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Jan 2018 31 Jan 31, 2018
2

Christians are divided on whether or not there will be a mass, global ingathering of souls at the end of the age. There may be a hint that could help us in Revelation 11:13. There we read: “And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” We know that the “hour” in view here is the time of the end...Read More

Jan 2018 30 Jan 30, 2018

Our first national Convergence conference is now several months behind us, but we continue to hear on a daily basis of the numerous ways that men and women were blessed and encouraged in their passionate pursuit of Word and Spirit. Convergence as a national conference will be held in Oklahoma City, God willing, every other year. So, make plans now to join us in the Fall of 2019 for our second conference. But the overwhelming response we’ve received in the form of ...Read More

Jan 2018 29 Jan 29, 2018

Of the many theories of Christ’s atoning sacrifice that emerged in church history, this is the one least known by contemporary Christians. (1) The principal architect of this theory was Irenaeus (115/125 – 195-202). Irenaeus drew upon the terminology of Ephesians 1:11 (“with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ”) for his doctrine of recapitulation. Other words he used we...Read More

Jan 2018 25 Jan 25, 2018
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I just recently posted at www.samstorms.org ten new articles on the book of Proverbs. This brings the total number to eighteen. If you’ve never accessed the material, simply click at the top of the home page on the word Resources. You will then see a new tab, Biblical Studies. Scroll down the page and you will come to the series on Proverbs. I hope and pray you find these helpful....Read More

Jan 2018 24 Jan 24, 2018
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Subjective theories of the atonement are those which envision the focus or aim of Christ’s sufferings to be the human soul rather than God himself. This model is referred to either as the moral influence theory or the example theory. (1) The moral influence theory was given its most explicit portrayal by Peter Abelard (1079-1142). Abelard argued that there is nothing in God’s nature that necessitates satisfaction or prevents him from indiscriminately forgivi...Read More

Jan 2018 22 Jan 22, 2018

It’s not easy today to remain hopeful and encouraged and confident about the future of our society and the world as a whole. Things are a mess. For every one step forward it seems like we take two steps backwards. For every victory that is won for truth and morality and the Christian faith, it seems as if there is a multitude of defeats. In his excellent commentary on Revelation Dennis Johnson puts it this way: “When evil is everywhere and the world is rip...Read More

Jan 2018 19 Jan 19, 2018

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day falls on the third Monday in January each year. It is a day designed to awaken the people of our country to the urgent need for racial harmony and racial reconciliation. Sanctity of Life Day typically falls on the Sunday closest to January 22, the day marking the Supreme Court’s decision in the now infamous case, Roe v. Wade. Likewise, it is a day designed to awaken the people of our country to the devastation caused by abortion and the...Read More

Jan 2018 17 Jan 17, 2018
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Many of you are probably unaware of the debate that continues to rage among evangelical theologians over the question of the extent of the atonement. Most Bible-believing Christians argue that when Jesus died on the cross he was making atonement for all the sins of all people. That is to say, his death was universal in scope. He died not only for Jews but also for Gentiles, not only for men but also for women, not only for the elect of God but also for those who ultimate...Read More

Jan 2018 15 Jan 15, 2018
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Do we have reason to believe that subsequent to our born-again experience we may have life-changing, empowering, and transforming encounters with the Holy Spirit? Yes. Here are ten things that we should keep in mind. (1) Although those in the classical Pentecostal tradition would disagree with me on this, I don’t believe that any such post-conversion experience should be identified with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Spirit-baptism occurs for all Christians at th...Read More

Jan 2018 12 Jan 12, 2018

[As you probably know, Kirk Humphreys recently was pressured to resign from the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, largely over his comments concerning the moral legitimacy of homosexual conduct. He is also being asked to resign from the Board of the John Rex Charter Elementary School here in OKC. He has refused to do so, much to his credit and courage. This past Monday, January 8, the regular meeting of the Oklahoma City school board was convened and many appeared...Read More

Jan 2018 10 Jan 10, 2018
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When people confess that they find prayer boring and uneventful, I often wonder if they really know the One to whom they are speaking. Of course, some push back against that suggestion and say: “Come on, Sam. Be a little more gracious and kind. Of course I know the God to whom I’m speaking. After all, I’m a Christian.” Well, I’m sorry, but that isn’t good enough. A lot of genuine, born-again believers go through their Christian lives l...Read More

Jan 2018 8 Jan 8, 2018
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The first thing you should know (but not included among the ten) is that Jonathan Edwards’s most important sermon was not “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” That was certainly his most famous sermon, but not the most important one he ever preached. That distinction must be reserved for “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” which he delivered to his congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1734. The full title to this message was &ldq...Read More

Jan 2018 3 Jan 3, 2018
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I’ve noticed an interesting trend among several of the comments in response to my letter to the President and Board of Regents at OU. A few people have suggested that Kirk Humphreys is being “intolerant” of those who engage in homosexual intimacy. But that is not true. The problem is that in recent years the meaning of “tolerance” has undergone a significant but often unnoticed shift. No one has pointed this out with greater clarity than D....Read More

Jan 2018 1 Jan 1, 2018

Resolving in the grace of God to bring one’s life into greater conformity to the image of Jesus is an appropriate expression of Christian sanctification, regardless of the time of year. It was in the late fall of 1722 that 19-year-old Jonathan Edwards wrote the first of what would eventually become 70 resolutions for life. He was, at the time, serving as pastor of a Presbyterian church in New York City. The 70th, and last resolution, was written on August 17th, 172...Read More