Here is a very good article about faith...

The author suggests it may be very good for witnessing to unbelieving relatives and friends.

Blog: Pyromaniacs
Post: King Herod, the believer

More on Jesus Christ, the Word

Here is more to chew on after December 21^st’s sermon from John 1:1-14, specifically about the word Word as it is attached to our Lord Jesus Christ.

John MacArthur provides more depth on the meaning of Christ as the Word in his commentary on the Gospel of John:

 

To the Jew a word was something concrete, something much closer to what we would call an event or deed. A word spoken was a deed done…What happens when God speaks? The answer is that something is instantly done. God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light’ (Gen. 1:3). God said, ‘So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it’ (Isa. 55:11). Thus the Jew would be somewhat prepared for the thought that the Word of God could somehow be seen and touched as well as heard and that the ‘Word’ might somehow find expression in a life. It would not be entirely strange for a Jew to learn, as the author of Hebrews puts it, that ‘God, “who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son’(Heb. 1:1-2).

“Frightening News for Anyone Who Has a Conscience”

Click here to access this article on Zach Nielsen’s blog.

Ask A Question for Babies' Sakes

Blog: Between Two Worlds
Article: Ask Obama about the Freedom of Choice Act

Be Aware!

Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Newsweek's Revisionist, Religious Case for Gay Marriage

Death by Gift Certificate

I thought you might like to read this article titled "Death by Gift Certificate" from AlbertMohler.com.

CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE

The Christ of Christmas: A Quote from “Santa Christ?”, by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

 

“There is…an element in the Gospel narratives that stresses that the coming of Jesus is a disturbing event of the deepest proportions. It had to be thus, for He did not come merely to add something extra to life, but to deal with our spiritual insolvency and the debt of our sin. He was not conceived in the womb of Mary for those who have done their best, but for those who know that their best is like “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)—far from good enough—and that in their flesh there dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18). He was not sent to be the source of good experiences, but to suffer the pangs of hell in order to be our Savior.” (You will find the whole article by Dr. Ferguson HERE)

The Dark Deceptiveness of Darkness

 

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

I’ve been thinking a lot about spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:3) and darkness and how this darkness can be so deceptive. Lost people who are blind do not grasp that they are in darkness and, in fact, they prefer darkness. The Scripture says that they love it.

Consider John 3:19-20—“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” People loved the darkness!

This is why new birth by the Holy Spirit is needed. In darkness, people love what is wicked, sinful, and dark and despise the light (who is Christ, John 8:12), even though they are aware that their sin dooms them. “Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32). Therefore, they need the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit to give them new hearts and affections that are soft toward God and embrace repentance and faith for rescue from darkness in Christ.

I urge you to pray for “darkness lovers” in your spheres of influence, that the Spirit of God would bring them to life and draw them to Jesus Christ! Pray in terms of the promise of Ezekiel 36:26-27—“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”