Posts Tagged ‘John MacArthur’

Let’s Talk Sin!

Posted in Christianity, Religion, tagged , , , , , , , on March 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Michelangelo's painting of the sin of Adam and...

Michelangelo’s painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall of Man) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whatever happened to sin?  It seems today that word has been dropped from our vocabulary.  Most of the modern mega church leaders, such as Joel Osteen, don’t want to mention sin because it is not what they would call “positive.”  They don’t want to proclaim anything negative to their people as it just might offend them, and for goodness sakes we mustn’t offend anyone.  They might not come back and put money in our coffers.

So let’s be adults and for a moment think and talk about sin.  First off, what exactly is sin?  According to the Bible in 1 John 3:4  Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.(emphasis mine)  Sin is the breaking of God’s law.  That is the most simple answer I can give.

John MacArthur has said this regarding sin: “Sin is any personal lack of conformity to the moral character of God, or law of God.  Then sin is a disposition of the heart.”

Today sin has been watered down to the extent that anything goes.  Here are a few of the sins of the Bible and how they have been diluted to make them more acceptable to society.

  • Adultery –  has been changed to “having an affair.”
  • Steal– is now “commit fraud.”
  • Fornication – we don’t hear that word anymore, but we do hear “live together,” “significant other” or “partner.”  But, fornication is having sex with someone outside of marriage.
  • Drunkenness  – this is now a disease called  alcoholism, or perhaps they are a “social drinker.”
  • Lie – oh, they just tell a little “fib,” or a “white lie.”
  • Gossip –  “I want to share something with you about (insert name).”
  • Murder/abortion – this is now “birth control,”  or seen as “a woman’s right.”
  • Homosexuality – today this is called “an alternative lifestyle.”

These are only a few things that I could think of.  I’m sure there are many more.  But, to be sure sin is alive and well today just as it has been since the fall in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered society.  But, today, it is mostly in disguise.  Sin is serious business and we will talk more about this in future posts.

Read Full Post »

Our Father Overcomes Our Anxiety, Part 1

Posted in Christianity, Faith, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, tagged , , , , , on November 27, 2012|

Wow!  As I read this post, by John MacArthur,  I thought about how much our God really does love us.  He has made promises to us and He tells us in the Bible what He expects from us. If only we would listen, our lives would be so much easier.  If He takes care of the birds, we can rest asured the He will take care of us too.  Often I forget that I’m a child of the King and that I don’t have to live like unbelievers. Isn’t that wonderful?

One of the most hopeless aspects of unrepentant sinners’ lives is that they have no answer for anxiety. They’re forced to put their hopes in flimsy, fallible plans and institutions. They aren’t able to rest firmly in the unchanging promises of God—they have to ride out every wave of calamity, every unexpected disaster.

Click on the link below to read the rest of this post.

Our Father Overcomes Our Anxiety, Part 1.

Read Full Post »

What Did Jesus Say About Worry?

Posted in Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , on November 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have to admit I sometimes get my mind too much on the temporary things of this world. I wonder what might happen if our economy gets worse.  We are retired so I don’t have to worry if we’d get laid off, but I am concerned about our income. We’re on a fixed income and the future isn’t very bright right now.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of these posts by John MacArthur as he helps us see what is really important and why worry is not part of who we are as Christians.  I hope you read them and learn along with me.

You probably remember the “What Would Jesus Do?” trend from the late ’90s. It seemed everywhere you looked, plastered across T-shirts, hats, jewelry, and all kinds of other merchandise, the WWJD slogan was a blithe, shallow reminder to live up to Christ’s moral code..

Click on the link below to read the rest of this article.

What Did Jesus Say About Worry?.

Read Full Post »

Observing God’s Care

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christianity, Panic Disorder Support, tagged , , , , , , on November 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Are you a worrier?  I was for a long time.  It wasn’t until I became a Christian and got into the Word that I discovered that it was not God’s will that I should worry.  When He tells us something we need to sit up and take notice.  And, Jesus plainly tells us that He will take care of us and that we do not need to be anxious about anything.  It took me some time to break the worry habit, but I did with His help and so can you.  In this article John MacArthur continues to teach us about God’s view of worry.

English: Sherlock Holmes (r) and Dr. John B. W...Sherlock Holmes (r) and Dr. John H. Watson. Illustration by Sidney Paget from the Sherlock Holmes story The Greek Interpreter.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, is one of the most intriguing creations of literary fiction. He is, quite simply, extraordinary. His famous cohort, Dr. John Watson, is ordinary, at least by comparison. Watson has often been erroneously portrayed as a bumbling fool, but that flies in the face of Doyle’s attempt to make the average reader relate to Watson.

Click on the link below to read the rest of this article by John MacArthur.

Observing God’s Care.

Read Full Post »

John MacArthur on Anxiety and God’s Sovereignty

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Here is another wonderful post on anxiety by John MacArthur.  He is doing a series of them and I want to share them with you.  There is a very good short video clip in this one that you MUST listen too.  I think it is the key to victory.  When you get a hold of that teaching, it really makes all the difference.

_________________________________________________________

It should be clear by now that unchecked anxiety isn’t good for you. It’s a sin expressly forbidden by the Lord, so there is the spiritual cost to consider. But it’s also harmful to your health, your productivity, and your relationships. It wreaks havoc throughout your life, and as we saw yesterday, it strangles your mind.

Click on the link below to continue reading this article:

John MacArthur on Anxiety and God’s Sovereignty.

Read Full Post »

Worn Out by Worry

Posted in Christian, Faith, Panic Attacks, tagged , , , , , on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Here is an article by John MacArthur that I’d like to share with you.  I know first hand how much trouble worry can add to a person’s life.  I want to thank John MacArthur for writing this and sharing his wisdom on this issue as I know from sharing with people over the years that worry is a huge problem even among Christians.  We can be conquers!

Worry is a common temptation for all of us. The source of the anxiety might vary from person to person, but no one is completely immune. For some, it’s even a favorite pastime, occupying large portions of their days by troubling over their doubts and fears about the future.

You can click on the link below to read all of this article by John MacArthur.

Worn Out by Worry.

Read Full Post »

Overwhelmed by Anxiety?

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christianity, Panic Disorder Support, tagged , , , , , on November 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

English: Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety

Here is an article by John MacArthur that I thought might be of interest to you.

Anxiety, fear, worry, and stress are familiar words in our day, and familiar experiences to many. More and more we’re hearing of an extreme form of anxiety referred to as a “panic attack.”

Click on the link below to read the full article by John MacArthur.

Overwhelmed by Anxiety?

Read Full Post »

Slave to Christ

Posted in Christianity, God, Inspiration, Religion, Spirituality, tagged , , , on March 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

Just recently John MacArthur came out with a new book called, Slave.
In it he explains how the word translated as servant and bond servant should have been translated as slave.  This gives a whole new meaning to the term, “slave to Christ.”  This realization gave me a new outlook as to my relationship with Christ.  It really is very beautiful.  I recommend this book.

Some time ago I wrote an article after watching a DVD by John MacArthur on this very subject.  I’m reposting it here now as this subject is relevant. 

Have you ever thought of yourself as a slave to Christ?  I hadn’t until recently.  I thought more of myself as a servant of Christ.  Like a helper at times.  But a slave, no.

As I began to think about this I realized that we can be slaves to many things.  Who or what are you a slave to?  Anyone or anything that controls us owns us, and we are slaves to them. 

Some could be slaves to alcohol, money, lust, sex, pornography, smoking, sports, illegal drugs, pot, television, work, or fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are just some of the things we can be controlled by.  We can also be a slave to people; our husbands, our children, our friends. 

On the other hand we should be a slave to Christ.  However, the Bible tells us we cannot serve two masters.

Matthew 6:24 NASB  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

So there is the problem.  Who or what do we serve? 

When we become a Christian we do not any longer have to be a slave to fear.  God adopts us into His family.  He takes care of us from then on.

Romans 8:15 LITV  “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!”

It is the same with the other bondage’s that we find ourselves in.  When we turn our lives over to the Lord as our Lord and Master, then we no longer have to be a slave to anyone or anything. 

Rom 6:6 NASB  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

The Greek word “Doulos” in the Bible is often translated as servant.  It should be the word slave.  It does make a difference.

A servant is one who has a choice.  They worked for wages and could quit at any time.  A servant can do what he wants and is free to make his own decisions. 

But a slave is bought and owned.  He is to do the will of his master.  He has no rights and cannot do as he pleases.

1Co 7:22-23 LITV  For the one called while a slave in the Lord is a freed man of the Lord. And likewise, the one called while a free man is a slave of Christ.  23  You were redeemed with a price; do not become slaves of men.

You see when Jesus died on the cross for the payment of our sins he bought us with his own precious blood.  He now owns us and the Word says we are to become a slave of Christ.  That is an awesome thought!

In the Bible, Paul saw himself as a slave of Christ. 

Rom 1:1 LITV  Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated to the gospel of God,

Gal 1:10 LITV  For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Paul is talking to Timothy here.  He refers to Timothy as a slave of the Lord.

2Ti 2:24 LITV  But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,

When we see ourselves as a slave of Christ our whole attitude changes.

  • We realize we have been bought and are not our own.  We can then die to “self.” And, let that part of us go.
  • We need to be always available and ready to serve our Master.
  • We need to make sure we don’t get caught up with trying to serve two masters.
  • We need to pray and keep close to our dear Lord.
  • We need to be dependent on Him for all things.  He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory.  (Philippians 4:19.)
  • We need to realize that God may allow trials and troubles to come into our lives, but they are to discipline us and grow us to be more like Him.  They are for our good.
  • And, we need to know that everything good that comes our way is from God Himself. 

We’ve truly been blessed when we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. 

  • He has made us a child and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:14-17) 
  • We are an ambassador for Christ, (II Corinthians 5:20),
  • a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a possession of God (I Peter 2:9),
  • and a holy temple of the living God. (II Corinthians 10:5)

We will actually rule and reign with the Lord in Heaven some day.  Isn’t that truly amazing!  What a Savior!  What a Master!

That is only a few of the blessings God bestows upon us.  And to be honest none of us deserve any of it.  I’m truly happy to learn that I am a slave to Christ! 

Scripture taken from NASB  New American Standard Bible and LITV Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

Note: For more teaching on the subject of slaves for Christ you can go here to John MacArthur’s website. 

http://www.gty.org/Products

Read Full Post »

%d bloggers like this: