Subscription Lists

“For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2.2-4).

The rhetorical question posed by James, as all such questions do, has an obvious answer. It is as if he had said, “When you show favoritism…  ( Click for more )

God speaks through James: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2.1-4).

The entire text quoted…  ( Click for more )

Practical Christianity is the only Christianity that exists. If one's religion isn't practical, it isn't Christianity. Conversely, if one's religion is practical, it is Christianity.

Like many, many authors before me, I see the book of James as the quintessential example of Practical Christianity. I see it as ironic and naive for someone as studious as Luther to have referred to one of God's inspired books, and especially the book of James, as “...a right strawy epistle in comparison with them [the epistles of Paul], for it has no gospel character to it.” I would claim…  ( Click for more )

Although an astute Bible student could literally write hundreds of messages on The Love of the Truth, this particular message will conclude this series for now.

Paul wrote that the coming of the lawless one would be “...according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the…  ( Click for more )

Delusions are damning deceptions that occur in ill-prepared minds. I remember an old adage that says, “An idle mind is the devil's workshop.” While that is not scripture, it reflects a biblical principle.

Paul said “...The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they…  ( Click for more )

A favorite ploy of modern deceivers who are self professed healers is to postpone the healing of some diseases due to their nature. In reality, they put them off because they have NO POWER to heal anyone, and that lack of power becomes all the more obvious as the symptoms of the disease become more obvious. In other words, the immediate restoration of a missing leg is hard to fake just as the instantaneous healing of a leper's decaying flesh is something that cannot readily be palmed off on intelligent audiences. For that reason, those who seek to deceive pick and choose the diseases…  ( Click for more )

We live in a culture that is accustomed to seeing and hearing false prophets; they are commonplace among us. All one has to do is turn on the TV at virtually any hour of the day or night. Men and women openly speak and do things contrary to the word of God and all the whilst claim to be spokespersons for Him! I don't even have to know what the truth is to know that many or most of them are not telling the truth. All I have to do is listen to their conflicting and contrary doctrines to know that somebody is in error, yet they remain popular enough to regularly be featured on our public…  ( Click for more )

Quoting from our previous message, “Those who claim to speak for God apart from that which is written [the Bible] are purveyors of error and seek to delude others with their lying signs and wonders. There are few exceptions to this rule!”

God has spoken through His written word and He still speaks in this manner. There are no new revelations today; those who claim such are the very sources of error against whom Paul warned when he wrote, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all…  ( Click for more )

The tragedy of false prophets and false teachers is all about us. Every “Christian denomination” is but a silent witness to error! Most of the teaching that one hears and sees today via television is fraught with error and bears testimony to the fact that strong delusions await those who do not receive The Love of the Truth (see 2 Thessalonians 2.8-12). Jesus did not come to create confusion and conflicting doctrines; He came to deliver truth and set man free from the shackles of sin and false religions

On several occasions I have heard false teachers “blame”…  ( Click for more )

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3.1-5).

The passage just quoted contains some key words and phrases. In order to connect it legitimately with today's…  ( Click for more )

There is hearing, and then there is hearing! As we saw recently, it is possible to hear, and yet not hear. In order for this to be true, the word hear must be used in two different ways. First, there is the hearing that occurs with the ears, and then there is the hearing that occurs with the heart. Hearing with the ears is something that all people do who are not deaf; hearing with the heart is something that all accountable people (deaf or not) are or have been capable of doing. Hearing with the heart is essential to eternal life; hearing with the ears is optional!

Notice a classic…  ( Click for more )

“And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: “Hearing you will…  ( Click for more )

The parables of Jesus, precious and memorable as they are, were the source of great controversy. It was here that a great separation of the ways occurred between His followers and His would-be followers. This was all part of the plan, the plan to winnow the harvest of followers so that only the cream of the crop was left. The parables were not the cause of division, they were just the catalyzing effect that made existing divisions obvious!

The heart of the disciple is what must be affected by the gospel; that was and is the target of the parables. They were told in order to impact…  ( Click for more )

What think ye of the parables? Do you see them as neat little stories that could be understood easily and embraced by all with equal comfort. Well, nothing could be further from the truth!

The parables of Jesus, precious and memorable as they are, were the source of great controversy. It was here that a great separation of the ways occurred between His followers and His would-be followers. This was all part of the plan, the plan to winnow the harvest of followers so that only the cream of the crop was left. Jesus was not surprised by the reaction of the masses; He knew this would…  ( Click for more )

Buyer beware! Caveat emptor! These warnings ought to get our attention. But, how about the warning, “Believer beware”? This is Peter’s message; it ought not to go unheeded! “But there were [in the Old Testament era] also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers [in the New Testament era] among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness…  ( Click for more )

Today’s message takes up by quoting the final paragraph of the previous lesson. It reads: “The non-critical listener is poised to fall. As John so succinctly put it, “…many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4.1). This being the case, John implored his brothers and sisters to “…not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.” The critical hearer has what it takes to discern the difference between truth and error; the non-critical hearer will be deceived and destroyed! ‘Therefore…  ( Click for more )

The love for the truth is distinctly different from the love of the truth. One’s love for the truth occurs as the concepts of truth are pursued; this love motivates toward the discovery of truth. In contrast, the love of the truth results from knowing God and embracing His character as pertains to love. To state this in a different manner, the love of the truth is godliness personified in the person of the followers of Jesus.

Peter had a great love for truth when He boasted of his intent to go to his death should that be necessary to remain faithful to Jesus. However, He…  ( Click for more )

Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11.15). Stubborn and rebellious as we are, we say, “Well, Duh! Why would anyone say something like, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear?' Of course, someone without ears can't hear!'” And we totally miss the point that Jesus was making! Just what was Jesus saying when He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear?”

Jesus was not concerned about those who could not hear! His concern was for those who could hear – people like you and me – but who chose not to hear.…  ( Click for more )

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes...” (Proverbs 21.2a). I can state this another way that is equally truthful but hard to accept; here it is: Until I see myself through eyes other than my own, I will never know the truth about myself! Read these words again; they are of utmost importance! Until I see myself through eyes other than my own, I will never know the truth about myself!

The fact that we are rational beings means that it is our nature to rationalize our actions; in other words, every way of man is right in his own eyes. The robber takes from another…  ( Click for more )

You could read this paragraph hurriedly and go on about your business, but I beg you not to; I beg you to read it and let it impact your life. I do not ask this because it is something I wrote; quite the contrary, it contains a timeless truth that God revealed about you... and me... and about every human being. If you will let the truth that it contains impact your life positively, your life will forever be changed and the blessings of God can be yours for the asking. Here is the foundational truth that is a “must read and heed.” “Every way of a man is right in his…  ( Click for more )

“Self deception is preceded by the decision to move truth out of the realm of the objective and into a realm where it is weighed in one’s own eyes. This opens the door to deception!” This quotation was chosen to end this column a few days ago. Self-deception is frequently a fatal error; by that I mean that it is a self-willed act which effectively closes the door to truth and opens the door to error.

Listen to what Jesus had to say about some of His perennial opponents: “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing…  ( Click for more )

Lying wonders - they are not new. In fact, they have been around for almost as long as the real thing! Everything that is good and edifies has its counterpart (and very often counterfeit). Such is certainly the case with true miracles and signs. Consider a case from the book of Acts.

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.' Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered…  ( Click for more )

Why would Satan chose to perform lying signs and wonders? Simple! Because God had chosen to confirm His word through the use of true signs and wonders (see Hebrews 2.1-4). Counterfeit miracles, if they could be convincingly pulled off, would be a great way to deceive some into accepting Satan’s word as God’s word! What a plan and what a dastardly ruse! However, there is a “kicker” in this plan; the power of God is so much greater than that possessed by Satan, those who would be deceived by such shenanigans would have to open the door to deception through their…  ( Click for more )

Concerning one of the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, Thomas was an unbeliever. The others had seen the resurrected Christ but Thomas wasn’t present. Being a man of strong convictions and demanding reasons for his faith, Thomas said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20.25). The Ten spoke in absolute terms about the risen Lord. His very existence was miraculous; certainly the fact that He could exist among ordinary humans bearing…  ( Click for more )