1 Corinthians 12-14 focuses on spiritual gifts, and perhaps no area of biblical doctrine has been more misunderstood and abused, that this area. Yet no area of doctrine is more important to the spiritual health and effectiveness of the church. Apart from the direct energizing of God’s Spirit, nothing is more vital to believers than the ministry of their God-given endowments for Christian service. Years ago, there was a push to give everyone a gift analysis test to determine what their primary Spiritual gift was, unfortunately, what that has done, is it has caused people to sit by passively, when asked to serve, because the ministry they are offered does not fit into their “primary gift”. We must always remember that God does not use the gifted, He enables the available. The Ability to do the work of God is directly related to our willingness to serve the Lord in whatever capacity that we are directed. God gives that ability. Gifts are not just randomly assigned by God at salvation, and then we are given the responsibility to “discover” which gifts we have. The Spirit of God energizes us to do the work of the ministry, as the church recognizes … READ MORE

Romans 8:37 says “we are more than Conquerors!” The word used here means literally to over-conquer, and we do this by: One, coming out of troubles stronger than when they first threatened us. And two, by remembering that our ultimate reward will far surpass whatever earthly and temporal loss we may suffer. He Paul assures the readers that he is not teaching us anything that he is not already convinced of (“I am persuaded”). It is because we are embraced by the eternal and unchanging love of God that we can be content to stand in the trials of today, knowing as Paul, that although all may forsake me, Jesus never will. Perhaps you have trouble understanding the Love of God. If so, I challenge you to meditate upon Romans 8:8:31-39, and begin to ponder the wonder and majesty of a God who loves us so. In the words of George Matheson the great Hymn writer: “O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee I give Thee back the life I owe, That in Thine ocean depths its flow May richer fuller be.”… READ MORE

In Romans 8:35 the phrase “Love of Christ” does not refer to our love for Christ, but His love for us. The love of Christ is eternal, for it was that love which moved Him to leave Heaven’s throne and come down to this earth to provide redemption for us. If a person who professes Christ turns their back on God or lives persistently in sin, they prove that they never belonged to Christ at all. Such people have not lost their salvation, rather they never had it. Only the true believer is able to persevere through difficulties and trials, because they are made strong through the power of the indwelling presence of God, and understand that this trial is designed for a twofold purpose: One to mold them into the image of Christ, and Two, to enable them to display the power of God in their lives to the world. Because our Lord both saves and keeps us, we do much more than simply endure and survive the circumstances Paul mentions in Verse 35, but we are able to overcome in through the Power of God.… READ MORE