Experiencing God – 4-Anton Bosch
Experiencing God – 4 – Anton Bosch Experiencing God – 4 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (1Cor 2:9,10). The things of God cannot be […]
Experiencing God – 3-Anton Bosch
Experiencing God – 3-Anton Bosch Experiencing God – 3 One of the most important statement Jesus made was: “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,24) If […]
Experiencing God 2-Anton Bosch
Experiencing God 2 – Anton Bosch Experiencing God 2 One of the many problems with the notion of “experiencing God” is that it is man-centered. In other words, God is there for our pleasure, so we can have goose-bumps and liver-shivers. This presupposes that the purpose for a relationship with God is that He may […]
Experiencing God-Anton Bosch
Experiencing God – Anton Bosch Experiencing God I just did a search on the internet for the phrase “experience God” and came up with over 51 million references! Wow, that must be an important idea! “Well off course it is”, I hear you say. “We must experience God” has become such a common idea amongst […]
Does Every Believer Have a Ministry?-Anton Bosch
Does Every Believer Have a Ministry? – Anton Bosch Does Every Believer Have a Ministry? This question is often debated by those who strive after a church running along New Testament lines. The views are divergent and range from what borders on a “one man ministry” to a situation where each member is coerced into […]
I Alone am Left-Anton Bosch
I Alone am Left – Anton Bosch I Alone am Left I have often heard preachers speak disdainfully about Elijah’s depression when he felt that he was the only one left of those who were faithful to the Lord. (1Kings 19:14). Most of these preachers seem to have great difficulty having any sympathy for a […]
Who is God?-Anton Bosch
Who is God ? – Anton Bosch Who is God? What is God like? This question should be one of the most prominent questions at the forefront of every believer’s mind. Yet, so few actually ask the question and simply assume that the impressions they have gained from various sources are correct. In fact, it […]
Humble Leaders-Anton Bosch
Humble Leaders – Anton Bosch Humble Leaders That God has placed in the church various ministries to provide for the many needs of His people is, by and large, undisputed. How these men relate to the rest of the body, however, is the problem. Clearly they have responsibility, and yet at the same time they […]
Sheep and Shepherds-Anton Bosch
Sheep and Shepherds – Anton Bosch Sheep and Shepherds Selfish Ambition Probably the most destructive force at work in churches is selfish ambition. This sin is listed among the deeds of the flesh of Galatians 5:20 and was at the heart of Satan’s sin – “…I will be like the most high….” (Isaiah 14:14). This […]
A Godly Flock-Anton Bosch
A Godly Flock – Anton Bosch A Godly Flock One of the core attributes of a godly man or woman is humility. Without the reality of humility in the life of the believer he cannot have a proper relationship with God, as He “resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6, 1Peter […]
The Spirit Intercedes-Anton Bosch
The Spirit Intercedes – Anton Bosch The Spirit Intercedes Often we find that we struggle to pray. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes it is because we try to manage on our own, sometimes we are just lazy and not disciplined in our walk with the Lord. But sometimes it is because we do […]
One-step, Two-step or Twelve-step?-Anton Bosch
One-step, Two-step or Twelve-step? – Anton Bosch One-step, Two-step or Twelve-step? Most versions of modern Christianity have watered the Gospel down to a self-improvement, self-help, twelve-step program. There is little difference between the techniques offered by AA, anger management programs, assertiveness training and other self-help courses and the techniques employed and promoted by churches. I […]
Set Free-Anton Bosch
Set Free – Anton Bosch Set Free “His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus did not only come to bring a message of deliverance and victory, but He actually came to do the work that would be required to set men free from their bondage and sin. […]
Denying Jesus-Anton Bosch
Denying Jesus – Anton Bosch Denying Jesus This week the Virginia Tech called a convocation in the aftermath of the massacre in which 32 were killed. Four speakers represented the religious community. The first was a Muslim, the second a Buddhist, the third a Jewess and the third a Lutheran. (I refer to him as […]
GPS-Anton Bosch
GPS – Anton Bosch GPS One of the marvels of modern technology is the Global Positioning System (gps). Through a series of satellites in the sky anyone with a receiver can determine their exact position here on earth. Aircraft and ships use this technology to find their way across the skies and oceans of the […]
Politicians in the Pulpit-Anton Bosch
Politicians in the Pulpit – Anton Bosch Politicians in the Pulpit Front page news on the Sunday paper (Sunday Tribune – South Africa) this week was that a prominent South African politician was made a pastor by a group of independent Charismatic churches this past Saturday. Most of the readers would respond with “so what”. […]
The Old Cross and the New AW Tozer-Anton Bosch
The Old Cross and the New AW Tozer-Anton Bosch The Old Cross and the New AW Tozer Occasionally I pubish an article by other authors. This one, by AW Tozer who when to be with the Lord in 1963 was written more than 60 years ago and yet, it seems to be written for 2007. […]
Who’s Responsible?-Anton Bosch
Who’s Responsible ? – Anton Bosch Who’s Responsible? One of the questions I often struggle with is why so many people are being deceived into believing a gospel which is patently false. Related to this question is one posed to me by a friend recently: “Does God hold people responsible when they have been deceived […]
Killing the Messenger Contentiously Contending –8-Anton Bosch
Killing the Messenger Contentiously Contending – 8 -Anton Bosch Killing the Messenger Contentiously Contending –8 In case you get the impression from the previous articles that I am against any form of apologetics or discernment ministries – I am not. The ministry of a watchman is vitally important to the church. But, unfortunately, many have […]
Watchman or Gossip? Contentiously Contending – 7-Anton Bosch
Watchman or Gossip? Contentiously Contending – 7 – Anton Watchman or Gossip ? Contentiously Contending – 7 For years the evil King Saul pursued David like a man does an animal. He tried to kill him many times, broke David’s marriage and caused him to live the life of a vagabond and a fugitive. There […]
Against Error or For Truth? Contentiously Contending – 6-Anton Bosch
Against Error or For Truth ? Contentiously Contending – Against Error or For Truth ? Contentiously Contending – 6 Over the past few weeks we have looked at the motives, manner and methods we need to employ if we are going to stand against error. But maybe the question we should have begun with is […]
Truth with Tears-Anton Bosch
Truth with Tears – Anton Bosch Truth with Tears The servant of the Lord should not strive, but be gentle, be apt to teach, patient and meek when dealing with those who oppose the truth (2Timothy 2:23-26). This seems to contradict the fact that Jesus called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33), Herod […]
Contending with Attitude-Anton Bosch
Contending with Attitude – Anton Bosch Contending with Attitude “ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance […]
Contending Biblically 3-Anton Bosch
Contending Biblically 3 – Anton Bosch Contending Biblically 3 “ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance […]
Contentiously Contending 2-Anton Bosch
Contentiously Contending 2 – Anton Bosch Contentiously Contending 2 Speaking and defending the truth are some of the most important responsibilities of the church, its leaders and, of all believers. There are many who propagate error and there are a few who stand for doctrinal purity. But, as we established last week, we must contend […]
Contentiously Contending-Anton Bosch
Contentiously Contending – Anton Bosch Contentiously Contending Jude urges us “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3). Many have found this verse a wonderful excuse to be argumentative, contentious, vindictive, loud, aggressive, mean, nasty and antagonistic as they vigorously pursue all who do not agree […]
What is Grace? Grace – 1-Anton Bosch
What is Grace? Grace – 1 – Anton Bosch What is Grace ? Grace – 1 It is commonly accepted that grace is equal to mercy and that grace only has to do with our salvation. This idea is perpetuated by the Amplified Bible which amplifies the word “grace” to mean “God’s unmerited favor”. In […]
Grace Covers It All Grace – 2 -Anton Bosch
Grace Covers It All Grace – 2 – Anton Bosch Grace Covers It All Grace – 2 l One of the amazing things about grace is just how abundant it is. There seems to be no limit to God’s ability to show grace and mercy to those who need it. Romans 5:20 says, “But where […]
What Will You Do With Grace? Grace – 3 -Anton Bosch
What Will You Do With Grace? Grace – 3 – Anton Bosch What Will You Do With Grace? Grace – 3 It is amazing how many things become part of our thinking without any biblical basis. One such idea is that grace is unconditional and that God extends His grace without reservations. This is simply […]
Arrogant: Who, Me ?-Anton Bosch
Arrogant: Who, Me ? – Anton Bosch Arrogant: Who, Me ? Do you think you are humble? Have you overcome pride? If your answer is positive, then you are arrogant and proud! Only those who continue to be aware of pride in their lives have any hope of being humble. Those who think they have […]
What Will Your End Be?-Anton Bosch
What Will Your End Be ? – Anton Bosch What Will Your End Be? What is more important? To have a good start to life or a good ending? Obviously the end is more important than the beginning. Jesus told a parable about two young men. One had a bad attitude at the beginning but […]
How to Smell a Rat-Anton Bosch
How to Smell a Rat-Anton Bosch How to Smell a Rat A toddler will eat anything. It does not matter if it is nutritious or poison, it has no ability to discern between food and poison. As Christians mature in the faith they should learn to discern between spiritual poison and spiritual food. “But solid […]
Understanding the Bible -Anton Bosch
Understanding the Bible – Anton Bosch Understanding the Bible Many people will agree that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. The problem however is often how it is interpreted. How can we be sure that our understanding is the right one? In discerning truth from error, we must begin by understanding Truth for […]
Orthodoxy (How to Discern 3)-Anton Bosch
Orthodoxy (How to Discern 3) – Anton Bosch Orthodoxy (How to Discern 3) The Roman church has for a long time believed that only the “clergy” may interpret the Bible. In fact, until recently, they did not even allow translations of the Bible into the common language of the people because they did not believe […]
Check, Check and Check Again (How to Discern 4)-Anton Bosch
Check, Check and Check Again (How to Discern 4) – Anton Check, Check and Check Again (How to Discern 4) This is a principle that holds true in most areas in life. Carpenters speak about measuring twice and cutting once. We teach our children that when they cross the street they must look left, look […]
Who’s Who? (How to Discern 5)-Anton Bosch
Who’s Who? (How to Discern 5) – Anton Bosch Who’s Who? (How to Discern 5) It is important that we check every word we hear or read against the plumbline of the Bible. In addition, we need to check the source of the information as well. We must check two things: The message and the […]
What of the Watchmen? (How to Discern 6)-Anton Bosch
What of the Watchmen ? (How to Discern 6) – Anton Bosch What of the Watchmen? (How to Discern 6) Each believer has responsibility for himself to be on the lookout for error and deception (Revelation 3:11). The Lord has also set the elders in the local church with the duty to watch for wolves […]
Let’s Go On-Anton Bosch
Let’s Go On-Anton Bosch Let’s Go On When hiking, I have often come to a point where I felt like not going on and either camping just where I was or turning back. This often happens when the path becomes to steep, too long or when the end just does not seem to be within […]
I Don’t Have to go to Church-Anton Bosch
I Don’t Have to go to Church – Anton Bosch I Don’t Have to go to Church Many people think that going to church is an optional for Christians. Really? Yes, the church is not a building but a body of believers. And you could argue that we don’t go to church but we are […]
I Don’t Have to go to Church – 2-Anton Bosch
Don’t Have to go to Church – 2 – Anton Bosch I Don’t Have to go to Church – 2 Not only does the Lord meet our needs through the church, but it is only in the context of the church that we can reach our full potential as believers. As a member of the […]
Finding a Good Church-Anton Bosch
Finding a Good Church – Anton Bosch Finding a Good Church Beyond any doubt, the most frequent question I receive from people is: “I can’t find a good church”. There have been a number who have responded to the previous two articles (I don’t have to go to church) with the same question. There is […]
Finding a Good Church (2)-Anton Bosch
Finding a Good Church (2) – Anton Bosch Finding a Good Church (2) In trying to match a person with a church there are two parts to the equation: The church and the individual. That seems obvious, but to most people it is not that obvious. I say that because every time someone does not […]
Finding a Good Church – 3 -Anton Bosch
Finding a Good Church – 3 – Anton Bosch Finding a Good Church – 3 So, you have checked your attitude and expectations and have looked at every possible church within a reasonable distance and come up empty? If you have truly exhausted every possibility then there is still one more possibility – a home […]
Overcommitted to the Bible -Anton Bosch
Overcommitted to the Bible – Anton Bosch Overcommitted to the Bible At a recent conference, the most popular paper resulted in four times as many people crowding into the room than it was designed to hold. The title of this provocative lecture was “How Evangelicals became overcommitted to the Bible and what can be done […]
You Surely Don’t Believe the Whole Bible ?-Anton Bosch
You Surely Don’t Believe the Whole Bible ? – Anton Bosch You Surely Don’t Believe the Whole Bible ? After last week’s article in which I called for a greater commitment to the Bible, I received a number of responses. A few were in agreement but the majority were in opposition. Which leads me to […]
God Does Not Owe You-Anton Bosch
God Does Not Owe You – Anton Bosch God Does Not Owe You Of course very few would ever say it out loud, but that does not stop people from feeling that God really had to save them because they have some value or merit. This idea is reinforced by modern teachings that God needed […]
Gifts, Bribes and Guilt Offerings-Anton Bosch
Gifts, Bribes and Guilt Offerings – Anton Bosch Gifts, Bribes and Guilt Offerings This is the time of year that people are scurrying around to buy, wrap and mail gifts to friends and family. It seems like an innocent and nice enough tradition, especially when we use it to remind one another of God’s greatest […]
New Beginnings-Anton Bosch
New Beginnings – Anton Bosch New Beginnings One of the blessings of the four seasons is that they usher in fresh beginnings. Winter does a good job of killing off much of the previous season’s growth. Spring is a new start with new leaves, new plants and in the animal kingdom, new births. The marking […]
God Wants to Prosper You-Anton Bosch
God Wants to Prosper You – Anton Bosch God Wants to Prosper You One of the consequences of Hezekiah’s diligence and obedience was that the Lord prospered him: “Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds […]
Loyalty-Anton Bosch
Loyalty – Anton Bosch Loyalty David and Jonathan’s friendship is one of the most touching parts of the Bible. These two men were true friends and one of the attributes of that relationship was their mutual loyalty. Jonathan was in line to be the next king since he was Saul’s son yet he knew that […]
Justified-Anton Bosch
Justified- Anton Bosch Justified At the heart of the book of Romans is the idea that we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1). Most Christians know that it is this idea that sparked the reformation in the heart of Martin Luther but few seem to understand what it means to be justified and even less […]
Worse Than Sodom?-Anton Bosch
Worse Than Sodom? – Anton Bosch Worse Than Sodom? A line in this week’s Time magazine struck me. It was speaking about someone who was “the political embodiment of the megachurch approach: “get people in the door with rock or cappuccino or stand-up (comedy) – but get them in the door.” The article went on […]
I am Not Ashamed-Anton Bosch
I am Not Ashamed – Anton Bosch I am Not Ashamed Modern churches are watering down the gospel and changing the message into one that will sell easily. They bribe, deceive and seduce people to attend and to join their churches. Coffee, entertainment, networking, wealth, health and sex are all promised in exchange for additional […]
The Gospel of the Kingdom-Anton Bosch
The Gospel of the Kingdom-Anton Bosch The Gospel of the Kingdom Recently, someone wrote in saying that we had a wrong understanding about the gospel and that we are spiritually blind. The writer said: “the message of Jesus and the Apostles was the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the gospel of salvation. The gospel of […]
Christian Fundamentalism – 5-Anton Bosch
Christian Fundamentalism – 5 – Anton Bosch Christian Fundamentalism – 5 We continue the series by Professor Malan on Christian Fundamentalism. The recognition of biological identity. Apart from cultural identity, the Lord also determined the basic, personal identity of every individual as male or female (Gen. 1:27). The purpose of this was that heterosexual males […]
Christian Fundamentalism – 4-Anton Bosch
Christian Fundamentalism – 4 – Anton Bosch Christian Fundamentalism – 4 We continue the series by Professor Malan on Christian Fundamentalism. Biblical principles and culturally determined practices. Biblical principles for human behaviour never change, but culturally determined expressions of these principles may vary from culture to culture and from time to time. In the first […]
Christian Fundamentalism – 3-Anton Bosch
Christian Fundamentalism – 3 – Anton Bosch Christian Fundamentalism – 3 We continue the series by Professor Malan on Christian Fundamentalism. The first installments dealt with: Recognition of Scriptural authority, a literal interpretation of Scripture, the rejection of over-spiritualizing of Scripture, the recognition of spiritual realities, theological conservatism, the biblical doctrine of creation, the hostile […]
Christian Fundamentalism – 2-Anton Bosch
Christian Fundamentalism – 2 – Anton Bosch Christian Fundamentalism – 2 The biblical doctrine of creation. The biblical statement that God is the Creator of everything that exists is fully accepted in evangelical circles. This belief leads to utterly rejecting the theory of evolution, which is based upon the unproven hypothesis that all life originated […]
Christian Fundamentalism – 1-Anton Bosch
Christian Fundamentalism – 1-Anton Bosch Christian Fundamentalism – 1 Christian labels keep changing and mean different things to different people. What is a “fundamentalist” and what are the hallmarks of a Christian Fundamentalist? Professor Malan from South Africa has done an excellent job of defining what we believe Christian Fundamentalism is. I know others have […]
Tenure-Anton Bosch
Tenure-Anton Bosch Tenure Tenure is a term people use to describe something that relates to length of service. With tenure normally comes experience, job security, privilege and seniority. This is a principle that holds true in almost every area of human endeavor. But even the world is not agreed on this matter. Here in Los […]
How Big is Your World? -Anton Bosch
How Big is Your World ? – Anton Bosch How Big is Your World? The last few instructions Jesus left his followers had to do with being witnesses and preaching the gospel to the whole world. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). There is absolutely no question that the responsibility of all believers is to participate in […]
If God is For Us-Anton Bosch
If God is For Us – Anton Bosch If God is For Us “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). This short statement is absolutely loaded with truth, warning and exhortation. That’s not a misprint – it contains warning as well as encouragement at the same time. The warning lies […]
God Cares-Anton Bosch
God Cares – Anton Bosch God Cares Sometimes it seems that no one cares about your pain. David said: “no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life” (Psalm 142:4 NIV). Do you sometimes feel like that? Do you sometimes cry out with Solomon that even the kindest […]
What is the Biggest Sin ? -Anton Bosch
What is the Biggest Sin ? – Anton Bosch What is the Biggest Sin ? Many have tried to list sins from big to small and separate the “deadly” ones from the rest. I suppose we can argue till the cows come home which sin is bigger than the next. The fact is that all […]
What About the Future? -Anton Bosch
What About the Future ? – Anton Bosch What About the Future? It is very human and natural to be concerned about the future. Especially at times like this, when a world economic recession looms on the horizon, many are concerned about losing their homes and jobs. Others fear not having enough to eat or […]
Giants With Feet of Clay-Anton Bosch
Giants With Feet of Clay – Anton Bosch Giants With Feet of Clay People often see spiritual leaders like pastors, preachers and teachers as spiritual giants who are bullet proof, strong and self-sufficient. People feel that such leaders have little need of help, support, encouragement and advice since they seem to be so self-contained and […]
Nicodemus Leaders-Anton Bosch
Nicodemus Leaders – Anton Bosch Nicodemus Leaders We all know the story about Nicodemus who visited Jesus under the cover of darkness in John 3 and to whom Jesus spoke about being born again and to whom Jesus uttered the famous John 3:16. It is interesting to note that Nicodemus is mentioned three times in […]
Speaking the Truth-Anton Bosch
Speaking the Truth – Anton Bosch Speaking the Truth I have felt it needful to republish an article I wrote 2½ years ago. Please read it again even if you had read it before – this is such an important subject: Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” […]
Spiritually Blind-Anton Bosch
Spiritually Blind – Anton Bosch Spiritually Blind Why can some people just not get it? Why can they not see things that are as clear as the nose on their face? Because they are spiritually blind. Even though some people may have been Christians for a long time, they are blind and cannot see those […]
Spiritually Blind 2-Anton Bosch
Spiritually Blind 2 – Anton Bosch Spiritually Blind 2 Many people are spiritually blind because of pride or because they choose to see only what they want to see. But the scariest reason people cannot see is because they are under God’s judgment! That’s right – the reason they cannot see is a clear sign […]
All Miracles and Healings Come From God-Anton Bosch
All Miracles and Healings Come From God – Anton Bosch All Miracles and Healings Come From God Many people assume that only God can heal the sick and perform miracles. So, if someone can heal or perform miracles, it automatically means that the miracle worker is anointed by God and their ministry is legitimate. But […]
Unlimited Forgiveness-Anton Bosch
Unlimited Forgiveness – Anton Bosch Unlimited Forgiveness I think all believers have times when they wonder if God can possibly forgive them yet again after messing up for the umpteenth time. Surely there must be a limit to His forgiveness and surely He must be tired of hearing the same confessions over and over again! […]
Do You Love Me? – 2-Anton Bosch
Do You Love Me ? – 2 – Anton Bosch Do You Love Me? – 2 The fact that Jesus asked Peter three times “do you love me” (John 21:15-17), is probably connected to his thrice denial of his Lord. Jesus challenged Peter specifically, because Peter was the one who in his usual impetuous manner, […]
Do You Love Me? -Anton Bosch
Do You Love Me ? – Anton Bosch Do You Love Me? “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said […]
Leaning-Anton Bosch
Leaning – Anton Bosch Leaning When David wanted to put a terrible curse on Joab for murdering Abner, David said, amongst other things, that there should always be one of Joab’s descendants who would lean on his staff. Buy this he meant that there would always be a cripple or someone who has weak legs […]
Dwelling in Peace-Anton Bosch
Dwelling in Peace – Anton Bosch Dwelling in Peace Probably one of the most precious commodities in the local assembly is peace amongst the members. For this reason the enemy of the church will do all in his power to destroy peace and to bring people into conflict with one another. David said “Behold, how […]
God’s Purposes-Anton Bosch
God’s Purposes – Anton Bosch God’s Purposes What does the Bible reveal about God’s ultimate purpose in his dealings with mankind? What is the theme that runs from Genesis through Revelation and that transcends both testaments? Some may say it is Jesus Christ. That is true – the whole of Scripture reveals Him. He appears […]
Have You Been Circumcised?-Anton Bosch
Have You Been Circumcised ? – Anton Bosch Have You Been Circumcised? “And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 7:14). The covenant that God made with Abraham was a unilateral covenant, meaning […]
How Then Shall We Live?-Anton Bosch
How Then Shall We Live ? – Anton Bosch How Then Shall We Live? “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1) If God’s highest purpose is to bring glory to Himself what should our purpose, goals and ambitions be? […]
God, Please Hurry Up-Anton Bosch
God, Please Hurry Up – Anton Bosch God, Please Hurry Up Abraham and Sarah had tried everything to have children. She was now ninety years old and he almost 100. They had probably been married for 75 years and had come to the conclusion that Sarah was barren and would never have children. To make […]
Remember Lot’s Wife-Anton Bosch
Remember Lot’s Wife – Anton Bosch Remember Lot’s Wife This is one of the shortest verses in the Bible: Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife”. It is also a very strange verse in that we would normally be encouraged to remember people who achieved greatness or did great exploits for God. But Lot’s wife never did […]
Ruth the Moabitess-Anton Bosch
Ruth the Moabitess – Anton Bosch Ruth the Moabitess The history of the Moabites is filled with immorality, seduction, lust and incest. The nation was born out of the incestuous relationship between Lot’s oldest daughter and himself after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). Lot’s descendants would not be known by his name, […]
Pleasing the Father-Anton Bosch
Pleasing the Father – Anton Bosch Pleasing the Father When Jesus came out of the water, after being baptized by John, a voice was heard from heaven saying “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This has to be the highest form of acknowledgement and approval that anyone can […]
Get Understanding-Anton Bosch
Get Understanding – Anton Bosch Get Understanding “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). For most westerners, life is about acquiring things. We spend most of our waking hours working to earn money to buy things and then a lot of the rest of the […]
Attitude-Anton Bosch
Attitude – Anton Bosch Attitude It is easy to be lulled into believing that as long as we believe the right theology and do the right things we are OK and that nothing else matters. But what about your attitude? It is easy to point to young people and accuse them of “BA” (bad attitude) […]
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit-Anton Bosch
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit – Anton Bosch Blessed are the Poor in Spirit “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). How can it be blessed to be poor in spirit? Surely poverty and blessing are opposites? That is how the unbeliever and the carnal believer […]
Blessed are Those who Mourn-Anton Bosch
Blessed are Those who Mourn – Anton Bosch Blessed are Those who Mourn “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4). This really seems like a contradiction. How can we be happy or blessed when we mourn? Once again we must set aside the world’s way of looking at things and […]
Blessed are the Meek-Anton Bosch
Blessed are the Meek – Anton Bosch Blessed are the Meek “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Modern Christianity, with its emphasis on believers aggressively asserting themselves, has no room for meekness. They wrongly argue that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” […]
Blessed are the Pure in Heart-Anton Bosch
Blessed are the Pure in Heart – Anton Bosch Blessed are the Pure in Heart “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Why did Jesus say “blessed are the pure in heart”? Why did He not say “blessed are the pure in mind”, or “blessed are the pure in […]
What Does it Mean to be Firstborn?-Anton Bosch
What Does it Mean to be Firstborn ? – Anton Bosch What Does it Mean to be Firstborn? In the Old Testament there were many privileges attached to being the firstborn (This applied to male children only). The first privilege was that the firstborn son received a greater inheritance. In some cases the firstborn received […]
Why do Evil Men Prosper?-Anton Bosch
Why do Evil Men Prosper ? – Anton Bosch Why do Evil Men Prosper? This question plagues every believer who is trying to live a godly life and finds life hard while others who are evil and ungodly seem to prosper and have a good life. Sometimes we look at false prophets and wolves in […]
Entitled!-Anton Bosch
Entitled! – Anton Bosch Entitled! The word “entitled” seems to have changed its meaning recently. The word and its root dates from the 14th century, but in recent years it has taken on a new shade of meaning. Originally the word meant that someone was legally “entitled” to some privilege, benefit or property. Today the […]
The Cross on the Wall-Anton Bosch
The Cross on the Wall – Anton Bosch The Cross on the Wall Here is the story behind the cross hanging in the front of our chapel: When we purchased our property, the fellowship hall had a covered outdoor walkway which we enclosed. The walkway roof was supported by a number of 4×6 wooden posts […]
Who are your friends?-Anton Bosch
Who are your friends? – Anton Bosch Who are your friends? “As Christians we should not be friends with unbelievers while remaining loyal to our “brothers” no matter what they do”. That is the view of many Christians. But is that correct? It seems pretty obvious that we need to be friends with Christians and […]
But God-Anton Bosch
But God – Anton Bosch But God Sometimes the smallest words are the most powerful. Take the little word “if” for instance. When this two-letter word is ignored in Bible passages, it can result in a total misunderstanding of those passages. The three-letter word “but” is equally powerful, both in every-day use and in the […]
Two Kingdoms – 3-Anton Bosch
Two Kingdoms – 3 – nton Bosch Two Kingdoms – 3 Not only does the Kingdom of God have a different King to the kingdoms of the world, but it has different citizens, has a different future and it operates by different principles. One of the principles that makes God’s Kingdom radically different to that […]
Two Kingdoms – 2-Anton Bosch
Two Kingdoms – 2 – Anton Bosch Two Kingdoms – 2 Last time we spoke of the fact that the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world are totally separate entities and that the Kingdom of God is not an improved or even converted version of the kingdoms of the world. God’s Kingdom […]
Two Kingdoms-Anton Bosch
Two Kingdoms – Anton Bosch Two Kingdoms Many Christians have been deceived into believing that they can somehow “convert” the kingdoms of this world to become the Kingdom of God. In the process they have put their energy and hopes into bringing about the Kingdom of God by working towards getting more influence with government […]
Christian Nations?-Anton Bosch
Christian Nations? – Anton Bosch Christian Nations? Last time we wrote that the term “a Christian nation” is a contradiction in terms and that just as you cannot have a “Christian world” you cannot have a “Christian nation”. In the last two weeks since writing the previous article the subject of America as a Christian […]
Changing the World – 1-Anton Bosch
Changing the World – 1 – Anton Bosch Changing the World – 1 We all long for a righteous and just society where God’s laws are respected and where people all do the right thing. There is nothing wrong with that desire as I believe that is in line with God’s plan also. But the […]
Change You Can Believe In-Anton Bosch
Change You Can Believe In – Anton Bosch Change You Can Believe In Everybody wants change. People want the way the city and the country is governed to change and people want changes in their churches. President Obama won the presidency on the slogan “change you can believe in” and currently every political candidate of […]
The Money God-Anton Bosch
The Money God – Anton Bosch The Money God “God wants you to be rich, healthy and happy. If you have financial problems just become a Christian and all your problems will go away. Believers can get anything they wish from God by planting seeds in the form of cash. Every dollar you give God, […]
The Material Kingdom-Anton Bosch
The Material Kingdom – Anton Bosch The Material Kingdom Before Jesus even began His ministry He was tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4). The first of these temptations was for Him to turn stones into bread. The shallow interpretation of this temptation is to say that Jesus was hungry (He had been fasting for forty […]
The Kingdom Now-Anton Bosch
The Kingdom Now – Anton Bosch The Kingdom Now Food and material blessings are some of the felt needs, as I discussed last week, and political empowerment is another. The people living in Israel in Jesus’ time had two priorities. The first was for material provision and the second was for political reform and to […]
The Battle of the Mind – 4-Anton Bosch
The Battle of the Mind – 4 – Anton Bosch The Battle of the Mind – 4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high […]
The Battle of the Mind – 3-Anton Bosch
The Battle of the Mind – 3 – Anton Bosch The Battle of the Mind – 3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high […]
The Battle of the Mind – 2-Anton Bosch
The Battle of the Mind – 2 – Anton Bosch The Battle of the Mind – 2 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high […]
The Battle of the Mind 1-Anton Bosch
The Battle of the Mind 1-Anton Bosch The Battle of the Mind- 1 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself […]
The Gospel of Self – 3-Anton Bosch
The Gospel of Self – 3 – Anton Bosch The Gospel of Self – 3 Thus far we have spoken about how the gospel of self is a false gospel and some of the ways that it is manifest. Today I want to look at a few more things that are symptoms of this modern […]
The Gospel of Self – 2-Anton Bosch
The Gospel of Self – 2 – Anton Bosch The Gospel of Self – 2 Modern “Christianity” has taken us back to the dark ages and beyond. In those days everyone believed that the universe revolved around the earth. It was only around 1610 that Galileo discovered that the earth is not the center of […]
The Gospel of Self – 1-Anton Bosch
The Gospel of Self – 1 – Anton Bosch The Gospel of Self – 1 We seldom take notice when things change very slowly. I am sure you know the story (probably an urban legend) that if you threw a frog in a pot of boiling water, it would immediately jump out of the water, […]
Six Literal Days – Really?-Anton Bosch
Six Literal Days – Really ? – Anton Bosch Six Literal Days – Really? It has become fashionable amongst Christians to see the Genesis account of creation as not literal. The reason is mainly an attempt to find common ground between so-called “science” and the Bible. The problem with “science” There is a proper way […]
Only Scripture – 3-Anton Bosch
Only Scripture – 3 – Anton Bosch Only Scripture – 3 “Do not go beyond what is written” (1Corinthians 4:6) Adding to the Scriptures is a very old problem amongst religious people. The Rabbis were particularly adept at adding many books, sayings and traditions to the Word of God. This had become such a problem […]
Only Scripture – 2-Anton Bosch
Only Scripture – 2- Anton Bosch Only Scripture – 2 In the last article we began to examine the Scriptural basis for relying exclusively on the Bible rather than accepting various extra-biblical “revelations” as being at the same level, or higher, authority as the Bible. This is a view that is fast dying out as […]
Only Scripture-Anton Bosch
Only Scripture – Anton Bosch Only Scripture One of the non-negotiable essentials of orthodox Christianity has always been the completeness of Scripture. By completeness we mean that the Bible (66 books) is the complete and final revelation of God to man. Nothing is to be added to the Scriptures, nothing is to be taken away […]
Vatican Fulfills Prophecy-Anton Bosch
Vatican Fulfills Prophecy – Anton Bosch Vatican Fulfills Prophecy The Bible paints quite a clear picture of the major events that precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. Many of the smaller details may be difficult to interpret but the major events concerning the world’s religious, economic and political future are […]
Just Being Comfortable-Anton Bosch
Just Being Comfortable – Anton Bosch Just Being Comfortable Most people feel that being comfortable is the least they can expect. Others want to be rich and enjoy the excesses of wealth. But Christians understand that the love of money and greed are not good things and so they feel that just being comfortable and […]
Effectual Preaching-Anton Bosch
Effectual Preaching – Anton Bosch Effectual Preaching There is little doubt that most preachers want their preaching to make an impact on the hearers. But there are two questions that stem from this: How do we make preaching effectual and how do we measure the results? There is probably universal agreement that the most important […]
Hedonists and Martyrs-Anton Bosch
Hedonists and Martyrs – Anton Bosch Hedonists and Martyrs While reviewing church history recently I was reminded of some of the things we should learn from history. But before I share those with you, I want to remind you that what normally passes for church history is the history of the apostate church (lower case […]
Heaven-Anton Bosch
Heaven – Anton Bosch Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Email Heaven Most people, whether Christians or not, have some ideas about a future life that could be called heaven. Many of those ideas are misguided or plain wrong and sadly, even reasonably well taught Christians may have wrong ideas of what heaven is all about. In […]
Just a Christian-Anton Bosch
Just a Christian – Anton Bosch Just a Christian I have been struck by how various Christians define themselves. Very seldom do you come across someone who just refers to themselves as “a Christian”. They are either Reformed, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Baptist, Biker, Korean, or any of a thousand other kinds of Christian. Some even define […]
Doctrines of Demons-Anton Bosch
Doctrines of Demons – Anton Bosch Doctrines of Demons Paul writes about the devil that “we are not ignorant of his devices” 2 Corinthians 2:11, yet it seems that many of us are ignorant of the tricks and devices the evil one uses in his attempts to thwart the plan of God. Satan knows that […]
Sola Camouflage-Anton Bosch
Sola Camouflage – Anton Bosch Sola Camouflage “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) The use of camouflage in the military is a fascinating study. But long before armies, navies and air forces began to camouflage their men and equipment to hide them […]
This is Discipleship-Anton Bosch
This is Discipleship – Anton Bosch This is Discipleship Many techniques, programs and systems in the modern church are mistaken as discipleship. While those techniques may contain elements of discipleship, they are not the authentic thing. (See Part 1: “This is not Discipleship.”) This obviously begs the question: what is discipleship and what did Jesus […]
This is not Discipleship-Anton Bosch
This is not Discipleship – Anton Bosch This is not Discipleship Some of the most frequently quoted verses in Evangelicalism are Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in […]
Imminence part 3-Anton Bosch
Imminence part 3 – Anton Bosch Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Email Imminence Part 3 From the first two parts of this series it is abundantly clear from God’s Word that both Jesus and Paul taught that Jesus could return at any time and that his second coming was, and remains, imminent. In order to get […]
Paul and Imminence-Anton Bosch
Paul and Imminence – Anton Bosch Paul and Imminence Part 2 Jesus’ teaching on imminence is exceedingly clear: “…the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:40). (See Part 1 of this series.) His statements on the topic should be sufficient to convince any of us. But […]
Imminence-Anton Bosch
Imminence – Anton Bosch Imminence Part 1 “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming–in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning– lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.” – Mark 13:35-36. Imminence means “impending” or “about to occur.” We say […]