(1) Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
(2) Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
(3) But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
— Psalm 115:1-3
Throughout the scripture we clearly see that the almighty, transcendent and holy God “does whatever He pleases”. But has it ever occurred to you: What pleases God?
The answer may surprise you. Look at the following verses: …
A popular Christian singer has a song that says,
So I’m praying, Father, help my heart believe
That right now You’re singing over me
And fill me up with Your love…
A contemporary worship song has the lines (sung mournfully),
More love,
More power
More of You in my life….
The sincerity of the Christian writers of these songs cannot be doubted. Both are asking God for “more”. Millions hear and sing these songs, making the lyrics even their own prayer. So we pray for God to fill us up with God’s love. We pray for God to give us more love, more power and more of God in our lives.
What’s wrong with this picture?
How can we ask for “more” of what we already have? It would be like owning and living in a two-story house and asking for God to give you a two-story house. We would tell such a person, “Hey, you already own a two-story house — so enjoy it!” It would be like an incredibly rich benefactor giving someone $100 billion and we hear the recipient moan, “I wish I could pay off my car loan!” Pay off his car loan? He can now buy an entire auto assembly plant!
…
Completeness in Christ: We Don’t Need “More” Read More »
One of the most common, unbiblical myths in Christianity is the Myth of the Christian “Sinner”. Almost universally and everywhere I hear (or read of) Christians referring to themselves as “sinners”. A common sentiment is the well-worn phrase, “I’m just a sinner like everyone else”. Or, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”.
Yet Christians — those that are truly born again by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ — are never called “sinners” even once in the entire Bible. Such a belief that Christians are called “sinners” is not only patently unbiblical, it is unhealthy and downright dangerous to the cause of righteousness, both personal and in the church.
Now at the outset let me say that I am not saying Christians never sin. They can and do sin, sadly and opposed to God’s will.
What I am saying is that you will not find even one verse in the Bible that calls Christians “sinners”. Not a single one. So what are they called? “Saints”. More on that later. …
The Myth of the Christian “Sinner” Read More »
In four critical places in the Bible we read the towering truth:
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
(Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38)
It doesn’t say (as most Christians think) that “the just shall live by try”, or “struggle” or “striving”. It says FAITH.
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
The antithesis of this is the ultimate definition of sin, found in Romans 14:23b:
for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Yet how often in Christian circles do we hear endless sermons about US, our performance, our failures, our sins, how we are falling short. Most sermons end with the dreaded “application”, where the focus is completely on us and “what we have to do”. …
Looking to JESUS The Author & Finisher of Your FaithRead More »
Looking to JESUS The Author & Finisher of Your Faith Read More »
Most Christians struggle with whether God really loves them, especially after they have sinned and failed. It’s important to understand that the Bible clearly teaches that God’s love is beyond ourselves, our performance, our righteousness — even our existence.
Have you noticed that some of the Bible’s greatest passages on the love of God express it in the past tense?
John 3:16 (NKJV)
[16] “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. …
He Loved Me Then, He Definitely Loves Me Now! Read More »
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]
God Can Do Far Beyond What We Can Imagine Read More »
Father God has been showing me personally, in a much deeper experiential way, just how much He loves me as His beloved son. How wonderful it is to realize that the One who created the universe, with its billions of gigantic galaxies, atoms, cells and DNA loves me as my Father!
This is true for every child of God. …
The Great Difference Our Father’s Love Makes! Read More »
Psalm 115:1-3, esp vs 3
(1) Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
(2) Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
(3) But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
So what pleases God? …
Jesus shed His blood for it.
He gave His life for it.
Yet very few Christians know anything about it: It’s the New Covenant.
Our series, “Hebrews: The Glory of the New Covenant” is well underway. Join us as we dig into the amazing truths found in Hebrews. There are several ways you can get the series:
Revolutionary, Life-Changing Hebrews Series Underway! Read More »
Many of us are familiar with Romans 1:16
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (NKJV)
Why would Paul, inspired of the Spirit, say “I am not ashamed“?
Obviously, the Spirit selected that word “ashamed” for an important reason. It isn’t “I am not afraid of the Gospel” or “I am not intimidated by the Gospel”, but “I am not ashamed“. The problem of shame is brought to light.
Most of us have thought that the problem was being ashamed of the Gospel itself. That we are afraid to speak to others about the Gospel because we don’t want to look like “religious fanatics” or they won’t like us anymore. But the context of the following verses — indeed, chapters — opens up another possibility. …
Why We Would be Ashamed of The Gospel Read More »