Roots by the River

Here are a few observations from my time doing personal evangelism. Mormons are not Mormons; they are just natural men. Muslims are not Muslims; they are just natural men. Atheists are not atheists; they are just natural men. And many “Christians” are not Christians; they are natural men. There are only two types of people in the world: 1. Forgiven people. 2. Unforgiven people. 1. People who are going to heaven. 2. People who are going to hell. 1. People who are saints. 2. People who are sinners. 1. People who are spiritual. 2. People who are natural. 1. People who are dead to sin. 2. People who are dead in sin. 1. People who are slaves of God. 2. People who are slaves of sin. Here are a few characteristics of the natural man: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

There is a name for God in the Bible that is used some surprising times. It is apparently used in the heavenly places before God revealed His name Yahweh to Moses. The name is the Most High God. Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, said to Mary, “ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33). John the Baptist was called “a prophet of the Most High” (Luke 1:76).   In Mark 5, the demon-possessed man called Jesus the Son of the Most High God. “When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!’” (Mark 5:6-7). The Gerasenes demanded to know who He was. Gabriel knew He was the So

by Doug Wilson From Hammer Magazine Vol. III No. I, Winter 1984 Webster’s defines the verb astonish as to fill with sudden wonder or surprise . Its roots in the Latin are very close to our expression thunderstruck . Astonishment, of course, is that state of being amazed or thoroughly surprised. In Luke chapter 5, an incident occurred which filled certain fishermen with astonishment. They were astonished because of a powerful miracle, and yet there is more significance to the miracle than a mere display of power. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus was preaching to crowds beside the Lake of Gennesaret . Jesus apparently found it difficult to preach with the crowd pressing Him, so He climbed into a boat belonging to Simon, sat down, and taught from there. When the lesson was ended, He told Simon to put into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon responded that they had already worked all night with no result. Daylight was a poor time for fishing, and, apparently, the nets were al

There are many favorite verses of mine in the Scriptures. Here are a few of them: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). “In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge y

There are a great number of parallel events in the two testaments. As I was reading my Bible one morning, I noticed the events in Exodus 1 and Acts 2-6.   “But the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous so that the land was filled with them” (v. 7). “Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous ” (v. 10). “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread ” (v. 12). “God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous ” (v. 20). “About three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41). “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (v. 47). “But many who heard the message believed, and the number grew to about five thousand” (Acts 4:3). “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14). “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jeru

One of my favorite paragraphs in the New Testament is: “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Notice the word resolved . The KJV says determined . The definition is “to fix conclusively, decidedly, and authoritatively.” What was this resolve? “To know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Apparently, Paul was not into small talk and inane conversations. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading

“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth” (3 John 5-8). We do not see this passage quoted often. I want to bring it to your attention because of all of the hospitality I have received, even though I was a stranger to some of those who showed me hospitality. We have taken in strangers, too. Those who went out for the sake of the Name have always been a great blessing to us. Others we have taken in for the sake of the Name . Some of them have stolen from us, some keep coming back for more monetary help, some have just disappeared, and some have been a great blessing. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper ti

“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (Hebrews 11:11-12). “They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation’…. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:4, 9). The first passage has to do with God’s promise to Abraham when he was 100 years old, because Abraham knew that God was faithful and would keep His promise. God kept His promise! The second verse has to do with Jesus’ promise to return to Earth. He gives us the reason for the seeming delay. He kept this promise to Abraham, and H

Some Christians believe that they are enslaved to particular sins. The truth is that they are not slaves. If you are a Christian, you are already free. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb. 2:14–15).  “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:32, 36).  “We are free indeed. ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery’” (Gal. 5:1). What are we to do with this freedom? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect ” (Matt. 5:48). How can we do that? This verse tells us how—imitate God. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting