Calvary Independent Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
How does one become a son of God. And now that we are sons of God there are responsibilities.
John 8 indicates how the lost are in the family of God. But the recipients of John's letter were Sons of the Lord.
Believers have an unction, an anointing, which gives us knowledge to discern the antichrists and false christs.
Hearts can connect with Satan's world through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
John introduces us to spiritual infants, children, strong young people and to mature parents
God is light and somehow to fellowship Him we have to get past that inaccessible light.
There are important things to add to our lives in order to be true witnesses for Christ. Kindness is one of those things.
Fellowship with other believers must be fellowship with God in agreement with the Word.
John's favorite title for Christ -- the Word. And most particularly -- the Word of Life
Thinking most of Titus, notice how God's ministered moved about at the Lord's direction.
Joseph was a secret disciple who came through when needed. He was an essential part of the decree of the Lord.
The Resurrection of Christ was not just about the Second Person. It was the work of the God-head and part of His eternal decree to save a few lost sinners.
In order to have the peace of God in the midst of a wicked world, one must have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord is coming again. Watch for Him, because He shall change our bodies to be more like His.
There are many enemies of the cross. But the cross is the most important event in history, and necessary for our salvation
To learn the things of God, and to become spirituall mature, there must be a thirst for the knowledge of God and a surrender to the Spirit's instruction
Like a spy who was "turned" Paul, who was an agent for Satan, became an agent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was passionate about the power of Christ's resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings and communion with His death
How can sinners be "perfect?" By realizing they are imperfect and seeking the Lord's perfection
Paul forsook all his righteousness for the knowledge of Christ, the righteousness of Christ and the resurrection of Christ.
Christians often judge others while forgetting to judge themselves. King David is a case in point.
The best way to cope with upcoming problems is to be ready to always rejoice in the Lord Jesus
Acknowledging the Lord, trusting Him and leaning not on ourselves is the way to God's blessings.
The joys of Heaven should be known today. If they are not real to us today will they be real to us after we die?
The Christian is in a sort of relay race. There are rules to follow and teammates to assist
It was the mind of Christ to become incarnate and to die as our sacrifice for sin. Let this mind be in you.
The your conversation be as it becometh the gospel. Salvation, Conversation and Opposition
Christ made it hard for people to follow Him, to become disciples, to become "church" members.
Both Peter and Paul have a closing message for you... be steadfast and diligent about peace, holiness and truth
Salvation requires at least 5 blessings: redemption, regeneration, sanctification, propitiation and reconciliation
David['s desire to bring God's Ark home didn't give him the right to make up new rules. Christ didn't cave in to the Devil's temptations just to pass his test and He didn't cut the corners on our salvation.
The prodigal son was accepted by his Father. You too will be accepted, if you come to Him in faith
In the last days there will be mockers, walking, talking and squawking against the Lord and His people
Christ revealed Himself differently to the Samaritan Woman, Nicodemus and Saul of Tarsus
Humans make "the rules," but God makes the exceptions. When God makes and exception, there are not exceptions.
Peter knew that even in the midst of revival false teachers could work their predatory way.
Despite great persecution the early disciples had great joy, because souls were being saved and God was blessing.
Our testimony of salvation, and the testimony of our day-to-day lives can have a great impact on others. Use it; develop it.
The significance of Mary's anointing of Christ was not so much in her or her sacrifice, but in the Saviour Whom she anointed.
Out of their sinful societies, God saved Noah and Lot. Why? And why not some of the angels?
God did not spare the angels who sinned, the old world that sinned and Sodom and Gomorrah that sinned
Whenever God speaks through His men, Satan has his false prophets and teachers ready to contradict
Christ began to make plain that He was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die and to be raised again.
In preparation for the Lord's Supper consider that Judas Iscariot was a church member, but he was not regenerated.
The fact that Peter was soon to loose his tabernacle, he had more incentive to remind the brethren of their responsibilities.
If the Kingdom of Heaven must be received as a little child, what do we need to consider?
We make our calling and election sure by diligently applying the seven attributes Peter mentioned earlier.
Peter wants us to add seven things to our faith in order to reach the ultimate knowledge of Christ.
After referring to himself, the servant and the saints to whom he was writing, Peter made his salutation referring to the Saviour
Onesimus, like Judas, was a depraved sinner. But unlike Judas, Onesimus was reconciled to God and to his master
Three questions: Where dwellest thou? Whence art thou? Who art thou? All good questions, but how were they asked?
The work of the early church was through men who knew little more than the Lord Jesus Christ
This Jesus was crucified and rose again. This Jesus will judge those who crucified Him. This Jesus will save those who repent and trust Him
What was Christ's purpose in coming? In one sense it wasn't to send peace, but a sword.
Our salvation not only required Christ's shed blood, but the scripture often speaks of His bodily suffering.
Jesus's seamless robe may have miraculously been winnings from gambling, but it could not have saved the wearer/winner.
This Psalm could describe God's saint defending himself before God in front of his accusers.
Jesus has expectations for His disciples. He has exhortations for them. He will examine them as well.
The work of a church ought to be house-to-house, faith-to-faith, strength-to-strength and glory to glory
Many, many times God commands people to do things now, or quickly. We'll examine five of these.
Patience can be seen in the House upon the Rock, a Bow and Arrow and the Nails into the Cross
The Lord's Supper or Communion is not only a way to worship and fellowship with the Saviour, but also to commune with other members of the Lord's church
The world needs more than the Christian's passive influence. It needs our clear and decisive testimony empowered by the Holy Spirit
The Book of Revelation speaks of three separate choirs. We will be a part of only one of them.
John the Baptist did much in the year he served the Saviour, dying when he was about 31 years old.
Salvation is not about what sinners will get by God's grace. It is about the glorification of the Lord.
Faithfulness produces various results, but the real blessings of Christian faithfulness come from the hand of the Lord.
We have a pattern for faithfulness in the Lord Jesus. He shows us various areas wherein we should be faithful.
Without commanding faithfulness, not only does the Lord expect it from us but so do many others.
Christian faithfulness is a neglected subject. In this lesson we consider what might be a definition of the subject.
Achan deliberately sinned against God, bringing judgment down on Israel. Christians can do the same to their churches.
Many Christians want to have a home in Heaven, but they don't want a Heavenly home on earth. Do you have a heavenly home--
Our trials are of a season, of God's decision, of natural diversity, and of eternal design.
The Lord is with His people during their trials. How the respond makes a great difference.
At the feet of Jesus is the place of worship, service and reward. It is the place where all God's saints ought to be.
Having surrendered to the Lord, we now must proceed through boot camp, put on the uniform and recruit others.
We need to know and believe that 1- God had brought me here. 2- God will keep me safe. 3- God will bless me here. 4- God will bring me out in His good time.
David's sin was ever before him, and it may have been used by the Lord to bless the man, helping him to become Israel's great psalmist.
Sins have consequences. Even though a sinner may be forgiven, the effects of sin may linger and even kill
John's theology included Christ's preeminent, mellifluence, munificence and and benificence
Paul's salutation to the Corinthians is full of practical doctrine on the blessings of the Trinity
Christians are permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit, but they need to be constantly -refilled.-
The Gary Powers - Rudolf Abel spy swap is a good illustration of the mediatorial office of the Lord Jesus
The Galatians were staggering at the truth and some were falling from grace. What is that--
The two goats of the Atonement illustrate Christ's blood before God the Father and the deliverance of the believer from his sins.
The gospel in Ephesians begins in the sinner's spiritual death and ends in the riches of Christ. Between those points are trials and responsibilities.
Looking at how angels ministered to Christ after His temptation, we see how they could minister to us.
Christians can see the error of trusting things like baptism and works instead of Christ for salvation. But they don't recognize how often their faith is short-sighted when it comes to daily living.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And yet there is strength in the right kind of fleshly weakness.
The two disciples on their way to Emmaus disqualified themselves from the Lord's Supper, if the church had observed it that -Sunday afternoon.
In Jesus' discussion about His saving of His sheep, we have five points of important theology.
The nature of salvation demanded a redeemer who was both perfect humanity and infinite deity.
Some Reformed Baptists say that Protestants never persecuted Baptists. History suggests otherwise. Some Reformed Baptists are ignoring or re-writing history.
Christ and His servants raised the dead. They were all linked to Christ's authority. Then Jesus died and rose again, showing to all of that we too shall rise. In preparation for that we need to be born again -- spiritually resurrected, again through Christ.
Though very good men, the Apostles made terrible judgments which should not be followed by us. Christ must be our example
What are the Attributes of the Post-Christian culture, and what should be our response--
When the king needed to know the meaning of his forgotten dream Daniel and friends, under God's blessing were there to help. Then they were rewarded as very young men
A way into the Holy of Holies has been made available for the children of God through the blood of Christ Jesus. Let's take advantage of it.
The Reformed Baptist movement adheres to some of the things which we believe. But also clinging to Protestantism, we differ. We are Baptists following the baptistic teachings found in churches from the time of Christ.
Israel sinned to the point of no return. We can do the same as individuals. Once we are dead there is no hope
We will one day sit like John with our heads on the Saviour's breast.-Why are we doing that now--
The Church in Jerusalem had both great power and great grace. Which is more important--
Our sin-hardened hearts need to be replaced with hearts of flesh.-This is the ministry of God Himself through salvation.-Ye must be born again.
Since love is supposed to be a key characteristic of the Disciple, we should know some of the ways in which it should be done
At the Great White Throne Judgment the books will be opened and the lost will be judged out of them. But if their names are in the Lamb's Book of Life all is well.
Christ can be either the stone to crush or the foundation upon which to build your eternity
Paul served the Lord from prison for about a quarter of his ministry. We can serve the Lord from whatever limitations are placed on us.-We both are prisoners of the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His before and after pictures illustrate that truth
Different scriptures exhort the multitudes, the individual and the disciple to -carry the cross.-
We are in the world but not of the world.-We are above the world and yet sent into the world.
There is no special new year's gospel, but there is much that was-is new in the old, old gospel
The reality is that we are nothing before the Lord, except where His grace intervenes. Therefore we must be humble. Humility is key to just about every aspect of our Christian lives.
On this last day of the year, let's consider what took place on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Children of God spend eternity with the Lord. Children of the Devil spend eternity in the Lake of Fire
A comparison of the scriptures in Hebrews of salvation through Christ and the Judgment of sin
If Jesus was the only one to speak of His work then it shouldn't be accepted, but there were five witnesses in this text.
If Jesus performed miracles by His faith in God, He leaves us with some great examples.
Joseph, David and Stephen followed the example of Christ in doing good toward those who do evil.
Successively, Christ is our Good Shepherd, our Great Shepherd and the Glorious Shepherd.
Exposition of John 6 and Jesus' question- -Whence shall we find food to feed this multitude--
Mission work is not just about establishing churches. It is about establishing strong Christians too.
God's salvation is eternal. He has destroyed or otherwise eliminated our sins against Him.
Christians should not fear and unnecessarily avoid death. It is our friend to take us unto God
God's laws may be divided into three groups- moral, ceremonial and judicial. Christians need to apply only those which the Lord has given to us.
God's Law reveals His nature and requirements. As the Lord's schoolmaster, the Law shows us our need of the Saviour
Every church member is important and has a role to play in the service of the King. We may be franchise players or role players. But we all have a part.
In Christ's High Priestly Prayer He prayed for those of His elect who were yet to be saved. This suggests that He is praying for us who are to share the gospel with those who will be saved.
No sinner should feel isolated or unique. We have all sinned- we have all been lost. There is one and only one Saviour.
Confessing our faults to one another is an important responsibility of good church membership
Consideration of Jesus' Second Coming should give us comfort, peace, motivation, and excitement
Depression from trials and problems affect everyone. God's saints need to push through them in the power of the Lord.
Like a beautiful tapestry, Peter interweaves salvation, grace, prophets, Christ and the Holy Spirit together, all overseen by angels.
There is a lot of incorrect doctrine and practice when it comes to baptism. Ideally one's baptism should clearly represent his salvation.
Peter refers to -the end of salvation.- Salvation means different things to different people. What does it mean to you-
We have not seen our Saviour with our physical eyes, but we love Him nevertheless. How- Why- And we live in faith as well.
At the appearing -apocalypse- of Christ, the saints will be blessed and the unbelieving will be judged.
John the Baptist referred to two baptisms- one with the Holy Ghost and the other with fire. They are not the same thing. Which of the two do you have-
-Temptation- in the Bible often means -trial.- The trials of our faith are important for a number of reasons.
In -the last time- our salvation will be fully revealed. The inheritance is ready, the saints are ready, the Lord is ready, but the time is not right.
God keeps His saints unto the end- to the day of the inheritance He is keeping for them.
In the Bible we don't see God's men starting -missions.- We see them starting -churches.- Ideally, we should pattern our missionary objectives according to Biblical patterns
Abraham was awaiting an inheritance. He did so by faith. We are awaiting an inheritance. Do we meet the criteria-
Peter declared that Christ's resurrection was the key to the Christian's hope and the Heavenly inheritance.
Missionary, although a Biblical principle and office, is not a Biblical word. More appropriate terms might be -apostle- and -evangelist.- Should we use either of those over the unbiblical -Missionary--
Christians are given a lively hope which not only reaches into eternity, but which makes life today worthwhile.
The King of Syria knew Elisha well. God's people should have a positive testimony before the wicked.
Peter describes God's mercy as -abundant.- There are many other Biblical adjectives as well- tender, eternal, great, etc.
If the Lord didn't make exceptions, no one would be saved. We are depraved and incapable of coming to the Lord without His initiative
Elijah was told to anoint Hazael, but it was Elisha who did. There was the use of a proxy
Wickedness brought Israel into a terrible situation, and wickedness continued to grow, denying the blessing of the Lord.
God the Father is as involved in the salvation of His spiritual children as are the Son and the Spirit
What the world needs are preachers of righteousness. It involves preaching sin, judgment, forgivness and righteous living.
God has chosen certain people to salvation through His special foreknowledge, Election begins a predestinated path which ends in the completion of salvation
The Blood of Christ is nothing unless it is applied- unless it is sprinkled upon the soul.
Is our Saviour Jesus, Christ Jesus, Lord Jesus, our Lord Jesus Christ- Does it matter- Does the name of Jesus mean something- Certainly.
Christ appeared to men in His incarnation for the purpose of salvation. Now He appears in Heaven interceding for His people.-Soon He will appear again. Wherefore comfort ye one another.
God loves His people and takes care of them in their needs. ie. the lost axe head and protection from an enemy
John came in the spirit of Elijah. He carried out the Elijaic ministry, and so should we.
It is easy to become Pharisaical focusing on lesser things, forgetting or ignoring the Love of God.
While awaiting the Day of the Lord, and during periods of Heavenly silence we are to remember what God has already revealed, and we are to occupy until He comes.
Part of the Day of the Lord will include Christ's judgment of the save. The Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in his wings.
One aspect of the Day of the Lord will be judgment- judgment upon Israel, the Gentiles, the proud and wicked
There is a day coming when all will know the difference between the righteous and the wicked. Today it can be seen in service to the Lord
If members don't contribute to their church in various ways should they remain members-
Books are being kept from which we will be judged. Will they be kept in a library- Saints are described as the Lord's jewels. Will they be kept in a treasury-
In a cold world, Malachi gives us ideas on how to cope- feed the fear, converse of Christ- think the theology, relish the relationship, harbor the hope.
Isreal was following an early form of Prosperity Gospel and it wasn't working, so they resorted to defamation and slander against God.
God promised to make Israel a delightsome land, but there were requirements involved. Can we ask for the same blessings on a spiritual level- We too must meet the criteria.
As the Lord's subjects, there are certain requirements upon us, such as love, worship, service and tithing.
Christians are the poetry of God and we should bring praise to our Author through our lives.
God is timeless and above time, so He views the coming of Christ as a single unit, whereas we look at the First Coming and the Second.
Like all Biblical prophecies, Malachi's words were guaranteed by God, and are profitable to our faith.
It is a wonderful thing to see the fulfilment of prophecy. Peter said, -This is that- which was prophesied.
Malachi made light of Israel's plea -Where is the God of Judgment.- They didn't really want the Lord.
The Lamb who is Worthy of Worship, gave His life a Ransom for many. Look and behold the Lamb.
Just as society is trying to redefine -race,- man has been trying to redefine -sin.- No, evil is not good in God's sight.
Sinful man doesn't want to think about a God of Judgment. He often pretends that such a God doesn't exist.
Our God does not tire or get fatigued. When He says that He is wearied, it is an anthropomorphism. We might say, -He gets fed up with men and their sin.
God disregards any offering which doesn't meet His requirements. We are saved only by the blood of Christ
Through sin we can make God's holiness look common to the eyes of the heathen around us.
A study of the word -commandment.- God's commandments to men might be described as decrees, suggestions and declarations
Levi, a man with a past, became a good servant of God. The Lord blessed him. But the priests in Malachi's day were bringing shame to both their father and the Lord.
God's priests caused people to stumble at the law and as a result they missed the atonement. People must see themselves as sinners before they can be saved.
God told His priests that if they didn't glory Him properly, He would turn their blessings into curses
the Priests of Israel were going through the motions of their service but were not bringing glory to God. Glory is our first priority
We may become weary in the Lord's work, but the priests of Israel were weary Of the Lord's work
Jehovah is to be held in absolute reverence and awe. He is dreadful. He is terrible. Until we are surrendered to Him. Then His sovereign power is used to save us.
We may describe our live in Christ many ways, one of which is -I love the Lord.- But does the average Christian love the Lord as the Bible defines it-
Can sinners pray- Does God hear them- Aren't we all sinners. Isn't everything God grants blessings of His grace-
Elisha began his ministry by miraculously crossing the Jordan and then in healing the bad water of the accursed city, Jericho.
The Name of God is more than an appellatian or title. It is the sum of His being. To despise His Name is to despise Him. What is it to despise- to despise the Name of God- to despise God- We are all guilty and need a Saviour.
The priests of Israel presented a wicked message with their acceptance of corrupt sacrifices. God holds us accountable for our words and our non-verbal messages as well.
Israel was offering lame lambs for sacrifice to God, and He was not pleased with them. The same is true today. He asks, -Where is my Honor and my Fear--
How did God hate Esau and was his judgment just- How did God love Jacob- Was his blessing just-
Christ told us to pray for laborers. We should not confine our prayers to pastors and missionaries. There are many kinds of laborers in the New Testament.
Unthinking Israel asked God, Wherein hast thou Loved us- God's reply was essentially, you are children of Israel, and I loved him.
In Satan's attacks upon Christ, we see his attacks upon us. He hated Christ's Sonship and he hates that we are sons of God. Don't let him rob you of your joy.
Various people have expressed a wish for death, but as a general rule it is better to live than to die. The only exception was the Lord Jesus Christ.
God considers our prayer requests and the attitude of our hearts. He may -reply- in four different ways.
God is absolutely holy, but He is also merciful and gracious. He told Moses so. In His mercy He provided a way of salvation.
Between Elisha's calling and the beginning of his ministry other prophets were serving the Lord
There are similarities in God's call of important men -- Samson, Elisha, Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Saul of Tarsus.
God's love, through Christ and His love may become a great source of joy for His saints.
The Deacon's primary duty is to handle secular responsibilities in order to leave spiritual duties to the Pastor.
Elijah thought his ministry was over, but it was not so. He had several important things to do for God's glory, including the calling of Elisha.
The first Deacons were filled with the Spirit. But that is not something to be confined to that office. All Christians should be filled with God's Spirit.
The Jerusalem church was encouraged to choose seven godly men to serve in a secular capacity.
The church in Jerusalem needed deacons because of disunity within the congregation. The preachers needed to be able to focus on the primary work of the ministry
In the Parable of the Prodigal we can see regeneration, but have you noticed the doctrine of Adoption-
We should not only expect to be persecuted for our faith, but we should hope to be. We should be different from the world, and the world should hate us for that difference.
When standing before God, we are nothing. Examples- Moses, Gideon and Jeremiah. However, the Lord made all these men into great servants of God. Humility is a part of the power of our service.
The best knowledge is the knowledge of the Saviour, who is Himself the revelation of God and of Salvation