I AM A SINFUL MAN
“...for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).
When you read about the Pharisees do you get the impression they think they are “all that and a bag of chips?” The Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors who were known to overtax people for personal gain. When the Pharisees asked why Jesus ate with sinners, Jesus told them “...I am not come… |
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I WANT TO BE A SON OF EXHORTATION
(David Weaks)Barnabas was one of Paul’s most trusted co-workers. He is mentioned twenty-three times in the book of Acts, and five times in Paul’s letters. He was clearly a valuable to Paul as a companion and helper, but his greatest asset was summed up in his name and how perfectly it fit him. His name was Joses, but the apostles gave him the nickname, “son of exhortation,” (Acts 4:36).
Barnabas was the cousin of John…
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Don’t Be Like the Baboon
There are two interesting stories that concern the behavior of baboons, and each
contains a practical lesson for us humans.
Baboons love salt. This led people to invent a clever way to trap them. Some salt
is placed inside a hole with an opening barely large enough for a baboon’s hand to
squeeze through. When a baboon gets his fist full of salt he cannot retrieve it
through the opening. He will then stubbornly refuse to release his “treasure”
until he is captured.
The other story comes from a man who preached in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) -
Transformed
There’s a fantasy book series I have been reading over the past couple years called
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, and part of what has drawn me
into this series is how there are some powerful themes woven throughout, that
centers on this idea of transformation— or as they say in the books, becoming
“radiant.” The words of becoming “radiant,” spoken by those who swear the
“oaths” of the “Knights Radiant,” symbolize this internal and external shift from
brokenness to strength, from despair to purpose. Why I find it so fascinating is
that this journey the characters go through… -
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Excuses For Sin
Mankind is certainly creative at coming up with ways to minimize, justify, and excuse sin. We live in a day and time when people around us are failing to take responsibility for their actions. We make excuses for what is done or not done. We believe some behavior is excused due to the environment in which we live. It is "society's fault!" People have been making excuses for centuries.
In Luke 14:15-24, people were invited to a feast but three men had the same attitude or spirit. They did not value… -
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What is the Standard?
Christians are called out of this world. We are called to be different. We are
called to live by a higher standard.
Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and
pleasing and perfect will of God.
Similarly, Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved -
NOAH, THE ARK AND GRACE
(Fred Newman)
There is much erroneous teaching on the subject of God's grace. Many preachers, teachers and church goers are sincerely mistaken about how grace and works are reconciled. The record of Noah and the ark which is recorded in the book of Genesis gives us a glimpse into this subject.
Jehovah "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that the intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). God was grieved in His heart and made the decision… -
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God’s End of the Stick
A lady once asked me what she should tell a friend who had proposed the old
“died-on-way-to-baptistry” question. I answered, “Don’t tell her the subject is
lost.” She looked a bit surprised, but I was not finished. “And don’t tell her the
subject is saved.” Now she was even more puzzled so I added, “We have no right
to whittle on God’s end of the stick!”
Truth is, God promised remission of sins at the point of genuine submission to
Christ in baptism (Mk. 16: 16, Acts 2:38, 22:16, Rom. 6:4-f). We have no part in -
Atheism and Morality
The following statements were made by some leading atheists. Notice what they
reveal about the results of denying the existence of God:
“The religious fundamentalists are correct: without God, there is no
morality. But they are incorrect, I still believe, about there being a God.
Hence, I believe, there is no morality.”Joel Marks, Professor Emeritus of
Philosophy, U of New Haven
“We have not been able to show that reason requires the moral point of
view . . . pure practical reason, even with a good knowledge of the facts,
will not take you to morality . .…
