Simply Gospel

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

  • Be Still My Soul

    It doesn’t catch any of us by surprise anymore to be confronted with dire circumstances. Over 250,000 Americans lost their jobs in October. Unemployment is at 6.5%, and this doesn’t count the number of people who have given up looking for work. Our politicians and media have gone from terming our economic situation as a recession to a depression. We might look around and ask ourselves, “Does God know? Does God care?” Habakkuk was living in a period of terrible unrest for God’s people. In Habakkuk 1:2-4, the prophet asks, “How long shall I cry, oh Lord, and You do… Continue reading

  • A Time for Everything

    If I asked you what time it is, how would you answer? Time is a great equalizer in our lives. We all have time to spend, and, at any given moment, we all have the exact same amount of time. As stated in the song by the Byrds, there is a time for all things, and the song is based in part on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. There are fourteen points of contrast in these verses, and the word time is used twenty-eight times to remind us of our personal accountability. What we do not have time for is procrastination. What if… Continue reading

  • What Do We Seek?

    In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites those who are heavy laden for rest. His invitation is a simple one. While we look at complex topics and lessons when the message can be broken down to this: we will find what we are looking for in Him. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus tells the multitude to seek, ask, and knock to receive. We will find what we are seeking. The real question is what we individually seeking. Are we seeking forgiveness in Him? Do we seek rest? Do we seek a Christian family? Sometimes we tend to skip parts of chapters in the… Continue reading

  • Jesus’ Cup

    We see Jesus use an expression in the New Testament that is also present in the Old Testament regarding His death. He calls His death His cup. From the beginning of His ministry, He knows what lays ahead of Him, and, in Matthew 3, we see Jesus baptized. Upon this act, God declares, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased,” combining a resurrection Psalm (Psalms 2:7) and a passage of the suffering servant from Isaiah 42:1. This is a death sentence. In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His apostles who people say He is, and in verse… Continue reading

  • Do You Hear What I Hear?

    What is it that God and the world hears from you and me? In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are in jail after casting a demon from a fortune-teller. They are placed into the inner prison and put in stocks, but the prisoners hear them singing praises to God and praying. The prisoners were listening to these individuals in similar bonds yet still glorifying God. Songs and Prayers in a Prison Who Heard Them? The individuals listening to Paul and Silas are prisoners. These are not upstanding citizens. They are not even the common crowds that Jesus would have addressed.… Continue reading

  • A Case Study In Spiritual Depression

    In Jude, the author compares false teaching to several Old Testament examples, and three of these in verse 11 are Cain, Korah, and Balaam. In this lesson we’re going to examine Cain’s falling into sin and the lessons we can take from his spiritual depression. Cain’s Downward Spiral In Genesis 4, we find the record of the sacrifices by Cain and Abel. Here we see Cain struggling with spiritual issues after his sacrifice is rejected by God. Genesis 4:5 records Cain becoming very angry, and his countenance falls. When asking Cain about his anger, God reminds him that sin is… Continue reading

  • Politics and Christians

    Over at The Kitchen of Half-Baked Thoughts, Tim Archer is inviting discussion on politics and Christian living. He writes: In July, I was at a Christian workshop in Florida. Several people expressed to me their concern about the upcoming election. Concern is a mild word for some of them. It was closer to panic. I tried to remind them that God is still God, no matter the outcome, but they took little consolation … So how much time should Christians spend on politics? This current season has been going on for over a year. Two years from now it will… Continue reading

    ,

  • The Example of Lot’s Wife

    Even for the apostles, Jesus’ teachings on the coming spiritual kingdom of His church and the Day of the Lord could be confusing at times. In Mark 8:31, Jesus is teaching that He must be killed and rise again, and, in verse 34, He calls the multitude and tells them they must crucify self to follow Him. He asks the people what it profits someone to gain the world yet lose his soul. Directly after these teaching, in chapter 9, Jesus tells His listeners many of them would live to see the kingdom come. In Matthew 24:2, Jesus reveals that… Continue reading

  • Grace & Good Works

    Titus 3 deals with many topics we can focus on and from which we can make application. He encourages his readers to do good works in verses 3-8 as well as stimulating one another to good works. In this passage, our good works are coupled with grace. Paul states plainly that God did not save us because of any good works we may be able to demonstrate. Instead of works, mercy and grace saves us, but he calls upon us to devote ourself to good works as a direct result of that grace. Such actions are a natural reaction to… Continue reading

  • Here I Am to Worship

    What do you think of when you hear the word worship? What is your concept of a worship service for God? We are assembled together because we feel a sense of devotion or obligation to God, but sometimes we struggle with how to worship Him. This is nothing new, and the question of worship has been around since the first family. More and more, there is a growing trend to adjust worship to make it more appealing to the general public or ourselves. The question remains whether or not that is actually what God want. Honoring God’s Worth The most… Continue reading