Tag: what is
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Armageddon and the anointing of Christ
John has started a new sequence. He explicitly calls this sequence a sign (15:1). If John calls it a sign, or symbol, we are meant to read the bowls as symbolic–a sign of something. In Chapter 15, John used this sign to point to the wrath of God being poured out upon Christ at Calvary.…
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Daily Devotional: Romans 2:9-16
Paul is unclear, here, about what and when the day of judgment will be (v. 5, 16). What we know for sure is that on the day of judgment, it is a person’s conscience and thoughts that bear witness against him or her. Those who keep the Law will be justified. The person’s soul will…
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Daily Devotional: Romans 1:1-6
Introduction Romans was written by Paul (Saul of Tarsus) in the mid 50s AD. Paul’s purpose in writing a letter to Rome was to encourage them, impart some knowledge to them because they were not yet established, and preach the gospel to them (1:11-15). Since Romans was written to an unestablished people in order to…
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The Bowls of Wrath Upon the Cross
John has described the age in which the Gospel is going out, persecution abounds, and the church experiences all sorts of distress—the tribulation of which he is a partaker (cf. 1:9). After describing the dragon and two beasts, he turned to describe the result of the tribulation experienced in this world—the harvests of the earth.…
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The Baptism of the Earth
The intents of human hearts are only wicked all the time. All flesh, man and animal, has corrupted its way on the earth. The earth is full of violence. Things are this way because the Holy Spirit does not strive with humanity. Humanity has shown that, if left to her own devices, she is unjust,…
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Daily Devotional: Genesis 31:22-55
Any relationship based on personal gain or selfish expectations will always be strained. Laban abused Jacob. Jacob, in a way, stole everything from Laban. Yet, because God had chosen Jacob and honored His covenant promise to Abraham, He protected Jacob from Laban. Jacob and Laban covenanted to create a border each one would not cross…
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On Order and Chaos
Paul has been writing to the Corinthians church about unity through maturity. In this section of his letter, he addresses spiritual gifts, primarily those of prophecy and tongues. We have seen that, within the local church, spiritual gifts are given in order that we may edify one another, not seek attention or exalt ourselves. Out…
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Tongues vs Prophecy
We return to Paul’s discourse on spiritual gifts, which have been used to cause division within the local church at Corinth. There were some who, apparently, exalted the gift of tongues such that others desired the mystical gift above all else. There are many in our own day who exalt mystical sign gifts like tongues,…
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The Truth About Spiritual Gifts
Paul is writing to the local church at Corinth in order to admonish the local church toward unity through maturity in the faith, not only knowledge of Christ but wisdom—which is knowledge in love. He has admonished the local church to edify one another and those outside her proverbial walls rather than be puffed up…
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What is the Gospel?
On October 31, 1517, after an arduous inner conflict concerning works-based salvation, Martin Luther pinned his 95 Theses to the doors of Castle Church in Wittenberg, hoping to have a conversation about his questions within the context of Roman Catholicism. In short, The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) reacted by excommunicating Luther and eventually standing on…