Category Archives: Authors

Having the Mind of Christ

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mind-of-christ

I have found the book of Psalms to be a gold mine of knowledge and encouragement and if grasped and applied, wisdom. As most of you who follow this blog and ministry know, I have been teaching through Psalms for nearly two years now and a conservative estimate is that it will take five to seven more years to complete. I say that because I have made it to Psalm 39 and extrapolating from there gives me a good idea of what to expect. Aiding the five to seven year time frame is the fact that I have already taught through Psalm 119. That chapter alone took me nearly nine months.  I say all of this to drive home the point that the Bible is so full of nourishment for believers that it is a shame so many Bible teachers hurry through it as if they have a schedule to maintain. In doing so they miss the rich texture and multi-layered significance of the Word.

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Scripture and the Authority of God in the 21st Century – Part 2

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Scripture - it is finished in red letters

Part Two – The Authority of God Historically in American Culture

As late as 1873 God’s authority and the supremacy of the Bible was raised as an unassailable tower of strength. In that year retired President of Yale, Reverend Theodore Woosley, in a speech to the Evangelical Alliance proclaimed, “In what sense can this country be called a Christian country?  In this sense certainly, that the vast majority of the people believe in Christ and the Gospel, that Christian influences are universal, that our civilization and intellectual culture are built on that foundation . . .”[1]  John Warrick Montgomery paints a very accurate picture of the influence of Christianity on life in America that supports Woosley’s contention.[2]  He suggests that because American culture was influenced from its very inception by Christian theism there existed a depository of values from which Americans drew.  Through the early 20th century America utilized this “inherited capital” of Christianity as a vanguard of sorts to draw upon when answering the questions of life that resulted from societal turmoil.  Eventually however, the forces unleashed in the Enlightenment, most notably empiricism coupled with scientific inquiry informed by naturalism managed to shake off what was viewed as religious constraints.

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Scripture and the Authority of God in the 21st Century

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Scripture - it is finished in red letters

This article explores the subject of Scripture and the Authority of God in the 21st Century.  Part one will discuss the authority of God understood within Christian theism generally and historically.  Part two will discuss the authority of God historically within American culture.   Part three will consider God’s authority within 21st century postmodern America as that philosophical system increasingly dominates most scholarly activities today.  Part four will be a Christian theistic response to the conditions discussed in part three.

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Love Lifted Me

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Jesus saves from drowning

I am in my study preparing for tomorrow’s sermon in which I will be teaching through Psalm 38.  I began this chapter last week and laid the groundwork for what I will cover tomorrow. Meditating on 38:4 created a word picture for me. Here is the verse:

“For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me” (NASB)

What do you picture? I picture a person lost at sea and becoming overwhelmed by the waves and slowly but inevitably losing the fight against the power of the ocean and sinking into death.

The Psalmist is describing sin in this passage. Sin is devastating to our physical and spiritual man. It will if left unchecked slowly swallow us up by shear force. What a picture this is of the person who refuses to cry out to Jesus in saving faith and instead slowly sinks into death.

Jesus casts a wide net to rescue all who are perishing in the sea of sin; all who cry out, “save me Jesus for I am a sinner.” Friends Jesus lifts us up out of our sin and puts our feet on the solid ground of trust, hope, faith, and love.

This picture reminded me of an old hymn I enjoy singing. Be blessed today friends in the hope and asurance that Christ brings to every soul who by faith belongs to Him.

Love Lifted Me

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain:
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves;
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Words and music by James Rowe, 1912

Copyright: Public Domain

SER 16 – Dr. Mike Lake – The Shinar Directive

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Michael-Lake

In the ancient plains of Shinar, an evil was born: the first world king, the prototype transhuman, the ultimate despot, the Son of Perdition – Nimrod. In Babylon, the Son of Perdition devised the Shinar Directive: the enslaving of humanity and the war against the God of Heaven. God’s intervention at the Tower of Babel only delayed Nimrod’s hellish plans.

As the powers of mystery Babylon gather to create the new Tower of Babel and to prepare for the Son of perdition’s return, Heaven is issuing a clarion call to the remnant: Know the strategies of the enemy, untangle yourselves from them, and become the victorious church.

It is time for the church of the living God to wake up and prepare for the coming battle. Episode 16 of SER is my interview with Dr. Michael Lake. Listen to it here.

Dr. Michael Lake, is the Chancellor and Founder of Biblical Life College and Seminary, the Host of Biblical Life TV and the Kingdom Intelligence Briefing Podcast. He is the author of the best-selling book, The Shinar Directive: Preparing the Way for the Son of Perdition, and a contributing author for the best-seller, Blood on the Altar: The Coming Christian vs. Christian War.