Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • About Spiritual Manna

    For some time, I’ve been cross-posting entries from Ethan Longhenry’s excellent Spiritual Manna here. As of last week, I’m going to cease those cross-posts. This is not because I disagree with Ethan in any way on his recent work. Far from it, in fact. The problem is that I’ve begun using his content as a crutch to keep the site active between my weekly updates of sermons I’ve recorded. I’d rather be creating content than continue to rely on someone else. Spiritual Manna and another of Ethan’s great blogs, Renewed In Spirit, are being added to the links in my sidebar. Also,… Continue reading

  • The Price of Spiritual Freedom

    Whenever there is a federal holiday set aside to commemorate those who have given themselves in service, whether, the Independence Day, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, we should always remember that every Sunday should be a memorial for Christians. These are commemorative of those who have died, those who have served, and those who currently serve our country sacrificially, and over 1.3 million Americans have given themselves in that service. Despite speeches and ceremonies, many forget the significance among other things we associate with Memorial Day. Freedom From Captivity Freedom comes with a price, but we do not always appreciate… Continue reading

  • A Hymn of Grace

    As far back as we can follow God’s people, we can see singing as a natural expression of praise. Moses and Israel sing to Jehovah upon the Exodus; the book of Psalms is a collection of songs the Israelites used in their worship; Mary sings a song praising God when she learns of her pregnancy with Jesus; and we see songs in the New Testament as a way of teaching and edifying one another. While Paul may not have originally intended this passage as such, Ephesians 1:3-14 is traditionally considered a hymn of grace, and Paul reminds us of God’s… Continue reading

  • Rested on the Sabbath

    And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment (Luke 23:56). It was the day in the middle of the most important events in human history. We can only imagine how it must have been. Jesus of Nazareth had been crucified and now lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:1-55). He was in Paradise as He had promised (Luke 23:43), and perhaps this is the time when He preached to spirits in prison, but there is no basis for being definitive here (1 Peter 3:18-20, 4:6). Those who… Continue reading

  • Hearing the Voice of God

    And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was; that the LORD called Samuel;  and he said, “Here am I.” And he ran unto… Continue reading

  • Looking At Galatians

    The letter to the Galatian churches may have been one of Paul’s first letters, probably written shortly after the first missionary journey. This letter is possibly specifically sent to Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Attalia and Perga. In Acts 13-14, we see the founding of churches in these cities. Paul teaches of justification in Christ separate from the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas are followed throughout these chapters by those who would seek to contradict them and do them harm. They are alternately treated as gods and stoned as blasphemers, but Paul and Barnabas persist in their work, traveling from… Continue reading

  • Unity in Love and Edification

    Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be… Continue reading

  • Killing the Hostility

    And might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby (Ephesians 2:16). If there is one thing we can trust about human beings, it is that they can always find a reason to build a barrier between themselves and their fellow men. There is never a lack of potential reasons why we will not like them. Think about it for a moment. How many times have we – and/or people we may know – have used some issue or matter as a justification for a snap judgment to keep another person at… Continue reading

  • The Good Old Days

    Say not thou, “What is the cause that the former days were better than these?” For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Who has not heard of, or wished for, the Good Old Days? In the eyes of a lot of people, things were better in those Good Old Days. A lot of people are confident that there was less sin and more righteousness in those good old days. People were more friendly, or more respectful, in the good old days. Life was easier and things were simpler in those good old days. There are a lot… Continue reading

  • The Voice In Our Heads

    Guilt can either draw us closer to God or drive us farther from Him. The same can be true of the absence thereof. We can look at numerous examples in the Old and New Testaments – David, Judas, Peter, the congregation at Corinth – and see these variations illustrated. We feel guilt, for better or for worse, because we have consciences. We speak of having a good conscience, of having a guilty conscience, of having a clean conscience. This quality God has given us plays a large role in our lives. The Role of Conscience In Romans 2:14-16, Paul writes… Continue reading