“It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” Matthew 10:25 At age seventeen, Peter Torjesen (1892-1939) signed his life away. During a church service in his native Norway, he listened to a passionate missionary talk about China. Following the sermon, an offering was received. His daughter later wrote, “He opened his wallet and poured out all the money in it. Then he realized he had to offer more than money, and found a piece of paper and wrote three words Og mit liv (‘And my life’).” “The man who counted the … Continue reading “Serving Christ as a Chimney Sweep”
Month: January 2017
Learning from the Master
“Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1 Years ago I was privileged to develop a relationship with a veteran preacher and Bible scholar who later became a mentor to me in many ways. We first met while serving together on a Bible college faculty. Some years later, when he was serving on a local church board, he contacted me to inquire whether I would consider becoming the church’s pastor, which I later did. When it came to preaching on the major themes of Scripture, there was no one I enjoyed listening to more than S. I. Emery (1895-1977). He would … Continue reading “Learning from the Master”
The Generosity of God
“’Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:15-16 We should neither question nor be surprised at our Lord’s generosity toward undeserving mankind. We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). None of our righteous deeds or good works can ever merit God’s salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, … Continue reading “The Generosity of God”
The Spirit of Truth
Introduction The Third Person of the Triune God has been given a variety of titles in the sacred Scriptures. He is called the Holy Spirit, Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Helper, Spirit of grace, Spirit of glory, and many more names, descriptive of his multifaceted ministries. One name the Lord Jesus used in reference to the Spirit was the “Spirit of truth.” Three times during his Farewell Discourse (John 14 -17), Jesus calls the Holy Spirit by this name. In preparing his disciples for his imminent departure and the promised descent of the Spirit, Jesus announced, “And I … Continue reading “The Spirit of Truth”
“The Lord is Our Righteousness” (Parts 1 & 2)
“And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” Jeremiah 23:6 We are either trusting in our own righteousness or the Lord’s. If we trust in our righteousness, we become legalistic, arrogant, hard, and disdain those we perceive less righteous than ourselves. The typical Pharisee in Jesus’ day was the embodiment of self-righteousness. These men were socially aloof and detestably smug. In their presence the common man felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. They were without mercy and showed little compassion. They were men of the letter; they were devoid of the Spirit. There was a … Continue reading ““The Lord is Our Righteousness” (Parts 1 & 2)”
Beginnings
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1 The one and only true God is alone capable of creating, for only God can bring something into being that had no prior reality; he is the God who “calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom. 4:17). God spoke the “heavens and the earth” into being. We believe this because we believe the inspired written record; it is a matter of faith; it is a matter of taking God at his word: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of … Continue reading “Beginnings”