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Adam

The Eyes of God

August 19, 2014 by Michael Coughlin

When the Bible says “God saw” or refers to “God’s eyes” what do you think that means? Is God like we are. I had an opportunity for a short devotion this Sunday at my church and decide to look into the “Eyes of God.”

Notably, I posted about Habakkuk 1:13 years ago here. That is one of the verses I teach about in the above audio.

If you enjoyed “The Eyes of God,” – check out “The Eyes of Man.”

Filed Under: Creation, Gospel, Love, Memory Verses, Theology Tagged With: Adam, apologetics, attributes of God, church, God, Gospel, Grace, logic, Love, Righteous, savior, Scripture, self-control, sin

Movie Theater Witnessing

January 8, 2012 by Michael Coughlin

I planned to go out witnessing the first Saturday of 2012. My initial plan was to go to my normal fishing spot, downtown Columbus. There is plenty of foot traffic in the “bar district” to provide a lot of opportunity to distribute tracts and get into witnessing encounters.

But last night, as I was on my way out, (without my usual partner), I decided I’d try to stay closer to home. A large part of the Saturday night downtown witnessing is the fellowship in the car. And the Marcus Cinema Pickerington is only a couple miles from my local church, so I am always hopeful that if a convert was made there, they would be able to come to Berean Baptist Church as well!

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the theater building emptying quickly! I figured a movie must have just finished. I hurriedly parked my car and jumped out, excited to share the gospel. Popped opened the trunk and, voila!, no tract bag. I ALWAYS keep a tract and bible bag in the car! Alas, not tonight. So I walked toward the theater entrance with only the tracts that are “customarily” kept in my coat, about 40 of them.

I was walking toward the large entrance when I saw a couple of young men coming out the “side” exit. I strolled over and offered them tracts. Their names were Markell and Anthony. They are juniors at the local high school. I asked them standard questions about what they think happens after death; Anthony has a church background. They were both happy to talk. Anthony had a “mildly” strange belief that you go to 1 of 3 heavens. He said there was a heaven for people who accept Jesus and remain sinless, a lesser heaven for people who accept Jesus and still sin, and a third heaven for everyone else: which he said was basically hell. I had never heard anything like this before. I asked them what happens to a good Hindu boy who is raised Hindu and never hears of Jesus, and they were quite sure that boy would go to Heaven. When I explained the contradiction in their own “theology,” they understood and seemed interested in resolving the conflict. They each admitted to several sins and understood all the courtroom analogies about the good judge and the Judge of the earth doing what is Right. I explained to them about the glorious grace of Christ and challenged them to read the book of John: just 1 chapter a day. They agreed. Hopefully, the Lord will save them by his gospel.

One of the interesting notes of this conversation was their belief that people are born “basically good.” I explained to them about Adam and Eve and original sin and why we are all born sinners. This gave me opportunity as well to talk about the virgin birth. Praise God for the only consistent worldview, a biblical one. I honest can’t imagine how many cultists keep track of the lies they believe. But getting to talk about Adam and Eve was a blessing, because it allowed me to bring up the fact that there is only one race, the human race. These two young men, as well as most everyone I met last night would be commonly considered “black” and I would certainly be called “white.” I hope that being able to communicate to them that I believe we are essentially cousins through Adam and Eve greases any friction they may sense due to “racial” problems we’ve brought upon ourselves in our culture.

I then ran into Chris and Tiara. Obviously a ‘teen date-night.’ Chris was wearing an ornate rosary. I stopped him and asked him what it meant to him. I was, admittedly, shocked when he had no idea what a rosary is really for or what it represents. His girl was proud to point at it and say it “has Jesus on it.” So I asked them who they thought Jesus was and eventually got them to go through a good person test. Chris had a lot of trouble admitting sin or even keeping eye contact with me. Tiara is a professed Christian. Neither of them had any idea how they would obtain forgiveness, but Tiara seemed to know it had something to do with repentance and Jesus. I left them with tracts and a challenge to believe the gospel.

I continued to hand out tracts and finally made it near the large theater entrance. TEENS EVERYWHERE. I approached a couple young boys named Dayquan and DeBron. Another Dayquan and a boy named Christian eavesdropped as well. These kids were extremely interested in the entire conversation. Even when distracted, they kept coming back to the conversation. Dayquan (1), after the gospel presentation, indicated that he had been baptized. It always amazes me when right after a gospel conversation, people seem to have no idea what I just told them. I reminded him that salvation was offered by grace through faith alone and I trust the Spirit of God can and will use His gospel to regenerate the hearts of these young men if they are of His elect. I wasn’t trying to boast, but at one point in the conversation I was trying to communicate how important this message is. I told them that the message itself, and their souls, was so important to me that I was missing time with my wife, “and the Lions game,” I said. At that point, I realized how really low I God had to reach to pull me out of the gutter…I am sortof a Lions fan. 😉

I was pleased that these guys were apparently friends with Chris and Tiara, who came back. They chuckled when they saw their friends talking to me. Praise God that they all allowed me to pray for them (as did Anthony and Markell) as we stood in a circle in public. I can tell you I would have NEVER let some freak pray for me in public when I was in high school!

Finally, I found another group of teens “milling about.” As I approached them I reaching into my pocket and pulled out my tracts. Upon seeing this, these guys (who must be from a rough neighborhood?), sorta “freaked out.” I realized what they thought and I made a joke about a guy “pulling out a piece in public.” One of the guys laughed and said, “M0t4er f***er just said ‘pull out a piece!'”

This isn’t exactly mind-blowing. Of course, I personally try to avoid profane language (eph 5:29), but what is most interesting to know at this point is that during the course of the conversation with these 4 guys (Montrel, Doug and two unnamed individuals), I found out they all go to the same church. Salvation is by grace, but I don’t imagine God’s people using that type of language, at least not for long. When I asked them about what happens when they die, they said that they either go to hell, or if they get the “holy ghost” they can go to Heaven. I asked them how to get the holyghost. They weren’t sure, but Montrel had recently gotten baptized, which he indicated was a step in the right direction. This was a tough bunch, distracted through the conversation, proud of the fact they were ‘presently lusting’ and disruptive to the point that I sternly chastised the one young man to simply be quiet. I told him that if he did’t care about his own soul, that was ok, but I cared about it and maybe his friends cared about their own. I thanked him afterward for controlling himself.

I finished off all my tracts and took my frozen fingers to my car and returned to my wife. It was really a wonderful experience, and I hope the Lord will save one or many of these young people. I was really impressed overall and had a fun time talking to young people. Thanks be to God for the opportunity and for His wonderful faithfulness.

Filed Under: Creation, Gospel, Witnessing Tagged With: Adam, Bible, Christ, evangelism, Forgiveness, Gospel, Grace, people, pride, sin

Christian Haiku

July 14, 2010 by Michael Coughlin

Ok, this is a bit off the beaten path, but tonight during the adult prayer meeting, it was my privilege to work with the children. Normally I preach for 30-40 minutes (they are a great practice audience), but since they already sat through Pastor Cuenin’s “Wednesday mini,” I figured I’d cut them a break. We had two new girls there, so I made sure to present the plan of salvation in Christ alone, then we wrote “Bible Haiku.” Please enjoy!

David’s coat was many colors
Moses was a good leader
Jesus died for our sins
Moriah age 7
Moses was a baby
3 wise men saw the baby
Jesus love babies
Luke age 7
Noah built an ark
he brought animals with him
there was a great storm
Bailey age 9
Jesus died for me
on the cross he bore my sins
suffering my shame
Michael age 34
Genesis is true
Adam and Eve walked with God
then disobeyed Him
Michael age 34
crucifixion time
Christ on the cross for sinners
and he rose again
Alexandra age 6
Jesus rose again
Jesus died on the cross for
our sins…Jesus loves us
Nicholas age 7
Jesus died for me
Jesus was nailed to a cross
Samson’s hair was cut
Samuel age 9
Noah brought a few animals
Jesus loves the little children
there was a big flood
Jayden age 9
Adam and Eve sinned
God created a Heaven
Noah built an ark
Taylor age 10
Abraham’s promise
fulfilled in his seed the Christ
Jesus, Sovereign Lord
Michael age 34
when Jesus was a
baby his mommy held him
and loved him so much
Nathan age 4
Proverbs has wisdom
Romans theological
prophetic is Psalms
Michael age 34
Moses a baby
Moses went to the Pharoah
lived in a basket
Caleb age 6
Elijah loves light
fears the command of the queen
laughs at their idols
Michael age 34
Jesus loves us lots
first he died on the cross
then he rose again
Nicholas age 7
Malachi is the
messenger of the Lord God
last O.T. prophet
Michael age 34
husbands love your wives
as Christ loves his church and gave
himself a ransom
Michael age 34

Filed Under: Creation, Gospel, Just me, Love Tagged With: Adam, Bible, church, Creation, God, Gospel, Grace, Jesus, Love, people

Romans 5:12

June 11, 2010 by Michael Coughlin

Romans 5:12 KJV: Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.

What a great verse to hold in your heart! What does Paul mean by “one man sin entered into the world?” This is a reference to Adam’s sin in Genesis 3:6-7. Adam’s sin in Genesis 3 provides the foundation for the reason we live in a sin cursed world and need a redeemer in a first place. Dear Christian, do not throw this away! In the spirit of “modernity,” many have found it necessary to avoid drawing on and trusting the supernatural, particularly creation. Some will say, “It doesn’t matter what I believe about creation, if I have Jesus, that’s all that matters.” God forbid. It does matter. Your view of creation is a reflection of, or rather a manifestation of, your view of scripture itself. And the same author who said “In the beginning,” (Gen 1:1, John 1:1) also said “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). That author is the Holy Spirit; and His authority is absolute and trustworthy. If you don’t believe Genesis 1-3, tell me, at what point do you start believing?

Here in Romans, Paul confirms that in Adam we all sinned. We all have had a death sentence passed up on us. We all are sinners, and we’ve all sinned. (Rom 3:23) None can stand righteous before God. (Rom 3:10-12) This is important to understand! Hold this verse in your heart to remind you that scripture is sufficient: from beginning to end. Your cleverness is unnecessary; in fact, it will destroy the message. No human author would have conceived of a curse like this, nor redemption in Christ alone, by His righteousness alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, for His glory alone. Read Romans 5:6-19 during your devotion …and see the hope that we can offer others, hope that holds no meaning except that it is declared by the Word…the Word to which we must hold fast!

Filed Under: Creation, Gospel, Memory Verses, Theology Tagged With: Adam, apologetics, Bible, Christ, Creation, Forgiveness, glory, God, Gospel, Grace, Holy, Jesus, power, Righteous, savior, Scripture, sin

2 Timothy 1:7

May 28, 2010 by Michael Coughlin

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

I’m a KJV guy…not “KJV only” guy, but I often read the KJV, and when I do memory verses I always use the KJV. I have become a big ESV fan lately for reading and studying though. Anyway, the reason I share this is because I would like to show you how studying multiple versions is essential sometimes for proper understanding of the scriptures. It’s also a lot easier for people to do than studying Greek or Hebrew!

So let’s look at 2 Tim 1:7 NASB, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” Now that’s a little different, isn’t it? What if I told you that the word “cowardice” could be used instead of the word “timidity” or “fear?” It is worth noting that the word translated “fear” in this verse is different from the word translated “fear” in the following verses: Rev 14:7, 15:4, 19:5, 11:18, 1 Pet 2:17, Heb 13:6, 11:27. There are several others as well, if you do a word search for G5399 “phobeo.”

My point is this. There are (at least) 2 definitions for fear that we must understand. The first definition, the one used in the verses above that describe a proper fear of God, implies reverence. The word used in 2 Tim 1:7 is a different word. This word has more to do with the cowardice and timidity that people often have out of a desire for SELF-preservation. Let me be clear. God DID GIVE us the SPIRIT OF FEAR and AWE and REVERENCE OF HIM. If you have this, it is from HIM. What God has not given us is the spirit of cowardice that Paul was warning Timothy of in 2 Timothy. If you read the 2 letters to Timothy, you will see that Timothy struggled with the fear of men. He feared persecution for the gospel; I also infer that he was even afraid of some of his own church members’ opinion of him and “his youth.” (1 Tim 4:12) While it is clearly true, and biblical to look up to “elders,” (people of the faith for many years), it is also true that the Holy Spirit may choose to work in any believer’s heart at any rate. Take Paul for example
he wasn’t a Christian for very long before he began preaching and teaching and sharing God’s Word with others! Now he had a lot more special revelation than anyone else, but the concept still applies; the Holy Spirit can and will reveal to a man that which He chooses, and we should test men by what the Bible says, not their apparent reputation, education or age. (Although these factors can be useful!)

Now I’m finally getting to the point of the verse! Paul is telling Timothy that any timidity or fear he had, (as it pertained to his duties as a preacher-teacher-pastor-evangelist), was not the result of God. On the contrary, God had already provided Timothy (as well as all believers) with a spirit of Love, power and self-control, a disciplined mind. Fear of persecution, rejection, or loss of relationships is a self-centered, self-preserving thought, and if captured by your mind and subjected to Christ (Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) you will not be able to remain that way for long. Even if the fear remains, the cowardice or timidity which paralyzes you, and keeps you from acting correctly, (e.g., sharing the gospel), will be overcome by your love for God, the power you know He possesses and will display through you, and the disciplined mind you have cultivated as the result of the fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23)! As Tony Miano has reminded me, the cowardly will see the Lake of Fire too (Revelation 21:8), not because works reconcile a person to God, but because if 2 Tim 1:7 is true, then truly regenerate people are no longer “cowards!”

Finally, what are we to conclude about fear anyway? Is it a God-given instinct which aids in preservation of the species? Is there a true fight or flight reaction to external stimuli that God put in us so that we would survive? While this is possible, and there is circumstantial data to show that these phenomenon do seem to occur, I will maintain that biblically we are NOT given a spirit of fear by God. Our sound mind, if anything is that which, and ought to be that which, we use to determine whether to approach a situation, although it does seem we use this to interpret the feelings of timidity we often experience. Let me put it this way. Imagine a person filled with the Holy Spirit, completely trusting that God is sovereign and powerful and Good. Imagine this person believes that every moment of their life is already known by God and every event falls into God’s Holy decree (as the Bible declares). Is it reasonable to believe this person would ever experience self-preserving fear? How many cubits might he add to his stature, (Luke 12:25) or how many years to his own life will he add with this worry? (see Luke 12:22-30) A person who truly trusts the One True God cannot worry! The problem, as always, is a heart problem. We all need to have our hearts turned more toward Him, our focus on Christ as Savior and Lord and Provider, Author and Perfecter (Heb 12:2) of our Faith! It is impossible to worry about self-preservation when you believe that it is God who grants your every breath! It is unreasonable to fear rejection of men when you know you are a child of the King and are but an ambassador on His behalf. None of us, in this life, will ever be fully filled with the Spirit and perfectly live this out, but we can grow in this direction, and trust that the cowardice and timidity we face here will be gone once the curse is lifted. I can say with certainty that Adam did not experience this problem before the fall, and we will not know these terrible emotions after Christ returns. Our world is sin-cursed, and this is just another byproduct of the unholiness we love as sinful men. Praise Jesus for the rebirth of men’s souls, yours included if you are one of His!

If you are finding ministry difficult and fearful, why? Are you actually sharing God’s Word or are you sharing your thoughts and words as the emphasis instead of His? Are you concerned with what people think of you or where they spend eternity and How Christ is magnified? Be unashamed! (Romans 1:16) If there is anything to fear, it would be Christ denying you before His father! (Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 10:32-33) Make sure you are right with Him and then trust Him for every need!

Filed Under: Gospel, Love, Memory Verses, Theology Tagged With: Adam, apologetics, attributes of God, Bible, Christ, Creation, Forgiveness, God, Gospel, Grace, Holy, Love, power, savior, Scripture, self-control, sin

Genesis 1:31

May 14, 2010 by Michael Coughlin

Genesis 1:31

And God saw every thing that He had made and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

What a simple verse, truly! But as always, God’s text is packed with meaning, and in this case, utterly under attack for centuries now. Sadly, it is professing Christians who have likely done the most damage with attempts to put meaning here that is not inherent in the text. Notice I did not call those attempts “well-intentioned,” as a truly well-intentioned attempt at interpreting the Bible will start with a biblical worldview and a belief that scripture is the ultimate authority.

This verse follows a pattern of verses in Genesis 1. Once on the first day, twice on the third day, and once on both the fourth and fifth days, God looked upon His creation and calls it (or some aspect of it) “good.” (Gen 1:4,10,12,18,21) During the sixth day, God refers to His creation again as “good,” before He made man (Gen 1:25). But when God declares creation very good, He declares it “complete.” The word used for very has a slightly different connotation than we are used to in English where it is comparative. It is more a description of completeness, or done-ness, to be understood as superlative, exhibiting without reservation the idea of “wholly” or “exceedingly” good, in this case. It is now that we apply proper hermeneutics to infer that sin could not have existed at this point in creation. For creation to be wholly good, by God’s standard of Goodness, sin could not have tainted creation. Since death is the result of sin, we also can know with certainty that no death had occurred, based on properly and reasonably interpreting the Bible.

Secondly, the other pattern that was followed for this chapter was the “evening and the morning were the nth day” phrase. One of the favorite arguments of people who want to reconcile (or compromise) the Bible with evolution and an old age for the Earth is that the Hebrew word Yom, used for day, can also mean a long age. But when have you ever referred to an evening and a morning as anything but a 24 hour day? When have you ever referred to 6 consecutive periods of an evening and a morning as anything but 6 days? You wouldn’t, because it defies reason. God didn’t do this either. God described what occurred, and the order in which it occurred. One reason that He chose to do it this way, I believe, is to intentionally contradict the “wisdom” of man. Evolution and Big Bang theories say the sun came before the earth; dinosaurs (land animals) before birds; and death before man ever existed. Genesis 1:1-31 deliberately and directly contradicts these ideas. Ex 20:11 aids to confirm this. 2 Peter 3:3-7 even prophesies about today’s “scoffers” and believers in uniformitarianism!

Dear reader, God created the world in six consecutive 24 hour days, and then rested. Since the first sin, man had no true rest! God painted a beautiful picture on that seventh day of the rest we have available to us in Christ. If you will give up the strivings of your own hearts, the works of your own hands and lay it all at the cross and follow Him, you can enter that rest spoken of in Hebrews 4:10-11. All those who thirst, come
John 7:37-39.

Filed Under: Creation, Gospel, Memory Verses, Theology Tagged With: Adam, apologetics, attributes of God, Bible, Creation, God, Gospel, Holy, people, savior, Scripture, sin

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