Encourage: Preach God’s Word
The flock of God needs to be fed. This is the third article of a three-part series about the priority of preaching. We have considered together the vital importance of steadfast Bible preaching since the health and strength of our churches depend on the consistency and quality of our preaching. We need to ask the Lord to stir up our pastors to prepare, stand and deliver the Word week after week. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like...
Encourage: The preacher’s heart
Open the Bible and open your heart. Last week we began to consider the priority of preaching. The health and strength of our churches depends on the consistency and the quality of our preaching. The flock of God needs to be fed. This is an ongoing theme of the New Testament. We pray for our pastors to make preaching a priority. On one hand, preaching is a complex craft. The preacher must be equipped to rightly divide the Word and then...
Encourage: The Word & ‘your heart’
Let’s consider the priority of preaching. I will write three consecutive articles about the ministry of the Word. By the end of these next three weeks, the school bells will start to ring. The people will be bringing summer vacation to a close, and a new church year will begin with the new school year. The health and strength of our churches depend on the consistency and the quality of our preaching. The flock of God needs to be...
Encourage: Gospel confidence
Sometimes it seems that we have lost confidence. I am not thinking about self-confidence—confidence in our capacities or abilities. I am thinking of a confidence that runs deeper. Have we lost confidence in the power of the Gospel? Do we really believe that the simple Good News of Jesus Christ can change a person’s life? A seminary professor of mine said in class one day, “Young men, it is always better to have something to say, than...
Animar: Alentar & fortalecer
Animar es una palabra que es malinterpretada por muchos. Tal vez debería decir que la palabra animar es poco entendida. Muchas veces fallamos en captar el significado total de lo que la Biblia se refiere cuando dice, “Por eso, anímense y edifíquense unos a otros, tal como lo vienen haciendo.” (1 Tesalonicenses 5:11) El vocabulario bíblico para animar lleva la idea de apoyar. Animar es acercarse a otro para ayudar. Ayudamos a un...
Encourage: A reflection & a challenge
As I read the minutes of the 33rd annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, I found a pleasant surprise. The convention gathered in Shawnee, on Nov. 16-18, 1938. Early in the minutes the Report of the Credentials Committee lists every registered messenger. Under the Bs, I notice two familiar names, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Bivins. Can I tell you a little about Ray Bivins? When Ray Bivins was a boy, he lived in...
