It’s hard to take claims of revivals seriously after the nonsense “revivals” of the past that resulted in more devastation than devotion. Now there are reports of revival at Asbury College in Kentucky, near Frankfort, the state capital. As it happens, I am from Kentucky and I’m here right now about three hours away from …
The Treasure
The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:44 Everything anyone needs to know about the coming Kingdom of God is right there in the scriptures. …
The Book of Ruth and the Birth of Christ – Part 3
The Reception Part 2 left off with the journey across the high country from Moab to Judea. Naomi had run out of options in Moab. She had lost her husband and her two sons and was too old to have any more children. The likelihood of finding another husband in Moab were slim. Besides, Moab …
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The Book of Ruth and the Birth of Christ – Part 2
The Spiritual Environment in the Time of the Judges God’s people Israel, whom He delivered from bondage in Egypt and brought into the promised land, began a struggle with idolatry not long after the death of Joshua. Joshua was faithful to the Lord and without his leadership, Israel began to falter. Israel was surrounded by …
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The Book of Ruth and the Birth of Christ – Part 1
Each year around Christmas, I reread the Book of Ruth. To me, it is part of the Christmas story, even though it predates the birth of the Messiah by about 1000 years. It takes place in the time of the Judges, before there was a king in Israel. How does a short, obscure story tucked …
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The Secret of Understanding it All
There is a secret hidden in God’s Word, a secret that is the key to fruitfulness in the life of a believer. I believe it is also the secret to understanding God’s word – all of it. The parable of the sower also speaks of the type of soil required for fruitfulness as well as …
The Parable of the Soils Part 4 – Thorny Soil
Every farmer knows that harvest is reduced by weeds which compete with the crop for sunlight, nutrition, and water. If there is no intervention, weeds can reduce yield by about 28% according to a brief internet search. Soil is well prepared by farmers for planting: its well tilled, fertilized, and has the right amount of …
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Biblical Prayer – A Critique of the ACTS Model
One of the most popular models for Christian prayer is the ACTS model (A – adoration, C – confession, T – thanksgiving, and S – supplication). I’ve used it many times myself as it was how I was instructed to pray when I first came to saving faith in Christ. An internet search on “ACTS …
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The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God Part 4 – Deliverance from Evil
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Matthew 6:13 My last post was about the parable of the soils, specifically, the rocky soil. The “rocky soil” as explained by Jesus is the believer who has a shallow, superficial faith that cannot hold up under challenges of life. The parable lists three …
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The Parable of the Soils Part 3 – Rocky Soil
Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. Luke 8:13 The rocks adjacent to my driveway will often have grass and chick weed growing in various places because over …
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