Simply Gospel

Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Sporting events featuring displays of endurance are rarely as glitzy as their faster counterparts. It is much harder to keep the audience’s attention for a 26 mile race than it is for a 100 meter dash. Preparation and training for the two types of events are also entirely different. One cannot use the same strategy to… Continue reading

In Matthew 28:5-6, when an angel of the Lord appear before a fearful set of guards and the women gathered with Mary, he begins his revelation of Christ’s resurrection with these words: “Do not be afraid.”. The resurrection is a core of the New Testament. In I Corinthians 15, Paul devotes most of that long chapter to the subject of our bodily resurrection, drawing parallels with Christ’s own resurrection. Acts 23:6 and I Peter 1:3 both refer to the resurrection as a hop that we have. Why, then, does the angel admonish those gathered to not be afraid? In Matthew… Continue reading

And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, [Jesus] hungered. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. And he answered and said unto it, “No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever.” And his disciples heard it (Mark 11:12-14). The long-awaited time had come. Jesus of Nazareth, believed by many to be the Messiah, the Christ of God, had entered Jerusalem in triumph (cf. Mark 11:1-11).… Continue reading

For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that play the harlot, departing from thee. But it is good for me to draw near unto God: I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all thy works” (Psalms 73:27-28). Psalm 73 describes Asaph’s meditations on one of the more challenging realities of this world: the wicked oftentimes prosper while the righteous do not. At first, Asaph is led to envy and distress. He sees the condition of the wicked: they are strong, without trouble or plague, proud, violent,… Continue reading

David is a very positive figure in the Old Testament, but we are familiar with a couple very significant missteps in his reign. He falls into sins that are unique to the resources and opportunities he has through his position, and we can learn much from how he falls into these sins – and ultimately how he reacts to and deals with these shortcomings. In II Samuel 11, David remains in Jerusalem while his armies are at war. He sees Bathsheba bathing while he is up on his rooftop, sends messengers to find out who she is and bring her… Continue reading

And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,… Continue reading

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good? (1 Peter 3:13). We have again come to the time of the year known as March Madness, when the eyes of many in the nation are focused on the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament. Even people who have not really followed the teams so far this season fill out their brackets, and millions tune in to see who will be upset and who will be able to win it all. The passion that people bring to sporting events is, of course, legendary.… Continue reading

Work does not get done without involvement. We can take note of a situation. We can have great attitudes, but it takes a willingness to personally involve ourselves if we are going to put those attitudes to work. However, when it comes to the effort of teaching others, we can feel intimidated. Sometimes, though, our influence can be as simple as reaching out to those we know and love and who need Christ in their lives. Teaching By Reaching In Mark 5, Jesus casts a legion of demons from a man, and those demons then drown a herd of pigs.… Continue reading

If a Christian from our time was transported to the First Century, how would he or she find other Christians. They would have no Internet, no pamphlets, no phone books. Would they be able to simply notice the individuals who had calmness of spirit, purpose in life, joy, and love for others. If they could find these qualities in someone then or now, chances are good they would find one who knows Christ. Do our lives reflect these qualities for others to see? Romans 14 addresses how Christians handle personal convictions that are not addressed by scripture. In verse 16,… Continue reading