Posts with the category “coffee-hour-w-pastor-john”

"The devil made me do it.” Maybe you’ve heard it. Maybe you’ve thought it. Maybe, in a moment of fear or darkness, you even asked: Can a Christian be possessed by a demon? It's a sobering question—and a common one in today’s world, where spiritual battles are often just beneath the surface.  Read More

Ungodly emotions should not merely be managed because Scripture calls believers to a far deeper work—the transformation of the heart through sanctification, not just behavior modification.   Read More

One of the most well-known and influential stories in the Old Testament is the story of Gideon in Judges 6-7. Gideon was an unlikely, fearful man whom God called to lead Israel against the Midianites, a powerful enemy that had been oppressing Israel for years. At first, Gideon was paralyzed by fear—he doubted himself, he doubted God, and he constantly looked for signs and reassurance before taking action (and this was not a good thing; see my earlier blog on Not Putting Out Your Fleece). Yet, through God’s guidance, Gideon moved from fear to faith—not because of his own strength, but because he learned to trust in God’s power and obey despite his fears.  Read More

So, on more than one occasion, I've heard someone claim to be a “modern-day apostle…” But can that person be true a biblical apostle? No, They can’t be. Not by biblical standards, anyway. To answer this more fully, I want to briefly take a moment and explain some of the biblical criteria for an apostle and then give you an example of a problematic 'apostolic' movement that has gained popularity today.   Read More

Church members sometimes think of evangelism as, "Pastor, I'll catch 'em (i.e. bring them to church); you fry them..."   Read More

Known for directness, Puritan pastor Thomas Watson seeks to win men’s understanding. Warning against the seriousness of sin and the dangers of superficial repentance and complacency in the Christian life, Watson reminds us of Scripture's clarion call that believers should live a Holy Life with a timeless message: "Repentance is never out of season," even if the world claims otherwise.   Read More

The question of whether God created evil is one that theologians and philosophers have wrestled with for centuries. God, who is inherently good and holy, did not create moral evil. Instead, He allowed for the possibility of evil by giving humanity and angels free will.  Read More

The story of Gideon in Judges 6 often captivates believers because of his "fleece test" to confirm God’s will. Gideon asked God for a miraculous sign, first for the fleece to be wet and the ground dry, and then the opposite, to confirm that God had indeed called him to deliver Israel from Midianite oppression. While this story reveals God’s patience and grace, using it as a model for decision-making today is misguided for Christians who have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Read More

       Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford Press, 1998.          Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) made many contributions to Christian theology and literature, earning him status as one of the most influential fathers in the Western Church (both Catholic and Protestant).  For much of his early life, he followed the false beliefs and teachings of Manichaeism.  After ...  Read More

     Trust in God's Provision: A Summary of Don't Worry by David PowlisonDavid Powlison’s article, "Don’t Worry", explores Jesus' teaching from Luke 12:22-34, where Christ instructs His followers not to be anxious about their daily needs. Through the lens of this passage, Powlison offers a practical and spiritual guide for Christians on dealing with worry and anxiety, particularly about material c...  Read More

So maybe you have heard someone say: ... Noah's flood is just a myth taken from other Ancient Near Eastern flood epics... That's the claim made by the critics...   Read More

This week, I've read a lot about words, their meaning, and their "context," as found in the Bible...  Read More

What is a very common but not realized sin that Christians commit? I believe one answer can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 through 19—quenching or stifling the Holy Spirit and not giving thanks.  Read More

In short, Client-centered therapy offers no real hope, no actual change, no true redemption, and no possibility of reconciliation with the God who created all humanity. It allows men and women to remain in their sins, exalting them to act as the de facto God of themselves. Nothing in the theory points to the truths of God.   Read More

Ideas like those offered by B.F. Skinner brazenly illustrate the height and depth of mankind’s foolishness apart from God. Where do you get your wisdom from?  Read More

By John Holmes First Baptist Church Moriarty          The local church is not a building but an intentional gathering of two or more visible Holy Spirit-filled believers who, in Jesus' name, mutually agree about His Gospel. It must preach the Word of God and observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper scripturally. Normatively, when spiritually healthy, church members voluntarily coven...  Read More

By John Holmes The Empty Tomb (Source: Logos Media)           The phrase "He is risen indeed!" used on Easter morning by Christians has a deep-rooted history in Christian tradition. It serves as a joyful affirmation of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. This tradition is encapsulated in the liturgical practice known as the Paschal greeting, which varies slightly across different languages ...  Read More

By John Holmes Communion Plate (Source: Logos Media)           Jesus instructed His disciples to remember His death and resurrection. To help them do so, He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”). These two ordinances are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are not sacraments, and as such, they do not dispense God’s grace. Ordinances are symbolic and not undertaken for salvation...  Read More

An examination of Paul’s exhortations in 1 Corinthians 3–6 to grow in Christ and guard against impurity by avoiding spiritual immaturity and the folly of human wisdom demonstrates that churches should instruct biblical sexual ethics by teaching God’s design for gender, marriage, sex, and procreation to help Christians respond to the social narratives of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual freedom. By systematically teaching biblical sexual morality, Christians not only grow in Christ and guard against impurity, but they become more equipped to respond to an increasingly hostile and vocal world that does not worship God but instead, themselves.   Read More

Collins, Gary. Can You Trust Psychology? Exposing the Facts and the Fictions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.           Gary Collins, professor of psychology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Ph.D. Perdue University), claims to write Can You Trust Psychology? as an attempt to provide a “balanced reaction to psychology’s critics” in the ongoing debate over psychology’s trustworth...  Read More

Peter Randolph. Sketches of Slave Life and From Slave Cabin to the Pulpit. Edited by Katherine Clay Bassard. West Virginia University Press. 2016. 309 pp. $21           If you're looking for a good book Christians will benefit from reading, look no further. Few people today possess a true sense of slavery's evil.  The autobiography of Peter Randolph, a former slave turned pastor-abolitionist and ...  Read More

          Throughout the New Testament, readers will discover examples of evangelists who boldly share the ‘good news’ whenever, wherever, and to whomever, as often as possible, relying upon the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul is one who embodies exactly this behavior. Because of the Gospel’s divine origin, Paul recognizes God’s Spirit as the agent of salvation.  Paul seeks to snatch men...  Read More