What kind of things do and do not prove the genuineness of saving faith?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:45:32 PST

Churches today are filled with people who hold to a faith that does not save. James referred to this as a "dead faith"-meaning a mere empty profession (James 2:17, 20, 26). Paul wrote to the people in the church at Corinth to test or examine themselves to see if they were truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). As important as it was in Paul's day, how much more important it is for people in our churches today to put their faith to the test and to make sure they have not been deceived.

Eine Illustration für Abtrünnige (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:08:19 PST

Die Gotteslästerung der Abtrünnigen (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:08:09 PST

The Truth About Hell

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:12:51 PST

As we enter into this season of celebration for us as believers, we face an opportunity and a responsibility that I think is unique to the season and that is to be ready to speak the gospel to the folks that are around us who don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ. You heard from Travis the commission of Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them and commanding them to do all things that I have commanded you. This is our commission, this is why we are here in this world, to be ministers of reconciliation with a message of reconciliation to God that sinners might be saved. We talk about that, being saved. One of the people being baptized tonight made reference to being saved...

Die Liebe Gottes, Teil 3 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:37:39 PST

Nun, dies sind besondere Tage und ich denke, das Tempo einfach ein wenig zu reduzieren und unser Engagement in der Welt ein wenig zurückzuschrauben, uns zu zurückzulehnen und über die Dinge nachzudenken, die uns wichtig sind, sind wirklich wichtige Momente und wichtige Stunden, die wir mit unseren Familien und denen, die wir lieben, verbringen. Aber während wir über Weihnachten nachdenken, hören wir viele Menschen über den Geist der Weihnacht und den Geist der Liebe reden. Jemand sagte sogar erst letzte Woche, nach einer meiner Predigten, zu mir: „Ich bin überrascht, dass du nichts über die Tatsache gesagt hast, dass wir einander lieben sollen. Ist das nicht das, worum es an Weihnachten letztendlich geht?“ Und es kam mir in den Sinn, dass die meisten Menschen wahrscheinlich so denken, dass es an Weihnachten einzig und allein darum geht, andere Menschen zu lieben...

Guaranteed Glory

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:08:16 PST

Let’s open the Word of God to the eighth chapter of Romans and we’re going to look…essentially we’re going to look at just two verses…just two verses. But in order to set it in your mind, I want to read three verses; verses 28, 29, and 30, they really do go together. We’ve pretty much covered verse 28 already and at least the second half of verse 29, but I want to read them for you...

Christians and Alcohol

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:07:43 PST

As we come, tonight, to the Word of God and to our discussion of a subject at hand, I want you to open your Bible to the fifth chapter of Ephesians and just that eighteenth verse that we looked at last time, Ephesians 5:18. And it’s really going to be a launching point for us into our discussion tonight...

Conforming to the Glory of Christ

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:53:43 PST

We’re looking at Romans chapter 8…Romans chapter 8 and we are talking about living in the Spirit, living in the Holy Spirit. For those of you who haven’t been with us for the previous nine weeks that we have discussed this, this is message number ten. I don’t know about you but it’s going fast for me and we’re having a wonderful time in the preparation of these messages. But the goal of this and the objective of this series in Romans 8 is to help you understand the true ministry of the Holy Spirit in a time when in evangelical Christian world, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is misunderstood and misrepresented. That is largely the legacy of the Pentecostal Charismatic Movement which is kind of a third force in Christianity. There’s Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Pentecostalism, those are the three sort of forces and obviously we understand the errors in Roman Catholicism, that’s why Protestantism exists because it was a protest against their errors. But we haven’t made the protest yet as we should have made the protest against the Pentecostal aberrations of Scripture and I’ve been endeavoring to carry on a rather small protest for many years, years ago writing a book called The Charismatics, following it up with a book called Charismatic Chaos, many of you have read that second book. It’s still around even today and hopefully helping people who are caught up in that Movement and its doctrinal deception...

Learning from Bad Examples

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:53:10 PST

There are so many ways in which we can prepare our hearts for a time around the Lord ’s Table. The cross is the focal point of the whole of Scripture and therefore there are a lot of places you can go to choose for that heart preparation that looks at the provision of Christ...

MacArthur on Multisite

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:23:43 PST

John, what’s your take on the multisite church movement?

Blog Comments

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:14:42 PST

The day has come to close the comment section on the GTY blog. We are truly sorry to disappoint, but some recent staff changes have made this necessary—just not enough people to monitor and interact. This will be the last post where we’ll allow comments, but stay with us, we’ve got some great posts from John coming very soon...

How to Enjoy Bible Study

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:38:29 PST

Bible study. Does the thought of it turn you on or off? Do you quake with guilt or tremble with eagerness? Here are some helpful guidelines on Bible study that can help you get more out of your personal study and enjoy it more, too.

Careful to Be Faithful

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:55:15 PST

Some commenters lately seem to have typecast Grace to You as a bunch of cranky old men, fearful of a changing world that threatens their long-held positions of power. If that’s what you or someone you know believes about John MacArthur and Grace to You, allow me to make a couple of clarifications. First, a word about the nature of this ministry...

The Word Became Flesh

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:14:11 PST

Let’s go back to John chapter 1 and talk a little bit about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, back to John chapter 1. I think this year we’ve received fewer Christmas cards than any other year. Are you having that experience? And I just don’t…people aren’t sending as many Christmas cards, but the ones that they do send are two kinds, pictures of their kids, pictures of family, which are great and wonderful, and pictures of shepherds and wise men and mangers and stars and angels and all of that, right? I mean, that’s pretty much…we could separate them, the people go over here, the manger scenes go over here and that seems to be the current theme. And you might even wonder if the Christmas story could even be told without those very familiar elements. Would…what would the Christmas story be with no stable, no manger, no Joseph, no Mary, no Bethlehem, no shepherds, no angels, no star, no wise men and no baby? What would the Christmas story be?

Groanings Too Deep for Words

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:02:13 PST

We open the Word of God now to the eighth chapter of Romans to continue our look at life in the Holy Spirit. We have been endeavoring to bring the wonderful, blessed Holy Spirit into a clearer picture in our understanding, given the fact that much today in the evangelical church is said about the Holy Spirit, I’m afraid that most of it is a misrepresentation of His person and His work. I said at the very beginning, a bold statement, and I will repeat it that our Lord Jesus condemned the leaders of Israel for attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan and in the modern Pentecostal Movement of today, the reverse is occurring where works of the devil are being attributed to the Holy Spirit. It’s a very sad, sad insult, a grief to the Holy Spirit and in some cases even a blasphemy of the blessed Holy Spirit...

Spirit-Filled Living

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:01:25 PST

Well as we have been very deeply entrenched in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the eighth chapter of Romans, it occurred to me that we have been talking an awful lot about the work that the Holy Spirit does in us and we really haven’t said anything about our part of it, our responsibility. And so I thought for tonight I would direct your attention to the fifth chapter of Ephesians and verse 18…Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 18, it reads, “Do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit…be filled with the Spirit.”...

Hope and Money

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:13 PST

A very real danger facing Christians is the temptation to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches. To base their hope on the uncertainty of riches, instead of God, is foolish. Proverbs 11:28 warns that “he who trusts in his riches will fall.” Proverbs 23:4–5 adds, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.”

Rather than trusting in riches, believers are to fix their hope on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy...

Grunge Christianity?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:02:50 PST

One of the favorite topics on the evangelical agenda these days is how the church should "engage the culture." Do Christians need to imitate the boorish aspects of a quickly-decaying civilization in order to remain "relevant"? Some evidently think so.

We keep hearing from evangelical strategists and savvy church leaders that Christians need to be more tuned into contemporary culture.

You have no doubt heard the arguments: We need to take the message out of the bottle. We can't minister effectively we if don't speak the...

Hope That Transcends the Groaning

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:38:09 PST

We have been going through a series on the Holy Spirit. It was generated by my own heart concern for the terrible ways that the Holy Spirit is dishonored in the name of evangelicalism today. The Charismatic Movement sort of leads the parade on abusing the Holy Spirit, grieving the Holy Spirit, insulting the Holy Spirit, even blaspheming the Holy Spirit. And it just seems to be unbridled relentless abuse that is heaped upon the Holy Spirit. As I said very early on in the series, the unpardonable sin that Jesus addressed in the gospel of Matthew was attributing to Satan the works of the Holy Spirit. And I think there is a reverse of that sin today, and that is attributing to the Holy Spirit the works of Satan. This is rampant in our world and the abuses are obvious for all of us to see...

We Beheld His Glory

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:22:17 PST

Part of what I feel like I want the Lord to do for us in these messages that we give around the Christmas season is to just help you to be fresh in your understanding of the glories of Christ for those very opportunities that will come to you to answer questions, enter into dialogue with people who may not have committed their lives to Christ, just to give you a fresh and a new insight. It’s not as if we don’t know the story of Christ, it’s not as if we don’t understand the depth of the incarnation, the theology of what was going on in Bethlehem, we do know that and that’s why we’re here. We love these truths. We worship. And they’re familiar like an old song that we love that brings back rich and wonderful memories. That’s part of what makes Christmas the celebration that it is, it’s so loaded with history and memories from the past and we sort of dive back into the pool of all that’s gone before and enjoy all of the memories that have made up the Christmases of our past...

When Should People Leave Their Church?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:16:37 PST

Leaving a church is not something that should be done lightly. Too many people abandon churches for petty reasons. Disagreements over simple matters of preference are never a good reason to withdraw from a sound, Bible-believing church. Christians are commanded to respect, honor, and obey those whom God has placed in positions of leadership in the church (Heb. 13:7, 17). However, there are times when it becomes necessary to leave a church for the sake of one's own conscience, or out of a duty to obey God rather than men. Such circumstances would include...

We Can, But Should We?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:55:01 PST

Technology continues to advance at a pace that renders every new smartphone, tablet computer, gadget, gizmo, and doohickey obsolete almost upon purchase. And for every successful product—one that actually makes it on the shelf and turns a profit—there have to be ___ failed attempts. That’s why we take a bit of a “wait and see” approach to innovation here at Grace to You. We’re not about to jeopardize our stewardship by riding on the bleeding edge of every new fad that comes down the pike...

Who's to Blame?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:49:58 PST

Some blame the Jews, others the Romans. But who is really responsible for Jesus death?

God's Plan for the Gay Agenda

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:52:13 PST

If you’ve been watching the headlines over the last couple years, you may have noticed the incredible surge of interest in affirming homosexuality. Whether it’s at the heart of a religious scandal, political corruption, radical legislation, or the redefinition of marriage, homosexual interests have come to characterize America. That’s an indication of the success of the gay agenda. And some Christians, including some national church leaders, have wavered on the issue even recently. But sadly, when people refuse to acknowledge the sinfulness of homosexuality—calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20)—they do so at the expense of many souls.

God’s Absolute Sovereignty

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:16:46 PST

No doctrine is more despised by the natural mind than the truth that God is absolutely sovereign. Human pride loathes the suggestion that God orders everything, controls everything, rules over everything. T he carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees. Most of all, the flesh hates the notion that salvation is entirely God’s work. If God chose who would be saved, and if His choice was settled before the foundation of the world, then believers deserve no credit for their salvation...

Trustworthy Answers in Untrusting Times

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:44:55 PST

From the human perspective, life doesn't always make sense. It is a difficult journey with obstacles to face and pitfalls to avoid. All of us have asked the same hard questions: "Is there a God?"; "Does He really love me?"; "Why am I here?"; "Why did this have to happen?"; "What is life really about?"

Life is a process of seeking answers for the road ahead. But the real question is: "Where do I go to get the answers to those questions?"

The Significance of the Virgin Birth

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:23:11 PST

At this point in Matthew’s narrative, we know two indisputable facts. One, Mary is pregnant, and two, Joseph is not the father of the child. A third crucial fact comes by way of angelic revelation. The child in Mary’s womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. That means Mary is still a virgin...

Saved by What?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:54:30 PST

I want you to think with me concerning the things of the Word of God for our message along the line of the necessity of the Christian gospel, the necessity of the Christian gospel and maybe even more specifically the necessity of faith in the Christian gospel...

Heirs of God

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:54:09 PST

For this morning, we want to open our Bibles again to the eighth chapter of Romans as we continue to take a look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I’ve been so blessed and so encouraged to be looking at the Holy Spirit and His ministry in the life of the believer. I am so grateful for the response that I am getting from you. Many personal responses from people who have come out of churches in the past where the Holy Spirit is insulted, where the Holy Spirit is blasphemed, where the Holy Spirit’s ministry and person is misrepresented. And just wonderful to hear the refreshing, comforting and encouraging comments of folks who are starting to understand the truth about His ministry and be able to worship Him as He is to be worshiped, as He should be worshiped. And so I’ve been delighting just in the privilege that I’ve had to pull books off my shelf that I have had through the years on the person of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and just go through those books. I’ve gone through a number of books just for my own reading, just to kind of enrich my own mind and my own heart. And kind of reset in my own mind a sound, biblical understanding in the theology of the Holy Spirit. Been very refreshing for me and it’s helped me to give honor and worship to the Holy Spirit which I find myself doing kind of on a regular basis even through the day, just thanking the Holy Spirit for all that He’s doing in my life...

The Extraordinary Birth of Jesus

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:36:28 PST

Extraordinary births are certainly not unprecedented in biblical history. As part of the Abrahamic Covenant, God promised to send a son to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:19–22). They were both beyond normal childbearing ages and laughed at the prospect of being parents, yet they ultimately witnessed the miraculous arrival of their son, Isaac (Gen. 21:1–3). In Judges 13, an angel of the Lord told Manoah and his barren wife that they would have a special son. True to the heavenly messenger’s words, Samson entered the world and for a time delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines...

God Glorified in the Nobodies

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:14:45 PST

If you've ever visited the great cathedrals in Europe, you'd think the apostles were larger-than-life stained-glass saints with shining halos who represented an exalted degree of spirituality. But actually, they were very, very common men.

It's a shame they have so often been put on pedestals as magnificent marble figures, or portrayed in paintings like some kind of Roman gods. That dehumanizes them. They were just twelve completely ordinary men--human in every way--and we shouldn't lose touch with who they really were.

So what qualified those men to be apostles?

Glorifying God in Gray Areas

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:52:32 PST

If the issue you are wondering about is not specifically addressed in the Bible, then it's helpful to ask these questions from 1 Corinthians to help you in deciding what to do. Asking these questions (and others like them) will help you make a wise decision based on sound biblical principles...

Wie man Terroristen in der Gemeinde identifiziert (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:18:53 PST

Öffnet bitte eure Bibeln in der kurzen Epistel von Judas, dem vorletzten Buch in der Bibel, gleich vor dem Buch der Offenbarung. In unserer Serie über Judas haben wir diese Epistel den „Kampf um die Wahrheit“ genannt, Krieg für die Wahrheit zu führen. Dieser Titel leitet sich im Prinzip aus Vers 3 ab, wo wir aufgefordert werden, für den Glauben zu kämpfen. Und heute Abend werden wir damit beginnen, Vers 8 und folgende zu betrachten, die ich euch in einigen Momenten vorlesen werde, nachdem ich einige Anmerkungen zur Einleitung gemacht habe...

The Indispensable Ministry of the Holy Spirit

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:02:59 PST

Well I welcome you, this morning, to our church and to the wonderful fellowship of the people of God here. Our fellowship is around the Word of God and we are currently in a series looking at the life of the believer as impacted by the Holy Spirit. We’ve been saying in this somewhat brief series that the Holy Spirit perhaps the most invisible member of the Trinity in terms of people’s thinking and knowledge. We all understand a lot about God, there’s an awful lot of emphasis on the attributes of God and the works of God. We certainly emphasize Christ and all of His work and His person and character and His life. And just to balance out, understanding that each member of the Trinity is equally worthy with each other member of the Trinity. I want to help you to worship the Triune God in a more full way, to help you understand the true work of the Holy Spirit...

Honoring God through Edifying Preaching

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:02:22 PST

Welcome, tonight, we’re glad that you’re here. I know you’re here because you delight in the things of Christ and the fellowship with other Christians, and what a wonderful time it is to be together...

The Spirit-Empowered Life of Christ

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:50:36 PST

As you know, we are in a study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the member of the Trinity that often gets overlooked by some and by others, things are attributed to Him which He would have nothing to do with. We started out kind of talking about contemporary blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, grieving of the Holy Spirit, quenching of the Holy Spirit, and even showing disdain toward the Holy Spirit just to kind of give you the picture of what’s out there so that we know how important it is for us to have a true and correct understanding of the Holy Spirit...

How Christ Loves His Own

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:48:49 PST

For just a brief meditation tonight, I want to draw your attention to the thirteenth chapter of John, thirteenth chapter when our Lord on the last night He was with His disciples, gathered with them in the Upper Room, a familiar portion of Scripture. This event in the Upper Room covers 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the gospel of John. But I want us to look at the opening few statements...

Saved from What?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:33:43 PST

The Spirit of Adoption

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:16:19 PST

Let’s open the Word of God to the eighth chapter of the book of Romans, that beloved, wonderful treatise of the Apostle Paul on the gospel and all the aspects of it. And we’re looking at Romans 8 because that’s the chapter on the Holy Spirit and this would be Part 6, or message number six, in the study of the life of the Holy Spirit, life and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer…in the believer. What the Holy Spirit does in us...

Getting the Gospel Right

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:01:16 PST

What is the gospel? What do you say to someone who is interested in becoming a Christian? What truths must a person know and believe to be saved from his sins? As evangelicals, we ought to have the answers to such elementary questionsâ€”the gospel is what we're all about.

Answering the Key Questions About the Family

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:43:04 PST

Ours is a dark and decaying society. Sins that only twenty years ago were gasped at and spoken of in hushed and troubled tones are now publicly flaunted and even encouraged. Not so long ago, extramarital affairs were scandalous. Today, they're viewed as the norm. Even the president of the United States can engage in promiscuous behavior with a young intern, lie about it, and enjoy overwhelming support in public opinion polls. Why? Because so many Americans' own private lives are filled with similar sins. Our society has become inured to the sinfulness of sin. Homosexuality, incest, abortion, and even sex with children no longer shock and infuriate society the way they once did. In fact, all those sins now have their own advocacy groups, people who argue that such things are healthy, even desirable, activities...

Is It Wrong for Wives to Work?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:42:30 PST

The issue of wives working is one that she and her husband must come to understand from a biblical perspective, then allow the Holy Spirit to lead in their specific situation...

Can Christians Participate in Civil Disobedience?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:33:09 PST

We believe the Scripture teaches that we are to submit to government even if that government does not function entirely (or even primarily) by biblical principles (Romans 13:1-7). That principle is explicit in Peter's message to servants (1 Peter 2:18-19), which directly follows his more general comments regarding government (vv. 13-17). And that epistle teaches the same thing over and over again in varied ways: Submit even if you suffer, because in doing so you identify with Christ and are blessed (cf. 2:21-24; 3:1-2; 4:12-14; 5:9-10). There are times when we must obey God rather than men, but we believe that we should disobey the authorities only if they command us to do something directly against God's law (e.g. Acts 5:29 and its surrounding context).

Built to the Master's Plan

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:30:03 PST

I realize I may be demonstrating little more than a firm grasp of the obvious when I tell you the contemporary church is looking more and more like a large corporation. Even church leaders are bearing a closer resemblance to CEOs and corporate executives than to humble, tender shepherds. Sadly, the good news-that a sinner can find forgiveness for sins before a holy God by placing his trust in and committing his whole life to Jesus Christ-is eclipsed by "success"-oriented programs and an interest in the bottom line. As a result, many churches have become nothing more than entertainment centers, employing devices that effectively draw people into the church, but are inept to truly minister to them once they come.

God never intended the church to be like that. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."

A Model for Giving Thanks

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:08:18 PST

As we think about saying thanks to the Lord, obviously there’s a lot of places in the Scripture we might go. But I want to take you to a place that you might not think about, but I found the Lord laying it upon my heart today and decided to draw your attention to it. The Old Testament, 1 Chronicles...the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles chapter 16...1 Chronicles chapter 16.

Common Questions about Lordship, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:36:03 PST

Within days after the initial publication of The Gospel According to Jesus, I began to receive mail from readers. In the first few weeks alone I answered more letters about this book than I had ever received on any other subject. In the years since, my staff and I continue to respond to similar comments and questions. Here are some responses that represent the issues most commonly raised...

Abtrünnige, seid gewarnt, Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:05:32 PST

Wir kehren in unserer Betrachtung von Gottes Wort zum Brief des Judas zurück. Wie ich bereits ganz am Anfang sagte, ist dies zwar eine sehr kurze Epistel, wenn man sie mit anderen Büchern der Bibel vergleicht, aber sie geht tief und umfasst sehr viel. Es gibt hier viel aufzunehmen. Diese Epistel befasst sich mit dem Kampf für den Glauben. Vers 3 ist der Schlüsselvers. „... hielt ich es für notwendig, euch mit der Ermahnung zu schreiben, daß ihr für den Glauben kämpft.“ Der christliche Glaube, der den Heiligen ein für alle Mal durch göttliche Inspiration überliefert wurde. Wir befinden uns in einem Krieg zum Schutz der Wahrheit...

Gezwungen, zu kämpfen (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:04:00 PST

Nun, wir wenden uns jetzt wieder der Betrachtung der kurzen Epistel des Judas zu. Ich habe diese Serie „Der Kampf für die Wahrheit, seine Abtrünnigen und Verteidiger“ genannt. Es geht um den Kampf für die Wahrheit...

How to Confront the Culture

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:59:11 PST

As a pastor in Southern California, I have the blessed privilege of mining the truth from God's Word every week of my life. Doing that in Los Angeles only makes it more interesting, if for no other reason than the tremendous diversity of people, culture, and language here. When we take the gospel to our city, it's amazing to watch God's Word transcend the culture--and every false religion--to change lives. The message of salvation in Christ truly knows no hindrance.

If you think evangelism is a somewhat arduous task in that environment, you're right. We face a culture that has rejected absolute truth and now considers it stylish to openly embrace and encourage degrading passions. The ecumenical, syncretistic spirit of the age recoils in horror at the exclusive claims of Christ. And popular, evangelical seeker-sensitive churches only make the task more difficult by refusing to confront sin in an effort to make the "unchurched" sinner comfortable.

Answering the Key Questions About the Doctrine of Election

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:09:37 PST

John, several years ago we offered everyone on the Grace To You mailing list a free copy of a message you taught on the doctrine of election. And the response to that was huge. It was one of the biggest offers we've ever had. And the topic generated a lot of conversation and response and some questions. So we wanted to kind of follow up on it. The fact is, election is one of those doctrines a lot of people have a strong response to, some people hate it, some people love it. And that's why we want to talk about it...

What's the history of Grace to You?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:39:05 PST

And Nothing But the Truth

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:02:06 PST

Contrary to what some suggest, there is no magic phrase or mantra we can say that will bind Satan. But John MacArthur reminds us that God has not left us without a divine strategy for dealing with our enemy.

Stop Complaining, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:10:08 PST

Let me sort of ease in to our subject a little bit, if I might. We're in Philippians chapter 2 verses 14 through 16. And I titled the message, "Stop Complaining...Stop Complaining." There's a reason for that and it's fairly obvious if you look at verse 14 where Paul says, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing," which are really two ways of saying stop complaining...

Modeling Bible Study Through Preaching

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:27:57 PST

Years ago a reporter said to me, “Do you have a desire to build the church?” I said, “Not really because Christ said He would build the church and I’d rather not compete with Him.” That’s a losing enterprise. So we have been blessed to see the Lord continue to build His church. We’re so greatly thankful for that...

The Law-Fulfilling Power of the Holy Spirit

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:27:13 PST

I’ve been meditating on this series that we’re doing on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, of how serious a thing it is to attempt to worship God in a way that He rejects. And I keep going back in my mind to the book of Exodus and in the thirty-second chapter of Exodus while Moses was up on the mountain, getting the Law of God, communing with God, the people down below made a golden calf. And they had sort of an interesting explanation...

Grace Community Church's Thanksgiving Eve Service (1984)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:24:22 PST

Well, I know your heart's blessed tonight, as we've enjoyed this fellowship in music and sharing together. I trust it set your thoughts toward the Lord...that you'll be especially thankful for the things you've been reminded of tonight. And we want to give you the opportunity...you hear me all the time, and I don't get to hear you very often...but I love to hear what the Lord is doing in the lives of our family here, and even of our friends and guests. And so we want you to have that opportunity tonight. Don't be shy or bashful. There's three microphones: one there, one in the middle, and one over here. All you have to do is just line up behind them. Probably be good if there were no more than three or four people in each line, and then when the line gets down past that, you can come up so that you don't stand there for a long, long time. But if you'd like to share your thanks for what the Lord has done in your life, express some personal thanks, we'd love to hear that tonight, and I think you might, in sharing your own heart of thanks, sort of gather up the thanks of an awful lot of folks, and maybe verbalize it for them. So, if you will, go right to those microphones and...that's great. Take a moment to...to get there, and we'll let you express your thanks to the Lord. Great...well, that's good. Okay, we'll...we'll wait till we go through these, and then we'll...we don't wanna get too long a line, so you're not standing there very long. Okay, why don't we start over here on the right. Give us your name and then just share what you're thankful for...

A Worried Christian

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:44:08 PST

John MacArthur provides an encouraging corrective to Christians who are prone to worry.

Embracing and Shunning

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:39:33 PST

Executing faithful church ministry boils down to just a few essentials—a high view of God, the absolute authority of Scripture, sound doctrine, personal holiness, and a biblical view of spiritual authority. Those are essentials to any biblical philosophy of ministry...

Can We Know What the Scripture Means?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:24:47 PST

This is a little bit of a different approach on Sunday night. I’m really kind of talking to you in a personal way to give you an understanding of why we do what we do here at Grace Church in terms of the exposition of Scripture, and why we send missionaries all over the world to train other people to do what we do...

Giving Thanks to the Spirit

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:23:26 PST

Last Sunday I began a series on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Looking at the person of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit so that we can worship Him in the way that He deserves to be worshiped. And at that time when I began the series last week, I mentioned to you that the Holy Spirit is the most, in my mind at least, the most abused member of the Trinity. There are so many people who blame the Holy Spirit for their behaviors, their words, their experiences and the Holy Spirit has no part whatsoever...

Exhortation to a Faithful Church

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:06:32 PST

That was wonderful, thank you, Clayton, for leading us in all those musical prayers this morning, and because of the release of the book At The Throne of Grace, everything sort of centered around prayer. And that’s wonderfully well-orchestrated by the Holy Spirit because this morning we’re going to look at the prayer of the Apostle Paul for the Thessalonian church which we read a little bit earlier, a very fitting connection to the things that are going on...

Exposition: The Heart of Biblical Ministry

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:05:49 PST

As I mentioned to you, this morning, I want to talk to you a little bit, more like a sort of a personal lecture than a sermon, about the emphasis that we have here on the exposition of the Word of God. This church is known all over the world for the fact that we are committed to Scripture, that we are known because of the ministry that we have had here for well into five decades now of explaining the Bible. And this is the best thing that a church can be known for, the explanation of Scripture. It is what we do. It is what we train men to do. It is what the men who go out of this church and there are people who go out of this church to other places do and expect to be done, and the Lord by His mercy and grace has allowed us to spread this emphasis and this vision across the face of the earth with our missionaries and their wonderful ministries and training centers all over the globe. They continue to emphasize the exposition of Scripture and to train people to do the exposition of Scripture and to train men and women in the church who will never exposit the Word of God from a pulpit to expect it to be done by whoever is in the pulpit. So we raise the awareness of Bible exposition, we train men to do that and we encourage people to expect that in their churches...

The Modern Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:52:09 PST

Well now that I don’t have to preach on anything but what I want to preach on since I finished the New Testament, I find myself all over the place trying to decide what to preach on in sequence…a new kind of experience for me and I’m working on some kind of sequence that makes sense over the future. But I am sort of at the liberty point of my life where whatever is on my heart is where I can go, and this is a wonderful opportunity for me. And there is a subject that has concerned me for a long time and I have wanted to address this subject but it hasn’t been a part of preaching through the gospels in the way that it can be now and that is the subject of the Holy Spirit…the Holy Spirit...

Two Clear Concerns

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:49:43 PST

The Elephant in the Elephant Room

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:57:33 PST

One of the more recent entries to the conservative Christian conference line-up is the Elephant Room, the brainchild of James MacDonald. The idea was to bring Christian leaders together for some brotherly sparing over “elephant-in-the-room” issues. Pleased with the results of the first conference in March 2011, they’re prepared for the second in January 2012. This Elephant Room “Round 2” is being promoted like a prize fight: “Your ringside seat awaits,” and “You know the rules…No wavering. No Sidestepping. No excuses.”...

A True Work of the Spirit, Part 4

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:27:45 PST

In this series, we've seen that a true work of the Holy Spirit exalts the true Christ, opposes Satan's interests, and points people to the Scriptures. Today, we will continue by looking at another mark of the Spirit's work. The following material is adapted from Jonathan Edwards's The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God.

It Elevates Truth

"We know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (v. 6).

Gratitude for a Faithful Church

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:25:54 PST

Well obviously my heart is very full this morning and my time is very limited…which is a good thing because I would probably say too much if I didn’t limit myself to the time I have...

A True Work of the Spirit, Part 3

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:59:47 PST

So far we have seen that a true work of the Holy Spirit exalts the true Christ and opposes Satan's interests. Today, we will continue by looking at another mark of the Spirit's work. The following material is adapted from Jonathan Edwards's The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God.

It Points People to the Scriptures

"We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." (1 John 4:6)

The Sin of Counting

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:46:03 PST

I’ll admit to being weary, to the point of irritation, whenever I hear ministers of the gospel reporting their statistics as external evidences of success. And I know I’m not the only one...

Ewige Sicherheit in einem irdischen Konflikt (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:32:10 PST

Wir kehren zurück zu unserer Betrachtung des kurzen Judasbriefes ... der kurze Judasbrief umfasst nur 25 Verse, aber was für ein mächtiges, überzeugendes Buch! Wie ich bereits letztes Mal sagte, geht dieses Buch im Schatten der Offenbarung unter. Aber wenn es irgendeinen Brief im Neuen Testament gibt, den die Gemeinde heutzutage hören muss, so ist es dieser ... so ist es dieser. Die Gemeinde heutzutage ist schwach, geht viele Kompromisse ein, ist tolerant und oberflächlich, im Großen und Ganzen nicht bereit, der biblischen Wahrheit ihren rechtmäßigen Platz zu gewähren und ganz gewiss nicht daran interessiert, wenn nicht sogar nach außen hin dagegen, in den Kampf zu ziehen, um die Wahrheit zu schützen. Die Gemeinde heutzutage scheint sich sehr wenig dafür zu interessieren, die Wahrheit gegen alle Angriffe zu verteidigen...

Coming Home to Roost

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:29:16 PST

We learned in our last spot that it is possible to be a faithful and effective missionary without excessive contextualization. In fact, there was a time when things like translating the Bible, eating native foods and wearing native clothing, and learning to appreciate the cultural interests and activities of the people among whom you lived as a missionary didn’t require fancy terminology to validate it (like contextualization or redeeming the culture); it was just good common sense...

Contextualizing on the Mission Field

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:39:58 PST

Okay, so contextualization as pragmatism is out. John MacArthur put that to rest. But is there any form of contextualization that’s legitimate? Certainly missionaries have to contextualize to evangelize in a foreign context, don’t they?

The Spirit's True Work, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:07:04 PST

Last time we saw that a true work of the Holy Spirit exalts the true Christ. Today, we will continue by looking at another mark of the Spirit's work. The following material is condensed, adapted and excerpted from Jonathan Edwards's The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God...

The Spirit's True Work, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:05:34 PST

How can a true work of the Holy Spirit be distinguished from a false one?

From a careful study of 1 John 4, the great theologian and pastor Jonathan Edwards was able to identify five distinguishing characteristics of the Holy Spirit's work. In short, a true work of the Holy Spirit:

(1) Exalts the true Christ, (2) Opposes Satan's interests (3) Points people to the Scriptures (4) Elevates truth (5) Results in love for God and others

A Good Soldier

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:06:57 PST

On June 12, 1944, just six days after D-Day in World War II, a young lieutenant named Richard Winters led his men to the outskirts of Carentan. As the officer in charge of Easy Company, of the 101st Airborne, he was tasked to clear the large French town of its German defenders. It would be a small battle, but it played a significant role in the massive effort to rid the world of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

As Winters led his company up the road toward town, the company started taking machine gun fire from a German MG42. The men...

A Few Good Shepherds

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:52:44 PST

Some modern church leaders fancy themselves businessmen, media figures, entertainers, psychologists, philosophers, or lawyers. Those notions contrast sharply with the way Scripture portrays spiritual leaders...

Mark, the Restored Deserter

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:30:20 PST

Well this morning, for the first time in the history of my ministry at this church, we open to the book of Mark, a new era in our church life, and a somewhat monumental experience for me since 40 years ago when I came, it was my objective to teach through the entire New Testament verse by verse. I have done that in these 40 years and arrived finally at the last book, the book of Mark. And with the completion of this book, the whole of the New Testament will have been taught here in our church and what an immense incalculable privilege it has been for me...

Believer’s Baptism

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:03:37 PST

Last Sunday night I introduced to you the subject of infant Baptism and really the broader subject of Baptism itself. And I made a comment that it is a paradox that the world is full of baptized non-Christians and unbaptized Christians. There is a world of people who have been baptized by the mode if infant Baptism by sprinkling, that has been a dominating form of Baptism in the Christian church historically. And as I said, there are a world of people who have been baptized that way which is not a true baptism, but nonetheless it is identified as a Baptism who have nothing to do with the church and don’t know the Lord genuinely...

A Challenge For Christian Communicators

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 07:26:56 PST

Clarity and accuracy in communicating divine truth is more important for Christian communicators than anyone else. The availability of mass communications further enhances the preacher’s job in this day and time because of the vast audiences he can reach, which were not nearly as large in earlier days. Mass media opportunities can be abused, however, as they have been in so many cases. Television, for example, helped to usher out the “age of exposition” and usher in the age of “sound bites” when image became more important than substance in the message being communicated. As an entertainment medium, television has lowered appetites for serious thought as it has raised expectations for trivia and brevity. That is especially true of sermons in the mass media. Christian publishing has gone in the same direction in catering to people’s “felt needs” and giving them something they want rather than the doctrinal truths of the Bible. That is the very thing that Paul warned Timothy against and that Jeremiah refrained from doing. As Christ’s ambassadors, Christian communicators must make the message, not the medium, the heart of what they give their listeners, viewers, and readers.

The Final Word on Contextualization

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:36:17 PST

Several weeks ago Grace to You launched a blog series examining the subject of contextualization, the pragmatic approach to evangelism that says the gospel can be made more powerful by adapting it to cultural contexts. John MacArthur opened that series by asking an important question: Where did Christians ever get the idea they could win the world to Christ by imitating it?

How to Recognize True Repentance (Don Green)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:22:11 PST

I’d invite you to turn to the gospel of Matthew to start with here this afternoon. The gospel of Matthew...

A Biblical Model of Lay Ministry

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:51:18 PST

Against Compromise

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:28:03 PST

It was Martin Luther who said:

"The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes, arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to concede some things which can be construed according to individual interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted.

"Here is lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such patchwork is not according to God's will, but that doctrine, faith and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom.

Fundamentals of the Faith (Teacher’s Guide) (Russian)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:51:04 PST

Fundamentals of the Faith (Russian)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:50:47 PST

Practical Concerns in the Local Church: An Interview with John MacArthur

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:02:22 PST

I’ve been collecting questions from people who are here at the Truth Matters Conference, pretty much through the conference. And I’ve tried to organize them in a topical kind of format. Some of these are practical questions, some of them are biblical questions. And for the most part they reflect exactly the kinds of questions we typically get from listeners at Grace To You. And the most common question we get, of course, at Grace To You is…where can I find a church in my area that’s like Grace Church? And our standard answer is, “There aren’t any and you can’t have John MacArthur.”..

The Glorious Gospel

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:55:37 PST

Divine truth is the most important thing there is, by it we are saved, sanctified, and given the hope of glory. By it we understand what God requires of us and therefore we understand what we are to obey, what we are to be, that is the path of blessing in life and reward in eternity...

Is Infant Baptism Biblical?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:54:31 PST

One of the strange paradoxes in the church is that the world is full of baptized non-Christians, millions of them all over the planet, baptized non-Christians. While at the same time, the church is full of non-baptized Christians, like some of you. What a strange paradox that is. And it raises the issue of baptism and what it is and why people are so confused about it. We here at Grace Community Church understand baptism biblically. We understand its method, we understand its meaning. We have even through the years put baptisms on the radio, which no other ministry that I know of has ever done. We have, through the years, in the early days of our Shepherds Conference has taken one of the nights of Shepherds Conference to do baptisms. We had a baptism last week at the conclusion of the Truth Matters Conference. And essentially, just about every single Sunday night through the year right here we have testimonies of people being baptized. We understand what believer’s baptism is from Scripture...

Paul’s Philosophy of Ministry

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:34:24 PST

Let’s open the Word of God to Colossians chapter 1. We’ll take a little break from Mark’s gospel which we have been doing for many, many months, many joyful and wonderful months...

The Wrong Kind of Unity

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:32:04 PST

The unity Christ prayed for in the church is not, to begin with, an organizational unity. When Jesus prayed that we all might be one, He was describing a spiritual unity. In John 17:11, He prayed “that they may be one, even as We are.” Verse 21 continues: “that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us” (emphasis added)...

The Abomination of Desolation

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:02:34 PST

For the Gentiles I Became a Gentile

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:53:02 PST

As long as it did not violate God’s Word or compromise the gospel, Paul was willing to accommodate himself to his audience. As we noted in the last post, that was certainly true of his Jewish audience. But Paul didn’t stop with the Jews. He demonstrated the same heart of sacrifice toward the Gentiles—all for the sake of the gospel...

For the Jews I Became Jewish, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:16:20 PST

As we noted in the last post, Paul was not advocating “contextualization” when he wrote to the Corinthians, “I have become all things to all men, that I may be all means save some.” He was calling for self-denial and sacrifice for the sake of reaching unbelievers with the gospel...

A Biblical Perspective on Death, Terrorism, and the Middle East, Pt 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:59:23 PST

Servants of a New Covenant

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:44:08 PST

“All things belong to us, and we are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” Paul made that tremendous, seemingly unqualified promise to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:21–23). Christians are free. Yet there is a paradox that balances that truth. Though free, all Christians are slaves. It is a new kind of bondage: we are “servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). As willing slaves, we must voluntarily restrict our own liberty for others’ sakes. Isn’t that what Jesus Himself taught? “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Paul applied the principle of voluntary servitude to evangelism. He made himself a slave to all—including the roughest, most contemptible, loathsome pagan. Being free, he nevertheless joyfully entered into slavery for the gospel’s sake...

Giving Up to Gain

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:51:09 PST

One of the most frequently quoted passages church marketing specialists use to justify “contextualizing” the gospel is Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. In chapter 9, he summarizes his gospel strategy by claiming he became all things to all men. But look again at what Paul is actually saying in these verses...

Grow Up
Advice for YRRs (part 2)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:38:16 PST

When Paul told Timothy, "Let no one despise you for your youth" (1 Timothy 4:12), he wasn't suggesting that Timothy should forbid people in the church to disapprove if the pastor were to display immaturity, juvenile misbehavior, youthful indiscretion, or other traits of callow character...

To what extent do you use notes? Do you write a manuscript?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:25:06 PST

During my study I write out the flow of my sermon. Then, from that rough draft, I write out notes to take into the pulpit. I usually have about ten half-sheets of notes for each message. I have everything written out that I want to cover. I have some statements written exactly the way I want to phrase them. Certain truths need to be stated accurately or in fresh terms, so that I am not misunderstood or repetitious...

The Rejected Cornerstone

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:45:25 PST

There have always been critics who said that Jesus was a noble teacher, He was a religious leader and He was a spiritual man. He had grandiose ideas of what He wanted to accomplish. He wanted to teach people true religion. He wanted to teach people morality and virtue. He made a noble effort at it but it all kind of went bad. It all ended up in a terrible tragedy. He got caught in the gears of His own ambition and He ended up dead and the critics have often said this was not the plan, it was a tragic ending to a noble effort...

Reasons for Loving the Church, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:32:06 PST

Reasons for Loving the Church, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:26:39 PST

Grow Up. Settle Down. Keep Reforming.
Advice for the Young, Restless, Reformed

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:46:52 PST

It has been five years since Christianity Today published Collin Hansen’s article titled “Young, Restless, Reformed.” Hansen later expanded the article into a book with the same title (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008). He has carefully documented a very encouraging trend: large numbers of young people (college age and younger) are discovering the doctrines of grace, embracing a more biblical and Christ-centered worldview, and beginning to delve more deeply into serious theology than most 20th-century evangelicals were prone to do.

God’s Unchangeable Character

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:47:14 PST

Whether you’re reading the morning paper or driving to work, you’re certain to encounter one of the most pervasive reminders of our humanity—change. Birth announcements, obituaries, construction, demolition—change riddles God’s creation...

Questions and Answers, Part 58

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:36:45 PST

Well, as you know, these days are interesting days for me, as my work on preaching through the New Testament has nearly come to an end. In fact, in terms of preparation, it has come to an end. I have already prepared the messages for next Sunday. And it was Friday that I did something that really marked a dramatic shift in the course of my life...

How God Buried His Son

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:36:18 PST

Well let’s open the Word of God then to the fifteenth chapter of the wonderful gospel of Mark. We all understand the importance of the cross. We looked at the details of our Lord’s death. We’re very familiar with all the explanations of the meaning of the cross that are given to us by the Apostles and their associates who wrote the books of the New Testament. We’re very familiar with the importance of the cross, the priority of the cross, the wonder of the cross, the miraculous nature of the death of our Lord...

Amazement at the Empty Tomb

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:35:40 PST

I’m so deeply grateful for the people that God has surrounded me with in my own family, starting with Patricia, and all my children and grandchildren, and everybody else that the Lord has brought into my life who has served here, been a part of this church. This is a journey that we’ve all taken together. It’s not something that’s done in isolation by any means. In order for me to be able to do the things that I have set my heart to do, and the Lord has enabled me to do, a lot of other things had to be done by other people who have done well and nobly all the tasks that could ever have been imagined to need to be done, in order to enable me to do what I do and what I feel God has called me to do...

Above Reproach

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:41:04 PST

A small item I read in the news twenty years ago has stuck in my mind ever since. The Rockdale County High School Bulldogs basketball team of Conyers, Georgia, won their first-ever state championship in March of 1987, rolling over all their opponents. After eighteen years of coaching the team without a championship, coach Cleveland Stroud was ecstatic...

Divine Mercy for the Blasphemers

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:33:36 PST

Now we are in Mark chapter 15 and today is going to be a special day, both this morning and evening. We’re going to be looking at the portion of Scripture that begins in verse 22 and describes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ...

God Visits Calvary

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:32:59 PST

We return to Mark chapter 15 and the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ...

Mark, Vol. 6

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:20:20 PST

The Extent of God’s Love

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:38:01 PST

Have you ever spoken to an unbeliever who knew some of his Bible—just enough to be angry and confused? If so, you probably heard questions (accusations) like these: “What kind of God orders the slaughter of entire cities—women, children, and animals included—without mercy? Why does God allow so much pain, suffering, and evil in the world? How do you reconcile the love of God with the eternal flames of hell?”

Seid ihr bereit? – Ich komme! Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:06:06 PST

Wir schlagen unsere Bibeln heute früh bei Matthäus Kapitel 24 auf und befassen uns wieder mit den Zeichen der Wiederkunft unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, den Zeichen der Wiederkunft unseres Herrn Jesus Christus...

Die unmittelbar bevorstehende Rückkehr Christi (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:04:08 PST

Wir sind so privilegiert, dass wir am Tag des Herrn zusammenkommen und das Wort Gottes studieren dürfen. Es ist leicht für uns, dieses Privileg zu vergessen. Wir nehmen die Fülle biblischer Lehre, die wir hier in der Grace Church bekommen, unter Umständen als selbstverständlich hin. Wann immer ich an einem anderen Ort bin und andere Menschen treffe, die nicht dieses Privileg haben, das wir hier mit so vielen von Gott gegebenen Lehrern haben, muss ich daran denken, wie reich wir sind und wie dankbar ich Gott sein sollte und dass ich das Wunder seines großartigen und herrlichen Wortes niemals als selbstverständlich ansehen sollte.

Joy Rules

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:27:46 PST

Judas’s Betrayal

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:16:13 PST

I want you to open the Word of God to the gospel of Mark…the gospel of Mark and chapter 14. With some apology to our guests, we are near the end of this great gospel and so much has gone on in the past that you have missed, but it is all available, these days, isn’t it. GTY.org, you can download our whole study of Mark along with everything else...

The Ultimate Miscarriage of Justice

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:15:33 PST

We return tonight to the fourteenth chapter of Mark, but I don’t want you to turn to that right now. Instead, I want you to turn to the sixteenth chapter of Deuteronomy…the sixteenth chapter of Deuteronomy...

Peter's Denial: A Warning About Self-Confidence

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:14:11 PST

We open to the fourteenth chapter of Mark and a portion of Scripture from verses 66 through 72, that is a fulfilled prophecy. In fact, our Lord predicted that this would happen on several occasions, and, in fact, it did happen, just exactly the way our Lord predicted it would It is, in fact, the denial of Christ from the lips of the Apostle Peter, Peter’s denial...

Pilate Before Jesus

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:13:41 PST

Let’s open the Word of God to the fifteenth chapter of Mark’s gospel…the fifteenth chapter as John said, the end is in sight. Chapter 16 looking right ahead of you, perhaps in your Bible on the same page, although this is somewhat of a long chapter...

The Shameful Scorn of Jesus Christ

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:13:04 PST

Let’s open the Word of God to the fifteenth chapter of Mark…Mark chapter 15. We come in our study of this gospel to Mark’s account of the crucifixion of Christ. And as I said, a moment ago, we’re going to be looking at this in three parts...

Does God Love His Enemies?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:14:11 PST

I can still remember the chair I was sitting in years ago when I read a life-changing page in John MacArthur’s book The God Who Loves. In an economy of words, John exposed, confronted, and changed my thinking on one of the most critical areas of theology, the nature of God. My understanding of God’s love—specifically His love for the non-elect—was never the same...

The Agony of the Cup

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:49:26 PST

Open your Bible to the fourteenth chapter of Mark…Mark’s gospel, chapter 14. We are in the history of Mark, in the Passion Week of our Lord Jesus Christ, the week of His crucifixion and resurrection. As we come to chapter 14 of Mark and verses 32 to 42, we come to a very familiar account of our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane as He wrestles with the reality of the coming cross later that day. This is set on Friday, in the middle of the night, the very day He was crucified and died...

The Forgotten Side of God

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:50:39 PST

Certainly it’s apparent to you if you’re a Christian, as it is to me that we live in a profane, godless, secularized, and for the most part, atheistic culture. Even our religion is a kind of atheism for it attempts to erase the true God and substitute in His place a God who makes men comfortable. And whenever I read that fifty-million people in America are supposed to be “born again,” and I see in comparison with that statistic, the constant, ever-increasing secularization of our society, I find that the two don’t go together very well. We’re supposed to be a Christian nation. It’s even popular to be born again. Yet the impact of Christianity on our country seems to be weak, seems to be shallow, it seems to be superficial, it seems to be saccharine. Being a Christian may be in, but it doesn’t seem to be having much of an impact. We are caught up in a kind of self-indulgence and self-centeredness that even views God only in terms of what He can do for us. God becomes sort of a utilitarian genie, you rub your little theological lamp, he pops out and says three wishes...

A Personal Glimpse: Al Sanders Interviews John MacArthur

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:49:59 PST

A lot of these men have come to the Shepherds Conference this year from their churches, and I’m sure it’s been wonderful as they’ve been elevated to the heavenlies with the music, and the speaking, and all of the rest. But they have to go home to circumstances that may be less than pleasing. Why are we people in the pew so touch on pastors? Is it just something that comes with the turf?...

What in the World is the Christian Message?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:49:11 PST

When anybody asks me what I do, and they often do when I’m sitting on an airplane. You know, the number one fear of people sitting on an airplane is that they would be seated next to an insurance salesman. But the number two fear is that they would be seated next to a preacher, obviously. And so people often ask me what I do? And I’ve come to the conclusion that the best answer is to say, “I have a job that is the greatest job in the world because I have the greatest news in the world. I travel around and tell people that God will forgive all their sins. Are you interested?” Now that cuts to the chase, folks, gets right there fast...

An Eternal Perspective on Temporal Trials

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:48:28 PST

Well, let’s turn to the book of James. The words of the Apostle Paul are, I think, often lost, some of the most profound and far-reaching statements he makes, brief statements are often lost to us because we really don’t…we really don’t examine everything he said with great detail. But he makes one statement in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that is so very, very profound. It’s in verse 16, you don’t have to look it up, but he said this, he said, “We know no man after the flesh.” He says, “We no longer know Christ after the flesh and we know no man after the flesh.”...

The Sin of Putting God to the Test

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:36:02 PST

Here's a third characteristic of gambling. Remember, Gambling involves 1) Something valuable that is placed at risk; 2) Something belonging to someone else that is staked as a prize; and...

A Good Question

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:59:44 PST

A reader sent me this excellent question...

A Historic Moment

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:51:22 PST

Forty-three years ago, John MacArthur set his sights on preaching through the entire New Testament, using verse-by-verse Bible exposition. Over the years he worked hard to accomplish that goal, and he didn’t merely hit the highlights of the New Testament or avoid difficult passages. He expounded everything in a bold, courageous, and in-depth manner that we’ve grown to know and love...

The Fitting End to Mark’s Gospel

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:58:35 PST

Well it was February of 1969 on a rainy Sunday when showed up at Grace Church in my late twenties with no idea of what the future held. As I said, there were a couple of things in my mind. One was to teach the Scripture verse-by-verse and the other was to train men. God has brought to a fruition of some kind, anyway, both of those desires in ways that are way beyond anything I ever imagined...

John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:49:21 PST

The Banner of Truth has just released Iain Murray's new book, John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock. It's a great read, a fascinating story, and a significant work. Murray begins to put into perspective one of the most important Christian preachers of our time.

Does ‘Mutual Consent’ Eliminate the Evil in Gambling?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:14:06 PST

We are looking at four essential characteristics in a standard definition of gambling. I have argued that each of the four characteristics involves a violation of one or more vital biblical principles...

How do you guard your preparation time?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:07:48 PST

I use a system I call "planned neglect"—I plan to neglect everything else until my studying is done. I set aside Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to prepare for my Sunday messages. Not until I have accomplished what I need to on those days do I then stop and care for other matters. I have an assistant and two secretaries who help shield me from the affairs of a large ministry that would deluge me and rob me of my study time. Of course, I am available when I need to be...

Gambling vs. Faithful Stewardship

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:40:38 PST

I closed the last post with a list of four distinguishing marks drawn from a standard definition of "gambling." All four of these are true of every variety of gambling...

Oh, and One More Thing…

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:30:16 PST

The following is adapted from comments I originally posted in other forums, but since what I have to say below is germane to the large subject under discussion, I've distilled it here and am posting it so that it will be permanently attached to this thread. Like my remarks in the immediately preceding post, this one answers several e-mails that have been sent to me directly, and a few posts that have appeared other forums...

Foundations, Vol. 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:09:24 PST

The Prophecy of Failure

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:49:28 PST

Now we come to Mark chapter 14 and for tonight, verses 27 to 31. We left off this morning in verse 26 as Thursday evening’s Passover event ended, an event that began about sundown and didn’t end until after midnight. Six hours or so our Lord spent eating the last Passover and introducing the first Communion. In and around that, all kinds of important events took place and our Lord did extensive teaching to His Apostles, giving them promises, all laid out for us in the wonderful chapters in John gospels, starting with chapter 13 and running through chapter 16. Closed out the evening with a great High Priestly prayer recorded in chapter 17. When the evening was finally done, they sang a hymn, Psalm 136 and they left. We pick up the story at that very moment in verse 27...

The New Passover

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:48:48 PST

Well let’s turn to the Word of God in Mark 14. We need to be on the fast track in Mark, as you know. And you’re probably aware that next Sunday is Easter Sunday and there is no way we are going to be at the resurrection by next Sunday. So that will be a few weeks after that. So we’re going to have an Easter Sunday celebration next week but the message is going to be on our Lord’s experiencing Gethsemane, in Gethsemane. We will celebrate the resurrection but we’ll stay with the chronology as we flow through the gospel of Mark. These are wonderful days for us. We are covering a lot at a rapid pace, but I think it’s a wonderful way to experience these last hours of our Lord’s earthly live...

How to Cultivate a Healthy Conscience

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:52:15 PST

Turn in your Bible to 2 Corinthians chapter 1…2 Corinthians chapter 1. I want to read one verse and then I want to sort of bounce off of that verse and set the stage for some things that are really important about the conscience. Verse 12, 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 12, “Paul says, ‘For our boasting, do you have that? Or our confidence is this, the testimony of our…what?...conscience,’” and stop right there...

John MacArthur's 25th Anniversary Celebration

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:50:21 PST

Well, this is a time for our multimedia presentation. Most of us have had the privilege of sitting in this auditorium every week and we have no concept of how far John MacArthur’s pulpit ministry extends worldwide. Only eternity will reveal the full scope of it. Every day of the week and at any given moment, night or day, more people around the world are listening to John’s preaching through Grace To You radio and cassette tapes than the total number of all who sit in our combined morning and evening services on a typical Sunday. Multiple millions each week listen to the messages we are blessed to hear firsthand. God has literally sent John MacArthur’s preaching to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus Himself said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household. It’s one of the wretched tendencies of our sinfulness that we fail to appreciate those whom God raises up in our midst. John’s 25th anniversary is a reminder to us of the command of Hebrews 13:7, “Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

The Doctrine of Salvation: Assurance

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:47:29 PST

I want to begin our study of assurance tonight by reading you a letter I received from an individual, and then a poem that he wrote that may set in context the importance of our study...

Questions from the Heart

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:32:11 PST

Hi, John. My question I probably even know the answer. It’s been something I’ve been experiencing which is I’ve been in a lot of prayer lately about certain things. And when you go through the Scripture, and you read things, for example, like John 14:13, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” And, for example, John 15:7, “If abideth in Me and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.”...

Bible Questions and Answers, Part 29

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:25:55 PST

Well, it’s your time, so whatever questions you might have in your heart or mind, just come up to the microphone that’s nearest to you and stand there and we’ll just kind of move along and see if we can’t look to God’s Word together. Great…boy, everybody’s in a hurry tonight...

Players in the Drama of the Cross, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:24:53 PST

Well, let’s turn back to the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of Mark, the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of Mark. With the beginning of this chapter, we enter into the events that lead up and include the crucifixion and the resurrection. This, as I said this morning, is the section in Mark’s gospel that we would call the Holy of Holies. This is where we go behind the veil, as it were, into the place where the blood is shed and sprinkled. This time symbolically, but genuinely to satisfy God and to provide redemption for all who would ever believe. This part of the life of our Lord, these final hours of His life, really are the Holy of Holies of Scripture. All of the Bible has led up to this point and all redemptive history, beginning in eternity past with God’s plan to slay His Son as a Lamb comes to its highpoint, its fruition here. So from chapter 14 on through chapter 15, into chapter 16 is going to occupy our attention and keep it focused on the death and resurrection of Christ, the long-awaited glorious atonement and sacrifice and ransom and redemption provided for sinners...

Players in the Drama of the Cross, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:24:10 PST

Well let’s open the Word of God to the fourteenth chapter of Mark. Now I want to tell you that today is going to be a very important day both this morning and tonight, as we go through the first sixteen verses of chapter 14, actually this morning we’ll go through the first two and tonight…tonight it will be 3 to 16. So don’t anybody sit in the window, as if there was a window in here...

Die Zeichen für Christi Kommen, Teil 2 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 24 May 2011 15:52:32 PST

Wir werden uns jetzt bei unserer Betrachtung von Gottes Wort mit Matthäus Kapitel 24 befassen. Matthäus 24 und 25 ist als „die Ölbergrede“ bekannt. Es ist eine Rede, oder eine Predigt, die unser Herr Jesus Christus auf dem Ölberg hielt. Das Thema dieser Rede ist die Wiederkunft Christi. Es ist also Jesu eigene Predigt, seine eigene Botschaft, über seine eigene Wiederkunft. Es ist eine wirklich herrliche Botschaft. Und wir warten gespannt darauf, die großartigen Wahrheiten in dieser Rede zu begreifen...

The Final Generation, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:08:01 PST

We are looking at Mark chapter 13 and verses 28 through 37. I know most of you have been with us, but for those who have not, this setting is a very important setting. This message given by our Lord is His own message on His Second Coming. This is our Lord’s description of the events that lead up to His return. The Scripture says Christ is coming back to judge the ungodly, 2 Thessalonians 1, He is coming back to judge the ungodly. Revelation 19 says the same thing, He is coming back in judgment, crushing devastating judgment on all the ungodly. They will be slain by sword that comes out of His mouth, that is His Word. He will literally speak their death and they will go forever into the Lake of Fire...

The Final Generation, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:06:58 PST

Let’s open the Word of God then to the thirteenth chapter of Mark’s gospel, Mark chapter 13. We are coming to verses 28 to 37 in our ongoing look at this amazing account of our Lord’s life, and we’re going to be looking at verses 28 to 37, both this morning and this evening. While it’s not a long passage, it’s loaded. And in order to cover all the ground, we’re going to do that this morning and tonight. And then next Sunday we will leave the subject of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and move right in to the things that lead up to the death and resurrection of Christ. Let me read this text for you...

Coming in the Clouds

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:05:24 PST

The Future Tribulation

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:20:28 PST

It’s the thirteenth chapter then of the gospel of Mark. As we come to this section before us, we are with our Lord Jesus and the disciples sitting on the Mount of Olives. It is the end of the day on Wednesday of Passion Week. On Friday He will die on the cross. On Sunday He will rise. On Thursday He will prepare for the Passover and celebrate the Passover meal Thursday evening with His disciples. And that’s where the betrayal will occur, that night, and it will all come to fruition on Friday, He will be tried, He will be executed on the cross, as I said, to rise on Sunday...

2010 Ligonier National Conference (Session 08) - "Does the Doctrine of the Divine Decrees Eliminate Human Will?"

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:09:22 PST

2010 Ligonier National Conference (Session 06) - "Why Did Jesus Have to Die?"

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:09:12 PST

Is God a Monster?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:37:34 PST

Nearly fifty years ago, the British agnostic Bertrand Russell penned these words: “There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment” (Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian)...

The Profile of a Godly Mother

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:11:35 PST

I once came across an interesting article on motherhood by a man named W. L. Caldwell written back in 1928. Here's what he said:

Well may we pause to pay honor to her who after Jesus Christ is God's best gift to men, mother. It was she who shared her life with us when as yet our members were unformed, into the valley of the shadow of death she walked that we might have the light of life. In her arms was the garner of our food and the soft couch for our repose. There we nestled in the hour of pain; there was the playground of our infant glee.

Those same arms later became our refuge and stronghold. It was she who taught our baby feet to go and lifted us up over the rough places. Her blessed hands plied the needle by day and by night to make our clothes. She put the book under our arm and started us off for school. But best of all, she taught our baby lips to lisp the name of Jesus and told us first the wondrous story of a Savior's love.

Какие доктрины относятся к фундаментальным? (Russian) What Doctrines are Fundamental?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:57:17 PST

Прежде всего, самые строгие слова осуждения в Новом Завете обращены к лжеучителям, искажающим Евангелие. Поэтому именно Евангельскую весть следует признать основным моментом фундаментального учения. Какая весть должна определять содержание нашего благовестия? Обратимся к Священному Писанию и попробуем вывести некоторые библейские принципы, чтобы определить, какие элементы веры действительно важны для подлинного христианства...

Second Peter

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:04:32 PST

The clear claim to authorship in 1:1 by the Apostle Peter gives the epistle its title. To distinguish it from Peter’s first epistle, it was given the Greek title “Petrou B,” or 2 Peter...

Second John

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:52:28 PST

The epistle’s title is “2 John.” It is the second in a series of 3 epistles that bear the Apostle John’s name. Second and Third John present the closest approximation in the NT to the conventional letter form of the contemporary Greco-Roman world, since they were addressed from an individual to individuals. Second and Third John are the shortest epistles in the NT, each containing less than 300 Greek words. Each letter could fit on a single papyrus sheet (cf. 3 John 13)...

The Severity of Hell

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:55:07 PST

Charles Spurgeon once advised fellow-preachers, “Shun all views of future punishment that would make it appear less terrible.” Yet another timely word from Spurgeon—efforts to extinguish the flames of hell abound in our day, just as they did in his...

Is Hell Really Endless?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:37:53 PST

One view of hell that seems to be making a strong resurgence today among evangelicals is Annihilationism. There are slight variations, but it essentially teaches God will eventually snuff every unbeliever out of existence. Some Annihilationists make room for divine wrath, but they don’t allow it to extend beyond the lake of fire. In other words, they won’t allow God the full force of His judgment, which is eternal, conscious torment. For them, the lake of fire is what completely consumes and finally destroys sinners. Whether they see death as the end, or whether they see hell’s torments as limited in duration, the result is the same—a denial of the endlessness of hell...

For Those Who Rail Against Hell

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:51:47 PST

For the last two weeks, we’ve posted a series of articles from John MacArthur addressing the teachings of Rob Bell. It didn’t take long for one of the primary areas of contention to emerge from the comment thread—the nature of Hell.

Bell’s Inferno

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:31:40 PST

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that religion is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Rob Bell: “Evangelical and orthodox to the bone?” Hardly.

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:45:19 PST

Rob Bell claims to be "evangelical and orthodox to the bone." But how is that true when he has consistently promoted views that are antithetical to biblical Christianity and hostile to historic evangelical principles?

The Christian and Taxes

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:25:08 PST

We’ve been trying to get a bit of an understanding on the themes of the believer’s relationship to the government, for obvious reasons, because we’re living in a time when our own government is very volatile, governments in the world are even more volatile than our own situation. There are all kinds of voices shouting at us out there, all kinds of attitudes being propagated that people would like us to hold toward those who are in authority over us. This is a good time for us to do a reality check on what the Word of God expects of us, what God expects of us as citizens in our own nation. And so, we’ve been looking at this a couple of times, and then we took a few weeks break while I was gone, and now we’re back to Romans 13 again.

Rob Bell: a Brother to Embrace, or a Wolf to Avoid?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:35:35 PST

If Christopher Hitchens or Deepak Chopra penned a book that scoffed at the biblical teaching on hell, we would not be surprised. So why would anyone be shocked or confused when Rob Bell writes Love Wins? Has Bell shown any more commitment to gospel truth, or any more devotion to the principle of biblical authority than Hitchens or Chopra?

Every Easter the newspaper runs an article that casts doubt on the resurrection. Just how important is the resurrection to the Christian faith?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:04:03 PST

Government in Biblical Perspective

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:16:30 PST

If you will, open your Bible to Romans chapter 13...Romans chapter 13 is the most formidable New Testament chapter summing up the believer’s responsibility to the government. And I want to say at the very beginning that this is a universal chapter as to its application. Whatever kind of government, whatever era, whatever century, whatever circumstances, the general principles that we see here about our conduct apply. And this, of course, is the supernatural wonder of Scripture that two thousand years after it is written, it speaks specifically and applicably to the times in which we live...

Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:54:16 PST

As much as we’d like to abolish slavery in practice, and even from our memories, the Bible demands that we remember. Slavery has everything to do with our relationship to Christ. We are His slaves, and our slavery to Him is the guarantee of our eternal security.

The Grim Reality of the Last Days

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:54:11 PST

Religion and Its Victims

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:53:56 PST

How Firm Our Foundation

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:19:19 PST

Let me ask you a theological question: Are you born again which results in your believing in Christ, or does your faith in Christ result in your being born again? Maybe you think I’m just playing with words, but how you answer that question significantly affects what you believe about man’s sin, God’s salvation, and more important, your eternal security.

A Plan for Your Family: God's vs. the World's, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:43:26 PST

ast week we said that the foundation of all Christian family success, all Christian marriage blessing is set out in that text. It's not gimmicky, it's not trivial, it's not superficial, it's not manipulative. What it says is that before we can even talk about wives in verse 22, before we can talk about husbands in verse 25, before we can talk about children in chapter 6 verse 1 and parents in chapter 6 verse 2, we have to set up some foundations for all of those relationships, namely this, you must be Spirit filled, singing, saying thanks and submissive. And we focused on those four things last time. Where you have filling of the Spirit which means you're under the control of the Holy Spirit by obedience to the Word, where you have overflowing joy that comes out in songs, where you have constant thanks for everything and where you have mutual submission, you have the foundations of happiness, success and blessing in a marriage and in a family. All of that is built on that spiritual foundation, whether we're talking about husband and wife relationship, or children and parents.

Biblical Ignorance in High Places

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:49:34 PST

The Pathology of a Religious Hypocrite

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:49:21 PST

Nothing but Leaves

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:04:59 PST

Open your Bible to the eleventh chapter of Mark, the eleventh chapter of Mark. Before us is a monumental day in redemptive history, the history of the world, God’s history. It is a serious day and it is a profound day because it is on this day that our Lord Jesus pronounces a curse, essentially, on the temple in Jerusalem. That curse extended beyond the temple, to the leadership...religious leadership of Israel, therefore encompassing Israel’s religion and all who were part of it, who essentially made up the whole nation. It is, in effect, a curse on the nation, the Covenant chosen and blessed people of God are here cursed...

The Confrontation Over Authority

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:54:01 PST

Let’s turn to the Word of God together, Mark chapter 11...Mark chapter 11. As you can see, this is the end of the eleventh chapter but it is the beginning of a confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel, a confrontation that starts here on Wednesday and ends on Friday with His crucifixion...

Does God Do Miracles Today?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:30:09 PST

In our ongoing study of the Charismatic movement today, I wanna jump right in to a subject that I know I can't completely cover, but I want you to learn to think biblically about this because I'm very concerned about it. Today, we hear an awful lot of talk about miracles, somebody says, "I had a financial need and a miracle happened. The mailman came and in the mail was a check for just the amount of money I needed. It was a miracle." Or you hear someone say, "I went to the mall and there was a parking place right by the entrance. It was a miracle." Or a mother might sense something wrong in an adjoining room and investigate just in time to stop her little toddler from putting a paper clip into an electrical outlet, and say, "It's a miracle." Or maybe you were thinking and praying for somebody and just seemingly at the time you were doing that, the phone rang and it was the very person you were thinking about, and they were right there to be encouraged and you say, "That was a miracle." Well, we call those things miracles, but they're not miracles. A miracle is a supernatural event which has no human explanation. More than that, a miracle is a supernatural event which suspends natural law. In other words, natural law stops and is suspended while God acts, moves back out and then the natural course continues. When you find a place to park at the mall or when you catch your little toddler just at the right moment, or when you get a check for what you needed, or when a friend calls at precisely the right moment in time, those would be acts of providence, those would be acts whereby God is simply orchestrating natural events, not suspending the natural, but controlling the natural so that it does what He wants it to do...

I Can't Handle This!

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:43:26 PST

Maybe you’ve been reading the series “How to Slay Sin.” But while you know the Scripture lays out clear principles, all you can think is, It’s just too hard. Or maybe you’re not struggling with sin at all but rather a very painful circumstance—an illness, death, financial crisis, or conflict—that feels like it’s too much for you to handle. Whatever situation you’re in, God has a message for you.

Why Christians Submit to the Government

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:20:44 PST

Romans 13 is the text that we are looking at under this heading of the Christian and government. We’ll get to the tax part a little later. We’re starting in the first verse and working our way through this really important text. Romans chapter 13. The opening statement of verse 1 is what we considered last time. It took us the whole time to just kind of get that in place. Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. That is an unqualified statement. It doesn’t qualify who those governing authorities are and it doesn’t qualify what subjection might mean. Therefore we can conclude that we have an unqualified, unmitigated command to be subjected to the governing authorities, whatever they are...

In the first edition of Hard to Believe, John MacArthur said some things that sounded like works salvation. What does he really believe and teach on this issue?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:57:38 PST

A significant error was inadvertently introduced into the first edition of Hard to Believe, just before it went to press, which contradicted the message of the book by suggesting that salvation is the fruit of godly living. John MacArthur did not see the final manuscript revision before it went to press, and would never have approved such a statement...

Der Zweck von Prüfungen (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:46:01 PST

Zu Beginn unserer Betrachtung von Jakobus Kapitel 1 möchte ich euch heute Abend bitten, diesen wunderbaren Abschnitt der Schrift aufzuschlagen, der so viel Hoffnung für jene von uns birgt, die in Bedrängnis stecken...

Mark, Vol. 5

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:24:58 PST

Insight into a Pastor's Heart, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:39:00 PST

We are going to pick up where we left off on Tuesday and progress a little through this discussion of preaching. I started by saying if you are a pastor, you're a preacher above all else. That is what we are. That is what we do. We are men utterly devoted to displaying God's glory by the exposition of God's Word. And so I started by giving you at least one part in my little outline here, and that is perspective...

Bible Questions and Answers, Part 27

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:37:48 PST

We've had kind of an interesting two months and I just kind of wanted to take a minute or two to share with you something about what's been going on. As you know, in the month of January and the month of February, we've been on the radio playing a series on spiritual gifts. You remember that in January? Then in February we started a series on the truth about tongues. And I'm just telling you, it has been really interesting to see what has happened as a result of just putting out there on the air what we believe the Bible teaches about these things and sort of taking on the Charismatic Movement in a head-on way. They tend to dominate the media, as you know, in radio and television. If you turn on your Christian television station, you have no idea what you're liable to see. It could be anything. But mostly it is charismatic stuff. And they dominate the radio. In fact, I think, well...I'm sure that most of the radio programs, most of the radio stations at this point are charismatic or very tolerant of the charismatics...

What's wrong with the "what does this verse mean to me" approach to interpreting the Bible?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:26:29 PST

The Necessities for Effective Prayer

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:42:21 PST

We know we’re in the Passion Week of Christ. He has entered into the city of Jerusalem on Monday. On Tuesday He came in and attacked and assaulted the temple. And by the time we come to our text in verse 22, it is Wednesday...Wednesday. On the next day, Thursday will be the Passover meal, on Friday the crucifixion, on Sunday the resurrection. So these are the last days of our Lord’s life and ministry....

How to Slay Sin, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:37:28 PST

Imagine you’re facing an enemy on the battlefield who enjoyed a good night’s sleep, a hearty breakfast, and a personal escort to the most strategic position on the battlefield. And here’s the worst part—you provided all those things! Sound absurd?

Wer ist schuld an unserer Versuchung? (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:30:00 PST

Bitte schlagt eure Bibeln bei Jakobus Kapitel 1 auf. Wir werden uns mit den Versen 13 bis 18 befassen; Jakobus 1,13-18. Wenn wir das heute Abend nicht alles schaffen, werden wir uns wahrscheinlich nächsten Sonntagabend damit beschäftigen, zusammen mit unserem Lobpreisgottesdienst. Wir werden es dann irgendwie zu einem wunderbaren Abend kombinieren, sofern der Herr uns dazu veranlassen sollte, noch etwas weiterzumachen...

How to Slay Sin, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:29:40 PST

If you’ve been with us the last couple of posts, you know sin is your enemy. You understand it lurks deep within your members, warring against your soul, seeking to ambush you at your most vulnerable moment. You’ve experienced its power and treachery many times...

Schwierigkeiten überwinden - den Sieg erringen, Teil 3 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:42:17 PST

Lasst uns unsere Bibeln im ersten Kapitel von Jakobus aufschlagen und gemeinsam das Wort Gottes in den Versen 2 bis 12 betrachten. Während ihr euch gemeinsam auf das Studium von Gottes Wort vorbereitet, möchte ich euch kurz daran erinnern, dass es häufig im Leben vorkommt, ganz gewiss in meinem Leben und bestimmt auch in eurem Leben als Christen, dass man Menschen begegnet, die sich für Christen hielten. Ich denke, das ist ziemlich normal. Menschen, die glaubten, errettet zu sein und dachten, sie würden Gott kennen. Und dann trat irgendein großes Problem in ihr Leben und offenbarte die Tatsache, dass sie Gott überhaupt nicht kannten, als sie sich als unfähig herausstellten, diese schwere Prüfung zu bewältigen. Ihr Glaube wurde offenbart. Er stellte sich als toter Glaube, als nicht-lebendiger Glaube, als nicht-errettender Glaube heraus. Sie waren unfähig, sich an den Ressourcen festzuhalten, die in jenen Menschen stecken, die wirklich an Gott glauben, und sie gaben das auf, was vielleicht echter Glaube zu sein schien...

Know Thy Enemy

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:15:06 PST

Are you ready to kill? That's a stark question, and it demands qualification, but killing is a regular part of the Christian life. There's an aspect of being a Christian that's downright violent. You see, God commands us to hunt down and kill all remaining sin to terminate it with extreme prejudice.

The Final Miracle of Mercy

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:48:03 PST

In order to keep moving through the gospel of Mark, we are going to look at that tonight. We haven’t done this before but we will probably do this in the next six months as we go through 2011 because I have as a goal to finish the gospel of Mark in the summer, early summer, I hope, and that will be to finish the entire New Testament that we’ve been working on for over 40 years. So that will be...that will be a monumental day...

Our Relentless War Against Sin

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:46:26 PST

Have you ever wondered, “Why do I have to deal with sin at all? If God hates sin, if true Christians hate sin, and we’re all in agreement, then why must it remain?”

The Greatness of Being a Slave

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:17:33 PST

Be Killing Sin, or Else Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:34:32 PST

If someone were to ask you, “What’s the most dangerous spiritual responsibility to neglect?” You might think of Scripture reading, prayer, evangelism, listening to preaching, or attending corporate worship. And it’s not that you’d be wrong…God commands all believers to pursue those things. They’re non-negotiable...

A Word of Caution to Fire Starters

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:58:15 PST

If you hadn’t guessed it already, I work for Phil Johnson, the original Pyromaniac. I’m sure you have your own view, but in my opinion he’s not the Pyromaniac because he starts fires. No, he burns with a fire like Jeremiah (Jer. 20:9) and preaches God’s Word, which is like fire, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (23:29).

Mark, Vol. 04

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:17:21 PST

If the purpose of the church is to evangelize, why do you emphasize teaching so much?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:46:44 PST

Culturally Contextualized or Historically Connected?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:30:45 PST

I heard this morning that some folks have been getting kind of fussy about one of John’s comments in the interview. The first criticism forwarded to me was from Ed Stetzer, one of the men who endorsed Darrin Patrick’s book. His initial tweet said, “JohnMacArthur criticizes @DarrinPatrick’s book…Read this book endorsed by Keller, Dever, me, etc!”...

Radical Individualism: A Good Trait for Young Pastors?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:51:38 PST

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s been a bit of a buzz regarding a comment John MacArthur made about a book by Darrin Patrick in last Sunday night’s interview, “Theology and Ministry: An Interview with John MacArthur.” Here’s what John had to say about it.

A Preview of Messianic Suffering

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:43:54 PST

Appropriately, I want you to open your Bible to the tenth chapter of Mark, familiar territory for us. By next Sunday night, we will have completed the tenth chapter because we’re going to finish it up next Sunday morning and evening. And the eleventh chapter begins with our Lord’s triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem in the final week of His life. So we’re coming in to the climactic portion of this wonderful gospel of Mark...

The False Coronation of the True King

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:43:24 PST

Open your Bible, if you will, to the eleventh chapter of the gospel of Mark...the eleventh chapter of the gospel of Mark. With this passage, we come to the final week of our Lord’s life and His public ministry. This is the week of the end. The end of this week is the cross and the resurrection. So, in a sense, we only have a week to go in the gospel of Mark. It will, however, take us about six months to preach our way through this week, which is a sad commentary on me. But that’s the way I love to plunge into the detail of the text of Scripture. This should be one of the richest, most enjoyable, most profound, wondrous experiences of our lives to go again through the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ...

The Heart of Christian Fasting
Part 4: Fasting Today

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:59:40 PST

We’ve looked so far at Christian fasting in the Old Testament, the Sermon on the Mount, and the New Testament. Let’s get practical by thinking through how we fast today as Christians, trying to be biblical about it...

I want to know God's Word better. Can you provide me with a plan to help me get there?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:36:27 PST

Here are five helpful steps to ensure you are effectively studying God's Word...

The Essentials of Discipleship

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:40:42 PST

I want you to open your Bible to 1 Corinthians 4, for those who are visiting with us, we are kind of looking at some of the key chapters of 1 Corinthians. I really hadn’t intended to look at this fourth chapter, but it was just laid on my heart which happens sometimes when I have an experience that stirs me up. There is a lot of discussion today about what we call flat-screen church where you go to a building, an event, and you see a preacher on a flat screen. This is called multi-sight church, you have one person speaking in one place and then you have flat-screen representation of him in other places, sometimes near and sometimes thousands of miles away...

The Blasphemy of the Rich Young Ruler

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:37:22 PST

Open your Bible now to the tenth chapter of the gospel of Mark...the gospel of Mark, Mark, who tells the story of Christ along with Matthew and Luke and John has written this great history that we have been enjoying now for well over a year. We find ourselves in chapter 10. I’ve entitled this particular event “The Tragedy of a Selfish Seeker,” The Tragedy of a Selfish Seeker...

Why Jesus Blessed the Little Children

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:36:42 PST

It was a few years ago now that I wrote a little book called Safe In The Arms Of God. This was a little book that explains what happens to babies that die. Again I felt it was very important because there was no such book in existence at the time, as there is no such book in existence as the slave book. Once in a while you come across something that needs to be addressed. But the little book, Safe in the Arms of God, really came out of a panel discussion that I had national conference where there were five or six pastors seated on the platform and there were several thousand people in the audience and they were asked to convey questions and we were supposed to answer the questions...

A Theology of Work

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:26:09 PST

I want to use as a text tonight in talking about the biblical view of work, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3....2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Now I will warn you, we’re not going to get there for a while. We’re going to be all over the place here for a few minutes. But I will eventually arrive at that text so you can kind of identify that as the main text for our message...

God’s Perspective on Spiritual Wealth

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:23:46 PST

I want you to open your Bible, if you will, to the tenth chapter of the gospel of Mark. While you’re doing that, I will remind you of a statement that I read earlier in the service from Luke chapter 1 verse 37, “For nothing will be impossible with God. For nothing will be impossible with God.” That great statement comes right out of heaven, the confidence that God can do all things that He determines to do...

Is all Scripture inspired by God?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:22:00 PST

The Heart of Christian Fasting
Part 2: Fasting in the Sermon on the Mount

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:28:45 PST

After seeing the many good comments following our first post on fasting, I’m happy to return to the topic again today. Your anecdotes show the importance of addressing this subject biblically. It provokes the protective side of my pastoral nature when I hear that others, including pastors, have used fasting to manipulate and intimidate you spiritually. So, let’s go straight to Jesus and see these things for what they are...

Принятие решений к славе Божьей (Russian)
Decision Making to the Glory of God

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:59:37 PST

Знаете ли вы, что 90% всех ваших решений, принимаемых с христианской позиции, вы имеете дело с такими вопросами, о которых Писание говорит на удивление мало? Вы не найдете в Библии достаточно подробных ответов на такие вопросы: «Какую носить одежду?», «Куда пойти?», или «Как провести свое свободное время?» В то же время по этим же вопросам в различных ветвях евангельского христианства существует множество правил и строгих запретов, многие из которых просто бесполезны, а некоторые даже вредны (не только в лагере фундаменталистов)...

The Heart of Christian Fasting
Part 2: Fasting in the Sermon on the Mount

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:33:19 PST

As a pastor, I’ve encountered a number of people who are confused about Christian fasting. Confusion that begins with a superficial understanding of Scripture is further confounded by popular Christian teachers who lean toward mysticism or legalism. So, let’s get Jesus’ word on fasting and shed some light on the subject...

Schwierigkeiten überwinden - den Sieg erringen, Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:06:10 PST

Lasst uns unsere Bibeln im ersten Kapitel von Jakobus aufschlagen. Ich möchte euch Verse 2 bis 12 vorlesen … Jakobus Kapitel 1, Verse 2 bis 12...

Der wahre Geist der Weihnacht (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:03:36 PST

Wenn ihr wie ich seid, habt ihr die Kommentare und Einschätzungen der Welt über diese Jahreszeit schon häufig gehört. Und einer der Sätze, den wir häufig hören, lautet: „Geist der Weihnacht, wir brauchen den Geist der Weihnacht.“...

How can we determine what doctrines are essential and what are they?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:14:33 PST

To begin with, the strongest words of condemnation in all the New Testament are aimed at false teachers who corrupt the Gospel. Therefore the Gospel message itself must be acknowledged as a primary point of fundamental doctrine...

What Does It Mean to Be Filled with the Spirit (Kannada)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:32:17 PST

Examine Yourself (Kannada)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:31:31 PST

Discernment (Kannada)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:30:48 PST

Всевластие Бога (The Sovereignty of God)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:48:07 PST

Не существует доктрины более пренебрегаемой природным мышлением, чем доктрина об абсолютном Божьем всевластии. Человеческая гордость питает отвращение при мысли, что Бог во всем предписывает Свой порядок, все контролирует и абсолютно всем управляет. Плотское мышление пылает враждебностью по отношению к Богу и не выносит библейского учения о том, что все происходит не иначе, как по Его промыслу. Более всего для плоти ненавистно представление о том, что спасение – это исключительно Божье действие. Ведь, если Бог избрал кого-то ко спасению и Его выбор был сделан прежде основания мира, тогда верующие не могут приписать себе заслуги ни в одном из аспектов спасения...

Decision Making to the Glory of God

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:54:33 PST

As you gear up for the New Year, maybe you’re thinking through another set of (dreadful) resolutions—lose weight, get out of debt, clean the garage, start a blog, and on they go. How about an alternative? Change the way you approach decision making in 2011, and avoid making and breaking New Year resolutions altogether. Here are 7 practical principles to help govern your decision making in 2011. Happy New Year!

Why Shepherds? - Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 20:36:04 PST

We are so familiar with the Christmas story we’ve lost its shock factor. We see shepherd figurines in stores and front lawns, we sing about them, our children dress like them. We are confronted by the image of shepherds a hundred times each December. But do you reflect on why they are in the story?

Follow God’s Will
(and never mind the mystery)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:22:03 PST

Like the dripping of water over centuries, the persistent influence of charismatic theology over many decades seems to have whittled away and reshaped the evangelical commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture. Perhaps other forces are at work as well—secularism, consumerism, multi-culturalism—but modern evangelicals seem less willing to confine themselves to the 66 books of the canon...

The Truth About Divorce, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:40:18 PST

Let’s open our Bibles to the tenth chapter of Mark’s gospel, that is the very Mark called John Mark we read about in Acts chapter 12, who wrote this glorious gospel and learned perhaps most of the personal incidents that are recorded here from Peter, who influenced his life so greatly. We are looking at the tenth chapter, the opening twelve verses, which we began last week on the subject of divorce, as our Lord instructs His disciples...

The Mystery of Resurrection

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:34:02 PST

We come now to the final section of 1 Corinthians 15. We have been going through this great resurrection chapter. You’re a wonderful congregation to preach to, you love the truth, you embrace the truth with a full heart and you express so often, as many of you have to me, your joy over what we’ve learned in this chapter. It’s been so encouraging to me. Not everybody is interested in what happens after we die. Most people today, even in churches, seem to be a lot more interested in what goes on here...

Die Art von Anbetung, die Gott sich wünscht, Teil 5

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:08:41 PST

Unsere Herzen sind wieder einmal sehr ermutigt durch die Zeugnisse, die wir von denen hören, die ihren Glauben an den Herrn Jesus Christus bekennen. Ich wurde daran erinnert, als ich mir wieder einmal den Text von Lukas 15 anhörte, wo unser Herr selbst über die Freude Gottes im Himmel spricht, wenn ein einziger Sünder Buße tut. Der Himmel feiert diese herrliche Bekehrung, und das sollten auch wir tun. Es gibt für eine Gemeinde keine bessere Erfahrung, als die Früchte der Evangelisationsbemühungen hier im Leben der Gemeinde zu sehen. Was für eine große Freude. Das macht diese Sonntagabende so besonders, weil jedes Zeugnis so einzigartig ist....

Delight Yourself in the Lord
(and Do Whatever You Want!)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:21:48 PST

“Love God and do as you please.” That famous quote from St. Augustine has far outlived its author, but not everyone views it favorably. Some see his bluntness as irresponsible, possibly dangerous. But Augustine has solid ground to stand on. Thousands of years earlier, another theologian by the name of David said this, “Delight Yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). Both are true. Listen, as John MacArthur explains…

Die Art von Anbetung, die Gott sich wünscht, Teil 4 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:51:39 PST

Ich möchte all unseren jungen Leuten danken - nicht nur dafür, dass sie unseren Herrn Jesus Christus während des Jahres in all ihren Konzerten repräsentiert haben und in den letzten beiden Wochen auf ihren Reisen, sondern auch dafür, dass sie das Masters College repräsentiert haben. Wir haben keine besseren Repräsentanten, als ihr es wart. Ich habe euer Programm ein wenig verfolgt und weiß, dass ihr überall dort, wo ihr gewesen seid, Eindruck hinterlassen habt, nicht nur für das College, sondern auch für unseren Herrn. Ich danke euch dafür und wünsche euch einen wunderbaren Sommer. Ich weiß, dass die Eltern von vielen von euch jetzt hier sind, um euch abzuholen und mit nach Hause zu nehmen. Ich bin mir sicher, dass ihr eine fantastische Zeit haben werdet, wenn ihr euch an all die Erfahrungen erinnert, die ihr gesammelt habt durch die Art und Weise, wie der Herr euch benutzt hat. Ich danke euch aus vollem Herzen...

God Wants You to Give Thanks, Part 2

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:16:51 PST

Pray, read your Bible, go to church, share the gospel, obey your parents. Recognize that list? It’s the answer you’re likely to get when asking the question—What does God want me to do? That centers on your actions, which is good…but what about your attitudes? Does God care about those?

I've celebrated Christmas all my life, but still don't understand why Jesus came. Can you tell me?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:58:06 PST

Who was that child in the manger? God. We see that clearly now. But why would God become a man, be born in such a lowly manner, and let men treat Him the way they did? Why would Jesus, while existing "before all things" (Colossians 1:17) and holding "first place in everything" (v. 18), agree to come to earth as a baby, suffer the abuse He suffered, and die such a painful death? The apostle Paul is clear: "It was the Father's good pleasure ... through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (vv. 19-20)....

The Jesus You Can't Ignore (Portuguese)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:40:46 PST

Twelve Extraordinary Women (Portuguese)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:38:58 PST

The Book on Leadership (Portuguese)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:37:56 PST

Hard to Believe (Portuguese)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:36:39 PST

Six Ways Satan is Stealing Christmas (Marathi)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:27:08 PST

Is Your Salvation Secure (Marathi)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:26:05 PST

When Healing Doesn't Come (Marathi)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:25:01 PST

The Truth War (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:23:10 PST

The Jesus You Can't Ignore (Dutch)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:21:43 PST

The Master's Plan for the Church (Malayalam)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:16:19 PST

Answering Key Questions About the Family (Malayalam)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:14:16 PST

How to Overcome Financial Worry (Malayalam)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:38:25 PST

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:36:41 PST

Discernment: Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis (Malayalam)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:35:13 PST

Величайшая нужда вашего ребенка (Russian)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:32:31 PST

Порочные наклонности вашего ребенка объясняются библейским учением о первородном грехе. Согласно этому учению, дети рождаются в мир без всякого желания искать Бога и Его праведность. Они вступают в жизнь не в нравственно нейтральном состоянии. Напротив, они с рождения ищут удовлетворения греховных, эгоистичных потребностей. Писание учит абсолютной испорченности человека, что указывает на степень первородного греха. Несмотря на то, что греховность природы не всегда проявляется в поведении максимальным образом, испорченность человека, тем не менее, названа абсолютной, так как во всем его существе – в его характере, разуме, эмоциях или воле – нет ни одной составляющей, которая не была бы затронута грехом или имела бы иммунитет к греховным соблазнам.

The Resurrection Body

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:51:56 PST

1st Corinthians chapter 15 is the text for our Bible study tonight. And we are looking at the great chapter on resurrection. Bodily resurrection is Paul’s theme in this chapter and we come to a section beginning with verse 35. We have worked our way down through verse 34 and now the next section runs from verse 35 to 49. And I want to read it because I think it’s good to have it in your mind so you know what’s coming.

The Truth about Divorce, Part 1

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:49:43 PST

We are going to address the subject of divorce because it is the theme of our Lord’s teaching in Mark chapter 10...Mark chapter 10. We’re going to be looking at the twelve verses that launch this chapter and it’s going to be in two parts, one this morning and another one next Sunday. So I’m going to let you know that so that you’re not wondering why I haven’t gotten to all of the issues that relate to this theme. I’m unable to do that until next Sunday and we’ll finish up this text next Sunday morning. And then next Sunday evening, I’m going to add a special message on the issue of divorce from 1 Corinthians chapter 7. That will give you the full picture of what the Scripture teaches about divorce. We’ve also put a little notice in Grace Today about the book, The Divorce Dilemma, which is a handy guide to take you through the Scripture to help you understand these issues....

What is the real meaning of Christmas?

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:40:51 PST

The answer may just surprise you. For many, Christmas is the time to think of Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. While the birth of Christ is a special and miraculous event, it isn't the primary focus. The central truth of the Christmas story is this: the Child of Christmas is God...

The Master's College Presidential Inauguration

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:29:18 PST

Let us pray. Our wonderful Lord, how grateful we are for that marvelous providence that brings us to this hour. And, oh, how we ask that Thou will be gloriously exalted in our midst. And that throughout this entire occasion, we will sense Thy Spirit. Be with us to bless us. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen...

Suffer or Compromise? The Great Collision

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:19:00 PST

When you strive to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted, you will suffer. That’s a promise right out of God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:12). And while history validates that truth, it also captures another tragic reality—you can mitigate your suffering for Christ with little or no effort. Just compromise. Here’s John MacArthur to explain…

Die Antwort auf die größte Frage des Lebens, Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:42:49 PST

Unser Text heute früh stammt aus Lukas Kapitel 10, Verse 25 bis 29. Wir haben hier bei Grace To You ein kurzes Motto: „Gottes Wahrheit Vers für Vers freisetzen“ und genau das tun wir hier, wenn wir jeden Sonntag das Wort Gottes aufschlagen. Und wir arbeiten dieses wunderbare Lukasevangelium durch, die Aufzeichnungen von Lukas über das Leben und den Dienst unseres Herrn Jesus Christus. Wir befinden uns jetzt in Kapitel 10 und einem Abschnitt, der in Vers 25 beginnt. Ich werde bis Vers 29 vorlesen. Ich werde heute früh nicht diesen ganzen Abschnitt abdecken können, aber ich werde versuchen, ihn vorzustellen und einen Anfang zu machen. Wir werden versuchen, ihn nächsten Sonntag abzuschließen. Und ich möchte den Text nicht übereilt durchgehen, dafür ist er einfach viel zu wichtig. Ihr werdet seine Bedeutung bereits beim Durchlesen bemerken. ...

Gottes Plan für jüngere Frauen, Teil 2 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:39:32 PST

Heute früh werden wir uns bei unserer Betrachtung des Buches von Titus wieder Kapitel 2 zuwenden, insbesondere den Versen 4 und 5. Hier gibt Paulus Titus Anweisungen für die jungen Frauen in der Gemeinde. Vergesst nicht, dass das ganze Kapitel uns Lehren über den Charakter einer gesunden Gemeinde vermittelt, das heißt eine Gemeinde, die ein gesundes Zeugnis vor der Welt ablegen und evangelistischen Einfluss haben wird. Damit eine Gemeinde solch einen Einfluss haben kann, müssen Gemeindemitglieder sich gottesfürchtig verhalten. Ihr erinnert euch sicherlich, dass er in Vers 5 sagt „Diese Anweisungen dienen dazu, dass das Wort Gottes nicht verlästert werde“ und in Vers 8 „damit der Gegner beschämt wird, weil er nichts Schlechtes über uns sagen kann“. Dann in Vers 10: „Damit wir der Lehre Gottes, unseres Retters, in jeder Hinsicht Ehre machen“. Denn wie wir in Vers 11 lesen: „Gottes Gnade ist erschienen, die heilbringend ist für alle Menschen.“...

Gottes Plan für jüngere Frauen, Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:38:57 PST

Lasst uns jetzt unsere Bibeln bei Titus, Kapitel 2 öffnen. Bei unserem Studium des zweiten Kapitels von Titus haben wir uns hier für die Perspektive „Der Charakter einer gesunden Gemeinde“ entschieden. In diesem Kapitel gibt der Apostel Paulus der Gemeinde Anweisungen, wie sie sich verhalten soll. Er richtet seine Anweisungen an ältere Männer, ältere Frauen, jüngere Frauen und jüngere Männer. Er wählt jede Kategorie in der Gemeinde aus und gibt ihnen im Prinzip einige direkte und spezifische Anweisungen...

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 6: Betet allezeit (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:32:10 PST

Nun, heute Abend werden wir uns mit Epheser 6 beschäftigen und unsere Betrachtung der Waffenrüstung Gottes, der Waffenrüstung des Christen, in diesem Kapitel abschließen. Der Zeitpunkt ist gut, weil die sehr betriebsame Ferienzeit ansteht und es in den kommenden Wochen eine große Herausforderung sein wird, damit zu konkurrieren und [nicht] zu kollidieren...

Die Handlungen eines versöhnlichen Menschen (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:30:45 PST

Heute früh kehren wir bei unserer Betrachtung von Gottes Wort zum Brief des Paulus an Philemon zurück, die Epistel an Philemon. Diese kurze Epistel besteht aus 25 kurzen Versen, einem Kapitel, und ist eine lebendige Lektion in Vergebung. Und das hier ist unsere dritte von vier Lektionen über diese kurze Epistel und heute früh werden wir wieder Paulus zu Füßen sitzen und lernen, wie man vergibt. Ihr erinnert euch sicherlich, dass die ersten drei Verse die Einleitung waren. Die Verse 4 bis 7 zeigten uns anschließend die Charakteristiken eines versöhnlichen Menschen. Und jetzt, in den Versen 8 bis 18, kommen wir zum Akt der Vergebung an sich. Wir werden uns mit dem Thema „Vergebung“ an sich befassen...

Die Geschichte zweier Söhne, Teil 3: Der legalistische Sohn (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:30:05 PST

Unser heutiger Text ist Lukas 15. Zurück zu der Geschichte, die Jesus erzählte - das Gleichnis, das in Vers 11 beginnt und bis zum Ende des Kapitels geht. Verse 11 bis 32, wahrscheinlich die bekannteste Geschichte von Jesus, das Gleichnis des verlorenen Sohnes. Jeder weiß ein wenig über diese Geschichte, aber es nicht wirklich die Geschichte des verlorenen Sohns, das ist nur ein Drittel davon. Es geht um einen verlorenen und verschwenderischen Sohn, einen liebevollen Vater und einen sehr pflichtbewussten Sohn. Ein jüngerer Sohn, der offen ein verdorbenes und sittenloses Leben führt und keinen Respekt für alle konventionelle Denkweisen und alle moralischen Standards hat, der tut, was er will, wann er will, wie er will, und der den Preis dafür zahlt. Es geht auch um einen älteren Sohn, der seinem Vater anscheinend sehr ergeben ist, zu Hause bleibt, alles tut, was er tun soll und es so tut, wie sein Vater es will. Er erfüllt die konventionellen Erwartungen der religiösen Gemeinschaft um ihn herum. Er schneidet wunderbar ab. Einer wäre beim klassischen Muster der schlechte Sohn, der andere der gute Sohn. Und in der Mitte ist die erstaunliche Person des liebenden Vaters, der tief greifende Auswirkungen auf das Leben der Beiden hat...

Die Antwort auf die größte Frage des Lebens, Teil 3 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:25:53 PST

Nun, heute früh haben wir wieder die Gelegenheit, zum wunderbaren Lukasevangelium zurückzukehren, das wir wegen seiner Offenbarung der Herrlichkeiten unseres Herrn Jesus Christus inzwischen zunehmend lieben. Wir befinden uns in Kapitel 10 und die heutige Botschaft ist der dritte Teil in einem Abschnitt, den wir „Die Suche nach dem ewigen Leben“ nennen. Lukas 10, Verse 25 bis 29. Wir kommen wieder voller Erwartung zu diesem Abschnitt. Es ist ein überaus kostbarer Text, der besonders hell leuchtet unter all den anderen Diamanten, die sich hier im Lukasevangelium finden. Lasst mich euch diesen Text ab Vers 25 vorlesen....

Die Geschichte zweier Söhne, Teil 1: Der zügellose Sohn (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:21:04 PST

Wir wenden uns nun in Gottes Wort Lukas Kapitel 15 zu. Unser Text heute früh ist Lukas Kapitel 15 und wir beginnen in Vers 11 mit diesem sehr bekannten Gleichnis unseres Herrn, wahrscheinlich sein bekanntestes und denkwürdigstes Gleichnis, das „Das Gleichnis vom verlorenen Sohn“ heißt. Charles Dickens und Ralph Waldo Emerson sagten, dies sei die großartigste Kurzgeschichte, die je geschrieben wurde, und beide Herren waren selbst nicht schlecht darin, Geschichten zu erzählen. Dies ist wahrscheinlich das aussagekräftigste und unerschöpflichste Gleichnis von Jesus, aber dennoch kann ein Kind seine grundlegende Wahrheit erfassen...

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 5: Das Schwert des Geistes (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:19:57 PST

In Kapitel 6 des Epheserbriefs befassen wir uns mit der Waffenrüstung Gottes, der Waffenrüstung des Christen, die für uns vom Heiligen Geist durch die Feder des Apostels Paulus beschrieben wurde. Paulus hat in diesem Brief an die Epheser diverse sehr fundamentale und wichtige Anweisungen erteilt - Anweisungen zum christlichen Leben und zum würdigen Lebenswandel; dabei beginnt er in Kapitel 4 mit dem praktischen Abschnitt dieser großartigen Epistel; die ersten drei hingegen befassen sich mit der biblischen Lehre. Er hat verschiedene Dinge über Verhaltensweisen dargelegt und darüber, wie wir unser Leben führen sollen, wie wir im Geist wandeln und die Kraft des Heiligen Geistes in jeder Beziehung bekunden sollen...

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 3 : Die Stiefel des Evangeliums des Friedens und der Schild des Glaubens

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:19:02 PST

Nun, heute Abend haben wir wieder die Gelegenheit, das Wort Gottes im sechsten Kapitel von Paulus' Brief an die Epheser aufzuschlagen, in einem Abschnitt, der uns als „die Waffenrüstung des Christen“ bekannt ist. Epheser Kapitel 6, von Vers 10 bis ganz runter zu Vers 18. ...

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 4 : Der Helm des Heils (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:18:26 PST

Unser Text für den heutigen Abend ist Epheser 6. Wir beschäftigen uns mit der Waffenrüstung des Christen. Es gibt so viele christliche Schwerpunkte, die in meiner Lebenszeit aufgekommen und wieder verschwunden sind. Es ist gut, dass einige davon verblassen und fast verschwunden sind. Es ist wie der Ausläufer der Amish vor vielen Jahren. Das war ein sehr sonderbarer Kult, und sie glaubten, dass die Ehe … [Anm. d. Übers.: Auslassung im Original] war und das Zusammenleben ohne Trauschein sündhaft. Dieser Kult hielt nicht sehr lange. Sie starben alle und es gab niemand, der ihren Kult fortsetzte. Das war gut so....

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 2 : Der Gürtel der Wahrheit und der Brustpanzer der Gerechtigkeit (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:17:38 PST

Lasst uns nun in unserer Serie über die Waffenrüstung des Gläubigen das Wort Gottes im sechsten Kapitel des Epheserbriefs aufschlagen. Ich möchte euch den Text vorlesen, damit ihr den Gedankengang präsent habt, den Paulus uns in dieser Angelegenheit vermittelt. Wir beginnen in Vers 10, Epheser 6,10. „Im übrigen, meine Brüder, seid stark in dem Herrn und in der Macht seiner Stärke. Zieht die ganze Waffenrüstung Gottes an, damit ihr standhalten könnt gegenüber den listigen Kunstgriffen des Teufels; denn unser Kampf richtet sich nicht gegen Fleisch und Blut, sondern gegen die Herrschaften, gegen die Gewalten, gegen die Weltherrscher der Finsternis dieser Weltzeit, gegen die geistlichen Mächte der Bosheit in den himmlischen Regionen. Deshalb ergreift die ganze Waffenrüstung Gottes, damit ihr am bösen Tag widerstehen und, nachdem ihr alles wohl ausgerichtet habt, euch behaupten könnt. So steht nun fest, eure Lenden umgürtet mit Wahrheit, und angetan mit dem Brustpanzer der Gerechtigkeit, und die Füße gestiefelt mit der Bereitschaft zum Zeugnis für das Evangelium des Friedens. Vor allem aber ergreift den Schild des Glaubens, mit dem ihr alle feurigen Pfeile des Bösen auslöschen könnt, und nehmt auch den Helm des Heils und das Schwert des Geistes, welches das Wort Gottes ist, indem ihr zu jeder Zeit betet mit allem Gebet und Flehen im Geist, und wacht zu diesem Zweck in aller Ausdauer und Fürbitte für alle Heiligen.“...

Die Waffenrüstung Gottes, Teil 1 (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:16:53 PST

Es gibt so viele wunderbare Anleitungen, die uns in den Briefen des Neuen Testaments gegeben werden und die Lehren enthalten, welche sich auf unser christliches Leben und unseren christlichen Dienst beziehen, dass es gut tut, zu ihnen zurückzugehen und sich diese Dinge erneut in Erinnerung zu rufen...

Ein Appell, für Pastoren zu beten (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:15:44 PST

Ich habe mich kürzlich mit einem Freund unterhalten und er fragte mich: „Hast du meinen Brief gelesen?“ Wir sprachen gerade über eine bestimmte Angelegenheit und ich sagte: „Ja, das habe ich." Er antwortete: „Nun, dann weißt du, dass dieses, jenes und sonstiges wahr ist.“ Ich erwiderte: „Einen Moment mal. Ich kann mich nicht daran erinnern, das gelesen zu haben.“ Daraufhin antwortete er: „Nun, hast du das PS am Ende des Briefes gelesen?“ Und ich musste bekennen: „Nein, ich glaube nicht.” Ich hatte das PS übersprungen und er sagte: „Aber das war der wichtigste Teil.“..

Überzeugendes Zeugnis der Auferstehung (German)

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:13:29 PST

Es ist so erfrischend, all unsere Gedanken, all unsere Lobgesänge, alle unsere Bibellese und jetzt unsere Betrachtung von Gottes Wort auf diese wunderbare Realität der Auferstehung des Herrn Jesus Christus zu konzentrieren, denn sie ist der Eckstein des christlichen Evangeliums. So wie das Herz Leben spendendes Blut durch den Körper pumpt, so ist die Auferstehung Jesu Christi das Herz, das Leben spendende Wahrheit durch die Seele pumpt. Es ist die Auferstehung, die den Eckstein der christlichen Wahrheit darstellt...