Posts with the tag: Dirk Warren
Who Is the “CHOSEN LADY” of 2 John?
In the brief epistle of 2 John, the apostle addresses his letter to the “chosen lady.” Who is this woman? Consider the key verses: The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I alone, but also all who know the truth 2 John 1:1 (BSB) 5And now, […]
What Is the PRAYER OF JABEZ?
Let’s read the prayer of Jabez from the two most popular versions of the Bible: 9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, c saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand […]
Did Jesus Forgive His Murderers on the Cross?
Christ didn’t forgive anyone when He was on the cross. Read the text: When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:33-34 Yeshua […]
How Does the Holy Spirit Convict People?
Here’s what Christ said about the Holy Ghost convicting the lost: But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will […]
What Are “Positional Truths”?
Many truths in the Bible are practical in nature. You hear or read what the Word of God says and you do it, like “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). These are practical truths. Yet there are revelational and positional truths as well. […]
Is the Use of ‘Man’ for Humanity Sexist?
The term ‘man’ in the Bible refers to both male and female, unless the context tells otherwise, as observed here: Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all […]
How Old Is the EARTH According to the Bible?
The Bible does not say what the age of the Earth is and so people draw conclusions based on various data. It’s a non-essential issue and believers can hold to one position or another without it affecting their relationship with God or their Christian service. The more important an issue is, the more directly and […]
Q&A on SHEOL / HADES, the Intermediate State of the Unsaved
What Does the Bible Teach About SHEOL / HADES? Sheol or Hades involves the intermediate state of unsaved souls between physical death and later resurrection when they’re judged (Revelation 20:11-15). It is “the world of the dead,” as scholar James Strong defined it, or “the assembly of the dead,” as Proverbs 21:16 describes it, or […]
What Couldn’t Jesus Tell the Disciples Because They Couldn’t BEAR IT?
The Lord made this interesting statement to His disciples: 12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will […]
What Does It Mean That the “SEA” Gave Up the Dead?
Let’s read the passage in question with focus on verse 13: 11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were […]
What Does Being “BORN OF WATER and of the Spirit” Mean?
Let’s read the passage in question: 3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” 4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell […]
What Are the “Seven Spirits of God” From Revelation?
In John’s apocalyptic vision there are several curious reference to the “seven spirits of God”: John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, Revelation 1:4 “To the angel […]
Did the Crucified Thief Go to Paradise THAT DAY?
When the Messiah was crucified, two thieves were crucified simultaneously with him: One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we […]
Are Gentile Believers SPIRITUAL JEWS?
While Gentile believers are obviously not Jews in a physical sense, they are indeed spiritual Jews. Let’s consider the scriptural evidence for this from three angles… “A Person Is a Jew Who Is One Inwardly“ God’s chosen nation in the Old Covenant was the Israelites, aka the Hebrews (Exodus 6:7, 19:5 & Deuteronomy 7:6). While Abraham was the […]
Why Did God Allow the BLACK DEATH and So Many to Die?
There are several examples of the Almighty bringing pestilence on certain peoples at certain times as a judgment against sin/rebellion (e.g. 2 Samuel 24:15 wherein 70,000 died). When God’s judgment falls upon the Earth during the future 7-year Tribulation there will be plagues (e.g. Revelation 6:8 & 18:8). But this doesn’t mean every outbreak in […]
Pointers on Finding THE RIGHT ASSEMBLY
You’re a believer and understandably want to connect with other genuine believers, not to mention learn from the Word of God and grow spiritually, as well as find opportunities to serve according to your gifting. Where do you go? First, keep in mind the three basic essentials of what the believer needs in hooking up […]
Defining “PSALMS, HYMNS and SPIRITUAL SONGS”
When the apostle Paul was under house imprisonment in Rome, he mentioned “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” in two separate passages that he wrote between the years 60-62 A.D. Here’s the passage from Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus: 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk […]
Support for PRAISE & WORSHIP in the Bible
You hear a lot about praise & worship in Christian circles, but what support does the Bible actually provide for praise & worship being a regular part of the believer’s life? Let’s start with the New Testament since we’re under the New Covenant. The New Testament consists of four categories of literature: The Gospels: Matthew, […]
God’s Perfect Will vs. God’s Permissive Will
God’s general will is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. For instance, does the LORD want you to live a life of fornication or adultery? Obviously not. Theologians call this God’s preceptive will, based on the word ‘precept,’ which means rule, mandate, guideline or principle. God’s more specific will is revealed to the individual believer […]
What Is FAULTFINDING? What’s Wrong With It?
Jude warned believers in the 1st Century about false teachers; notice how he describes them: These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Jude 1:16 The one description we want to focus on is ‘faultfinder.’ A faultfinder is someone who […]
What Is the “Eliphaz Syndrome”?
The “Eliphaz Syndrome” is the tendency to formulate vital doctrine based on visions/experiences rather than the rightly-divided Word of God. If you’re not familiar with Eliphaz (el-ee-FAZ), he was one of Job’s three “friends” whom the LORD accused of folly in what they said to their suffering friend (Job 42:7-8). Eliphaz was the one […]
What Does It Mean to Be “Baptized for the Dead”?
Let’s read the verse in question: Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 1 Corinthians 15:29 The topic is the resurrection of the dead, which some believers in Corinth doubted due to […]
What Is the Significance of 153 FISH in John 21:11?
Let’s read the full passage in question: 1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. a It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll […]
Do Believers Need a “Spiritual COVERING”?
Anyone who takes the initiative to step out in faith and do something in service of God’s kingdom will inevitably hear criticisms like: “Who’s your covering?” “Who are you accountable to?” “You’re not one of us!” Those who voice such criticisms are curiously upset that someone’s actively doing the work of God. In some cases […]
What Does It Mean to Be “MORE THAN A CONQUEROR”?
The Bible says “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). What does this mean? A conqueror is someone who fights and defeats a foe. A person who is “more than a conqueror” is someone who partakes of the blessings of victory because the foe is already defeated. Make no mistake, you are more than […]
What Can We Get From Eli, Samuel and the Flickering Lamp?
In 1 Samuel 3 we observe young Samuel being called to his prophetic ministry while he was staying with the elderly high priest, Eli, at the the Tabernacle in Shiloh where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Samuel and Eli slept under the same roof somewhere outside the Tent of Meeting (i.e. the Tabernacle). The […]
How to Distinguish 3 TYPES OF TRIALS — SITs, MITs and DITs
When you experience an unexpected trial of some sort, the first thing you need to do is determine if the assault is a Self-Inflicted Trial (SIT), a Discipline-Intended Trial (DIT) or a Maturity-Intended Trial (MIT). Here’s an explanation of each: SITs are obvious: they’re the result of one’s own folly, like being injured due to reckless driving and the resulting […]
Should Believers Participate in FASTING?
Fasting is a spiritual discipline in which the individual goes without food for a period of time to, ideally, humble themselves and focus on spiritual things. It is denying the needs of the outer man to attend to the needs of the inner man. The Messiah insinuated that the Church would fast after he was […]
How You Can KNOW You Are Saved
For anyone struggling with assurance of salvation, here are a few relevant passages from God’s Word that will help: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, […]
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
The LORD chose Abraham because he was an extraordinary man of faith (Romans 4:11). Abraham originally hailed from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city of moon worshippers in the lower Mesopotamian region near the mouth of the Euphrates River (Genesis 11:28), not far from modern-day Baghdad. This is today southeastern Iraq, which is the center of what […]