The messianic psalms are those psalms which specifically speak of Israel’s coming Messiah. It may be the entire psalm (e.g. Ps. 2; 110), a passage in the psalm (e.g. Ps. 16:8-11; 40:6-10), or even a single verse (e.g. Ps. 41:9; 68:18). But in every case, at least some portion of the psalm anticipates Christ. Identity […]
Secret possessions of the New Testament church Up until a few years ago, if you had been invited to the home of the Carlisle family, you might have unwittingly held in your hands a fortune in the form of a small porcelain bowl. The Carlisles—descendents of the founders of the Pony Express—regularly used the bowl […]
An act of love? Who are we to judge? Isn’t love the prevailing rule of the day? It may surprise some that, in the Bible, church discipline was commanded by Christ (Mt. 18:15-18), demonstrated by apostolic practice (1 Tim. 1:20), and revealed as an inspired precept in God’s Word (1 Cor. 5:11). Levels of discipline […]
Beware the Cartoon Diet. There are often news stories promoting causes like animal rights, whaling bans, or vegetarian diets. The tone of these reports attempts to place advocates of these issues on a higher moral and ethical plain than those who believe that both plants and animals have been given to people as food. But […]
Understanding the New Testament model It is said of the Lord Jesus that, “Zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up” (Jn. 2:17). In the Old Testament, the house of God was the temple; in the New Testament it is “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. […]
There is a new and living way. Old Testament Israel had a clergy-laity system. Only one out of twelve tribes, Levi, could function as priests. The Levitical priests were recognized by their special religious vestments (Ex. 28:40-43). They alone could offer offerings on the altar and serve in the house of God. As males, they […]
Restoration and revival As previously noted, Zerubbabel was primarily concerned with laying the foundations. There were certain priorities that were critical to re-establishing the nation before God, and Zerubbabel concentrated on the altar and the temple. Spiritual revival under Zerubbabel The altar All spiritual revival must begin at the altar. We are a holy priesthood […]
God has been ordaining women for thousands of years. There are a lot of ministries women cannot participate in. Well, actually, not a lot. In fact, there are very few. But it seems people make a big deal over those few and ignore all the ministries in which they can participate. In fact, there are […]
Who will help us worship? Contemporary terms such as “worship team,” “worship pastor,” and “worship leaders” have crept into many church gatherings. Are these terms found in Scripture? The answer is “no.” In fact, the concepts are foreign to Scripture. If there is any “worship leader” in the local assembly, it is the Holy Spirit. […]