Samuel Describes Repentance

Posted on 2013/07/30 by Shawn Thomas

In I Samuel 7:3, during a message to the people of Israel, Samuel describes what repentance is. He says: “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” Notice that Samuel gives us here a basic overall definition of repentance, as well as describing it both in positive and negative terms:

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POTS update July 2013

Posted on 2013/07/29 by Shawn Thomas

I shared previously (see here) about my visit in June to Dr. Naeem Tahirkili in Oklahoma City, the changes he made in my medications, and how after the first few days I was already doing very well. With over a month under my belt since that visit, and after a followup appointment, it is time to post another update — and another very good one! Continue reading →

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If Saved Will Persevere

Posted on 2013/07/29 by Shawn Thomas

Many Christians (especially Baptists) are fond of claiming “once saved always saved”, and there is truth in that statement. Those who are genuinely saved will indeed never lose it. But many misinterpret that teaching to mean that anyone who makes a profession of faith is genuinely saved and can never be lost. But scripture gives no such blanket assurance. In fact, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that many will make “professions” of faith who were never saved at all. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus indicated that many would say to Him, “Lord, Lord” but that He would say to them, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Though it does not teach that everyone who ever professes faith is saved, the Bible does assert that those who are genuinely saved will indeed never lose their salvation. However, it also teaches that those who are genuinely saved will demonstrate it by persevering in their faith: “holding it fast” to the end. Continue reading →

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Today

Posted on 2013/07/28 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 4:7 tells us: “He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts’”.
God has fixed a “certain day” in which all who hear His word should heed it. That day is “today”! In other words, in whatever day you hear His word, you had best respond to it then. It is never “tomorrow” with God – though that is the response many of us like to give Him. We often offer our obedience “tomorrow”:

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Let God Fight For You

Posted on 2013/07/27 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 35:1 opens: “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight with me.” The key principle taught here is: let GOD do your fighting for you.

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Whose House We Are

Posted on 2013/07/26 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 3:6 says: “But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house – whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.”
What is His “house”? It says here “whose house WE ARE.” The Bible indicates that those who demonstrate by their perseverance that they are genuine followers of Christ, constitute His house — WE are the house of God! This is just what I Cor. 6:19 tells us: “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

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Not Just For Atheists

Posted on 2013/07/25 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.'” It has often been quoted in regard to atheists, and certainly it applies. But the verse also applies to the many who claim to be God’s people who too often live and act as if there is no God: Continue reading →

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Bearers of Bad News

Posted on 2013/07/24 by Shawn Thomas

I Samuel 3:9-10 tells how Eli taught Samuel to say to God, “Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.” But we also need to remember the message He subsequently gave Samuel — it was not pleasant! God immediately said in :11, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.” In :12-14 He indicated that He was about to judge the house of Eli because he did not rebuke his sons for their heinous sins as servants of the house of God.

This serves as an important reminder to us: those entrusted with God’s message do not always have “good news” to share.

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Hearing Is Not Enough

Posted on 2013/07/23 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 4:2 warns: “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they did also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”
“They” in this verse refers to the people of Israel in the Exodus. They all heard the good promises which God gave them – but they didn’t believe, and act upon them, and as a result they never entered the land of “rest” which God had promised them.

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Tremble Not On God’s Behalf

Posted on 2013/07/22 by Shawn Thomas

In I Samuel 4, the people of Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines. Verse 13 of that chapter says “Behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God.” This is quite a revealing verse:

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