Distinction Between Spiritual Gifts And Supernatural Gifts
Distinction Between Spiritual Gifts And Supernatural Gifts – Lee Brainard When Richard Baxter was first introduced to the Irvingite testimony in the early 19th century, his perspective on the work of the Holy Spirit was naive and unguarded, leaving the door wide open for him to be led astray by their Pentecostal errors and deception. […]
Darby and the Rapture Doctrine of the Irvingites
Darby and the Rapture Doctrine of the Irvingites – Lee Brainard It is not honest scholarship that would trace the origin of the pretribulation rapture to the Irvingites, particularly to prophecies first communicated by a fallen spirit to Margaret McDonald, insisting that J. N. Darby obtained his understanding of prophecy from them this dubious source. […]
Christ Is the Way
Christ Is the Way – Lee Brainard When man thinks of salvation, he typically thinks of things that man must do. He thinks of the austerity of Buddhist monks, the rigor of Islam, and the narrow path advocated by different groups in Christendom. Man must be engaged in right religion, good works, and clean living. […]
Adam and His Fig Leaves
Adam and His Fig Leaves – Lee Brainard In Genesis chapter three we find the Lord going for a walk in the garden of Eden in the cool of the evening, seeking fellowship with man. But he found no fellowship that evening as had been the case previously. Why? Because Adam and Eve had done […]
The Sin of All Sins
The Sin of All Sins – Lee Brainard We all know that we are sinners. Even those that have never been inside a church building know that something is wrong with us. We lie, cheat, and deceive. We can be mean, spiteful, pain-causing, grudge-holding people. We hurt our spouses. We hurt our friends. We hurt […]
Condemned Already
Condemned Already – Lee Brainard Most men walk in a deep spiritual fog. They do not see how desperate their present situation is. They do not see themselves as condemned criminals waiting on death row. They see themselves as decent people who are acceptable with God — or close enough that he will give them […]
Procrastination on Getting Serious
Procrastination on Getting Serious – Lee Brainard Though many do not understand what it means to be a born-again Christian, they do understand that it has something to do with being more serious about Christianity than they are now. They agree that they ought to be more serious, yet … they are too busy right […]
Josephus and Repentance
Josephus and Repentance – Lee Brainard In the writings of Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who chronicled the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans, we find the biblical term repentance used on various occasions in a way that very nicely illustrates the biblical sense. When the Roman army had already breached the […]
The Cost of Redemption
The Cost of Redemption – Lee Brainard When men think of what it cost Jesus to be man’s Redeemer, they typically focus on his physical suffering on his last day: the scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails, and the cross. As important as these things are, they are only a fraction of the cost […]
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace – Lee Brainard Amazing grace how sweet the sound.” We sing about grace. We believe in grace. We preach grace. But do we understand grace? Now all who have even the barest knowledge of the Bible know that the pinnacle of God’s grace is Christ dying for the world’s sin. They know the […]
What is Sin?
What is Sin? – Lee Brainard What do you think of when you think of the word sin? Most men think of words like fun or pleasure. Sins are forbidden pleasures that the old party-pooper in heaven doesn’t want man to enjoy. This view of sin regards God as a little on the unrighteous side. […]
The Folly of Unbelief
The Folly of Unbelief – Lee Brainard What is unbelief? It is man running from God. At the very beginning, recorded in Genesis, man went out from the presence of God and sought fulfillment with God out of the picture. They did not want to honor God as God. They did not want God telling […]
You Must Be Born Again
You Must Be Born Again – Lee Brainard We read in the Bible, in the third chapter of John, that a man must be born again if he would be saved and inherit eternal life. This experience is not optional. It is absolutely mandatory. What is this born-again experience? It is not a religious form […]
The Pre-Eminence of the Bible
The Pre-Eminence of the Bible – Lee Brainard Many in our day regard the Bible as just another religious book. It is not unique. It has no more inspiration or authority than the Koran, the book of Mormon, or the writings of the Eastern religions. But this opinion cannot weather a fair trial. Those who […]
You Shall Name Him Jesus
You Shall Name Him Jesus – Lee Brainard All across the world this month, the account of the birth of Jesus in the first chapter of Matthew will be read. My favorite verse in the passage is, “She will bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he shall save his people from […]
The Joy of the Lord Is Strength
The Joy of the Lord Is Strength – Lee Brainard In Neh. 8:10 we read, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The context is the Israelites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after their return from captivity in Babylon. Ezra assembled the people and had preachers read the Bible and explain it to them […]
We Need God’s Moral Compass
We Need God’s Moral Compass – Lee Brainard When we look around in the world, the variety of viewpoints in religion and morality is staggering. To make it through this vast wilderness of ideas we need God’s moral compass. Notice I did not say a moral compass. Men love to have a moral compass. They […]
The Desire of the Nations
The Desire of the Nations – Lee Brainard Haggai 2:7 says, “I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.” The context is the coming of the Lord at the end of the age. God will shake the nations in judgment, then bless them by giving them their desire — even […]
Salvation by Grace
Salvation by Grace – Lee Brainard The Bible has only one salvation message — salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). While the religious forms that God requires have changed a few times over the millennia, the condition of salvation has never changed — faith in the grace of God. The message of grace is […]
Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer – Lee Brainard For many prayer is a formality performed at church and at mealtime. For others it is a “christianized” form of meditation. For yet others it is an experiential journey, seeking to “feel” something. In the Bible it is none of these things. It is merely talking to […]
The Strait and Narrow
The Strait and Narrow – Lee Brainard Over thirty years ago, when I started reading the Bible while in the Army, I stumbled upon a startling passage in the Gospels — “strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it.” This passage rocked my […]
Genie in a Lamp
Genie in a Lamp – Lee Brainard We have all heard or read genie stories. A man finds a lamp and rubs it, and a genie pops out and grants him three wishes. Maybe you have wished, at one time or another, that genie lamps really did exist and that you could be so lucky. […]
Why Is Christianity Special?
Why Is Christianity Special? – Lee Brainard Are all religions alike? Comparative religion would tell us that all the major religions, in their essence, exhibit the same moral code and the same message. While this holds partly true if we limit our universe to all religions except Christianity, it completely breaks down if we include […]
It Does Matter What We Believe
It Does Matter What We Believe – Lee Brainard We live in a day when the minds of most men are inclining towards ecumenism — it doesn’t matter what we believe in matters of faith and religion. I am very uneasy with this position. If it doesn’t matter what we believe, then EITHER there is […]
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – Lee Brainard The world is full of opinions. Every man has one. If a man doesn’t have an opinion, he is either unconscious or dead. But the vast majority of these opinions — regardless of the topic at hand — are worthless. Why? Because opinions have no more value than […]
God’s One Step Program
God’s One Step Program – Lee Brainard In the present day we enjoy a wealth of programs that help people better themselves — as programs to quit drugs, quit drinking, quit smoking, break co-dependence, and lose weight. Typically these programs involve twelve steps, but you also see programs with seven steps, eight steps, ten steps, […]
No Prophet Came From Galilee
No Prophet Came From Galilee – Lee Brainard In John 7 the Jews were disputing among themselves over who Jesus was. Some said he was the Messiah. Others denied it. The religious leadership mocked those who thought Jesus had demonstrated enough evidence to merit investigation. “Are you also deceived? Have any of the leaders or […]
If a Man Gain the Whole World
If a Man Gain the Whole World – Lee Brainard We live in a world focused on gain: money and possessions, promotions and positions, achievements and experiences, reputation and status. From every side we are bombarded with the message to get the most you can get and be the best you can be. If we […]
Why Do Bad Things Happen?
Why Do Bad Things Happen? – Lee Brainard Perhaps the most common question in the world is, “Why do bad things happen?” For many, bad things are a stumbling block that hinders them from trusting God. “If God is good,” they reason, “why does he let bad things happen?” Is he powerless to prevent them? […]
As the Deer Pants After Water
As the Deer Pants After Water – Lee Brainard In Psalm 42:1 we read, “As the deer pants after streams of water, so my soul pants after you, O God.” What a vivid description of the soul that is thirsty for God. Do we thirst for God like this? Deer — indeed all animals — […]
Eye Has Not Seen
Eye Has Not Seen – Lee Brainard Let a man talk about how much fun heaven will be and he will usually meet with incredulity — people roll their eyeballs or shake their heads at him, inform him that we don’t know anything about heaven, and remind him that the Bible says “eye has not […]
The Blessed Man
The Blessed Man – Lee Brainard It is common for man to regard his life from the perspective of whether he thinks God is blessing him or not blessing him. This is legitimate. However, if we don’t have the mind of God in this matter — which we can only get from the Bible — […]
Heirs of God
Heirs of God – Lee Brainard Have you ever wished that, somehow, you were the heir of some fabulously wealthy person? I suppose we have all been guilty of this a time or two. When we look at our circumstances — well, we sure would be grateful for a cash infusion right about now. We […]
God’s Ways Are Higher
God’s Ways Are Higher – Lee Brainard The Bible states that God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Is. 55:8-9). What does this mean for us practically? It means that God goes about his work down here differently than we would. We regard worldly wisdom and strength […]
The Most Profound Truth
The Most Profound Truth – Lee Brainard Robert Dick Wilson was a scholar of the highest magnitude. He learned 45 languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and every language into which the Bible was translated prior to 600 AD. He threw his life and energy into defending the accuracy and historical reliability of the Bible […]
Penciled on an Asylum Wall
Penciled on an Asylum Wall – Lee Brainard In 1917 Frederick Lehman wrote The Love of God, a favorite hymn for many Christians. He didn’t actually write the whole hymn, however, but only the first two verses and the chorus. The second verse, which inspired the hymn, he had found penciled on the walls of […]
God Manifest in the Flesh
God Manifest in the Flesh – Lee Brainard In 1 Tim. 3:16 we read, “Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.” This event — which scholars refer to as the incarnation — is the most amazing event in human history. The unlimited, uncreated, eternal Son of God came down to […]
Jehovah Jireh, My Provider
Jehovah Jireh, My Provider – Lee Brainard The Bible teaches that God shall provide the needs of his own according to his glorious riches (Phil. 4:19). It also tells us that he is a very present help in the time of need (Ps. 46:1). I have found this to be so, and so has every […]
Sin Is Worse Than We Think
Sin Is Worse Than We Think – Lee Brainard In our day we do not take sin seriously. We laugh and joke about it. When we sin, we act is if we have done nothing worse than break our diet and eat something we shouldn’t have. We might feel ashamed if we get caught in […]
God Doesn’t Love Me
God Doesn’t Love Me – Lee Brainard It is common to hear people complain that God doesn’t love them when bad things happen to them. But such talk is far from the truth. It is a complete misunderstanding of God. The fact is, no man in the Universe is more misunderstood than God. Most of […]
Why Don’t You Pray?
Why Don’t You Pray? – Lee Brainard When I was in high school a gentleman posed a question to me that profoundly affected my life. While working as a waiter at a local restaurant, I observed a man lead his family in prayer before their meal. Later, when I brought him his tab, I mentioned […]
God Made the Stars
God Made the Stars – Lee Brainard In the creation account in Genesis we read, “And God made the stars also.” This short little phrase tells us how big God really is. We know that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies — perhaps trillions — each having hundreds of billions of stars, most of […]
“Jesus, Take the Wheel”
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” – Lee Brainard A popular Country song has a troubled soul turning over the steering wheel to Jesus. Many of us, I am sure, can identify with this song. When we come into danger or trouble, we ask the Lord to take the wheel. But is this the best course? Would […]
Eternity in Man’s Heart
Eternity in Man’s Heart – Lee Brainard In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we read the profound statement, “God has set eternity in man’s heart.” This sense of eternity, like a bottomless pit, leaves all of us human beings restless and unfulfilled no matter how much stuff we accumulate in life — be it possessions, money, attainments, or […]
Weary and Heavy Laden?
Weary and Heavy Laden? – Lee Brainard One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What a precious promise. No man can pass through this life and not grow weary. No man can walk in […]
The Woman at the Well
The Woman at the Well – Lee Brainard In John chapter four we read the account of the woman that Jesus met at the well. Jesus told her that if she drank from his well of living water, she would never thirst again. Then he told her all the big sins that she had done. […]
Religious Yet Wrong
Religious Yet Wrong – Lee Brainard One of the main differences between a relationship with God and religion is repentance. This is why being religious is much more popular than cultivating a relationship with God. Man likes to go his own way. Religion encourages this behavior for it winks at his sin. Noah and his […]
Jesus Forsook All for You
Jesus Forsook All for You – Lee Brainard Everyone raised with any exposure to Christianity has heard that Jesus Christ died for mankind on the cross so our sins could be forgiven and we could have eternal life. For many, however, this wonderful truth is just a piece of religious trivia in their head. But […]
Love Manifest in the Flesh
Love Manifest in the Flesh – Lee Brainard The Bible contains many statements that fall upon the heart like bombshells if we stop to think about what we are reading. One of these is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love suffers long and is kind … does not seek its own things, is not provoked, does not […]
Ye Shall Not Surely Die
Ye Shall Not Surely Die – Lee Brainard Man does not understand how bad sin is. This is evident in his practice of dividing sin into categories: really bad (like molestors and rapists), medium bad (which God can wink at for a good reason), barely bad (which God usually winks at), and irrelevant bad (which […]
Going With the Flow
Going With the Flow – Lee Brainard People judge their own goodness and badness by how they compare to society around them. But society is drifting ever further into moral decay — a tragic development which started in the 1800’s and accelerated in the 1960’s. So when people judge their state in this manner, they […]
Conformity — The World or God?
Conformity — The World or God? – Lee Brainard Conformity. Everybody does it. We conform to the standards and practices of our identity group — whether culture or sub-culture or counter-culture. Even those non-conformists rebelling against the standards of family, or church, or society are heartily conforming to their favorite non-conformists. We may conform out […]
Faith Is Trusting God
Faith Is Trusting God – Lee Brainard The Bible sets before us the Son of God as the object of faith. “You believe in God, believe also in me.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” And it sets before us the Word of God as the source of faith, “Faith […]
Repentance and the Chameleon Bible
Repentance and the Chameleon Bible – Lee Brainard » Many treat the Bible like it was a magic chameleon able to change its message to agree with their chosen lifestyle. The doctrines and terms of the Bible are transformed to allow whatever they desire. This is tragic. Man ought to conform to the Bible. Instead […]
The Horror and Wonder of the Cross
The Horror and Wonder of the Cross – Lee Brainard If you were raised in a Christian land, you probably know the mantra — Christ died for our sins. But his death is far more than a religious mantra we are supposed to know and repeat when custom or courtesy demands. It is at once the most […]
God Loves Man
God Loves Man – Lee Brainard God loves man and has the best of intentions for him. This is clearly taught in the Bible and exhibited in the gospel. But men tend to disbelieve this fact. Their eyes are open to their experience and closed to the Word of God. A few insist in public […]
The Sin of Cain
The Sin of Cain – Lee Brainard Man is self-centered. He wants to go his own way and do his own thing, and he doesn’t care what God wants. If he communicates with God, it is only on the vain assumption that God does, or should, rubber-stamp the self-will of mortals — straying mortals. When God doesn’t […]
The World Stands Condemned
The World Stands Condemned – Lee Brainard There is growing concern in America over world-devastating apocalyptic scenarios — global warming, global cooling (an ice age), World War III, asteroidal impact, drug resistant viruses, drought and famine, extreme solar flares. Such fears drive modern politics. It is amazing how much energy men expend on such possible scenarios […]
A New Heart and Spirit
A New Heart and Spirit – Lee Brainard Man loves gain. He expends a lot of ingenuity and strength pursuing new things, bigger things, better things. He pursues money, toys, vacation homes, and recognition. Those that are a little deeper focus on the pursuit of experiences, education, friends, and family. But what is the purpose […]
God Is a Rewarder
God Is a Rewarder – Lee Brainard A common mistake men make is assuming that faith is just acknowledging something. Since they acknowledge that God exists, they suppose they are okay — because they believe in God. But this reasoning is false. Believing in the existence of water won’t keep me alive. I need to drink water […]
Sin Is the Sting of Death
Sin Is the Sting of Death – Lee Brainard Man loves to speak of his sin in euphemisms — sowing wild oats, having a little fun, indulging a few bad habits, getting a little crazy. He treats sin as if it were no worse than a wart or a birthmark. He might be embarrassed, but […]
Towering O’er the Wrecks
Towering O’er the Wrecks – Lee Brainard A grand old hymn opens with the profound observation, “In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time.” What does this mean? It means that the cross is the only effectual solution to man’s age-old problem with sin. Over the centuries man has tried […]
The Wages of Sin
The Wages of Sin – Lee Brainard The most common delusion indulged by man is the idea that he can sin and get away with it. He encourages himself with fairy tales which place a happy ending on his path of rebellion against the revealed will of God. “God is a nice guy and won’t […]
Their Worm Does Not Die
Their Worm Does Not Die – Lee Brainard One of the most unnerving passages in the Bible is found in the Gospel of Mark, “If your hand offend you, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell … where their worm does […]
Nicodemus and the New Birth
Nicodemus and the New Birth – Lee Brainard In the third chapter of John, Nicodemus, a leading figure in Israel, came to Jesus in the cover of night, struggling with a question that had been bothering him. His question is implied in his greeting, “Rabbi, we know God sent you, for nobody can do the […]
Believe on the Lord Jesus
Believe on the Lord Jesus – Lee Brainard In the New Testament we read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Have you obeyed this command? Now I am not asking if you attend a church that teaches the message of Jesus and agree with it. Nor am I asking if […]
Religion vs. Repentance
Religion vs. Repentance – Lee Brainard John the Baptist came preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In other words, forsake your sins if you want to go to heaven. This message drew folks from many miles around (in the days when the poor walked and the wealthy rode donkeys). They came […]
He Restores My Soul
He Restores My Soul – Lee Brainard The 23rd Psalm, known as the Shepherd Psalm, is one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible. Here we read the tender line, “He restores my soul.” David likely wrote this psalm in the twilight years of his life, a life which had seen him broken by […]
You Inhabit Israel’s Praise
You Inhabit Israel’s Praise – Lee Brainard In Psalm 22:3 we read the fascinating line, “You, the Holy One, inhabit the praises of Israel.” What a wonderful thought. The infinite God who does not dwell in temples made by human hands (Acts 7:48), does dwell in the praises of his people. He who flung the […]
Following the Rejected Messiah
Following the Rejected Messiah – Lee Brainard From the first day of Jesus’ public ministry in this world his message was one of heart loyalty — “Follow me.” This message was easy to understand, but hard to implement. Why? Because believing Jesus and obeying his command to follow him came with a cost. He wasn’t […]
The Second Deepest Book
The Second Deepest Book – Lee Brainard The deepest book ever written is the Bible. Though its basic message rises to the top like cream and is easily skimmed off even by a child, yet attempting to exhaust its observations on vital subjects — as the psychology of man, the purpose of life, and wisdom […]
The Goodness of God
The Goodness of God – Lee Brainard God is good. This is the plain teaching of the Bible and the experience of all who believe. But most men are uncomfortable with God. They don’t appreciate his goodness. And they don’t want his goodness. So they handle his goodness with unbelieving hands. Some do this by […]
As the Body Without Breath Is Dead
As the Body Without Breath Is Dead – Lee Brainard One of the most shocking statements in the Bible is found in James 2:26, “As the body without breath is dead, so faith without works is dead.” What does this mean? Very simple. If you profess to be a Christian, yet your faith is not […]