samuelatgilgal

[samuelatgilgal]

OF FLAGS, STATUES, AND FOOLISHNESS

OF FLAGS, STATUES, AND FOOLISHNESS

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana) Ignore history at your own peril. Banning flags and tearing down statues will not hide sin; make us more righteous; or prevent hate. All this is simply the outside of the cup. Americans must change within. This is the true change that Christ promised. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is a new creation. (2…

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THE SHACK’S FALSE CHRISTIAN PARADIGM The most controversial aspects of The Shack‘s message have revolved around questions of universalism, universal redemption, and ultimate reconciliation.

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DECEITFUL TEACHERS Satan’s greatest ambassadors are not pimps, politicians, or power-brokers, but pastors. His priests do not peddle a different religion, but a deadly perversion of the true one.

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WHAT'S WRONG HERE?

WHAT’S WRONG HERE?

According to a study by LifeWay Research: Three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) agreed that people must contribute to their own effort for personal salvation. Almost two-thirds of evangelicals (64 percent), and nearly as many Americans (60 percent) described heaven as a place where “all people will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones.” Almost two-thirds (65 percent) said that most…

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BIBLICAL TRUTH OR EMOTIONALISM? More and more churches are being led into emotionalism and not Biblical Truth, and, as a result, these congregations have no spiritual power of discernment. 

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UNBELIEF No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keeps us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief. (John Calvin, Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 36: Acts 2:21)

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ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.

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GOD IS THE HIGHEST GOOD God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.

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ORIGINS The matter of origins … is absolutely critical to all human thinking.  It becomes critical to how we conduct our lives as human beings. 

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GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO BE HOLY

GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO BE HOLY

The problem of lax and hypocritical Christianity is not a new one, and one of the best treatments of the entire subject is a classic [Holiness] written by J.C. Ryle (1816–1900), who served as the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool for twenty years… Ryle’s work is convicting because he does not appeal to silly gimmicks and other manmade answers to the problem of sin. He appeals over and over to…

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LIGHT There is no light, no knowledge, no wisdom, apart from God. All existence and all knowledge depend on God.

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SAMUEL AT GILGAL: CHANGE IN FORMAT This year I will be sharing brief excerpts from the articles, sermons, and books I am currently reading.

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SEASON FOR A SABBATICAL

SEASON FOR A SABBATICAL

Dear Reader: I am having a really severe case of writer’s block and I don’t feel I am communicating very well what I wish to say. I am deeply concerned about communicating the truth of the Gospel and helping others along the way to know Jesus Christ and His saving grace. I now see that I need time to organize my thoughts more clearly. Therefore, I am going to take a sabbatical from Samuel at…

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UNDER THE SPIRIT’S INFLUENCE

UNDER THE SPIRIT’S INFLUENCE

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV) The Holy Spirit dwells within me. These are wonderful words. All who live by faith in the Son of God may truthfully say this. Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:9 ESV) The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth because He is the Spirit…

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MENDACIOUS OR MIGHTY IN TRUTH?

MENDACIOUS OR MIGHTY IN TRUTH?

There was a popular preacher who often called out the names of a few people in his audience during the service and described their physical problems. The evangelist claimed that God was speaking to him and giving him information about the individuals he spoke to. According to him, he had never met or spoken to prior to calling out their names. However, it was later discovered that employees of…

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CHEAP GRACE

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Cheap grace allows the church to flirt with the world’s value system. It…

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FAITH IN AN EVIL WORLD

FAITH IN AN EVIL WORLD

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4 ESV) Maintaining a true Christian faith is not easy in this world. Life offers so many paths of compromise that it is easy to lose your way. John Murray wrote the following on this subject: If the faith we profess is a faith that allows us to walk in the ways of…