In the first eighty years of his life, Moses comes across as two completely different men. And it’s important for us to understand which version of Moses, God chose to use.
Moses Didn’t Pursue Greatness
Tag: following Jesus
Are We Saved Just By Believing?
The Bible tells us, that without exception, all people are lost, meaning that our sin separates us from a holy God 1. But the Bible also proclaims that the lost can be saved and restored to right relationship with God. Since it’s dealing with man’s eternal state, the Bible provides a lot of information regarding salvation. Yet, it’s scary how some people pick and choose among the scriptures and teach things about salvation that are not consistent with the gospel that God proclaims in His word.
If we can’t clearly communicate God’s plan of salvation for the lost, then nothing else we’re saying or doing has merit. At stake are people’s eternal destinies, so we must get this right.
Honoring God When No One Sees
When we think about honoring God, it’s common to think of saying or doing things that draw attention to God in a way that honors Him before other people, and this is certainly valid. But sometimes the most significant way we honor God is in circumstances that play out just between us and the Lord.
Does The Bible Endorse Pastors Leading The Church?
Most churches today are led by a pastor. And this person is the defining influence on that church. Their leadership will shape what that church believes and what it does. The very personality of the church will reflect the pastor who leads it. This person will also be the face of that church, being the most visible representation of that church to the community.
If we’re doing this right, if the preeminence of pastors is the biblical way for churches to be governed, then pastors should be as prominent in the Bible as they are in today’s church. But instead of having a pronounced presence in the New Testament revelation of the church, pastors are only mentioned once in the Bible, and some translations don’t mention them at all. Instead of having a strong presence in the scriptures, pastors are strangely absent. It’s as if they don’t exist.
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God Says “Don’t Be A Mule”
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)
What a remarkable declaration of the authority of the scriptures, and the power they have to make us righteous, to make us complete, and to equip us to do God’s work. But it’s imperative that we approach the Bible with the right attitude if we are to fully benefit from all that God has to say to us.
God’s Ways Accomplish God’s Goals
When reading through the New Testament it jumps out how passionately the early church engaged in prayer and teaching the word. In the book of Acts, it says they devoted themselves to teaching and to prayer. The word devoted means to persevere, to be constantly diligent and steadfastly attentive to. Prayer and teaching weren’t things they occasionally squeezed in among a variety of other activities. Prayer and teaching were front and center, and they constantly engaged in these spiritual activities.
Jesus Outlined End Time Events
(A study of Matthew 24:1-14)
While visiting the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus’ disciples pointed out how grand the buildings of the temple were, and Jesus responded that there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down (vs 2). Later, the disciples asked him about the destruction of the temple and what would be the signs of the end (vs 3).
Sent By God (part 2) – the Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul had a dramatic and unique conversion to faith in Christ. As a young man, he was zealously persecuting Christians and was on his way to Damascus to arrest any believers he found there. On the way, he was blinded by a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun, and he heard the audible voice of Jesus speaking to him 1. Jesus told Paul he was his chosen instrument, and he was appointed to carry his name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel 2. Paul’s calling occurred at his initial encounter with Christ, and this calling set the course for his entire life. Many years later, Paul would proclaim he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision 3.
Sent By God (part 1) – the Bruce Olson story
From a logical perspective, Bruce Olson’s story is blatantly absurd. From a spiritual perspective, it’s one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever heard.
At the age of 19, Bruce left his home in Minnesota and set out for the jungles of Venezuela with a passion to take the gospel of Christ to a primitive aboriginal tribe with the fierce reputation of killing anyone who ventured into their territory. He traveled on a one-way ticket and arrived with $70 in his pocket and no knowledge of the local language. He had no support and no connections. Who in their right mind would send a 19-year-old kid on such a foolhardy mission? Well, apparently God would. And this became evident from the powerful move of God among the jungle tribes, and then their influence for Christ on an entire nation.
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It’s Not Enough To Know About Jesus
Jesus was questioning his disciples about who he was, and Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.1 Jesus commended Peter, telling him “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven”.2 What a wonderful moment for Peter; to be told by Jesus that God the Father had given him revelation about who Jesus is. Yet, just a few verses later we see a very different interaction between Jesus and Peter.
Test Everything 