Anchor Of Truth

Episode 61 The Fear of God There are many scriptures that speak about “the fear of God.” In our time, it seems that is not a very popular subject. We would much rather speak about the love of God. But we dare not ignore any area of truth and concentrate on things we like. Should we fear God? In the Old Testament there is much mention of those who feared God. But there are also many scriptures in the New Testament that speak of the fear of God. How do we reconcile the love of God and the fear of God? Is there a right fear of God? Should a fear of displeasing God be a motivation in our lives? • There is only one God (Old Testament and New Testament) • Words (such as love and fear) need to be understood in context o Love—4 Greek nouns o Fear—3 Greek nouns • The love of God (action) comes to God even in fear and trembling • We come to God because of Jesus Christ and what he has done • We always come in reverence (Godly fear), not familiarity • A proper fear of God will inspire: o A worship that is pleasing to G

Episode 60 God as He Is Who is God? Do we know who He is? That may sound like a very elementary question, but I do not believe it is. God is vastly more than we realize. So many times we serve a God of our own creation rather than God as He is. How can we have a greater revelation of the true God of this universe? It is impossible for us to grasp God in our natural mind. The scriptures are very clear that only the Holy Spirit can reveal God to our hearts. Even though we read the scriptures diligently, we are still utterly dependent on God to open the eyes of our hearts to an expanding revelation of who God is. To know God as He is must be the focus of our entire lives. Everything else, our worship, our experience of His grace, and our service depends on a proper revelation by the Spirit of Who He is. Today I want to share a time of ministry by Gordon Gentry on this subject. It was given in March 1983 in a gathering in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was present at that time and benefited, but I was again encour

Episode 59 Spiritual Warfare What is spiritual warfare? This term is often used today, but the meaning behind the term is quite different in many cases. Are we involved in a war? If so, what is the war and what are the weapons of this war? Let us turn to the scriptures for guidance in this matter. It is very easy for us to take bits of scripture here and there and construct our own idea of the conflict based on our own reasoning as relates to our current situation. It is challenging to step back from the immediate conflict and gain God’s view. But I believe this is the right way to come to God’s answer. Then we can view our current situation properly and know how to go forward in God’s grace. • The war is between God and Satan o The conflict originated in heaven o The conflict is a conflict in authority (who will be God) • The conflict was brought to earth when Satan deceived Adam and Eve o God gave Adam authority over the earth o Satan usurped that authority through deception o Satan is called “the god of

Episode 58 Evidence of God’s presence in His temple What is the evidence that God is dwelling in His temple? We know what it was in the Tabernacle. It was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. But when God took up residence in His church on the day of Pentecost what was the evidence then? Is it the same today? I think we must all come before God in this matter with a humble heart, ready to hear, ready to learn, and if necessary ready to change. If we come with our preconceived ideas we may see what we want. But let us come asking Jesus to anoint our spiritual eyes with eye salve that we may see all things as He does.  We must be looking for the right things or we may miss God Himself. • The coming of God (the Holy Spirit) in His temple was obvious (Acts 2:1-4) o A rushing wind, tongues of fire, and prophecy (the wonderful works of God) o This event was fulfilment of prophecy (2:17-21) • The continuing working of God was manifest in many ways o Conviction of sin (2:37) o Obedience to God’s word (2:41

Episode 57 Discipline in the Church of God The subject of discipline in the Household of God is a very touchy subject. To avoid the problems, some have concluded that we should never be involved in such things (“Judge not”). Others have done this in a very harsh way that has left severe damage in lives. Is there a right way? Should the church ever discipline members? If so, how? As we look briefly at this subject today, I would encourage us to come carefully to the scriptures and ask God to reveal His mind. I think we all want to do the will of God, and we know that we are our brother’s keeper. Love cares for each member, and the scriptures give some clear direction. Even though discipline is challenging to say the least, love must be a love of action. • Discipline is in the context of the Family of God o The church is universal in scope but local in expression o Members are part by their own choice in faith • Love is expressed in Godly care o Discipline is love in action o Speaking the truth in love is don

Episode 56 The Temple of God A common theme among most religions of the world is a temple for worship. This is a central part of Christianity as well, but the New Covenant expression of that is very different from all other religions and even the temple that we see in the Old Testament. What is the Temple of God in the New Covenant? In the final words of Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7 he said that God does not dwell in temples made with hands. What then was the meaning of the Old Covenant temple? I believe we can agree that in our time the church is the Temple of God. What does that mean to God? What does that mean to us? • The Tabernacle o The first “temple” that we see in the Old Testament o Constructed exactly according to the pattern given by God o All parts spoke of Christ in some way o Was filled with the presence of God when completed (Exodus 40:34-38) • The Temple o Was patterned in many ways after the Tabernacle o The critical elements of the Tabernacle were put there o The presence of God filled the t

Episode 55 Spiritual Gifts I think that most of us are aware that there is considerable disagreement in Christianity concerning the place that spiritual gifts hold in the church today. That is certainly unfortunate to say the least. What is the purpose of these gifts? Are they for us today? So many seem to have either dismissed spiritual gifts saying they were only for the early church while others have pursued them but ignored the instruction given by Paul to ensure that all are edified by their use. Why is there so much confusion? Can we come to a place of clarity on this subject? Can we partake of all of God’s provision for His purpose and glory? • The Holy Spirit in Acts is the same for us today o The Bible does not replace the Holy Spirit o God is a supernatural God o Every provision of God is for a specific purpose • Spiritual gifts are given to each one for the profit of all (I Cor. 12:1-11) o All members may experience the manifestation of the Spirit o The Holy Spirit distributes “as He wills” o The

Episode 54 The Transformation of our Mind The mind is one of the most critical members of our body, and Paul says it is also the focus of the transformation of our whole person. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” How is this accomplished? What is our part? What is God’s part? To see our mind transformed where we think properly about all things is a major work. So many of our problems can be traced back to wrong thinking about God, about what He is doing in this time, about others, and about ourselves. Yet God has made full provision for our mind to be renewed so that we can have the mind of God in all things. • Repentance is a change of mind and heart o It begins when we turn from the world to Christ o It continues when we see a direction we are taking is wrong o It is true repentance when it is accompanied by deeds • When we are born again (born of the Spirit): o We have a new connection to God (life) o We have a new heart (desire to please God and do His will) o We have access to God’s grace t

Episode 53 The Grace of God This is David Sheats on Anchor of Truth. There probably is no word in the Christian vocabulary that is more well-known than the word “grace.” Yet at the same time, there is also a very great divergence of understanding what the grace of God is and what it means to each of us. We are told that grace came to us in Christ Jesus our Lord? What does that mean to you and me? What do we expect in our relationship with Jesus? Our expectations are important, because if we are looking for the wrong thing, we may miss the Lord when He is right before us. Israel had wrong expectations of the Messiah, so when Jesus was before them most did not recognize Him. This is also a danger for us. Let us look again at what has come to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. • Grace is in the person of Christ (John 1:14-17) o Grace includes mercy but is more than that (Heb. 4:16) o Grace includes ability from God to change us into His likeness (Titus 2:11-14) o Grace is unmerited favor, but the favor is for streng

Episode 52 The Kingdom of God This is David Sheats on Anchor of Truth. Jesus said we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. What is the kingdom of God? Is it something in the future or now? Is it a kingdom that can be seen or is it hidden? How do we obey this command of Jesus? There is much discussion related to this subject, and as with so many subjects, we can hardly begin to answer the questions in such a short time. But Jesus spoke much about the kingdom of God so I believe He expected us to have some understanding on how it applies to us. While this is a big subject, let us focus on what it means to us today. • Some statements by Jesus concerning the kingdom of God o Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) o It does not come by observation, is within you (Luke 17:20-21) o You must be born again to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3) o “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) o There are mysteries relating to the kingdom (Luke 8:10) • God chose Israel as a nation to express

Episode 51 The Sovereignty of God Perhaps no other subject challenges us quite so much is how God can be sovereign and still give man a free choice. The question arises in many ways and the answers do not come easily. Are real answers possible that will help us in our walk with God? Men have struggled with this question for centuries, and in our short time here we would not suggest that we are even going to begin to answer every question. But I do think there are some basic truths that can help us and bring us to a solid foundation of our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. • God is much bigger than we commonly think o He is eternal (no beginning and no end) o He is all powerful o He is Omnipresent and Omniscient (knows all things) o Every Divine Attribute is without limit and in perfect harmony • Jesus revealed God to us in human form (John 14:9, Col. 1:19, 2:9) o Jesus was God in the flesh (“I am”) o He said He was the beginning and the end o All things are being summed up in Christ (I Cor. 15:28) • God has s

Episode 50 You are light in the Lord We all need light to walk in, and Spiritual light is critical to be able to walk in the Spirit. What is spiritual light? How do we get it? What should we expect if we have light to walk in? Jesus said that He was the light of the world. He also said that we are the light of the world. Paul told us that we are light in the Lord. We are commanded to walk in the light as He is in the light. As we walk in the light as He is in the light we will have fellowship with one another, and we are cleansed from our sin. • Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) o Light is in the person of God o We come into the light in His life (union) (John 1:4) • Light is not simply intellectual understanding o Light requires faith (commitment to Christ as Lord) (John 12:35,36) o Light requires obedience to Christ as Lord (John 3:19,20) o Light requires continuous walking in the light that He gives (I John 1:7) • We become light in a proper relationship with Christ (Eph. 5:8) • Light is costly (

Episode 49 In the Spirit God is Spirit, and we are commanded to worship God in spirit and in truth. We are to live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, worship in the Spirit, and know each other according to the Spirit. What does God mean by “in the Spirit”? How do we do these things? The whole working of God in a spiritual work. Since God is Spirit, to know God we must know what this means in a practical way. The opposite to knowing God in the Spirit is to seek to know God with our natural senses. If we do this, it leads us into religion and we will find ourselves bound by our concepts, desires, and human limitations. God has made the way to be delivered from the limitations of the flesh into His glorious presence. • God is Spirit o Man is made in God’s image (a spiritual being) o We have a spirit, but born separate from God due to sin o We begin “in the Spirit” when we are born of the Spirit (Gal. 3:3) o Our spirit is joined to His Spirit and we are made alive to God (I Cor. 6:17) • God

Episode 48 Experiencing God’s grace in relationships What is the greatest challenge that we face in our lives? While there may be many answers to that question, I would say that perhaps the greatest challenge that most of us face has to do with relationships. Why should that be so? How can we know God’s grace in every relationship? We often struggle with close relationships in our family. We often are challenged in relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are challenged in our relationships in our jobs. And certainly nations are challenged as men strive to be at peace with one another. We want to concentrate today on our relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ that we may see clearly God’s chosen way for growth. • Why are relationships such a challenge? o The effects of sin (in our person and in the world) o Selfishness  (James 4:1-6) o Not seeing others through God’s eyes (His care for every person) • The foundation of success is death to self o Accomplished at Calvary for the huma

Episode 47 Overcoming all things in Christ The promises of God to the churches in Revelation are to the overcomers. What does it mean to “overcome”? How do we overcome all things? We all face trials of one kind or another, and I think each one of us wants to triumph in these trials. God has made a way for us to do this in Jesus Christ our Lord. It is important that we understand how God has designed for us to go through the trials of this life in victory. It is not by strength of character or determination. It is not a matter of just believing that everything will work out ok even though we don’t understand. Our victory is based on what Christ did. He overcame all things, and we overcome in Him. • We do not overcome because o We just believe everything will work out ok o We just try to follow the example of Christ o We try to explain everything by our natural reasoning • The basis of our victory is the victory of Christ at Calvary o He overcame all things (Rev. 3:21) o Christ destroyed the power of the enem

Episode 46 The trial of our faith As Christians we often speak of faith and rightly so. But what is faith? How do we know we are walking in faith? What is the “trial of our faith”? We find ourselves challenged in this matter at every turn, yet the only way we can please God is by walking in faith. Sometimes what we call faith is only a strong determination to believe God for what we want to see happen. But faith that originates from us and our desires is not faith. Faith must originate from God and is given to do His will. This is where the weakness often is found. We are here for God, and God gives His grace to enable us to do His will, not ours. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. • Faith is not o Wishful thinking o Mind over matter o The way we get what we want • What is faith? o Faith is the “assurance of things hoped for” because God has spoken (Heb. 11:1) o Faith is based on the word of God (Rom. 10:17) o Jesus is the Author of our faith (Heb. 12:1,2) o Jesus is the Finisher of our faith • Fai

Episode 45 Worship in Spirit and Truth Jesus said the hour has now come when true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth, and that the Father is seeking such to worship Him. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth? How important is that to God? Are we fulfilling the desire of our Father in this? Most Christians today would readily acknowledge that worship is a very important part of the Christian life. But many times our understanding or expression of worship to God is shallow or even wrong. It is often confined to an hour of singing in a special place and led by a single person. I would encourage us to examine the scriptures again for a fresh understanding of what kind of worship is pleasing to God, so that we may not fail to give God that which He desires and deserves. • What is Worship? o To do reverence or homage, by prostration, pay Divine homage, adore o “The overflow of a grateful heart, under a sense of Divine favor” o “The outpouring of a soul at rest in the presence of God” o

Episode 44 The ministry of Intercession Perhaps the most basic instinct in men is to pray. Even the person that does not confess to believing in God finds themselves praying in an hour of crisis. What is prayer? Why pray? How should we pray? In many ways, prayer is one of the greatest mysteries in the life of the Christian, while at the same time even a small child can pray. We are commanded to “pray without ceasing.” The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Let us be encouraged in this great labor that God has called us to. • Prayer is communication with God o In prayer we face God directly o Acknowledges the sovereignty of God • We pray because o God commanded us to o It is the way God has involved us in what He is doing o We are concerned about the things of God (Matt. 6:10) o We care about others • How do we pray o Should be inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26,27) o In the will of God o In private (Matt. 6:6) o With others (agreeing together,  Matt 18:19) o Without ceasing (I Thess