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No man living has an absolutely empty head! In spite of this fact, many of us act as though we wish to dispute this reality. Our speech sometimes argues mightily against it! The Proverbs writer stated the obvious when he wrote, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” (Proverbs 17.28).

Why is it that there are times when we feel we just have to say something? You know those times; you have experienced them! At a moment when silence would have been golden, we insist on filling the void with fool's gold!…  ( Click for more )

“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, 'I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.'” (Matthew…  ( Click for more )

“Then His disciples said to Him, 'Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude' Jesus said to them, 'How many loaves do you have?' And they said, 'Seven, and a few little fish.' So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and…  ( Click for more )

Jesus, speaking to the paralytic, said, “'I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.' Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'”(Mark 2.11-12). Today we look at the fourth and final lesson from this biblical 4X4, Never Like This.

Never Like This

Luke closes his account of this same event with this commentary: “And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen strange…  ( Click for more )

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise, take up your bed and walk”?…  ( Click for more )

Wisdom doesn't always finish the same way. By that, I mean is comes in human flesh packaged in a huge variety of ways. It comes as the aged as well as the young; it comes in males and females; it comes in the highly educated as well as those who have accomplished little in the arena of formal academia; it comes in the professional as well as the laborer. Wisdom comes in a variety of packages.

Having lived in the South most of my life, I have encountered wisdom from time to time, but I have encountered foolishness far more frequently. However, something tells me this is not a geographic…  ( Click for more )

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.' And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, 'Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?' (Mark 2.5-8). Today we look at the 2nd lesson from this biblical 4X4, False Reasoning.

False Reasoning

The ability to reason is one prominent God-given…  ( Click for more )

“And again He [Jesus] entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are…  ( Click for more )

“And again He [Jesus] entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4.16-18; emphasis mine, jb).

“We do not look at the things that are seen. [We do look] at the things which are not seen.”…  ( Click for more )

Mercy is not a new virtue with God; neither is it a blessing of the New Testament to the exclusion of the Old Testament. Fifteen hundred years before the first book of the New Testament was written, God’s plan included provisions for mercy. Notice how prominent mercy was even under Moses Law.

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub…  ( Click for more )

I live in the southeastern United States of America. As many regions do, we Southerners have certain characteristics that are attributed to us; some are legitimate while others are founded on biases or stereotypes. A few years ago a friend and I were driving around the countryside where we encountered a gentleman who reminds me of these facts. Today's message discusses that encounter.

In the neatly trimmed yard there were a number of trees that had obviously been planted and cared for regularly. However, there was something that stood out about the trees even more than their beauty;…  ( Click for more )

“Blood is thicker than water!” In most areas of the world, this saying or its equivalent simply means that family ties are stronger than all other ties. However, to the informed and faithful believer, there is a tie that is stronger than that of blood kinship. Mercy plays a significant role in these bonds even as we shall see in today's message, a subtopic of Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His…  ( Click for more )

Three more messages and this miniseries on Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment (James 2.13) will be completed. These three concluding messages will each focus on a great biblical text regarding mercy other than the titular text, James 2.13.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for…  ( Click for more )

Just how big a part do mercy and grace play in our salvation? In as much as Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment one would think that these godly twins play a substantial role. Today’s message will highlight two passages which focus on this very question.

Paul writes: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith…  ( Click for more )

How should the fact that Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment affect what I can know about my day to day fellowship with God? Were it not for mercy, could anyone be saved? If God were not exceedingly merciful and patient with humanity, what would be our immediate destiny?

As we consider these questions, we will do so in light of the current series as well as in light of other relevant passages. We have already established the fact that without the mercy and grace of God, no one could be saved; all would be lost! However, we know that there have been people of past generations who have…  ( Click for more )

I live in the southeastern United States of America. As many regions do, we Southerners have certain characteristics that are attributed to us; some are legitimate while others are founded on biases or stereotypes. A few years ago a friend and I were driving around the countryside where we encountered a gentleman who reminds me of these facts. Today's message discusses that encounter.

In the neatly trimmed yard there were a number of trees that had obviously been planted and cared for regularly. However, there was something that stood out about the trees even more than their beauty;…  ( Click for more )

How should the fact that Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment affect how I as a believer feel about the final judgment? Should I take comfort from the fact that there are certain principles of mercy that will be taken into consideration concerning my final destiny? Or, should I be fearful that God’s final verdict will be an unfavorable one and I will be consigned to the same destiny as unbelievers? As was expressed in the previous article, it is my conviction that God does not want believers to be fearful or pensive regarding our eternal estate. In support of this conviction, I introduced…  ( Click for more )

“So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2.12-13). Mercy is obviously the central focus in these verses. Mercy is not the only quality that is necessary to find the eternal edicts if judgment pleasant, but it is one essential characteristic. In James’ inspired view, the final judgment is not something to be dreaded, or an obstacle to be gotten through by the skin of our teeth; rather, it is an event where mercy is depicted as triumphing…  ( Click for more )

Find yourself in the following paragraph: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise [Luke’s version of the Golden Rule]. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return;…  ( Click for more )

We quote from the final paragraph of the previous message in this miniseries: “After illustrating mercy's practical side, Jesus added, ‘Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.’ (Matthew 5.48). Be perfect like God is perfect? This commandment might seem an impossible one to follow, but it is not. It becomes impossible when we fail to understand it, but it its proper context and as it is understood in view of the entirety of scripture, it becomes a challenge, but not an impossibility.” Our purpose today is to understand precisely…  ( Click for more )

Conscience is a human faculty that can be wounded, scarred, and eventually destroyed. However, like most of the spiritual faculties of man, it can only be damaged from the inside. If conscience is wounded, it will not be by an external enemy; it will be due to bad choices that are made from within.

As a means of review, it might be good to simply look at some relevant New Testament passages that deal with conscience and the various types of consciences that exist as well as what can be done to or by our conscience. The conscience can convict (John 8.9). The conscience bears witness…  ( Click for more )

You know that scripture don’t you, the one that says, “God helps those who help themselves”? Well the truth is, it’s not scripture. It might be classed with what some have called chimney corner scripture. It is located right alongside “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” and “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” While it may be true in some cases that God helps those who help themselves, it is also true that God helps those who cannot help themselves. This fact…  ( Click for more )

“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2.13). When it comes to the final judgment, a skin-of-the-teeth victory will be good enough, but that does not seem to be descriptive of what will actually occur. Rather, James says that mercy triumphs over judgment. Today, we will begin a detailed study of this expression.

First, we will note the “character” of this expression. In literary terms, it might be classified along with other expressions that are known as personifications. This simply means…  ( Click for more )