Truth Inspires

Perpetua, Felicity, and others - Future Martyrs*     And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. (Galatians 5:11) As it is written: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STUMBLING STONE AND ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME." (Romans 9:33) In Christianity today there is a "war of affections" th at is bringing much confusion into the arena of Christian thought and practice. Th e battle I speak of is one that rears itself in the deep emotional recesses of the human heart. 1 It is the hardest battle one will ever fight. Although the occasional skirmish has always been a reality in many places around the earth, it becomes more visible when our precious faith is under fire.  Perpetua's Story "In A.D. 202, Emperor Septimius Severus disallowed conversions to Christianity. In the wake of that act, severe persecution broke out again...

Into Your hands we commit our spirit       In my book, " The Sifted Generation, Tested, Tried, and Found True, " I wrote of a sifting of believers that would take place on earth prior to the return of Christ; a sifting that would separate true believers from the pretenders. The results of this sifting would be clearly seen in the public eye—even shouted from the rooftops of the world—as those who are true God-fearing Christians would be called to make a faithful stand on the side of Christ. Today, before our very eyes, we see this happening as believers in different parts of the world are shedding their blood, giving their lives in martyrdom, undergoing scorn and ridicule, and being sued for consciously and publicly practicing their faith.  Yes, there is a sifting wind blowing on the heights, a winnowing if you will, that is slowly spreading around the world bringing to light those who are true believers. Like the hero...

"Grace for Grace, χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος" immediately follows Johns declaration that "Of His fullness we have all received" (John 1:16). It was Jesus who was full of grace and truth, John 1:17, and it is of His fullness we who have believed have fully received His grace. The Greek word χαριν, charin in English, has been defined in two ways according to Liddel: 1. On the part of the Doer , grace, graciousness, kindness, goodwill, τινός for or towards one [another] 2. on the part of the Receiver , the sense of favor received, thankfulness, thanks, gratitude Grace for grace. He gives fully of His grace to those who in turn show grace to others. Paul speaks of the Lord's grace bestowed to us in the following way: "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Ephesians 4:7 ). And in 1 Corinthians 15:10, he speaks of the measure of grace given to him as the laboring power working to bring the gospel to the worl...

Created with Logos The Apostle Paul wrote what the Lord revealed to him in the passage below, as  being the under-girding framework of all Christian wisdom and illumination when it comes to understanding what the Bible states, and how true Christians are transformed. 10  But God has revealed them [deep biblical truths] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13  These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, ...