Blog Articles
The Sin of Provoking
“Provoke not…to wrath” (Eph. 6:4). Many books have been written on forgiveness. They are definitely needed. But for all of those, it seems there ought to be a least a few written on “provoke-ness”! Bitterness is wrong, but so is provoking. Instead of focusing on...
The Red Flag of Lose-Lose Scenarios
The Holy Spirit is real. Complimenting clear guidance from the Word of God, the Spirit of God is your personal guide in matters not as clear. Others can offer advice which may or may not be helpful, but the Spirit will bear witness to what is truly helpful. As a child...
“I Know How” – Jesus Our Guide
About a decade ago, I became burdened to study the dangers of legalistic and relativistic thinking. Both are deadening because they are expressions of the flesh. The letter of the law without the Spirit kills (2 Cor. 3:6). Also, the mind of the flesh is death (Rom....
The God Who Stays
Imperfection and instability abound in a world of sin. Seemingly solid promises are sometimes broken, sought-after security is too often found to be anything but secure, and relationships of refuge can prove to be relationships of subterfuge. But for those who know...
Convictions and Comfort Zone
Convict means to convince. So, conviction is being convinced, and a biblical conviction comes from being convinced of what we believe the Bible teaches regarding a particular matter. Some convictions are more important than others because the Bible distinguishes...
The Ministry of the Evangelist
Some of my fondest memories involve hearing evangelists who came to our church for revival and evangelistic meetings when I was a youth. I remember well hearing evangelists John R. Rice, Bill Rice, Bill Rice III, Pete Rice, Glen Schunk, Monroe Parker, Ron Comfort,...
The Liberating Life of Jesus | Audio Book
Positive and Negative
It’s taken me years, but I love being positive. I wish I had learned the value and importance of being positive sooner in life. I love being around positive people. It’s encouraging and refreshing. In the spiritual realm, being positive is connected to faith in God....
Summer Reading
Think about your family, your friends and neighbors in your community. How many need Christ? The lost certainly have a glaring need, but likewise, the saved undoubtedly need Him if they will be at all effective in service and genuine in their displays of love....
What Do the “Shall Not Inherit” Passages Teach?
First Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:5 are three passages that employ the phrase “shall not inherit” or a similar terminology after cataloguing various sins. There are those who teach that the listed works of the flesh being in your life...
Will Geiseman – The Forever Lockdown
I am pleased to introduce an evangelist entering the field who understands and preaches both justification by grace through faith in Christ alone and sanctification by grace through faith in the same Jesus. Will Geiseman has previously served as an assistant pastor at...
The Liberating Life of Jesus – now on Audible
Have you ever felt trapped in a box of someone else's making, perhaps a modern fundamentalist-style box, and yet, down deep, you know the Christian life is neither that nor an up-for-grabs version of your own making? In my early years of ministry, I was sincerely...
Father and Father Figure Wounds
In recent years, I have come to notice the use of the term “father wounds.” It resonates with many who have experienced these wounds. From fathers who abandoned their families, to those who neglected them, to those who abused them, to those who mistreated them in...
Belief in the Supernatural
The Sadducees of Jesus day denied the supernatural. They did not believe in miracles and the resurrection. Though the Pharisees upheld the supernatural, they rejected it in their own experience and, therefore, in the life of Jesus who was present with them. Today we...
It’s About the Person
Christianity is about Jesus Christ. How basic, yet how overlooked. For a period stretching over many years, I was all about the rituals of what I perceived to be good Christianity. Give me the list and I’ll do it. Show me the box and I’ll get into it. Give me the...
Assurance of Salvation – Part 11: Ministering Salvation, Assurance, and Revival
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of having eternal life (salvation), knowing it (assurance), and living that life abundantly (revival). It starts with salvation, therefore, when seeking to discern a person's real need, begin with the gospel of salvation....
The Gospel in Print
As the public marketplace reopens, the opportunities for using gospel tracts will increase. “May I give you some good news?” is a positive line in a day of so much bad news, and with this simple introduction, you can offer someone the Good News tract. At a restaurant,...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Ten: Testimonies of Salvation, Assurance, and Revival
Over the years, I have been an eye-witness to many examples of the Holy Spirit’s convicting work. The following real life stories highlight important differences among matters of salvation, assurance, and revival: Late on a Tuesday night, after a revival meeting...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Nine: The Gospel of Revival
In part three, we discussed matching the proper cure with the actual need. For those who have yet to receive eternal life, salvation is the cure. For those who need to know they have eternal life, assurance is the necessary remedy. For those who need to live the...
The Wind of the Spirit – an important study on the Holy Spirit
Have you ever assessed your life in Christ and wondered whether there is more to be had this side of heaven? Do you regularly try to make good decisions on your own? Are you attempting to live the Christian life in your own strength? If your attempts have fallen flat...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Eight: Counterfeit Conviction
Let’s clarify a common misunderstanding regarding conviction. In some cases, a person hears the gospel as a child and understands the basics of sin, judgment, and the need for a Savior (mind). The individual is convicted by the Spirit (affections) and believes in...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Seven: Wrong Focus, Wrong Cure
God’s desire is that His children live in the victory He provides through the indwelling Spirit, but if a focus on right living (performance) is adopted for assurance of salvation, believers can easily doubt their salvation leading many to get “saved again.” This, of...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Six: The Danger of Fallible Assurance through Wrong Focus
Assurance is good news! So how has it become bad news to so many? I have had numerous email and phone conversations with people needing assurance, and in many of these cases, believers have been hindered in some way by the wrong thinking of those who previously sought...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Five: The Gospel of Assurance
According to John 10:10, Jesus came that we might have life (salvation), know it (assurance), and live it abundantly (revival). Salvation is about receiving, and therefore, having eternal life (having Jesus, with all He brings: forgiveness, credited righteousness, and...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Four: The Gospel of Salvation
The last article emphasized the importance of a correct diagnosis in order to find the correct cure. We noted Jesus came that we might have life (salvation), know it (assurance), and live it abundantly (revival). This installment is focused on salvation itself: How...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Three: Matching the Cure with the Need
A preacher friend operated under the philosophy if you get sick, just tough it out until you get better. He called once and told me he had indeed gotten sick, and though he was toughing it out, he had not gotten better. Finally, he visited a doctor. Upon examination,...
Assurance of Salvation – Part Two: Causes of Doubt
Why do people doubt their salvation? The primary reason is theological; a secondary reason is practical. Theologically, doubt arises when one switches focus from the object of faith to the subject of faith. The object of faith is Jesus, based on the specific word of...
Assurance of Salvation – Part One: It’s a Big Deal!
When clouds of doubt block the view of the sunshine of assurance of salvation, it’s a big deal. First and certainly foremost, eternal destiny is at stake for the one in doubt. To a sincere soul, this is huge. There is a psychological impact because where one will...
What Is the Meaning of the Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13?
One of the parables of Matthew 13 speaks of tares sown among the wheat, and the passage has often been used in a way that leads saved people to doubt their salvation. What drives their questioning is a shift of focus away from Jesus, the object of faith, and toward...
Extremes, Hybrids and the Real Answer
Extremism is a common pitfall, and it has proven a great blessing to be awakened to the fact that one has become extreme. This certainly applies to cases of legalistic and, at the other extreme, relativistic approaches to Christian living. As a result, many recognize...
