Biblical Studies

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1 ESV) "...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV) When our family gathered together in years past for Thanksgiving dinner we would sometimes ask, "what are you thankful for?" Then we'd go around the table and share our thoughts. Of course, when the children were little, favorite pets or toys would be in the forefront. As we grew, we began to see all the things that God had done and was doing in our lives. It's important not only to feel gratitude for all that God is and has provided and has promised, but also to verbalize those blessings in actual giving-of-thanks to God. He is the Fount of all good, and to him belongs all the credit and glory and thanks.  If you or your family run out of blessings to give thanks for, here's a list that may help: God exists, and he reigns ov

Sometimes, when people would ask me about the Reformation, and why it's a big deal, I'd draw a little sketch on a piece of paper or napkin, like to one above. It's my seven-minute overview of what happened following Luther's posting of his 95 theses (points to debate) on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg on the eve of All Saints Day, 1517.  This is a very rough generalization indeed... First key issue: authority.  The foundation. How do we know we are right about what we believe about being right with God? The Roman Catholic church held that it was the Scriptures, but with a caveat:  specifically, the Scriptures as interpreted and applied by the authority of the Church. So, to the authority base of the Bible was added the magisterium, that is, what the church, tradition, councils, and Popes officially ruled. It was the "Bible-plus..."   The Reformers said, no (or nay), the councils and traditions and church rulers are very important, but not infallible. Th

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV) "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:14 ESV) The Holy Spirit is the seal of our New Covenant relationship with Christ (Jer 31; Ezek 36-37; Eph 1:13). The Christian life -- of fellowship with God, of power, of the pursuit of holiness -- is a life in the Spirit. (Rom 8) How do I know when the Holy Spirit is at work in me?  How do I identify his supernatural work in distinction from my own efforts at living the Christian life? What follows is a list of ten evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit in us...  1)  When we experience conviction of sin , not mere guilt and desire to escape punishment, but an awareness of our sin against God and of our need for the forgivene

"For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:10 ESV) "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2 ESV) In one of our weekly Bible studies, we've been reading through the book of Revelation (the Apocalypse). Dr. Lewis Johnson's messages on Revelation in the late 1980s have been so very helpful. Here are some excerpts from " The Metropolis of the New Earth ", a sermon by S. Lewis Johnson.  The subject for today as we come near the end of our study of the great apocalypse is, “The Metropolis of the New Earth”. According to the word of God, Cain built the first city, but he built it in independence of God. Man’s innate desire to have a common life evidently is good. Nothing is said in Scripture about the fact of the building being contrary to his will, but characteristic of human cities is that

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV) "I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber." (Blaise Pascal) "'There is no peace,' says the LORD, 'for the wicked.'" (Isaiah 48:22) WE ARE RESTLESS. Why don't people see that knowing God, their Creator and Redeemer, would bring such great and eternal satisfaction? In his Confessions Augustine wrote about the restlessness within the heart of man before coming to God. John Calvin in his Institutes wrote about how our misery and alienation from God should drive us to seek to know who God is, that we may find in him the life and peace we long for. But generally, people seek for peace through other pursuits: money, politics, sex, romance, the joy of sports

"For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." (Hebrews 2:2-4 ESV)  "God is still speaking to us. In the second chapter the author tells us again that God was bearing witness to the message. That is the whole case for the Bible from beginning to end. We do not meet in the church to consider some human idea or theory as to how we can all be healed and relieved and made happier in this world. There is nothing wrong with the study of psychology and so on, but this message starts on a different plane altogether. The Bible does not pretend to be a human book; it claims to be a divine Book. It claims from beginning t