Living Theology

Many people come to Jesus thinking it is enough to believe, to stand on the sidelines and root for Him. Jesus isn’t looking for cheerleaders. He is seeking men and women who will follow Him whatever the cost. He is looking for radical devotion, unreasonable commitment and undivided dedication. Jesus isn’t looking for converts. He’s looking for disciples.

Simony, buying or selling of something spiritual or closely connected with the spiritual. More widely, it is any contract of this kind forbidden by divine or ecclesiastical law. The name is taken from Simon Magus (Acts 8:18), who endeavoured to buy from the Apostles the power of conferring the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The people of God are now where Moses warned them they would be if they were not to listen and obey God’s commands. Tragically they are now dependent and in need of permission, like a slave. David was not allowed to build the temple yet we see a Pagan leader instructed to do so.

... “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” and can never be anything better. Prune and trim a corrupt tree as much as you will, it can never be made to yield good fruit. Every man must be born again before he can be acceptable to a holy God.

Some people would rather sleep in their bed all day rather than making a living and that is their downfall. Laziness is a curse, but work is a blessing. God worked for 6 days and on the 7th day He rested. God put Adam in the garden to work and take care of it. God provides for us through work. Since the beginning we were commanded to work.

Both Hezekiah and Josiah wanted to help God’s people turn back to Him. And both took steps to lead that direction. That was right and fitting for them to do and we ought to credit them for their faithfulness. But in the end, neither was able to accomplish what they wanted because neither was qualified to do so. God’s people needed a better king, a greater king, a perfect king who would be able to...

The recognition of this truth is in no way a warrant or license to sin. The heart that knows the price paid for its redemption does not seek to add to the cost. Indeed, when God removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), the result is that we desire to walk in His ways and commandments (Ezekiel 36:27). It is our love for Christ that prompts our new natures to seek Hi...

Bonhoeffer, who was 39 when he was hanged by the Nazis for his opposition to the regime. Bonhoeffer teaches us the importance of spiritual disciplines that can withstand changing circumstances. While away from home, living as a double agent and even in prison, Bonhoeffer devoted himself to Bible reading, letter writing, prayer and listening for God. In these days of solitude and waiting, he urges...

Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.

Spiritually, Jehoshaphat began his reign in a positive way. Second Chronicles 17:3–6 gives this commendation: “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought...

The New Testament talks about the importance and benefits of giving. We are to give as we are able. Sometimes that means giving more than 10 percent; sometimes that may mean giving less. It all depends on the ability of the Christian and the needs of the body of Christ.

The Old Testament covenants establish promises that look forward to fulfillment. Much of the New Testament is concerned to show how Jesus Christ fulfills these covenant promises and what life should look like for a people living in the New Covenant inaugurated by his death and resurrection.

Revelation 21:3, KJV: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." ... They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God."

In contrast, Jesus said, "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22). Faith must have an object: It is unreserved and absolute trust in God. There is no one and nothing in the universe that can be trusted totally except God.

1 Chronicles finishes with some shrewd advice from David, as well as establishing thereby some fundamental and foundational principles for effectiveness and genuine “success.” Solomon, David acknowledges, is young and inexperienced (29:1). However, because of that, David has put together a huge amount of resources to help him with the building of a temple (29:2-5)—which is a great task because it...

Success is the name of the game today, not only out there in the world, but inside the church as well. Humility is out and self esteem is in, even though we are urged in Scripture, "Let each esteem others better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3).

New Testament describe Jesus as the “son of David.” But the question arises, how could Jesus be the son of David if David lived approximately 1,000 years before Jesus? The answer is that Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Jesus is the promised Messiah, which means He had to be of the lineage of David. Matthew 1 gives the genealogical p...

Somehow, we have it in our minds than unless we are having a mystical and emotional experience, we have not had a true experience with God. It is not only dangerous but also erroneous to look for something more than is recorded in the Scriptures. For too long, many believers have regarded the Scriptures as an optional source of truth rather than “the” source of truth. The Scriptures alone have eve...

The differences in Saul and David can be summarized in just a couple of words: “obedient faith.” Though David had some shortcomings in this regard, Saul was a complete failure. He constantly found himself on the wrong side of obedience. When Saul was found to be disobedient to God, he tended to make excuses, blame others, and exhibit a lack of trust in God. By contrast, David possessed humility an...

Leading in the church is to be based upon service (bottom-up) and not formal authority (top-down): And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all’. Mk 9:35 Jesus also explains that all the works of the world are evil: The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. Jn 7:7 J...

The books of Chronicles are not a repetition of the books of Kings. We may see this already in the long genealogies of Israel and especially of the house of David, which commences with Adam, the first man. The books of Chronicles give a divine retrospect over Israel's history and the history of mankind as well as God's ways with men.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). There is no doubt that the verse expresses a unique truth about Jesus: He became sin for us. While on the one hand the verse states the simple gospel truth that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all who would ever believe in Him, it also makes a somewhat enigmatic statemen...

While Jesus was on earth, He demonstrated His messianic reign in many ways, including the healing of sick people, like lepers. When John the Baptist had a crisis of faith, he sent a question to Jesus, asking about the Savior’s identity. Jesus replied with a mild rebuke: Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, th...

We need to be careful because if what the government is doing is lawful then to resist them is to resist God: “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1-2). Yes, God is that serious about respecting and submitting to our...

This great salvation is made possible by the greatest story of the innocent sufferer, Jesus. For Naboth’s story calls our attention to Jesus’ story in Matthew 26:59-68. Jesus’ enemies conspired against Him too. They falsely accused Him of blasphemy, mocked and beat Him, and eventually took Him outside the city to kill Him (Heb 13:10-13). Jesus’ blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel and...