As we think about the subject of Calvinism, let me caution you about labels. I personally do not like to say I am a Calvinist only because of the baggage that comes with that label. To use that label causes me to become everything that Calvin...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
In 1610, one year after the death of James Arminius, five articles of faith based on his teachings were drawn up by his followers. They were: free will, conditional election, universal atonement, resistible grace, and falling from grace. These...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mat.5:8).Holiness is a very important word in the Bible. For it speaks of the triune God. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are holy. The Israelites sang of God's holiness when they were...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"Blessed are those who mourn" (Matthew 5:4)."Mourn" is the Greek word pentheo (Pres.part.). Generally it means, "to lament, to mourn for the dead. To grieve with a grief which so takes possession of the whole being that it cannot be hid" (Fritz...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"We see first the poor in spirit, which is the right attitude toward sin and which leads to mourning in verse 4. After you've seen your sinfulness and mourned, you're meek with a sense of humility. Then you seek and hunger and thirst for...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew.5:3)The kingdom of heaven belongs to the "poor in spirit" Jesus says. But what does it mean to be "poor in spirit." Is Jesus talking about physical poverty? No. Being...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
He was a new clerk in the greens goods department of a supermarket. A lady came up to him and said she wanted to buy half a head of lettuce. He tried to dissuade her from that goal, but she persisted. Finally he said, "I'll have to go back and...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"To give the breast to it and feed it. As a fond parent humours his child and lets him have what he wants, so to indulge sin is to humour sin.To indulge sin is to commit it with delight: 'they had pleasure in unrighteousness' (2 Thess.2:12).In...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"God is not working at random: the gospel has been sent forth on no uncertain mission: the final outcome in the conflict between good and evil has not been left indeterminate; how many are to be saved or lost depends not on the will of the...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"A few years ago the Chicago Tribune reported the story of a New Mexico woman who was frying tortillas when she noticed that the skillet burns on one of her tortillas resembled the face of Jesus. Excited, she showed it to her husband and...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
