Oct
30
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
God is looking for consistency in people’s lives. He wants us to do things that are good and beneficial to ourselves as well as to others. We are to do good constantly and continually throughout our lives, showing endurance and perseverance in well doing without giving up. The test of our patience in well-doing comes during difficult times and in dealing with difficult people.
Our motivation for doing well should be our desire to find glory, honor and immortality.
Glory in this life means that God and other people have a good opinion of us and our lifestyle. Ultimately though, the glory we seek is that state we will enter into when Jesus returns and we are with Him, fully experiencing Him and His life in us.
Honor is the recognition we receive for patience in well-doing. It is the value God places on the lifestyle we live. Our desire should be to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Immortality may be better translated incorruption, purity or sincerity. It is a lifestyle that is beyond reproach and results in a clear conscience before God and other people.
God’s reward for those who endure in well doing is eternal life. This is the kind of life that God experiences and He is the only one that can give it to us.
Romans 2:6 – Romans 2:8
no comments | posted in Bible Study, Romans
Oct
29
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
The effect our mind has on our lives cannot be overestimated. Everything that we feel, desire, do, and say begins with thoughts in our mind. As a result, we must make sure that our minds stay fixed and focused on God.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isa. 26:3)
A mind that is stayed on God is one that is strengthened, supported and sustained by Him. A “stay” is a brace, support, or prop to keep something stable and in the right place. For our mind to be stayed on God, we must rest and lean upon Him for support at all times.
When our mind is stayed upon Him we will have perfect peace and contentment. We will not worry or complain because we know that He is working everything out for our benefit by making us more like Jesus. We will have a quietness and tranquility of mind that is way beyond normal human experience.
Becoming stayed upon God begins with trust. Are we willing to trust Him with every part of our lives? Do we depend on His leadership and support in all our personal and professional decisions? Are we attached to Him in such a way that our relationship with Him influences everything we do?
no comments | posted in Bible Study
Oct
28
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
God wants us to have thoughts that are pure and not contaminated by sin. (Phil. 4:8) Our thoughts can be contaminated by our own sinful desires as well as from the influence of other people and the world system around us that is controlled by Satan.
Something that is pure is free from defilement or corruption. Pure thoughts are not corrupted by the world and its philosophies. They are based on truth and not error. They are right and not wrong.
The source of all pure thoughts is God. We can be confident that all thoughts that truly result from God and the bible are pure thoughts. He put His Holy Spirit in each person who believes on Jesus, helping us think pure thoughts. The Holy Spirit does this by revealing to us the mind of God and His will for us. He teaches us about Jesus and produces the mind of Christ in us.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control us, our thoughts become more and more pure. As we take control of our own lives, our thoughts become less and less pure.
* See also Think On These Things.
no comments | tags: Think On These Things | posted in Bible Study
Oct
26
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
He will render to each one according to his works:
God is an impartial judge. He is not influenced by race, nationality, religion, gender, appearance, education or class. At the final judgment, He gives to each and every person exactly what they deserve based on how they live their lives.
Romans 2:5 – Romans 2:7
no comments | posted in Bible Study, Romans
Oct
25
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
Sermon by Joe Clark on Sunday, October 25, 2009.
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no comments | posted in Sermon
Oct
24
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
God wants us to think thoughts that are right, righteous and just. (Phil. 4:8) These kinds of thoughts are in line with God’s law. They are approved of by and acceptable to Him. They are thoughts for which God would not judge any person.
In addition to what is just before God, we also need to think thoughts that are just before other people. Our thoughts need to be in line with man made rules and laws as well, things that are right and fair in the eyes of men. The exception to this is when the rules and laws of men contradict the laws of God. God’s laws come first.
Often times we find ourselves in positions of authority or influence over other people. We need to make sure our thoughts toward them are not wrong or unfair. Our thoughts must be in accord with what is right, just and lawful. Any judgments, opinions, or advise we give should be impartial, unbiased, fair, without prejudice and most importantly, right in the eyes of God.
* See also Think On These Things.
no comments | tags: Think On These Things | posted in Bible Study
Oct
23
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
The first four verses of this chapter have addressed the moral person who judges other people’s sins while sinning themselves. Of course this covers all moral people because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)
The moral judge who does not recognize and admit their own sin has a “hard and impenitent heart.” A hard heart is a stubborn heart that refuses to submit to God’s standards of morality and to admit it’s own sinfulness. Impenitent means refusing to acknowledge and repent of sin. An impenitent heart is completely lacking of remorse for sin. An impenitent person will defend their sin, claiming that God’s standards are not relevant.
As a result of their stubbornness, they are storing up wrath for the future just like we store up money in bank accounts for future needs. On the “day of wrath”, when God judges mankind, this stored up wrath will be revealed. It will be a horrible day for those whose hard hearts have kept them from repenting of their sins.
Romans 2:4 – Romans 2:6
no comments | posted in Bible Study, Romans
Oct
21
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
Much of what our minds are filled with is trivial and not worthy of spending our precious time on. Many other things we think about are selfish and self-centered. There are things we would be embarrassed for other people to know. There are also things other people would be shocked know about us.
God wants us to focus our thoughts on things that are honorable. (Phil. 4:8) Honorable things are serious, noble, worthy of respect and consistent with high character.
We tend to fill our spare time and thoughts with trivial amusements. We would be much more fulfilled and entertained during those times if we focused on honorable things that are worthy of respect, such as God and the needs of other people.
* See also Think On These Things.
no comments | tags: Think On These Things | posted in Bible Study
Oct
20
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
In the previous verse, Paul asked the moral person if they thought they could somehow escape from the judgment of God. No matter how moral we are, we can’t fully live up to the law of God. As a result, we cannot escape His judgment.
God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience toward us as sinners is amazingly great. We deserve His judgment and wrath everyday. Each moment that we continue to live is evidence of His excessively rich mercy toward us.
Paul now asks the moral person, who thinks they are acceptable to God, if they are taking God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience lightly.  Are they thinking they deserve His kindness when they really don’t?
Instead of making us overconfident in ourselves, thinking His kindness is evidence of our righteousness, it should lead us to repentance. God’s patience is intended to give us a chance to realize that we are sinners, admit our sin to God and believe on Jesus to save us from our sin.
Romans 2:3 – Romans 2:5
no comments | posted in Bible Study, Romans
Oct
19
2009
Posted by Anthony Crumley
The United Negro College Fund has had the slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” for as long as I can remember. It is indeed a terrible thing to waste because what we think determines what we do. God is also concerned that we not waste our minds and our lives as a result.
What determines whether or not we are wasting our minds? It is determined by what we think. What then should we think? God says we should think on true things. (Phil. 4:8)
True things are factually accurate and based in reality. Anything that originates from God and the bible can be trusted as true. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to reveal these true things to us. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13) John, also referring to the Holy Spirit, wrote “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything—and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you—abide in him.” (1 John 2:27)
Thinking true things also means not thinking false things. False things are factually inaccurate and usually deceptive. Anything that originates in the world should be suspected as being false because Satan is the ruler of this world system. He is a liar and the father of lies. In his first conversation with a person, he lied to Eve and convinced her it was true. As a result of her false thinking Eve brought death on herself and every other person born into this world. We must be careful because lies are always presented as being true.
In order to change our thinking, we need to make an honest and objective assessment of what we normally think about. To do this, make a list of the things that occupy your mind regularly. With the help of the Holy Spirit and the bible, determine whether those things are true or false? Then purposefully stop thinking false thoughts by replacing them with true thoughts. The best way to fill our mind with true thoughts is to spend time every day reading, studying or memorizing the bible.
* See also Think On These Things.
no comments | tags: Think On These Things | posted in Bible Study