"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Most of us are familiar with the great Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 12:1 is a transition verse, as indicated by the opening word, "wherefore." As chapter 12 begins, the writer quits referring to the faith … Continue Reading ››
There are many people today who think that just because they go to church, or were baptized as an infant, or were raised by godly parents, that it earns them the title of "Christian." But what does the Word of God say? The word "Christian" only appears three times in the Bible. Those three times help us to define what a Christian is from God's perspective. Being a Christian involves:
A CERTAIN DEMONSTRATION - Acts 11:26b
"And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts … Continue Reading ››
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;" (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).
Charles Swindoll, in The Darkness and the Dawn, tells the story of a wonderful Christian named Edith Burns who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of Dr. Will Phillips, a gentle physician who saw patients as people. He loved them all, but his favorite patient was Edith Burns.
One morning Dr. Phillips went to his office with a heavy heart because he had discovered that Edith Burns had cancer. He knew that she had an appointment that morning. When he arrived in his … Continue Reading ››
The Faith Promise Offering for missions is a method of giving with a biblical basis. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 of 2 Corinthians is where we find the scriptural concepts upon which we base this practice. In a nutshell, the Faith Promise Offering for missions is the amount each church member promises to give by faith above his or her tithe during the coming year.
It's been said that the Gospel is like water stored deep in the ground. It's free, but it takes money to … Continue Reading ››
There are various doors that God opens up to us. Let's be sure we go through these open doors in 2018. What are they?
First, there is thedoor of faith - "...all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27). We enter the door of faith that God opens for us when we repent of our sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ to save us by His grace. Have you entered the … Continue Reading ››
The Lord Jesus Christ, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), once marveled at the faith He found in a man. In fact, it's the only time in the New Testament record that we read of such a response from Jesus. On top of that, the man in question was not a disciple, a rabbi, or even a member of the Jewish nation. He was a Roman soldier - a centurion.
The account is given to us in … Continue Reading ››
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 43:5).
Psalm 43 has but five verses, and in those five verses there are four questions which all begin with the same word: "Why?" Sorrow and heaviness through different kinds of trials may prompt the soul to wonder and question. Neglect of spiritual things and disobedience to God may plunge the … Continue Reading ››
"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path" (Psalm 142:3a).
Here was David, hiding in a cave from King Saul, probably the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). The cave was like a prison, a place you want to get out of, but can't. David expressed this as a prayer: "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name" (Psalm 142:7a). Whatever prison you may find yourself in, there is One who can set you free: the Lord Jesus … Continue Reading ››
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
What does Paul mean when he writes "when ye received the word of God ... ye received it not as the word of men..."? This almost sounds like double-talk. In reality, it is two … Continue Reading ››
A Bible-believing, Independent Baptist Church with a heart for people! Located in Fruitland Park in close proximity to the Villages, Lady Lake, Wildwood and the Tri-County Area!
