A Christian Life

  Merry Christmas While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6–7 In the Gospel of Luke, no sooner has the author introduced himself as a detail-oriented historian (Luke 1:1-4) than we are immediately ushered into an environment filled with supernatural occurrences (v 11-17). The story of Jesus’ birth is filled with angels, predictions, and miracles (1:26 – 2:21)—and when Luke reports these events, he offers them not as imaginative stories or poetical speculations but as they are: real history. When we read that Mary laid her firstborn son—the very Son of God—in a manger, it’s because she did. When we read that the child she gave birth to was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:31-35), it’s because He was. Rather than being superfluous, these supernatural elements are an intri

 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed who was with child. Luke 2:1–5 In our day and age, it is trendy to be seeking truth but taboo to say we have found it. Our culture would have us believe that while it’s ok to have a concept or an idea, we shouldn’t say we have certainty. Luke was different. He wasn’t satisfied with anything less than knowing with certainty—for himself and for others. Indeed, it was a key part of his very purpose in writing his Gospel (Luke 1:3-4). Click Here to continue reading

  Have you unknowingly joined the rebellion AGAINST Jesus? You’ve probably noticed that there’s no shortage of faith leaders and church denominations that have departed from biblical teachings to follow the political and moral positions of the culture instead. But with this secular societal backdrop, how can Christians remain faithful and avoid selling out to the whims of the culture? In this week’s eye-opening podcast episode, Frank speaks with author, investigative reporter, (Christian) journalist, and writer for The Daily Wire,  Megan Basham , to discuss the various ways in which Leftists have strategically infiltrated churches, parachurch organizations, and even Christian media with their secular agendas. During this episode, Megan will uncover the true reason why Leftists are targeting the Church and emphasize the need for Christians to be on guard against false teachers. Listen as Frank and Megan answer questions like: How did Megan get into journalism (and why sho

  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14 Do you enjoy waiting? Most of us, if we’re prepared to be honest, would answer with an emphatic “No!” We need only to sit and wait for somebody to reverse out of a parking space to be reminded of how impatient we really are. Usually, we desire that our needs be met according to our timetable, and modern life teaches us that this is a fair demand. And yet this lack of patience poses a major problem for the Christian—because if we find it difficult to wait, we’re going to find it very difficult to walk by faith. Click here to continue reading

This is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 2 John 1:6 Genuine Christian love involves much more than warm feelings, affectionate hugs, and tender affection. While love may very well include emotions and stir our feelings, the love that the Bible calls us to is first and foremost an act of the will. Continue reading click here

Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, “I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed” … May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 1 Samuel 24:10, 1 Samuel 24:12 The verb to grab means to seize something forcibly or roughly or to get something by unscrupulous methods. When we were young, most of us would have been taught by our parents not to grab something but instead to wait until it was handed to us. This is not just good behavior for children; it is biblical living for believers. Continue reading click here  

  How do we know that life is designed? Would it surprise you to know that it can be done mathematically? You see, things like biological systems, specified complexity, and probabilistic hurdles leave no reasonable explanation for life as we know it without a creator. But are atheists and skeptics willing and able to address these hurdles without attributing them to so-called “chance”? In this week’s podcast episode, Frank interviews Dr. William “Bill” Dembski, one of the founders of the modern-day intelligent design movement, who has an impressive academic background in philosophy, mathematics, and theology and sits on the  Board of Directors at the Discovery Institute . In this thought-provoking episode, Bill and Frank team up to discuss the second edition of Bill’s book (co-authored by Winston Ewert) ‘ The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities ‘, which lays out the mathematical way to detect design in nature. During their conversation, Bill an

  The people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” Luke 23:35-38 In Roman-occupied Judea, it was customary for an executed individual to have a sign hanging around his neck declaring the crime he had committed. But with Jesus, there was a problem: Jesus was completely innocent of any wrongdoing. Why, then, did Pilate put a sign on Jesus’ cross that read “This is the King of the Jews”? Continue to read click here

                              The Christian life is one of weakness, infirmity, and dependence upon our Savior. In this world, we are an insubstantial mist, but a mist that ironically loves to boast of our power and authority: ·        James 4:13–16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “ If the Lord wills , we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Continue reading click here  

As a young man, I often spent time around older men so I could receive their wisdom and counsel. I wanted to hear about their experience of living as Christians, and especially their experience of growing in holiness. I wanted their assurance that they had seen significant success in the battle against sin—not just that they had made hesitant little tip-toes toward holiness, but that they had become far more holy than they ever would have thought possible. Continue reading click here

  This very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. Acts 27:23-25 As Paul traveled as a prisoner on a boat to Rome, a debate broke out concerning the right course of action for their trip. During the debate, Paul gave a warning (Acts 27:9-10). Apparently, he had already identified himself by his character and leadership, and when it came to sea voyaging, he had wisdom to share. So Paul advised against continuing the voyage on the basis of what he knew about the sea and the season, and from his personal experience of being shipwrecked (2 Corinthians 11:25). Click here to continue reading

Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. Luke 24:36-37 We might use many words to sum up the achievement of the gospel and our experience of the gospel. One phrase which deserves meditation and inspires worship is simply this: the gospel is a “gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). Click here to continue reading

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 You may have heard of the doctrinal teaching that some people have come to call “the perseverance of the saints.” It is a beautiful doctrine that attempts to capture the keeping power of God over His chosen ones. Jesus said, for example, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Romans 8:29-30 similarly offers to us what some have called “the golden chain of salvation,” affirming that anyone whom God “predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” God’s promise to glorify those He has chosen is so certain that Paul speaks of it in the past tense. Click Here to continue reading  

  There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 1 Samuel 1:1-2 Marked by social, political, and religious chaos, the biblical era described in the book of Judges was not dissimilar to our own times. The chaos was summarized and explained in this way: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). For people living in Israel at that point in history, around 1000 BC, it was almost as if the world were upside down. To many, it seemed that an earthly king was the only remedy for their problems. Click here to continue reading

  How in the world did a biochemist with a Muslim father find his saving grace through Jesus Christ?  Fazale “Fuz” Rana  is president, CEO, and senior scholar of  Reasons to Believe  (RTB), an organization dedicated to communicating the powerful scientific case for God’s existence and the Bible’s reliability to both Christians and non-Christians. Though he initially embraced the evolutionary paradigm, he eventually drew the conclusion that only a Creator’s involvement could explain the elegance of biochemical systems. But how?  Click here to listen

  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 There was a man on a golf practice range who was, by any standards, an appalling player. When he occasionally connected with the ball, it was with wild slashing movements that sent it in every direction but seldom where he intended. His drives were ineffectual and weak, and he consistently dribbled the iron shots along the ground. Click here to continue reading

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2 The Bible never disguises just how dark life can get. The Scriptures are clear that when sins multiply, when evil is celebrated, when God is left out, darkness ensues. And yet, over and over in the Bible’s storyline, we are reminded that God is not afraid of or defeated by such darkness. In fact, He makes a habit of drawing near and turning it into light. Click here to continue reading