Blog Articles
Boldness vs. Brashness
In a context of highlighting the ministry of the Spirit, Paul makes a connection to boldness. He said, “Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness [boldness] of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12). The reference to such hope summarizes Paul's unfolding of the...
Sectarian Carnality
When I was a child, I remember hearing my dad preach against being a carnal Christian. I was puzzled. I liked “caramel” and couldn’t figure out why dad was against “caramel Christians.” It made better sense after my vocabulary expanded a bit. The word carnal means...
Assurance of Salvation — Dispelling Doubts with Infallible Truth
Lack of assurance is a big deal. When clouds of doubt block the sunshine of our assurance of salvation, a sense of foreboding plagues us. The fear of hell becomes a sobering reality, leading to loss of joy and strength. We also leave the ground of victory. We lose...
Learning the Holy Spirit’s Leading
When we speak of the importance of following the Holy Spirit's leading, a question often asked is, “How do you know the Spirit's leading?” Two principles provide light: First, there is the wisdom of the Spirit, in which the ultimate faculty addressed is our mind. This...
Is There Healing in the Atonement?
The prolonging of life has been pursued for centuries. Many long for a “fountain of youth,” and numbers have searched for healing. In this light, there has been theological debate with detailed arguments offered on both sides as to whether there is healing in the...
Good News – Gospel Tract
Good News presents a great opportunity to hand someone a tract and say, “May I give you some good news?” During a recent visit to Brooklyn, I held out a Good News tract to an older gentleman. My request to impart some good news was met with a rather sober response,...
Perplexing Suffering: Gleanings from Job
Job's story can enlighten our understanding of a man’s relationship to his Lord while providing insight relevant to our own lives. Job had an upstanding testimony (Job 1:1), but Satan still falsely accused him before God (Job 1:9-11). God then allowed Satan to assault...
Experiencing Jesus!
Is experiencing Jesus the supreme reality of your present experience—or is it otherwise (perhaps quite otherwise)? Habits Have any bad habits? Are they getting worse rather than better? And besetting sins, have you succeeded in overcoming them or does sin maintain its...
Desiring Spiritual Truth
My father used to say that hunger is the key to spiritual growth. Under inspiration, Peter said, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” (1 Pet. 2:2). A series of thoughts will unfold the richness of this text. First,...
The Beauty of Holiness
Isaiah 6:2-3Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of...
The Holy Spirit in Gospel Proclamation
A reading of the book of Acts thrills the heart with the power of the Spirit in the gospel! The success of the gospel advance in Acts is directly linked to the Holy Spirit in at least three ways. We may and must trust in the same Holy Spirit as the believers did in...
More Than a Tip – Gospel Tract
When dining out, many believers leave a gospel tract with a tip. Because of this we produced the tract, More Than a Tip, a clear gospel presentation tailored for those who serve as waiters or waitresses. If a situation allows you share a few kind words, you could...
Walk in the Spirit
When I was in college, the promise of Galatians 5:16 stirred my heart. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. I thought, “What a promise!” This, however, led me to wonder what it meant to walk in the Spirit. Twice in Galatians we see the...
The Word, the Spirit, and Faith in Relation to the Soul
Many writers on the Spirit-filled life emphasize the importance of the Word and the Spirit to live the Christ-life by faith. Neither Word only nor Spirit only, but Word and Spirit. Both are essential to man's faith response. The Word, the Spirit, and faith involve the...
Tool for Witnessing
Looking for help to keep you on track with your gospel witness? Consider the gospel booklet How? Discover How to Have Eternal Life. This booklet can serve as either a gospel tract or a witnessing tool meant to be used like a flipchart. As you flip through pages, you...
Fiery Darts
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.Ephesians 6:16 Much temptation originates in the physical realm where you can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel the source. For apparent temptations coming at...
The Idolizing of Music
Over the years and again recently, I have become aware of some who make music the litmus test of fellowship. What I have observed does not target extreme differences, for those who have embraced musical extremes typically do not remain close enough to warrant talk of...
Mother’s Day Gift Idea
Looking for a special Mother’s Day gift?The Prayer that Makes a Difference is an inspiring biography of Oma Van Gelderen authored by Janet Shay. Oma, the mother of the late Wayne Van Gelderen, Sr., was just an ordinary women who learned to trust in an extraordinary...
Cultural Church and Essential Church
As the early church grew, we are explicitly told the assembly in Jerusalem continued in doctrine (preaching/teaching), fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer meetings (Acts 2:42). These priorities comprise what I’m calling essential church. Church was simple....
Reckoning and Dying Daily
Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” My paraphrase of this text is:Allow yourselves to be convinced by the Spirit that through being identified in Christ you did in fact...
New Design and Format for Friendship with the Holy Spirit
Years ago, I went through a time when my relationship with Jesus seemed anything but close. I had been saved for quite some time and was actively serving in full-time ministry, but still, I did not sense a closeness with the Lord. In the providence of God, I began a...
The Real Plague
As COVID-19 seems to diminish, many are looking forward to getting back to normal. Practically speaking, I understand this desire. We all do. But for God's people, is it the best course to excitedly anticipate a return to former norms? The question must be asked...
If From There
The Word of God specifically states that if you backslide (with whatever manifestations that may bring), you can seek the Lord and find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states it so clearly: But if from thence [from there, the place of unbelief and backsliding] thou shalt seek...
Abiding and Prayer
In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” We abide in Christ through God-dependence and Christ abides in us through Spirit-enabling (John 15:4-5). Jesus says if we abide in Him...
Abiding in Christ
In John 15:4-5, Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much...
Understanding Repentance and Faith
Recently, someone asked me a series of questions regarding the supposed salvation of a friend. Obviously, there was confusion as to whether this person had truly trusted in Christ. Though there was a supposed “decision,” there was little to no life change accompanying...
The Witness of the Spirit
There was a time when a young girl doubting her salvation unburdened her heart to me. Together we looked at the truth of John 6:47 that when you believe on Jesus, you have eternal life. I asked if she had ever depended on Jesus to save her. Looking up with sincere...
Walk by Faith, Grow in Grace
Believers are challenged to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Through Jesus, we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (Romans 5:2). And faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans...
New Beginnings
A new year. New years often impress upon us the possibility of a new beginning. You may identify a deep yearning for a new beginning with other occasions too or even with life’s pressure-filled circumstances demanding your entrance into the fray, ready or not. The...
Evangelist Matthew Barber
Evangelists specialize in the gospel. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone—and so is sanctification and service. The gospel exalts Jesus as the Savior from sin and judgment and lifts up the Spirit of Jesus as the leader and power source for new life in...
