7 Reasons Why Jesus Was Chosen As the Lamb of God

It was not just because He was sinless; for, even the Father and the Holy Spirit are sinless.1. It was because all things were created through Him (Jn.1:3); therefore, only through Him could all things also be redeemed (Eph.3:9; Col.1:16; Heb.1:2).2. It was because He is the heir of all things (created for Him); therefore, He alone had the right to redeem all things (Heb.1:2,3).3. It was because the old creation was through Him; therefore, it's end...

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Does the Bible Encourage People-Group Church Planting?

Pentecost has a number of theological implications for missions that cannot be ignored. The ethno-linguistic-geographical division that resulted at Babel was obliterated at Pentecost; and the pouring of the Holy Spirit entailed not only the transcending of linguistic barriers but also the ingathering of both Jews and Gentiles into one. "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that...

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Sources of Our Thoughts

"This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." (Jas 3:15-16) The Bible talks about at least four sources of human thoughts:The World (books, images, media, friends, traditions, culture, belief-systems, etc)Our Nature or Soul (Gr. psuchikos; past experiences, inferences, memories, feelings, desires, lusts, undealt sin, immediate need, wickedness...

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Truth, Freedom, and Determinism

"Tell a lie, speak it loudly, repeat it often, and the majority of people will believe it." ~ Adolf HitlerSinister as this quote appears, deliberate lying is part of propaganda and advertisement all around. And, while people recognize much of it as false (for instance, an ad that shows women swarming on a man using a particular body spray), it is held that somehow the elevated picture one paints will have a psychologically deterministic noetic effect....

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Humility Before God and Men (1Pet.5:5)

"Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (1Pet 5:5)~Humility before God includes humility before fellow humans as well. What matters more is not how much we know or what we have accomplished, but how much we love God. For, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known...

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The Security of the Elect – Is It Possible for the Elect to Fall?

The answer is “No”. But, this is not the doctrine of eternal security as taught by Calvinism. According to Calvinism, God predestines certain individuals to damnation and certain others to salvation. Those whom God has predestined to be saved will endure to the end. Thus, it is not “those who endure to the end will be saved” but “those who are saved will endure to the end.” In other words, the elect will endure; it is not those who will endure that...

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If Christ Died For All, Why Are They Still Condemned?

"The sin of Adam," says Charles Hodge, "did not make the condemnation of all men merely possible; it was the ground of their actual condemnation. So the righteousness of Christ did not make the salvation of men merely possible, it secured the actual salvation of those for whom He wrought."The great Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon said: "If Christ has died for you, you can never be lost. God will not punish twice for one thing. If God punished Christ for your sins He will not punish you. 'Payment God's justice cannot twice demand; first, at...

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What is Eternal Life?

"And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:28 )The search for the elixir of life or the potion of immortality fills the pages of human religion and history. While various religions affirmed immortality of the soul (or even a-soul as in Buddhism), the quest for the ambrosia (nectar or amrit) to enhance physical longevity could hardly be erased. The Bible records the Tree of...

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Can the Forgiven Become Unforgiven Again?

Jesus gives the answer to this question in His Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt.18:23-35). The man was forgiven but his forgiveness became invalid and was withdrawn the moment he showed unforgiveness to someone else who was indebted to him. This man failed to walk according to the grace he received and soon turned to the law when it came to someone else. Jesus told that with the measure we measure out to others, it will be measured back to...

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Honoring God

What Honoring is Not1. Honoring is Not Mere Lip Service (Isa.29:13)2. Honoring is Not Mere Sacrifices and Offerings (Isa.1:13-15)3. Honoring is Not Honoring Out of Greed and Covetousness (Job 1)How do People Dishonor God1. Receiving Honor from Men (Jn.5:44; Gal.1:10)2. Not Obeying His Counsel (Psa.107:11; Lk.7:29,30)3. Dishonoring by Not Giving Unto the Lord (Mal.3:8-10)4. Dishonoring by Bad Giving (Mal.1:6,7,12-14)5. Dishonoring by Betrayal (Heb.6:1-11)6. Cursing God when Things Don't Go Well (Job 1)Honoring God1. Honoring God with our Hearts...

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Job 1: The Man Who Put The Devil To Shame

Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (Job 1:9)In Job 1:9, the devil is for the first time seen accusing anyone in the history of humanity. The accused guy is a healthy, wealthy, holy man called Job. 3 Claims of the Devil:1. Anyone can fear God if God becomes their protector2. Anyone can fear God if God becomes their prosperor3. Anyone will curse God if God withdraws His protection and prosperityThe Devil is happy as...

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Anthropological Consequences of Regeneration Perspectives

Take for instance the case of your neighbor or a friend that you know is not a believer in Christ. What is the difference between you as a believer and the other? The constitutionalist would say that there is a constitutional or ontological difference: the unbeliever’s spirit is dead, or the unbeliever’s nature is totally wicked (though he may sometimes seem to be doing good), while your spirit has been made alive or recreated and you have been imparted a divine nature. Thus, there is a constitutional difference between you and the unbeliever....

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This Generation Will By No Means Pass Away Till All These Things Take Place, What Does THIS GENERATION mean?

"Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. (Mark 13:30)A look at the use of the phrase "this generation" indicates that the phrase doesn't always only mean a historical generation (of a particular time); but, it means "these kind of people" or "this Adamic generation". Thus, Jesus was not telling the crowd that His return would be within 60-90 years from then, or that there would be some...

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7 Marks of Maturity (Phil.3)

"Let us, as many as are mature, have this mind" (Phil.3:15)7 MARKS OF MATURITY1. Having no confidence in the flesh, i.e. with regard to race, tribe, caste, culture, class, position, training (Phil.3:3-6)2. Christ-mindedness, i.e. to regard relationship with Christ above every other thing in the world (Phil.3:7-8)3. Pursuing God's righteousness, i.e. neither being legalistic nor being libertine, but pursuing the righteousness of faith. (Phil.3:9)4....

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4 Hindrances to Experiencing a Miracle

In Mark 3, we have the story of a man with a withered hand who was healed by Jesus. In contrast, there were people there who were not at all blessed by the miracle; but, instead grew worse after they saw what Jesus did. Let's look at four reasons why these people couldn't experience the miracle of Jesus in their lives:1. Because of Their Critical AttitudeMark says that "they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they...

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The Significance of Pentecost in the Theology of History and Missions

Excerpt from "Globalization: A Theological Overview", Paper at CMS Consultation, UBS, January 2014Theologically, we can recognize at least four distinctions in God’s ordering of the history of humanity: the original ordering, the divisive ordering, the in-gathering ordering, and the final ordering.1. The Original Ordering. In the original ordering, humanity is one. Nationalities didn’t exist because plurality of language and culture was unknown....

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The Apostles' Creed, The Nicene Creed, and The Chalcedonian Creed

The Apostles' CreedThe Apostles' Creed is the earliest creed that we know. It listed the main and basic doctrinal statements of Christian Faith.The Creed1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:5. The third day he...

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Miracles - Teaching Outline by Dr. Matthew Thomas

Mark 5:24-34The Miracles of Jesus Christ1. Clarification2. Calling3. Counting4. Categories5. Critics6. Cause or Purpose1. Clarification:Miracles of Christ are supernatural acts caused by the will of Jesus Christ which contrast to and interrupt the way in which life ordinarily functions2. CallingWhat are miracles called in scripture?Dunamis - Power: mighty works, virtue, power, miracleSemeion - Sign or indication, miracleErgon - Acts, deeds, workTeras...

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Contemporary Theologies - Outline

UNDERSTANDING THIS AGEModern Period (19th & Early 20th Centuries)Post-Modern Period (Late 20th Century)Post-Postmodern Period (21st Century)MODERN PERIOD (19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURIES)RationalismScientific TemperUtopianismSecularismSkepticismLiberalismPOST-MODERN PERIOD (LATE 20TH CENTURY)Mood Against Truth (No Absolutes)Rejection of ReasonEmphasis on Style over SubstancePrivatization of Morals (Morals are personal)PluralismImage or Virtual...

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Drachma and Denarius

1 Drachma was the daily wage of a skilled laborer (Greek Currency)1 Denarius was the daily wage of an unskilled laborer (Roman Currency)1 piece of silver (Tetradrachm) equaled 4 drachmas; thus, Judas' 30 tetradrachms equaled 120 drachmas or 4 months' (120 days') labor wages of a skilled laborer.*According to Labor Dept of Delhi government, the minimum wages per day of a skilled laborer is Rs.423; of unskilled laborer, Rs.348, but could be higher...

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Is Tithe the Same as Income Tax?

There is a teaching going on that "tithes" in the Old Testament were a kind of income tax that the Israelites paid to the Levites in their theocracy, and so Christians are not obligated to bring tithes to the Church since they are already paying taxes to the government. However, this view is very misinformed. Governmental tithe as tax was separate from the Temple one (1Sam.8:15). Abraham gave tithes, not to a Levite, but to Melchizedek when the Levitical order was not there. In 2Kgs.4:42, a man brings firstfruits to Elisha who was from the tribe...

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