Leaving Laodicea

Jesus placed as first importance the need to count the costs (Luke 14:28) before coming to Him and partaking of His life (John 7:37-38).  But many today fail to embrace, or even consider, what it means to truly follow Christ.  We debate among ourselves trivial theological matters or define, to our own carnality, what is "permissible" in the Christian life, yet fail to understand the depths of the new life He has call us to.It's a life, mind you, of holiness.  After all, "No man ever spoke like this Man! (John 7:46).Want to know more about the life of faith?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on John 7:40-52.

Jesus, at the close of the Sermon on the Mount, speaks some of the most frightening words in all of Scripture.  He draws a clean distinction between those who are saved and those who are deceived in thinking they are saved.He begins by explaining the narrow way to life and the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14).  And many, He says, go the way of destruction.He then tells us we will know those who are deceived by the lack of fruit in their lives.  Spiritual fruit is the only evidence, according to Jesus, of true salvation (Matt. 7:15-20).Finally Jesus tells us many will be deceived on the Day of Judgment and be cast from the Lord's presence.  Why?  Because they "practiced lawlessness" (Matt. 7:21-23).Incredibly sobering words.  Want to hear more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on True Salvation.

Jesus, at the close of the Sermon on the Mount, speaks some of the most frightening words in all of Scripture.  He draws a clean distinction between those who are saved and those who are deceived in thinking they are saved.He begins by explaining the narrow way to life and the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14).  And many, He says, go the way of destruction.He then tells us we will know those who are deceived by the lack of fruit in their lives.  Spiritual fruit is the only evidence, according to Jesus, of true salvation (Matt. 7:15-20).Finally Jesus tells us many will be deceived on the Day of Judgment and be cast from the Lord's presence.  Why?  Because they "practiced lawlessness" (Matt. 7:21-23).Incredibly sobering words.  Want to hear more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on True Salvation.

When Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders with the truth of who He is, they naturally respond by wanting to silence His voice, to take Him captive (John 7:32), to destroy Him or, literally, to kill Him (John 7:19).  And, unlike many of us today in the church, Jesus did not retreat but boldly stood and declared to them the gospel once again.  Consider the following:On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).Jesus preaches to them the gospel in just three words:  thirst, come and drink.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on John 7:25-39.

When Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders with the truth of who He is, they naturally respond by wanting to silence His voice, to take Him captive (John 7:32), to destroy Him or, literally, to kill Him (John 7:19).  And, unlike many of us today in the church, Jesus did not retreat but boldly stood and declared to them the gospel once again.  Consider the following:On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).Jesus preaches to them the gospel in just three words:  thirst, come and drink.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on John 7:25-39.

Some of the most scathing words spoken by the Lord to those who have committed their lives to Him, the priests, are found in the first chapter of Malachi.  And I mean scathing words.But what God says in Malachi is not limited to the priests of Israel, but also to the church today.  These words speak to everyone of us.  They are not to be taken lightly.Consider the following:  “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor?  And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?" says the Lord of hosts.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on Malachi 1:6-14.

Some of the most scathing words spoken by the Lord to those who have committed their lives to Him, the priests, are found in the first chapter of Malachi.  And I mean scathing words.But what God says in Malachi is not limited to the priests of Israel, but also to the church today.  These words speak to everyone of us.  They are not to be taken lightly.Consider the following:  “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor?  And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?" says the Lord of hosts.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on Malachi 1:6-14.

The first of the two most important questions asked of Jesus is:  Who are You?  (John 7:12) This question can be asked of Him as long as He is with the crowd, as long as He's at arms length to each of us.  But when He invades our world, everything changes.  Now we are faced with the second most important question asked of Jesus:  Can we believe what You say?  Are Your words true?  And what exactly are You saying to us? (John 7:16-18).Or, to summarize CS Lewis' thoughts in Mere Christianity:A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on John 7:15-24.

The first of the two most important questions asked of Jesus is:  Who are You?  (John 7:12) This question can be asked of Him as long as He is with the crowd, as long as He's at arms length to each of us.  But when He invades our world, everything changes.  Now we are faced with the second most important question asked of Jesus:  Can we believe what You say?  Are Your words true?  And what exactly are You saying to us? (John 7:16-18).Or, to summarize CS Lewis' thoughts in Mere Christianity:A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on John 7:15-24.

Message from Malachi — A Prophetic Warning to the ChurchWe are about to undertake a study of the last book of the Old Testament, the last of the Post-Exile prophets, Malachi.  This small, four chapter book holds a unique place in the Scriptures because it stands at the end, the last call if you will, of the Old Testament and also at the beginning, as an introduction, to the 400 year period where God was silent and closed the door on any future revelation to His people.Rest assured, there's much in Malachi to challenge and rebuke and offend the church and the clergy today.  It's a most timely book that needs to be preached from pulpits all across our land but, unfortunately for the church, seldom is.  As we dig deeper into his message, you'll understand why this book has fallen out of favor in the Laodicean church of today (Rev. 3:16).Want to know more?  Then keep listening.The following is a study on Malachi 1:1-5.