Episode 282: The highly anticipated reboot of the Left Behind series hit theaters this past Friday. Starring Nicholas Cage and based upon the book by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, it tells the story of a group of people who have survived the rapture, i.e. the faulty belief that when Jesus returns, He will take faithful Christians out of the world but leave behind (hence the title) all the faithless. Tune in as I give two (2) very good reason why you shouldn’t throw your money away to watch this latest movie.
Episode 281: “[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:9–10, NIV84)
It is still “through the gospel” that we come to know the life and immortality of Christ today. It is still “through the gospel” that we gain access to the promise, body, and inheritance today (Ephesians 3.6). We must believe, accept, and obey “the gospel of your salvation” (1.13) to be incorporated into Christ Jesus. As Christians, we need to value the gospel. In order for the gospel to impact our lives, we must value it as revelation from God. Think of the parable Jesus told about the pearl of great price (Matthew 13.44-46). We have that which is of ultimate value. The gospel was all Paul had. The gospel is all we have. We must pay attention to, be defined by, and solve our problems with the gospel.
The gospel is not merely about getting to heaven; it is about life here and now as well as over yonder. It captures our initial conversion and our daily walk as disciples. It touches on our forgiveness and how we ought to forgive others. It speaks to God’s unfathomable love for us and how we ought to love one another. With so many implications upon life right now, it is no wonder Paul calls it “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3.8). And then we gather with the saints once or twice a week and think we’ve got it? No! We only start unwrapping the gift here; you take it home and finish the job the rest of the week.
Episode 280: Allah claims to be the same God as the God of the Old & New Testaments. However, when we do a side-by-side comparison…well, really is no comparison. In fact, there is only a sharp contrast. How is the God of the Koran different than the God of the Bible? Tune in as I explore the fundamental differences between the God of Islam and the God of Christianity.
Episode 279: So for the last week the People’s Climate March has been going on around the nation. Of course Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore made appearances…before flying off in a jet or driving away in great big Chevy Suburban (true story). Tune in as I air a sermon I preached earlier this year about the truth concerning climate change and what real global warming looks like according to the Bible.
Episode 278: What people say about Jesus is important. Unfortunately, when it comes to Jesus, they not only do not agree with God about who Jesus is, the Koran does not get the basic historical facts right! Tune in as I explore what Muslims believe about Jesus based upon what is said about Him in the Koran.
Episode 277: Islam is a work-based system of salvation. That is, if you do enough works in this life, at the end of life maybe, just maybe, Allah will let you into his Garden. How does this differ from Christianity? Tune in as examine salvation according to Islam and contrast it with what the Bible says.
Episode 276: You hear it on various news media outlets. Typically, they have some cleric or imam on from CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) who says it. “Islam is a religion of peace.” Is Islam really a religion of peace, though? Tune in as I allow the Noble Quran to speak for itself and unveil the historical roots of Islam’s “history of violence.”
Question of the Day: How is Christianity different than Islam?
Episode 275: Did I ever tell you about the time I got kicked out of a Baptist church? I say kicked out; I was asked to not come back ever again or they’d call the police. It’s not what you think. Tune in as I tell my story and why truth matters.
Question of the Day: What’s wrong with the Baptist Church?
Episode 274: I reach back into archives for an episode I recorded in 2011 on the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. Tune in for my thoughts.
Episode 273: Who is worship for? Ask Victoria Osteen and she is liable to say, “When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy.” Well, not liable to…she did! So who is worship for? Tune in as I breakdown what God thinks when we disconnect worship from Him. P.S. “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Larger Catechism).
Plus, we reach back into the archives for my interview with Joel Osteen! You won’t want to miss it!
Live from the Pulpit 