Give to our God immortal praise; Mercy and truth are all His ways; Wonders of grace to God belong, Repeat His mercies in your song. Isaac Watts My purpose for this outline years ago was to offer a conservative vote for conservative church music. Just recently I was criticized anonymously by email for being critical […]
You are browsing archives for
Author: Rick Shrader
The Right Time, The Right Place, The Rig...
One of the most concise and powerful explanations of the Christmas history is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the […]
The Greatest Obstacle to Bible Knowledge
The greatest obstacle to Bible knowledge is not culture, nor education, nor any other thing lacking in our lives, but rather it is something existing in our lives that should not be there. Paul said of the Corinthian church, That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge […]
Come Up Hither
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 2And immediately I was in the spirit. Rev. 4:1-2a We […]
There Is Peace In The Storm
There’s an old saying that goes, “Whatever you’re overflowing with will spill out when you’re bumped.” The apostle Paul was bumped all over the world and nothing spilled out but gold, silver and precious stones. With the jewelry of Roman chains hanging about him he wrote, Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer […]
Essentials and Nonessentials
Most things in life could be categorized into essential or nonessential, depending on the priorities at hand. The basic necessities of life are essential if we want to stay alive. Food is essential to life but ice cream may be a nonessential when your budget is on a shoe string. Many of the things that […]
Give Attendance to Reading
Paul left that instruction to Timothy at the end of his first letter (1 Tim 4:13). In the second letter (2 Tim 4:13), the apostle instructs Timothy to bring him three things: a coat; books; and “especially” the parchments. It is humbling to think that, on death row, Paul would want his books! It seems […]
Our Part of the Passion of Christ
Identification with Christ is the center of our Christian belief. “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col 2:9-10). Through His suffering and atonement, we are given access to God the Father by grace through faith. […]
The Primacy of the Local Church in this ...
We premillennialists understand the two comings of Jesus Christ. The first, as the suffering Lamb of God, has already taken place, and the second, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, is yet to take place. There have always been those who claim that Jesus Christ has returned in some other way, or that […]
Why I Have Not Seen the Movie, The Passi...
We all must pause to express our conscience on controversial matters sooner or later even though we would rather talk only of “the common faith” and leave the “contending” to the expert apologists. C.S. Lewis said, “The greatest cause of verbicide is the fact that most people are obviously far more anxious to express their […]