicers give for defending abortion. Now I understand that this is a sensitive topic and I just want to start off by saying that can understand a woman's fears about raising a child in today's age. Even though I am not a woman I know it can be financially tough to raise a child. I also know that raising kids demands alot of time and attention. I may not have children of my own yet however I do believe the scriptures that children are a blessing, and that most parents wouldn't trade the time they have with their children for anything. With that all said let's address these pro choice arguments.

Are You A Victim Of Deceitful Schemers?

"The perfect spiritual victims for deceitful schemers are those with warm hearts and empty heads. The church is full of folks today who have “a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). They have a form of godliness but it is not biblically grounded. They are seeking feelings and experiences but not doctrinal truth. They are content to attend churches that do not expound the Scriptures, just as long as they are emotionally moved by the music or drama and comforted by relevant programs."

Gary E. Gilley, Is That You Lord? Pg.23

A Study About Knowledge & Wisdom

For today's article I will be covering what we can learn from scripture in regards to wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and judgment.

Bible Figures With Wisdom

First Let's take a quick  glance at some of the smartest people that we can find in scripture. The first example is Joseph who was commended by Pharaoh for his wisdom (Gen 41:39). Then there's Bezaleel who God had filled with wisdom as well as knowledge and understanding (Exo 31:2 -3, Exo 36:1-4). A woman named Abigail (Nabal's wife) was said to have a good understanding in 1Sa 25:3. We see in 2Sa 20:16-22 that an unnamed wise woman saved a city by her wisdom.

Perhaps the most famous person in scripture renowned for his wisdom was king Solomon (1Ki 3:9-12, 1Kin 10:6-7, 1Ch 22:7 -12, 2Ch 1:10 -12). We learn from the Book of Daniel that Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Daniel were skilful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge and understood science (Dan 1:3 -6).

Of course, we would expect Jesus to have remarkable understanding even as a child (Luk 2:46-47).   

See also: Ezr 8:16

Centering Our Lives Around The Will Of God

“Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.”

Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes

Objectively test Belief

"There must be an objective test for what we believe. Experience is not a test; a many may become very happy and live a much better life than he did before, though he believes something that is not true. Things with are not true in and of themselves may appear at first to do us good because, of course, the devil can turn himself into an angel of light; it is pathetic to notice the way in which some people forget that teaching. We must never base our doctrines upon experience, but upon truth."

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Answering Top 9 "Inconvenient" Bible Verses

As I was looking through Youtube to find something to watch I came across this video called "The Top 9 Most Inconvenient Verses In The Bible" by Truth Surge. What the video demonstrated was that those who do not possess the Spirit of God do not understand the things of the Spirit (see 1 Cor 2:14). In this article I will do my best to explain the bible verses that the host of the video claims are inconvenient. The video starts the number at 9 and counts down to one therefore I will for this post I will follow the same format.

The Love Of God

Not just Valentine cards that come from mankind's common understanding, but the Bible itself has much to say about the heart. Jeremiah tells us that the "heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." David, in Psalm 139, says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart." Proverbs commands, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart...;" Luke 8:15 tells us, "On the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience"; and Luke writes in Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do?"

To answer the question, "What is true love?" the last place we should look is to psychologists. They are very good at explaining love away by giving us a psychological definition but very short on what we need to know. We need rather to consult God's Word. True love comes only from God, as we yield to Him and allow Him to pour His love through us to others. "We love him, because he first loved us," (1 Jn 4:19); "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

None of us is the wellspring of love. We are at best empty vessels that He can fill with His love and make us conduits of that love to others. Many of us are too full of ourselves to have any room left for loving God or genuinely loving others. It doesn't have to be this way. We can make it a continual prayer: "Lord, help me to love You with all of my heart, mind, and soul. Then pour Your love through me to others."

True love is God's love and is described like this:

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love [is] strong as death; jealousy [is] cruel as the grave: the coals thereof [are] coals of fire, [which hath a] most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if [a] man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned [rejected with disdain]. (Song 8:6-7)

Dave Hunt, TRUE LOVE - PART ONE

Avoid Having Your Conscience Seared With A Hot iron

It is important to note that no Christian becomes worldly all of a sudden. Worldliness creeps up on a believer; it is a gradual process. First is the friendship of the world (James 4:4). By nature, the world and the Christian are enemies (“Marvel not, my brethren, it the world hate you,” 1 John 3:13). A Christian who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

Next, the Christian becomes “spotted by the world” (James 1:27). The world leave its dirty marks on one or two areas of his life. This means that gradually the believer accepts and adopts the ways of the world.

When this happens, the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him! So John warns us, “Love not the world!”—but too often our friendship with the world leads to love. As a result, the believer becomes conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2) and you can hardly tell the two apart.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Real [commentary on 1 John], pg. 73-74

Ultimate Questions Of Life

In his book, Confessions of a Philosopher (1997), which is a history of Western philosophy told through his own intellectual journey, Magee offers what could be a partial answer to these questions when he describes how in his late thirties, despite having a passionate attachment to life, he was driven to the edge of mental illness, even suicide, by metaphysical terror. He learned to control his terror, which, though he did not say so, recalled Blaise Pascal’s fear of “immensity of spaces which I know not and which know not me”, through reading the writings of others, notably Arthur Schopenhauer. “I think the feeling of meaninglessness is worst of all, worse than the fear of death itself,” Magee said. “The feeling that nothing matters, that there’s no point to anything. Certainly, I have experiences, in the forms of extreme existential terror, states of mind that bordered on the intolerable.” He also published a novel in which he explored his existential terror, Facing Death (1977).

The final paragraph of Ultimate Questions, in which Magee speculates on how he might feel at the point of death, is especially haunting. “I can only hope that,” he writes, “when it is my turn, my curiosity will overcome my fear – though I may then be in the position of a man whose candle goes out and plunges him into pitch darkness at the very instant when he thought he was about to find what he was looking for."

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/04/even-old-age-philosopher-bryan-magee-remains-wonder-struck-ultimate-questions

Is It Wise To Gamble?

For today's article we will be looking at a few bible verses in order to conclude whether or not Christians should gamble. Let's begin.