John Woodward
Rebukes in Revelation
Messages from the Risen Christ: Revelation 2:1-3:21 In Chapters 2 and 3 of the Revelation, the risen Christ sent messages through the apostle John to seven churches of the first century. These were representative congregations of professed believers. The destinations and sequence of these short letters follow a clockwise circuit in Asia Minor, beginning at…
Read MoreRenovated for Freedom
A while back businessmen and architects faced the question of what to do with a crumbling, old jailhouse in Boston. At the cost of 150 million dollars, the building was thoroughly renovated to become the city’s newest luxury hotel! The distinctive, eight-sided building was originally completed in 1851. It finally closed its operation as a…
Read MoreGrafted Branches
One of the vivid metaphors of the believer’s union with Christ is that of a grafted branch. The Lord Jesus uses this image extensively in John 15:1-8 where He is the true vine and believers are branches. The ones who temporarily are unfruitful are “lifted up” through cleansing, support, and positioning in the sun (v.2).[1]…
Read MoreFaith and Good Works
We have a special volunteer at Grace Fellowship International. She has been retired for years, but this has not diminished her commitment to help spread the ministry of Christ-centered counseling. Grace Wilens believes in the value of intercessory prayer. This conviction shows up in her faithful ministry of compiling and sending out the weekly GFI…
Read MoreForfeited Discipleship: The Rich Young Ruler (Part 4)
Before we go on, let’s review the three aspects of discipleship by a comparison with the marriage of Queen Esther. When she received the Persian king’s hand in marriage she entered a new covenant based on the king’s love (like positional discipleship). She then adjusted to married life and functioned in her role as a…
Read MoreForfeited Discipleship: The Rich Young Ruler (Part 3)
B. The rich young ruler also forfeited ideal discipleship (Matt. 19:16-22). Although salvation is offered to sinners as a free gift, knowing Christ as Savior and Lord also includes His role as Teacher (positional discipleship). In this relationship believers are called to come to grips with the full implications of Christ’s wisdom and authority (ideal…
Read MoreForfeited Discipleship: The Rich Young Ruler (part 2)
In part one we noted the distinctions of positional, ideal, and special discipleship. Now we turn to the account of the rich young ruler to discern how and why he forfeited this great opportunity to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. A. The rich young ruler forfeited positional discipleship–salvation (Matt. 19:16-22). This story has a sad…
Read MoreForfeited Discipleship: The Rich Young Ruler (Part 1)
The case of the Rich Young Ruler stands as a tragic example of misplaced faith and wrong values. This zealous candidate for new life forfeited a wonderful opportunity for first-hand discipleship with the King of kings. While this passage is usually used to exhort people to complete commitment, it requires careful interpretation to clarify the…
Read MoreThe Roots of Insecurity (Part 6)
6. Accusations from the Enemy If a believer is unsettled in his/her faith and has given ground to the devil, hostile accusations can jeopardize his/her sense of security. Consider this episode from the Old Testament. After Israel returned from the exile of Babylon, the remnant in Canaan faced spiritual warfare from the enemy. Zechariah chapter…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Blessing
We’ve had some birthdays in our family in the last couple of weeks. Our older son turned 23, our twin sons turned 17 and my wife turned … a year older. I recall the excitement of my birthdays growing up. I couldn’t wait to unwrap my gifts–perhaps a model, a basketball, a game… My interest…
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