Cincinnati Church

. Zacharias was doubtful about the promise and was struck dumb in judgment. vs. 18-25. 1. His doubt concerned perceived human limitations. a. Often, our moments of weakness of faith follow this pattern and hinder us from living freely and fully by the promises of God. b. Our inadequacies and limitations are the very instruments of God bringing glory to Himself. 2CO 12:9-10. c. Believers need help with t...

e. As a Nazarite, John would have been “different” and “separate” and under other restrictions. NUM 6:1-8. (1) He would have been restricted from contact with dead bodies. (2) He would have had long hair, the exception to the rule for men (1CO 11:7, 14), which, if ignored, erases the distinction of the Nazarite’s hair. (3) Jesus Christ, Whose Spirit authored 1CO 11:7, 14 would not have ...

C. Zacharias was offering the appointed incense when an angel appeared unto him in the temple. LUK 1:8-11. 1. This was one of the hours of prayer. Note the association of incense and prayer. PSA 141:2; REV 8:3-4. 2. Mind that duty is not a substitute for prayer, nor prayer a substitute for duty. The people who may be most expected to receive blessing are a people who respect the service of God’s house and that His house is a house of prayer. MA...

III. Judges 1. A. Joshua had died without appointing a successor but at least the children of Israel were yet willing to proceed with Canaan’s conquest and sought God’s direction. vs. 1-3. 1. This was proper protocol. NUM 27:21. 2. A lack of inquiry of God had earlier been costly. JOS 9:14. 3. A church’s efforts in evangelism should likewise be according to the commands and guidelines of Scripture. ...

V. Consider the parentage, generation and nativity of John. LUK 1:5-80. A. The time was the reign of Herod the Great, the monster who ordered the slaughter of all children of two years and under. v. 5 c/w MAT 2:16. 1. John would be born during a time when rising to prominence was dangerous. 2. John would, though, be raised in privacy in the deserts. LUK 1:80. B. John’s parents are of note. v. 5. 1. Zacharias (from ...

John the Baptist I. (JOH 1:6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. A. His name was by divine order, the first so named in that family line. LUK 1:13, 59-63. B. His name in Greek was Ioannes (SRN G2491), which, according to Thayer, means, “Jehovah is a gracious giver.” 1. That Greek word, according to Brown-Driver-Biggs Hebrew Dictionary, is from the Hebrew Yochanan (SRN H3110), which mea...

Judges I. This study is meant to be a light treatment of the Book of Judges. II. Preliminary observations. A. This book deals with a 450 year period after the conquest of Canaan. ACT 13:17-20. 1. An addition of the years of the different judges’ seasons does come to 450 years. 2. The KJV is accurate in its historical analysis in ACT 13:19-20. 3. Some modern versions corrupt the actual hi...

Governing The Tongue I. Man's tongue is his glory. PSA 30:12; 16:8-9 c/w ACT 2:25-26. A. Man is distinguished from the brute creation by his power of diverse, complex oral communication in both concrete and abstract ideas. B. Man was made after the similitude of God (JAM 3:9) Who communicated to man His will by His mouth in intelligent speech. GEN 1:27-31; 2:16-17. 1. Man accordingly commu...

Humble Thyself And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself... (Philippians 2:8) I. Definitions. A. humility: The quality of being humble or having a lowly opinion of oneself; meekness, lowliness, humbleness: the opposite of pride or haughtiness. B. humble: trans. To render humble or meek in spirit; to cause to think more lowly of oneself. C. humble: (adj.) Having a low es...

Vestiges, Double-Hearts and Drawbacks I. The heart’s devotion to God is vital to our unimpeded success in following Christ. There is a place for godly emotion of the heart in Christian duty. A. Conversion is largely a matter of full submission from within to the will of God: making Him one’s first love. MAT 22:36-37; REV 2:4. 1. Belief should be from the heart, fully. ROM 8:8-10; ACT 8:37; PRO 3:5. 2. Jesu...

Believe Me Not I. Men are to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. ACT 16:31. A. There are “...lords many...” (1CO 8:5). B. There is “...another Jesus...” (2CO 11:4). C. There are “...false Christs...” (MAT 24:24). D. It is therefore necessary to qualify which lord, which Jesus, which Christ is to be the object of true faith and worship. II. The Lord Jesus Christ of the Scriptures is the One Who does th...

Qualifications For Baptism I. Sometimes the question arises as to why a minister of Jesus Christ does not automatically baptize a petitioner. This study addresses that issue. II. To be qualified for baptism according to Scripture, there are some absolute requirements to be met. A. One must be a penitent believer who confesses sin and confesses Christ. MAT 3:6-11; MAR 16:15-16; ACT 2:38-41; 8:12, 36-37; 16:14-15, 31-34; 18:8;...

Christ’s Letter to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) A. Preliminary thoughts. 1. This letter may be the most critical of the seven letters to the churches. There is no commendation for them. ct/w REV 3:1-4. 2. For them is reserved a rarely seen attribute of God: disgust. 3. They were fat, satisfied, indifferent fence-straddlers lacking zeal and who were ignorant of their poor...

The Evening Sacrifice A. In his journey to the cross, Jesus Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter. ISA 53:7 c/w ACT 8:32 c/w MAT 26:57; 27:2, 31. B. There was a particular hour to which He was appointed. JOH 12:27; 13:1. C. Jesus died shortly after the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). MAT 27:45-50. 1. This was the time of the appointed daily evening sacrifice in Moses' Law. EXO 29:38-39. 2. It was at the time of the evening sacrifice w...

6. Consider the Spirit's ministry of empowering. a. The goal of the gospel is obedience. ROM 15:18; 16:25-26. b. The Holy Spirit empowers to obey. EZE 11:19-20; ROM 8:13-14. (1) This power must be sought through believing prayer. EPH 3:16-17; MAT 6:13; ROM 5:2 c/w HEB 4:16; 11:6. (2) This power is experienced in faithful obedience to the word...

The Holy Spirit I. The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) is also called the Holy Ghost. MAT 3:16 c/w LUK 3:22. II. The Spirit has personality. He is not just a force. 1CO 2:10-11; ROM 8:26-27; 1TI 4:1; JOH 14:16-17. III. The Holy Spirit is declared Deity. ACT 5:3-4; ISA 6:5, 8-10 c/w ACT 28:25-27. IV. Consider the diverse operations and provinces of the Spirit. 1CO 12:4-6; REV 1:4 c/w ISA 11:2. A. The Spirit takes part in creatio...

Ebal and Gerizim A. Definitions. 1. Ebal = stone or bald/bare mountain. 2. Gerizim = cut up/off, rocky. 3. bless: To declare to be supernaturally favoured; to pronounce or make happy. To pronounce words that confer (or are held to confer) supernatural favour and well-being. To confer well-being upon; ‘to make happy; to prosper, make successful.’ 4. curse: trans. To utter against (persons or things) wo...

Our Manner of Prayer A. Our Lord Jesus Christ recommended a manner of prayer for disciples. MAT 6:9-13. B. manner: The way in which something is done or takes place; method of action; mode of procedure. 1. Christ is not teaching that this is a formula (A set form of words in which something is defined, stated, or declared, or which is prescribed by authority or custom to be used on some ceremonial occasion) of prayer. ...

V. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...” (MAT 5:22). This issue alone deserves attention. A. The Jews stressed the judgment of outward actions only, such as unlawful killing (v. 21) which was to be adjudicated and punished by sentence of death in wilful cases. NUM 35:31. 1. They knew the Law differentiated between premeditated or active killing and one ...

Four Generations (Proverbs 30:11-14) A. generation: That which is generated. 5. The whole body of individuals born about the same period; also, the time covered by the lives of these. 6. Family, breed, race; class, kind, or ‘set’ of persons. Obs. 1. Jesus described Israel of His day (especially its leaders) as being a childish, implacable generation. MAT 11:16-17. 2. Jesus ca...

Anger And Its Management I. Definitions. A. anger: The active feeling provoked against the agent; passion, rage; wrath, ire, hot displeasure. B. angry: Of persons: actively affected against the agent or cause of trouble; feeling or showing resentment; enraged, wrathful, irate. C. rage: Madness; insanity; a fit or access of mania. Obs. exc. poet. 2. Violent anger, furious passion, usually ...

Double Minded I. Definitions. A. double-minded: Having two 'minds'; undecided or wavering in mind. B. waver: Of persons, their sentiments, etc.: To exhibit doubt or indecision; to change or vary; to fluctuate or vacillate (between); to falter in resolution or allegiance; to show signs of giving way. C. establish: To render stable or firm. a) To strengthen by material support. b) To...

Soberness, Moderation, Temperance sober: Moderate, temperate, avoiding excess, in respect of the use of food and drink; not given to the indulgence of appetite. Of demeanor, speech, etc.: Grave, serious, solemn, indicating or implying a serious mind or purpose. moderation: Limitation, restriction; a fixed limit; a restricting provision or clause. Control, rule, governance. temperance: The practice or habit of restraining oneself in provocation, passion, desire, etc.;...

The Gospel Not Involved In Regeneration (Ten Reasons Why) I. The CONDITION OF MAN precludes it. The gospel cannot help: A. those who are dead. GEN 2:17; EPH 2:1-3; COL 2:13. B. those who cannot see it. JOH 3:3. C. those who cannot hear it. JOH 8:43. D. those who cannot understand it. JOH 8:43; ROM 3:11. E. those who will not seek God. PSA 14:2-3; ROM 3:11. F. those who cann...