Sermons and Biblical Studies

Probably nothing else bothers the earnest Christian quite so much as the problem of those dry spells that come to him occasionally, no matter how faithfully he tries to obey God and walk in the light. He can never predict them and he cannot explain them. And there lies his difficulty. It might comfort one … Continue reading “DRY
SPELLS; FAITH: FOUNDATION OF”

I heard about an old Christian man who testified, “I’ll admit that I sometimes have doubts. But I always take them to God immediately. I just dive down to the bottom and examine the foundations of my faith. That tactic has not failed yet. Always I have come to the surface singing “How firm a … Continue reading “DOUBTS”

Well, if to escape the charge of being dogmatic I must accept the changing dogmas of the masses, then I am willing to be known as a dogmatist and no holds barred. We who call ourselves Christians are supposed to be a people apart. We claim to have repudiated the wisdom of this world and … Continue reading “DOGMATICS;
SEPARATION; CHRISTIANS: IN THE WORLD”

Failing in his frontal attacks upon the child of God, Satan often turns to more subtle means of achieving his evil purpose. He resorts to devious methods in his attempt to divert the Christian from carrying out the task God has committed to him. He often succeeds by involving the saint in some other lesser … Continue reading “DISTRACTIONS;
PRIORITIES; BUSYNESS”

Among the enemies to devotion none is so harmful as distractions. Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs the interests or shifts our life focus from the kingdom of God within us to the world around us—that is a distraction; and the world is full of them. Our science-based civilization has … Continue reading “DISTRACTIONS;
DEVOTIONAL LIFE; MEDITATION; SIMPLICITY”

Of course the Christian can hope for no manifestation of God while he lives in a state of disobedience. Let a man refuse to obey God on some clear point, let him set his will stubbornly to resist any commandment of Christ, and the rest of his religious activities will be wasted. He may go … Continue reading “DISOBEDIENCE;
SIN: CONSEQUENCES OF”

Men and women are well aware of their failures and frailty. They know their weaknesses, their duplicity, their tendency to be less than honest. So they add an oath to their covenant—an appeal to Someone greater than themselves: “So help me, God!” I have always considered it a little humorous that sinful men who cannot … Continue reading “DISHONESTY;
OATHS; TRUTH: CARELESSNESS REGARDING”

Then there is the matter of constant consolation and peace—the promise of always feeling relaxed and at rest and enjoying ourselves inwardly. This, I say, has been held up as being quite the proper goal to be sought in the evil hour in which we live. We forget that our Lord was a man of … Continue reading “DISCIPLINE:
PERSONAL; TRIALS: NECESSITY OF; SPIRITUAL WARFARE; SUFFERING”

It has become popular to preach a painless Christianity and automatic saintliness. It has become a part of our “instant” culture. “Just pour a little water on it, stir mildly, pick up a gospel tract, and you are on your Christian way.” Lo, we are told, this is Bible Christianity. It is nothing of the … Continue reading “DISCIPLINE:
PERSONAL; DISCIPLESHIP”

But I can hear someone protest, saying “I wanted to get into the Christian life, the spiritual faith, in order that I might be freed from necessity and from a law of having to do things regularly.” Well, you have missed it, my brother! You might as well close your Bible and walk out because … Continue reading “DISCIPLINE:
PERSONAL”