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Gospel

Gospel-Centered Obedience

What does it mean to be truly obedient to God? My good friend and fellow blogger, Rob Wilkerson explains here. He begins, “If we try to obey God and be like Jesus without the…..” You’ll have to read the two short paragraphs to find out what he says.

Categories
Gospel

I die trusting alone in the forgiving mercy of God

As far as my last words can influence anyone, I would advise husbands and wives to strive by all possible means to make their homes virtuous and happy. To young men and women I would say, be warned by my fate; avoid bad company; shun evil associations in every form, for surely the way of the transgressor is hard. And, ye Christian people, do not neglect the orphan child, which by death has been thrown upon the world’s cold charities. Look after the other children. Instruct them in the ways of piety, [and by] your kindness and example, lead them to the Saviour of sinners. …

… And here I ask forgiveness of all whom I have ever injured in any way, and may God forgive me as I feel I have forgiven all who have ever injured me in any possible way or manner.

Now I feel I am ready to die, having made these my last remarks to you all.

I die trusting alone in the forgiving mercy of God; relying on the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinful men. Though as a poor wicked sinner, I cannot but indulge the hope that God will save me from eternal death, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Farewell, farewell, a long farewell! Pray that God may forgive my poor soul.

~John Cruver — 1862
NY Times – An Execution in New-Jersey.; JOHN CRUVER SUFFERS THE EXTREME PENALTY OF THE LAW FOR MURDERING ALLEN SKELLINGER.

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Media Videos

[Music] When Death Dies

Like the waters flooding the desert
Like the sunrise showing all things

Where it comes flowers grow
Lions sleep, gravestones roll
Where death dies all things live
Where it comes poor men feast
Kings fall down to their knees
When death dies all things live
All things live

Like a woman searching and finding love
Like an ocean buried and bursting forth

Where it comes flowers grow
Lions sleep, gravestones roll
Where death dies all things come alive
Where it comes water’s clean
Children fed
All believe
When death dies all things live
All things live

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Media Preaching Videos

If God is so powerful and so good, why do bad things happen?

Voddie Baucham answers an old question:

Categories
Christianity Religion

With so many religions, is there one that possesses all truth?

Some say there are many paths to Heaven – so long as you pick a path, we are all going to Heaven.

One reason provided by some about why many religions exist is, each religion possesses a part of the truth – and since no single religion can possess all truth, we have many religions.  Further, it is arrogant for one religion to claim it has all truth.

This idea has been conveyed by a story of some blind men and an elephant.

As Wikipedia summarizes: In various versions of the tale, a group of blind men touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one touches a different part, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then compare notes on what they felt, and learn they are in complete disagreement.

In John Godfrey Saxe’s version (1816–1887), one man falls against the side of the elephant and proclaims the elephant is a wall.  Another leans on the tusk and proclaims an elephant is a spear.  Another touches the trunk and proclaims the elephant is a snake.  Another touches the knee and proclaims the elephant is a tree.  Another touches the ear and proclaims the elephant is a fan.  And the last one grabs the tail and proclaims the elephant is a rope.

The point of the story is that while each blind man is proclaiming what they believe to be is an absolute truth, in fact all of their truths are just relative based on their experience of the elephant.  No one has the Truth, in its entirety.  This story is often used to critique those who proclaim some knowledge of absolute truth – most commonly those with a monotheistic religious world view.  It is intended to teach us how knowledge and truth is in fact relative.

Here is Lesslie Newbigin’s response:

In the famous story of the blind men and the elephant… the real point of the story is constantly overlooked.  The story is told from the point of view of the king and his courtiers, who are not blind but can see that the blind men are unable to grasp the full reality of the elephant and are only able to get hold of part of it.  The story is constantly told in order to neutralize the affirmations of the great religions, to suggest that they learn humility and recognize that none of them can have more than one aspect of the truth.  But, of course, the real point of the story is exactly the opposite.  If the king were also blind, there would be no story.  What this means then is that there is an appearance of humility and a protestation that the truth is much greater than anyone of us can grasp.  But if this is used to invalidate all claims to discern the truth, it is in fact an arrogant claim with the kind of knowledge which is superior that you have just said, no religion has.

As Tim Keller further clarifies:

To say, I don’t know which religion is true is an act of humility.  To say, none of the religions have truth, no one can be sure there’s a god is actually to assume you have the kind of knowledge, you just said no other person, no other religion has.  How dare you?  See, it’s a kind of arrogant thing to say nobody can know the truth because it’s a universal truth claim.  To say, ‘Nobody can make universal truth claims.’  That is a universal truth claim.  ‘Nobody can see the whole truth.’  You couldn’t know that unless you think you see the whole truth.  And, therefore, you’re doing the very thing you say religious people shouldn’t do.

Categories
Gospel

Magnify the Father, Mobilize the Church

Here is my sermon Magnify the Father, Mobilize the Church on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday at Emmanuel Bible Church in Mauldin, SC.

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Videos

Moralistic vs Gospel-Centered Preaching

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Glory of God Gospel

God’s Glory

What does it mean to see the glory of something?  It means to realize in the heart the significance and beauty of what you see and how it relates to and affects you. To behold the glory of the Lord means that what we are seeing of the person and work of Christ is affecting us in heart and life. The way the Spirit produces His fruit within us is by “shining the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Categories
Gospel

The Gospel Produces Fruit

Once a month, we meet in small groups and have been discussing the Fruit of the Spirit (See Galatians 5). Last night’s discussion revolved around patience.

I have no patience. I don’t know that I can pull myself up by my bootstraps and make myself be patient. It’s not in me. At best, I can possibly be tolerant; not patient.

But isn’t that the point of Galatians 5? I mean, the Fruit of the Spirit is, well, fruit. Fruit cannot grow except it grow on a tree. If we are truly connected to the Tree of Life (Jesus) by the Spirit in the Gospel, the natural outflow is the Fruit the Spirit produces.

Although, we cannot tell in English so much, the word fruit in Galatians 5:22 is singular. What this means, at least in part, is we will either show all of the Fruits of the Spirit in a strong way or all in a weak way. This also means if I am demonstrating a couple of the “fruits” I am most likely picking myself up by my bootstraps and trying to demonstrate them in my own strength; hence, I’m not demonstrating all of them.

This is why the Gospel is so vital. We need to reflect on Jesus, His birth, life, death, and resurrection, by all of which He fulfilled everything God required of us but couldn’t or didn’t want to fulfill. Jesus was patient, kind, full of peace, love, joy, and the rest.

Jesus was patient even until the cross. He was patient towards everyone. He was patient for us and in our place.

What Jesus did frees us to be patient. We can’t do it, but Jesus did and His finished work becomes the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives as we continually trust Him and the Good News that He is and has done.

Don’t fret. Trust Jesus. He’s done it all. You reap the fruit.

Categories
Advent Videos

O Holy Night

Jump it to 1:25 for the song.