The Church and True Worship

Posted 5/27/14 by Donald Barnhouse

Worship does not necessarily involve going to church. The word was originally "worth-ship," the quality of recognizing the worth of God. When we sing, "Oh, could I speak the matchless worth ..." we are getting at the real meaning of the idea of worship. In the Bible there are incidents which show that worship was carried out apart from any outward act of ritual or liturgy. "By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshipped, strengthening himself with his staff' (Heb. 11:21). A careful study of the Old Testament passage to which the New Testament verse refers will reveal that the worship consisted in being firm to the end, in giving his sons a good example of faith in God, and following the commands given to Him by God.

Worship does not necessarily involve going to church. The word was originally "worth-ship," the quality of recognizing the worth of God. When we sing, "Oh, could I speak the matchless worth ..." we are getting at the real meaning of the idea of worship.

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Pastor OR Movement Leader: Choose you this day...

Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 by Todd Pruitt on 1517

Liberate (Tullian Tchividjian's outfit) seems to be morphing rather quickly into a denomination complete with a directory of churches.

 Pause for a long sigh...

 What is it these days with pastors feeling the need to lead movements? In seeing the Liberate site today, a friend asked me what sadly seems to be an increasingly unthinkable question: "Why can't we just serve our denominations?" Silly man.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Part Five

By James Boice

Matthew 18:10-14
Theme: Shepherding.
In this week’s lessons we see God reclaiming the lost.
 
Lesson
Today we conclude our study of the important things this parable teaches us about God.

God’s pursuit of the lost is effective. We might suppose, if all we are thinking about is the parable of the prodigal, that the son might not have returned and that the love of the father might have been frustrated. But that is not what Jesus was getting at. In the first two parables in Luke 15, the shepherd finds the lost sheep and the woman finds the lost coin. All Jesus is emphasizing is God’s joy over recovering whatever has been lost. This is what he means in Matthew, too, for in Matthew Jesus says, "Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost" (v. 14). And, of course, they are not. The Father seeks for them until he finds them and brings them home.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Part Four

By James Boice

Matthew 18:10-14
Theme: Shepherding.
In this week’s lessons we see God reclaiming the lost.
 
Lesson

Why should we focus on angels when it is God who is our Savior? The parable tells us many important things about God. We have already looked at two points: (1) God cares for us individually, and (2) God understands our weaknesses. In today’s lesson we look at the third and fourth points.

Can a Born-Again Man Apostasize?

Posted 5/26/14 by Donald Barnhouse

Anyone who believes that one who has been truly born of God can get out of relationship with God and be finally lost is blind to great sections of truth in the Word of God. They look at some experiences in life instead of at the Word of God, and judge the Word by what they see in life, rather than judging life by what they see in the Word.

Anyone who believes that one who has been truly born of God can get out of relationship with God and be finally lost is blind to great sections of truth in the Word of God. They look at some experiences in life instead of at the Word of God, and judge the Word by what they see in life, rather than judging life by what they see in the Word.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Part Three

By James Boice

Matthew 18:10-14
Theme: Shepherding.
In this week’s lessons we see God reclaiming the lost.
 
Lesson
We concluded yesterday’s lesson with the question, "Why should we focus on angels when it is God who is our Savior?" The parable tells us many important things about God.

God cares for us individually. When I see a hundred sheep in a meadow I cannot begin to imagine how a shepherd can distinguish one sheep from another and miss one if it is caught by a predator or wanders off. All sheep look alike to me. But I am told that shepherds do know their sheep. They know them individually and, what is more, their sheep know them and respond to their voices. Jesus was building on this fact when he told the people of his day, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15).

If We Confess

Posted 5/23/14 by Donald Barnhouse

Governor Neff, of Texas, visited the penitentiary of that state and spoke to the assembled convicts. When he had finished he said that he would remain behind, and that if any man wanted to speak with him, he would gladly listen. He further announced that he would listen in confidence, and that nothing a man might say would be used against him.

Governor Neff, of Texas, visited the penitentiary of that state and spoke to the assembled convicts. When he had finished he said that he would remain behind, and that if any man wanted to speak with him, he would gladly listen. He further announced that he would listen in confidence, and that nothing a man might say would be used against him.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Was Christ's Death Divine Child Abuse?

by Jason Helopoulos • May 22, 2014

He in our place. "He has borne our griefs" (Is. 53:4). "He was wounded for our transgressions" (Is. 53: 5). "He was crushed for our iniquities" (Is. 53:4). "Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5). He was our substitute. It has been argued that this is unjust; it isn't right. Some enemies of the gospel have gone so far as to say that Christ being our substitute was some sort of divine child-abuse. However, that is far from the case.

He in our place. "He has borne our griefs" (Is. 53:4). "He was wounded for our transgressions" (Is. 53: 5). "He was crushed for our iniquities" (Is. 53:4). "Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5). He was our substitute. It has been argued that this is unjust; it isn't right. Some enemies of the gospel have gone so far as to say that Christ being our substitute was some sort of divine child-abuse. However, that is far from the case.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Part Two

By James Boice

Matthew 18:10-14
Theme: Shepherding.
In this week’s lessons we see God reclaiming the lost.
 
Lesson

This parable fits into the context of Matthew 18. At the beginning of the chapter the disciples ask Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (v. 1). Jesus answers: (1) the one who is humble, like a little child (vv. 2-9); (2) the one who cares for the weak or lost believer (vv. 10-14); and (3) the one who forgives other people (vv. 15-20).

Eternal Security

Posted 5/22/14 by Donald Barnhouse

A noted Christian leader, well known to many thousands of God's children for his wonderful messages on the deep spiritual life, passed through a time of great testing. He was old and his life span had nearly run its course. Illness had attacked his brain, just as it might attack the eyes of one or the knees of another, and he imagined that he was lost. He, who had spoken many times on the wonderful security of the believer in Christ, said to the few friends who entered his room that a cloud had passed over his faith, and that his old nature was so terrible that he was sure that he was lost. We do not doubt for a moment that he was saved.

A noted Christian leader, well known to many thousands of God's children for his wonderful messages on the deep spiritual life, passed through a time of great testing. He was old and his life span had nearly run its course. Illness had attacked his brain, just as it might attack the eyes of one or the knees of another, and he imagined that he was lost.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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