Christian Living


“So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Rom. 12:5 It is sad how many professing Christians think it is of little significance to assemble at a local church, especially on the Lord’s Day, opting rather to “live-stream” the service.  Oftentimes, they will use the minutest inconvenience to stay home and “watch” sermons from comfortable sofas.  Tragically, they see no harm being done by this practice, either to themselves or to fellow believers.  Such thinking, however, is seriously flawed, unbiblical, and in fact, sinful.  It is true, that there are some saints too infirmed to attend church services and for health reasons, who need to stay home.  However, very few situations (besides illness or other serious issues) ought to hinder the Christian from gathering to worship the Lord.  A former pastor of mine would often say: “Unless one is providentially hindered, he or she ought to attend a scheduled church service.”   Nearly one-hundred and fifty years ago, C.H. Spurgeon said: “Persons go out on Monday to business who cannot go out on Sunday.  It is raining on Sunday, and it is very curious how rain on Sunday will keep some people in; their health is so weak, though the same rain on Monday does not affect them at all in that particular way.  Have you never observed how some persons appear to be periodically ill on Sundays?  That seems to be a favorite day for being ill.”1 In the epistle of Hebrews, the writer exhorted the letters recipients: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25).   It is clear by this passage that Christian love for one another should be the catalyst for the church assembling.  Moreover, how would it be possible to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”, if fellowshipping is avoided?  There are numerous NT passages that are not direct commands, but allude to why the assembling of the church is essential.    For example, all believing members are gifted differently (Rom. 12:4, 6), and the many members make up one unified body (a local church): so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:5, cf. 1 Cor. 12:14).  Also, saints are instructed to use their various gifts to serve one another: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold...

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Enduring The Fiery Trial

Enduring The Fiery Trial


Posted By on Jun 27, 2020

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.”  1 Pet. 4:12  The scattered believers in Christ to whom the Apostle Peter wrote his First epistle, were undergoing tremendous persecution from the tyrannical empire of Rome.  Since Peter was their shepherd, it was incumbent upon him to strengthen, comfort and give hope to them amid those turbulent times.  The Lord Jesus Christ had commanded Peter to be strong and encourage his brethren: “but I [Jesus] have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32).  After God allowed Satan to “sift Peter like wheat” (Luke 22:31), and thus denied Jesus three times (Luke 22:55-62); the merciful Jesus restored the fallen Peter (John 21:15-17).  A revitalized Apostle Peter remembered the words of Jesus “strengthen your brothers” and “fed His sheep”, by writing two encouraging and instructive letters (1 and 2 Peter).  In those letters the Peter knowing the power of Jesus’ restoration, encouraged the scattered, persecuted and downcast Christians to set their minds on things above, rather than earthly things (Col. 3:2)–especially the inevitable suffering they would endure (cf. 1 Pet. 1:6).  In one of the most hopeful and powerful passages in all of Scripture, Peter reminds them of their secure salvation in Christ.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:1-9). With the letters opening hope-filled encouragement, Peter instructs the scattered believers to prepare their minds for the challenges, hardships, and persecution, they would face...

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Why Christians Should Carry A Bible

Why Christians Should Carry A Bible


Posted By on Aug 12, 2019

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. ” (Matt. 5:16). A few years back I wrote an article expressing my concern that the vast majority of Christians will soon completely eliminate carrying a Bible in book form.1  Technological advancements are culpable of aiding and abetting, the expedition of that reality coming to fruition.  One look around at many worship services today and you will see most of the congregation utilizing their phones [or other electronic devices], in place of  physical Bibles to access God’s Word.  Sadly, Christians have become deeply entrenched in this “hi-tech” age, where “Bible apps” are the predominant method chosen to look-up Scripture.  Moreover, I have heard believers glory in all the biblical tools available at their fingertips.  In defense of their praise, they contend that it’s beneficial to have numerous Bible resources readily accessible indicating the capability to conveniently swipe to a verse, tap on that verse to locate its cross-references, or tap on a word to view the original language; all in mere seconds.  One proponent of hi-tech asked me: “If a physical Bible is cumbersome for me to lug around, inconvenient to use, and lacking all the Bible tools designed to make my Christian life easier, why then should I abandon those modern helps?”       Before I answer those questions, I want to make a personal observations.  In the recent past, my typical Lord’s day gathering was a glorious experience, when I observed my fellow brothers and sisters all carrying Bibles.  Because of that shared commonality, I felt a strong sense of unity and oneness with my fellow believers in Christ.   I was encouraged when I witnessed them with physical Bibles, because I could see that they possessed a copy of God’s Word.  Unlike today, it is disappointing to witness so many Christians entering the house of God without observable Bibles, I am left to wondering if they have “electronic Bibles” buried in their pockets.  Moreover, it’s disillusioning not knowing if a person sitting beside me, even has the Word of God in his or her possession.   Furthermore, interruptions, distractions, and temptations are likely to occur during the worship service.  The “iphone” does not only contain a Bible app, it is a live medium to the internet and literally one “swipe” away from engaging the evil world–the very Satanic system Christians should be escaping from on the Lord’s day!  On more than one occasion I observed people responding to “text messages” or “surfing the internet” during the worship service.  In fact, on one Lord’s day...

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Redeem The Time

Redeem The Time


Posted By on Sep 14, 2018

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”                                                             Eph. 5:15-16     There are ample exhortations in Scripture that indicate the Christian to be continuously fruitful–and that he or she is urged to “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).  In fact, the original Greek of that clause in Eph. 5:18 is rendered, “Be being filled with the Spirit”; it’s to be a continuous, ongoing behavior in the life of a believer.  In other words, a believers duty is marked by life-long service to God, until he is called home to heaven and when the words “Well done, good and faithful slave“, are hopefully heard (Matt. 25:21, 23).  By perusing the Bible, one will see many stories regarding God’s servant’s service to Him, was a life-long endeavor that only terminated upon their death.  For example, God used Abraham and Sarah who were both well-advanced in years [100 and 90 years old–Gen. 17:15-16].  Although well past the childbearing age, God blessed Sarah with the capability to conceive and give birth to Isaac, the continuation of the promised “seed” (Gen. 17:9).  Abraham served God all the remaining years of his life and died at the age of one hundred and seventy five. Moses was eighty years old when God first appeared to him in the “burning bush.” (Ex. 3:2).  Obeying God’s call, Moses embarked on what would end up being a forty year “tour of duty”, as a faithful “servant of God”.  God choose him and his brother Aaron [also in his eighties], to deliver His people, the Israelites, from Egyptian slavery and subjugation.  Joshua, who faithfully served Moses, was forty years old when he spied out the “Promise Land” [Josh. 14:7] and was nearly eighty years old, when he had taken over leading the people [Moses died Deut. 34:5].  into the Promised Land.  David, God’s “chosen” king of Israel and “a man after God’s own heart” [1 Sam. 13:14, Ps. 89:20, Acts 13:22], fought and won many battles for God and His people.  He served God by loyally obeying His will until he died, having served as a great king of Israel for forty years (1 Kin. 2:10-11, Acts 13:22, 36). In the New Testament, Paul faithfully and diligently served God his entire life, until the time of his execution (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6).  During his first imprisonment he served the Lord by writing four inspired epistles [Ephesians, Philippians,...

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“Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great”(Matt. 5:12)   Trials and Tribulation: James 1:2-6  “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  (peirasmos)  knowing that the testing (dokimion) of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.   But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.“ Note: The words for “trials” and “testing” (vv. 2-3) are both words for suffering yet, both are entirely different in origin and intent.  One form of testing (peirasmos, v. 2) has the intent of failure, while the other form of testing (dokimion, v.3), is a testing to show the value or quality of the thing tested.  In most N.T. occurrences a peirasmos testing, is one of evil origin (Satanic).  Incidentally, the word “temptation” is also the same Greek word peirasmos, as in the words, “trial” and “testing”.  From his book “The Cup and the Glory“, Dr. Greg Harris wrote;  “While God may allow and even use a trial for His own objective, He Himself is not the origin of evil. ”  cf. Jas. 1:13.  Also, we should always pray for God’s wisdom (v. 5) to help us be joyful when experiencing trials. Romans 5:3-5  “And not only this, but we also exult (boast) in our tribulations, (thliphsis) knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Note: The Holy Spirit was given through Jesus Christ. (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:2, 18, John 14:26, 16:7). Also, the words “perseverance” and “endurance” are synonymous, and literally defined in the original Greek as, patient endurance. Joy (chara): joy; delight Rejoice (chaira): to rejoice; be glad Trials (peirasmos): temptation; a testing; an experiment Testing (dokimion): testing; proof, (a validation of faith -as in James 1:3) Testing (peirasmos): temptation; a testing; an experiment-(as in 1 Pet. 4:12) Tribulation (thliphsis): affliction; distress; trouble Persecution (diogmos): persecution, suffering Exult (kauchaomai): boast; to take pride in-( Boast in tribulations, (as the Apostle Paul did in, 2 Cor. 12:10) Wisdom (sophia): wisdom— Random House Dictionary; “knowledge of what is true or right, coupled with just judgment as to action; discernment”.  Note: sophia is where we get the...

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“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Pet. 5:8   1 Peter 5:8 rarely captures the thought of many Christians today.  Unfortunately,  they fail to consider Satan as an insidious force to be reckoned with and appear unconcerned about his existence.  Believers are however concerned with temptations, sin, sickness, or diseases, but rarely do they consider the great problem of demonic forces, which try them in nearly every aspect of life.  They tend to be so introspective and subjective, that they fail to see the great problem that is outside themselves; a real and active spiritual warfare which works through the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2).  The entire battle is against a triad of evil: the world, the flesh, and the devil, and the means the devil employs to menace and deceive people, is the world system, which is in his control.  (1 Jn. 5:19).  There is a tendency for many Christians to behave indifferently concerning Satan and do not consider him responsible for the world’s wickedness.  I find it ironic though, that the whole of Christendom defaults to blaming the devil when something really bad happens to them or when they see an obvious act of evil in the news.  Tragically, even some Christian leaders deny Satan’s villainous influence in the world or even his existence at all.  Because of this erroneous thinking, Satan easily slips in under their radar regarding culpability for much of this present day’s wickedness. Interestingly, Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones stated; (1) “…some 68 men describing themselves as Academics, and belonging to the Anglican Church, in a letter to the Times (a London newspaper) stated openly that they did not believe in a personal devil or demons.”  That admission by church leaders is frightening, because it is unbiblical.  The entire Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, is replete with references to Satan’s influence and terrorism.  In fact, he is so ubiquitous in Scripture, he is known by a plethora of names. The following list of names for Satan is not exhaustive but merely representative:  The “Accuser” (Rev. 12:10); he falsely accuses God’s people.  “Adversary“, (1 Pet. 5:8) enemy and rival of God and all believers; “Angel of  Light” (2 Cor. 11:14); he emulates righteousness and godliness in order to deceive people, especially in false religions;  “Antichrist” (1 John 4:3); the opposite of Jesus Christ, opposing holiness and obedience;  “Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11); the destroyer; “Beelzebub” (lord of the flies–Matt. 12:24), ruler of myriads of demons;  “Deceiver” (2 John 7, Rev. 12:9); attempts to deceive the whole world;  “Devil”, diabolos (Eph....

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