Posts by M. R. Conrad
Has Our Passion for the Cross Inadvertently De-Emphasized the Second Coming?
Bible-preaching churches today rightly focus on the cross. The gospel is central to all that we do. We look back and remember Jesus’ death and resurrection each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. But have we forgotten that we observe this ordinance “till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26)? Almost as a reflex, you might answer,…
Read MoreBearing God’s Image: Why the Image of God is Not Abstract Art
You’re staring at the painting, pretending to appreciate it like those around you in the museum. Maybe they are pretending too? You’re not sure. What is this picture? Why do so many people like it? What’s the big deal? Maybe this is how you feel about the image of God. How does knowing you are…
Read MoreImage Bearers: Have We Lost the Image of God?
The mirror shattered. When first made, the mirror perfectly reflected its Maker. A clean, clear picture revealed Him. But when the pit of that fruit struck the glass, snaking cracks distorted His image. Blurring obscured what He intended His creation to see. God’s image remained but not as He designed it to be. Original Image:…
Read MoreImage Bearers: Ways You Are Made Like God
No, you are not omnipotent, and you never will be. You are not a god, and you cannot ascend to that level. That’s been tried, and the devil and his angels got condemned forever for it. Yet, God made you like Him. You bear the image of God. Genesis 1:26 records how God created human…
Read MoreThe Last Hymn at the Last Supper
The Passover meal had ended. Judas was well on his way to betray the Son of God. Bellies full, the remaining eleven prepared to sing the psalms they always sung before heading out for the evening. Matthew 26:30 reports that “when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” What…
Read MoreThree Reasons Why the Exclusivity of the Gospel Causes Offense
Have you been there? You’re just trying to obey God and be a good witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). But suddenly, your pleasant conversation turns combative. This was not your intention, but there you are. The friend you care about is upset, and you feel like it is your fault. All you did was…
Read MoreTime Out: Do Clocks Keep Ticking in Eternity?
Nope. That’s what I thought growing up in church. When the end of the world comes, all clocks will stop. Revelation 10:6 seemed clear on this point: “There should be time no longer.” Then, at church, we often sang “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.” The answer to the question leapt from the hymnal:…
Read MoreEternal Security: Five Reasons God’s Gift of Salvation Is Secure
Can you lose your salvation? Some teach that you can. Others feel like they have. But what does the Word of God promise regarding the eternal security of those who have truly trusted Christ as their Savior? 1. Salvation is God’s Work, Not Your Work. If your eternal destiny relied on you, nothing about your…
Read MoreOn Reading Widely: Four Benefits for Pastors
“I just don’t have time to read widely,” says the modern pastor. Between preparing multiple sermons, planning outreaches, discipling believers, and so many other worthy activities that crowd his schedule, the pastor has little free time for outside reading. But if he made time, how would reading widely benefit him and his service in the…
Read MoreOn Reading Widely: Are You Stuck on One Shelf?
How widely do you read? Do you get these references from literature? “In the late 1920s, Gladys Aylward worked as a British parlor maid but had dreams of becoming an actress. At that time, many working class women would serve the wealthy, as depicted in Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries.” “As a well-off aristocrat, Lilias…
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