The Berean Call

[The Bereans] ... Searched the scriptures daily [to see] whether those things were so. Acts 17:11

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 22
The Scriptures are silent for the most part as to whether children have an age of accountability beyond which they are lost if no repentance occurs. David could speak with certainty of where his son would be (2 Samuel 12:23), and Paul spoke of the believing parent sanctifying the children (1 Corinthians 7:14). Jesus admonished His disciples to “suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 18:16–17). He spoke of the childlike attitude a believer was to have and left us with a strong implication that a sizeable portion of heaven’s population is made up of children (i.e., those who died as children). —TBC

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." —Luke 18:16–17
https://t.co/QFD0mTXfQW

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 21
Concerning the phrase “ye are gods” from Psalm 82, the individuals written of are those rulers of the earth whom God has ordained to rule. This accords with Romans 13:1–2, where the earthly authorities are identified as higher powers “ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. . . .” Clearly, God has placed into positions of power (Psalm 75:6–7) fallible men who will enforce the law and enable others to live in as much safety and peace as this world offers. As fallible men, many of them begin to take their authority as an excuse for considering themselves higher or better than others (i.e., as “gods”). God in turn brings them back to earth by pointing out the sure judgment that will come to them, “But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes” (Psalm 82:7). —TBC

"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." —Psalm 82:6–7
https://t.co/keQ4ww6Ft8

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 20
The disciples turned the world upside down, but it was by preaching the gospel, not through political/social activism and public protest demonstrations. Preaching converts men’s hearts—it does not pressure individuals or society into obeying God’s laws. —TBC

"And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also." —Acts 17:6
https://t.co/3dTpDmAQmB

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 19
Forget your identity! What matters is your relationship to Christ. Not who you are, but who He is; not what you are to Him, but what He is to you. Forget yourself. Stop trying to establish your identity, and turn your eyes upon Him alone. “Who I am in Christ” is another psychological term that comes from currently popular selfisms. It is not found in the Bible. You are nothing. He is everything. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” said John the Baptist. John was not suffering from an identity crisis. This idea comes from humanistic psychology, not from the Bible, and it is tragic that Christians would fall for it. —TBC

"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." —Philippians 3:9
https://t.co/ybxmKfzYXP

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 18
The ministry of self-esteem is based upon a false foundation. It is only one of hundreds of conflicting psychological theories and thus is opposed by thousands of psychologists/psychiatrists both Christian and non-Christian. Moreover, it conflicts with God’s Word (Philippians 2:3): “In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves,” and Romans 12:3, which warns us not to think too highly of ourselves. Never does the Bible warn us not to think too little of ourselves, because we don’t have that problem. Yet that, according to “Christian psychologists,” is the cause of nearly every evil plaguing mankind today. Unfortunately, such teaching is not drawn from the Bible but from humanistic psychology. —TBC

"For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church…." —Ephesians 5:29
https://t.co/MINWTWj7VQ

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 17
The worst kind of attack is an ad hominem one, wherein the character of your opponent is impugned and doubt is cast on his integrity, while the evidence he brings is avoided. As a debate teacher once said many years ago, “If your opponent immediately jumps to name calling, he’s none too sure of his evidence.” —TBC

"Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." —1 Peter 3:16
https://t.co/m7hypRVo7X

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 16
If there is no moral response possible on man’s part, then “choose you this day” (Joshua 24:15) is impossible. —TBC

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." —Joshua 24:15
https://t.co/yh4usaViFj

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 15
It is blatantly dishonest to attempt to explain away differences in belief by saying that they simply represent Progressive Revelation, when, in fact, they represent different “revelations” that contradict each other—and, therefore, cannot possibly all come from God, who does not contradict today what He said yesterday. It may sound unifying to declare that Truth is one but called by different names. That, however, ignores the fact that Truth involves definite concepts—the correct answers to life’s ultimate questions—universal and timeless answers that do not change or vary with individuals or cultures. Greater revelation may be given, and has been given down through history as the Bible was being written, but the added revelations must agree with those of the past. You cannot build upon a foundation by undermining it. —TBC

"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." —Hebrews 13:7–9
https://t.co/Ty4zB6wWuy

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 14
Too often the phrase “Touch not God’s anointed!” is an excuse for not exercising the discernment God has given us. Many who say this are unaware that they have already judged an individual to be a prophet of God and, as a consequence, will not do anything that might seem to question their statements or activities, no matter what they say or do. May God keep us from such fatal complacency. —TBC

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." —1 John 4:1
https://t.co/xmmlXrzRQc

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 13
As far as God’s justice is concerned, Abraham asked a pointed rhetorical question of the Lord: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). David wrote in Psalm 19 of the faithfulness of God in leaving a witness of Himself: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” So many scriptures speak of God’s absolute justice and absolute love. Therefore, we can know that God is absolutely fair and just. As the Apostle Paul explained, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We do not know all the workings of God’s justice and mercy, but we know enough from the Scriptures to realize that the Judge of all the earth will do that which is right. —TBC

"That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" —Genesis 18:25
https://t.co/S64wA5nAZP

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 12
The Apostle Paul very carefully made some distinctions in 1 Corinthians 8:4–6: “We know…there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods…but to us there is but one God, the Father. . . .” He then acknowledges that there “is not in every man that knowledge…” (1 Corinthians 8:7). The Lord, who is knowledge, emphatically declares, “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Isaiah 43:10) and “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…” (Isaiah 45:5). —TBC

"Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed." —1 Samuel 2:3
https://t.co/lHfnkpoZ63

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 11
As it is beyond human capacity to comprehend the full nature of God’s being, so man cannot understand his own being—what it means for him or anything else to exist—nor can we comprehend what space is or what time is or what matter is. The universe itself is an enigma: for every door science opens, there are ten more unopened doors on the other side. As one philosopher of science has said, the more we learn, the more rapidly the unknown expands before us like receding images in a hall of mirrors. We will never discover its ultimate secret by examining the universe itself— for all that we learn points beyond to its Creator! —TBC

"Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." —Job 38:4
https://t.co/iI2JgIyX0B

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 10
The Bible tells us we are to run the Christian race “looking unto Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:2), not looking unto a picture or statue. Thus the problem with having a manmade focal point is that our imperfect concepts can often give the wrong impression of who Christ really is. Further, there is a danger of going beyond representation to an actual link with God. That’s the purpose of pagan or Catholic shrines. They are a Power Point, so to speak. Catholics go to Lourdes or Fatima to be healed; pagans go to shrines and temples to offer sacrifices and seek their gods’ favor. It is interesting that the Scriptures include the story of a man who was lying helpless beside one of these shrines but who found healing only when he met Jesus. —TBC

"He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." —John 9:11
https://t.co/XdoHc5FEOa

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 9
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess…the Lord Jesus…thou shalt be saved.” If Jesus is not God, He cannot save us, and if He is God (which He surely is), then He is Lord. No one can receive Christ as Savior and not as Lord, since He is Lord. A Jesus who is only Savior but not Lord is another Jesus. Christ doesn’t become Lord, nor do we make Him Lord—He is Lord. Jesus doesn’t come in two pieces: one of them Lord, the other Savior. —TBC

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." —John 20:28
https://t.co/XzdE0MXCBq

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - June 8
Is there a literal hell with literal flames? The Bible indicates that there is. Are those flames physical—or something even more horrible? Must something be physical to be real? Are the soul and spirit real? The rich man said he was “tormented in this flame” and asked that Lazarus might “dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue” (Luke 16:24). There was literal flame and burning thirst. Was it physical, or worse? His physical body was decaying in the grave and only his soul and spirit were in hell. —TBC

"And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." —Isaiah 66:24
https://t.co/wHwGSkWLjP

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - May 31
There are lasting values to consider that are far more important than temporary pleasure. This is true even for the unsaved person who has some ethical standards. What about honor and commitment? What about promises that have been made? In the long run, we would find lasting and deeper satisfaction and genuine joy at having been true to our commitments and having obeyed God and His Word, having kept our promises, and having lived for truth and honor. How could any temporary pleasure make up for the lasting regret one would have at knowing that honor and truth and commitment and righteousness had been trampled? —TBC

"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." —Psalm 15:1–2
https://t.co/wFjXMYsn7j

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - May 30
The Lord has His own time schedule and purposes for you, and He’s the One who knows best how to equip you. Focus your attention on what you already know the Lord has shown you to do. It’s amazing how, when we do what we already know we’re to do, the Lord completes our understanding by giving us further answers. —TBC

"A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." —Proverbs 16:9
https://t.co/Ygosi8Q40X

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - May 29
Every Christian must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, where he shall suffer loss or gain reward. Paul referred to this experience as “terror” and used it as motivation for greater service (see also 1 Corinthians 3:10–15). The writer of Hebrews warned that the Lord chastened those who were His sons. Furthermore, the Bible states that those who are without correction are really not His children. Consequently, anyone who professes to be a Christian and appears to continue in sin demonstrates that he very likely is not one at all. —TBC

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." —2 Corinthians 5:10
https://t.co/RGo9gc1miX

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - May 28
When one’s alleged “revelation knowledge” conflicts with God’s Word, it is but a short step from this to cultism. We must never let visions, revelation, or any other experience supersede the scriptures (2 Peter 1:18–20). —TBC

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." —1 John 4:1
https://t.co/x0YbGjP6eN

[The Berean Call @TheBereanCall]

Apples of Gold - May 27
The main things you must do are to study the Word of God, spend much time in communion with the Lord, and find a group of real Christians with whom you can fellowship regularly and who will hold you up in prayer and help you to grow in Christ. —TBC

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." —Galatians 6:1–2
https://t.co/lPZDlg70HK