“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” Ephesians 1:5 Adoption is considered a legal term. One legally taking someone born of another and bringing them into their own family and giving that person the rights and privileges that come with being…
I Am the Church
I had dinner with a good friend a few weeks ago and as we were leaving she asked me a question that she said I should meditate on, a question that was presented to her at church that day. The question was this: “If [our] church were to close, would the community notice?” As I…
Provide The Need
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that we should give to him that asks of us and love our enemies, because God is even good to the unjust by causing His sun to rise and His rain to fall upon them. This means to be like our Saviour, we’re to be people of…
Faith in Christ before Intellectual Knowledge of Christ?
Most people consider the idea of faith existing apart from the ministry of the gospel as ludicrous. This concept is what I would call a Primitive Baptist distinctive. Primitive Baptists not only believe that regeneration precedes faith, but also contend that faith can exist apart from the preached word. Those that espouse the view that…
Obsessed With the Errors of Another?
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, exhorts fellow believers to continually examine themselves whether they are “in the faith.” He clarifies his intent – unless we’re reprobate, Jesus is in us. So we must examine ourselves daily to make sure we are in the faith. In other words, just because Jesus dwells in a person doesn’t…
Setting in Order Things Wanting
After the terribly disappointing national events of late last week, my reading this week has been in what are known as the “Pastoral Epistles,” Paul’s writings to two other ministers, Timotheus and Titus. I was reminded this morning while reading through Titus of something I’ve intended to write about for the past month or so,…
Who is the Man of Sin?
The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2 mentions a mystery figure whose appearance is one of the signs to be given prior to Christ’s second coming, the Man of Sin. Prior to discussing a few possibilities as to his identity, let’s first consider what scripture says about him from 2 Thessalonians 2. Christ’s second coming…
Let Your Communication Be Yea And… “Neigh”?
Everyone has a hobby horse. I have a hobby horse. You have a hobby horse. We’ve all got one. What is a hobby horse, you might ask? Wikipedia explains: From the term “hobby horse” came the expression “to ride one’s hobby-horse”, meaning “to follow a favorite pastime”, and in turn, the modern sense of the…
Convicting Quote from the Fulton Confession
Today I sat down and re-read the 1900 Fulton Confession of Faith. It is a hobby of mine to read (and re-read) from our ministers of yesteryear and Baptist history in general. The Primitive Baptist Church of Jesus Christ has a rich heritage that I hope all of it’s members appreciate. The Fulton Confession of…