To understand the apostle who is called “the zealot,” it is necessary to know something of the party after which he was named, the Zealots. The Zealots were a nationalistic group of extremists before and after the time of Christ’s ministry on the earth. The main goal of the party was the overthrow—by any meansContinue reading “Simon, the Zealot (11th in The Apostles Series)”
Author Archives: Dr. Anthony Slutz
Honor in Reverse
On one occasion while I was senior pastor, the church chose to mark an anniversary with a special reception. That is always a humbling experience because, as any pastor knows, the honors should go to a whole lot of people, starting with his wife and family as well as scores of others. Paul spent aContinue reading “Honor in Reverse”
Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus) the Apostle (10th in a series on the Apostles)
When God created the world, on the fourth day He made a greater light to rule the day and a lesser light to rule the night—and He made the stars also. (Gen. 1:16) In so doing, the Creator of the universe set in place a principle that seems to govern all of life on thisContinue reading “Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus) the Apostle (10th in a series on the Apostles)”
The Reign of Grace
Words escape us when we attempt to explain the concept of grace. An oft-sung hymn is about as good as one can do: “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.” As do many believers,Continue reading “The Reign of Grace”
James, son of Alphaeus, an Apostle (9th in a series on the Apostles)
In describing the newly nominated Supreme Court Justice, David Souter—President George H.W. Bush’s nominee to fill the vacancy created by Justice William Brennan’s resignation in 1990—one commentator described the New Hampshire nominee as a “blank page.” By that, he meant that Souter was virtually unknown. He had not written many decisions on matters of nationalContinue reading “James, son of Alphaeus, an Apostle (9th in a series on the Apostles)”
I’d Rather Have Jesus
(Editor’s Note: Please take a few minutes to read the following testimony that my friend John B. Aker—a retired pastor and former military chaplain and educator—shared with me. You will surely be blessed and inspired, as I was.) “Once in a very great while, someone is blessed, as perhaps you may have been, in meetingContinue reading “I’d Rather Have Jesus”
Thomas, the Apostle (8th in a series on the Apostles)
Bad impressions can be difficult to shake. They sometimes follow you around like a stray dog you’d like to be rid of. Sometimes they are even unfair, but that does not matter. They still persist. Remember Dan Quayle misspelling potato (or was it tomato?). Or, former president Gerald Ford hitting someone in the head withContinue reading “Thomas, the Apostle (8th in a series on the Apostles)”
Discipline—in the Local Church
A prominent evangelical leader—Al Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville—indicted today’s churches with the following alarming evaluation: “The decline of church discipline is perhaps the most visible failure of the contemporary church.” When was the last time you remember a church exercising this scriptural mandate?Discipline is never joyous at the time,Continue reading “Discipline—in the Local Church”
Matthew, the Apostle (#7 in a series on the Apostles)
Before and after pictures are always fascinating to me. You know—like the ones you see in the newspapers or magazines; or, more commonly now, on commercials for diets, plastic surgery, or hair replacement. The Word of God gives us a striking picture of a “before and after” of an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.Continue reading “Matthew, the Apostle (#7 in a series on the Apostles)”
God’s Blueprint for Local Church Leadership
Evangelical churches are generally known by their desire to evangelize the unevangelized world; that is, to send missionaries into all the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, in obedience to Christ’s command (Matt. 28:18-20). Then, when people who hear the gospel accept Christ, the missionary will endeavor to lead the convert into baptism, churchContinue reading “God’s Blueprint for Local Church Leadership”
YOU and GOD 