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A Pure Heart

May 11th, 2012 | Add a Comment

“Blessed [are] the pure in heart, for they shall see god.” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV) How can a moral leper be fit to worship? For many the answer rest on a false view of sanctification. For them sanctification is nothing more than justification by another name. The Christian is considered holy because he is a Christian. However, sanctification is more than just a position. It is real holiness, practical holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). This is a real problem for those who are truly spiritual because the more spiritual a believer the more he sees his own filthiness. The legalist [Pharisee] has no difficulty with sanctification because he is justified by his works, or so he believes. The antinomian sees no difficulty because he sees no demand in … Read entire article »

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God Helps the Afflicted

“My eyes [are] ever toward the LORD, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I [am] desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in you. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. Redeem Israel, O god, out of all their troubles!” (Psalms 25:15-22 NKJV) David made his impassioned … Read entire article »

Speak the Truth

“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” (James 5:12 AV) cp. Matt 5:33-37 James is not talking about a legal oath made like a Nasserite vow, or some other commitment made to the Lord in faith. No, the practice he refers to is the rash claim to truth at the expense of the Lord’s name. It was common for the Jews to validate their lies by swearing by this thing or that. This was a grievous sin tantamount to taking the Lord’s name in vain. We know that the … Read entire article »

No Other Gospel

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9 NKJV) The first question that comes to mind is what other gospel Paul is talking about. Obviously, any deviation … Read entire article »

To the Praise of His Glory

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward … Read entire article »

Believe God

They then addressed themselves to the water; and entering, CHRISTIAN began to sink. And crying out to his good friend, HOPEFUL, he said, “I sink in deep waters, the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me.” Then said the other, “Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good.” Then said CHRISTIAN, “Ah! my friend, the sorrows of death have compassed me about; I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey. And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon CHRISTIAN, so that he could not see before him; also here he, in great measure, lost his senses, so that he could … Read entire article »

What God Wants Is You!

“Thus says the LORD: “heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things my hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the LORD. “but on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2 NKJV) The Lord loves you. He desires that you walk before Him poor in spirit contrite in heart. That’s all there is to it, giving self to God. We like to complicate things because we don’t like the clear path—it’s too hard. We would rather hold … Read entire article »

Making Sense of Nonsense

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2 NKJV) When we see things that are clearly wrong Biblically, it is difficult to make sense of it. We often cry unto the Lord asking, “Why?” It seems to me there are two perspectives to remember. First, there is the perspective of the one doing the wrong. Second, there is the perspective of the one seeing the wrong. Take for example the nonsense we often see in the Church. Clearly, those who are doing the wrong—I am writing about unbiblical methodologies not clear moral sin—do not believe they are wrong. Yet, others might clearly see the same methodology … Read entire article »

Resisting Temptation by Remembering Blessings

“And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “lie with me.” but he refused and said to his master’s wife, “look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against god?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or … Read entire article »

Powerful Preaching

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of god. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of god.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NKJV) As I listened to a few minutes of a popular preacher it struck me how weary I am of yelling … Read entire article »

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