David Young's Blog (319)

I write as a ministry. And I pray that people will come face to face with the Living God in my writings.

One of my books was just released, AGAPE, The Infinite, Ultimate Love of God. I pray that God will touch the lives of people through this book. I do pray that it will sell well. I pray, and I ask you to pray with me, that God will use it to touch the lives of…

In John 15:15 Jesus said something I don't think I have ever heard emphasized.

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends."

The Great Commission actually begins with Jesus saying, “All Authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me.” In a sense He is saying,…

WITH THE WILD ANIMALS

The Gospel of Mark begins like thunder, with the prophecy of Isaiah and the ministry of John the Baptist. In rapid succession Mark runs through the events leading up to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Then Mark rushes on without giving us the details of His temptation found in Matthew and Luke. But he gives a quiet detail not found in the other Gospels. Look with me at Mark…

I have recently been made more aware of serious problems in our nation, and of spiritual attack in the lives of people that I love. These things are frustrating. And one of the most frustrating factors in my seeing these things is that I cannot see anything I can do to have any appreciable effect. But while I cannot help in the physical realm, I know I can have great effect in the spiritual realm where the real battle will be fought. Paul wrote about this in 2…

STORYTELLING

When I was a boy, our pastor was Dr. Max Stanfield. That may not mean anything to you if you are not from Oklahoma, and now, if you are not really old. Dr. Max died in the dark ages when I was 13. But he was a marvellous preacher, and a wonderful pastor. He had been a college football player, and a collegiate champion debater. Above all else, I remember Max as a consummate storyteller. He used to tell…

I am writing a novel right now. And I have a certain perspective on the process. According to Jerry Jenkins, who wrote the Left Behind Series, and actually several other experienced authors, there are basically two kinds of fiction writers. Some are out-liners. There is an integrity to this kind of writing. And in fact, this includes writers, like Davis Bunn and others whose writings I love.

But I am not an…

It is important for us to know that Jesus chose to be crucified on Passover. He could have chosen any day of the year. He could have chosen any of the Jewish holy days. He could have chosen the feast of Tabernacles, celebrating the miracles of His grace. He could have chosen the solemn Day of Atonement. But He chose the most comprehensive of celebrations, Passover.

For some time He had actually been telling His…

Every week when I was a pastor, I did what I called walking my sermons. Although this depends on the Biblical foundations I wrote about last week, I believe it is the most valuable advice I can give preachers.

The sermon is an oral event. It is what Marshall McLuhan called a hot medium of communication. I would argue that you should not write out a sermon, and then try to memorize it, trying to translate from…

What I am teaching in these blog posts is expository or direct Biblical preaching. I believe there is a place for topical preaching and apologetic, or subject teaching. But I believe you will find great power in sharing what God has to say to people in His word.

THE SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

AND

BIBLICAL BEDROCK…

INTRODUCTION

Paul's admonition to Timothy is still appropriate.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.…

THE SERIOUSNESS OF HYPOCRISY

It is interesting how we rank sins. My nephew has noted that different Christian denominations rank sins differently. He said divorce is about at the top in the denomination we belong to. But he told me a story of a similar church in a different denomination that was considering making someone he knew a deacon. They never questioned his divorce, but they would not ordain him, if…

This week my personal devotions are in Matthew 24. And I have been struck by a number of things that Jesus said in this chapter about the last days. I am aware that what I am writing may be disturbing to some of us. And that is not my intent. God is in control no matter what we face in these times. I have joked in the past that in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 where Paul says, “Comfort one another with these words,” we misread it, “Scare the life out of one another…

Most of us think there is very little hope for mankind in the law of God. And if you think of keeping the law in your own efforts as your self-salvation project, it is indeed absolutely hopeless. However the law of God was not given to bring Salvation. It shows us God's standards of right and wrong. And when we come to it with a transformed heart, it shows us how we are able to please God who has done everything to save us. And the law helps us break free from…

Several months ago I wrote a blog post that was primarily on Jeremiah 29:11. I was reacting to something I heard said from the pulpit. The preacher said we could not take this as a promise if we were not Israelites being sent into exile. I took exception to this in my blog, showing that this verse has universal application. But in this post I want to apply this truth to Scripture as a whole. Look with me at something Jesus said in Matthew…

What is the wedding garment in the parable in Matthew 22:12? In the parable recorded in the first verses of Matthew 22, when those who would not come to the king's wedding feast were destroyed, the servants were sent out to bring anyone they found, good or bad, to the wedding feast. But when the king came in to see his guests he found one without a wedding garment. “Friend,” he said, “how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” And there was nothing…

In 2 Timothy Paul gives us a marvelous example of integral hope in his life. Paul's life even at that difficult end was still buoyed by a higher purpose. 2 Timothy 4:1,2 reads,

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete…

Last week I wrote about Jesus praying when His soul was troubled. In John 12:27 Jesus said something crucial about life in Him. His words were, “For this purpose.” Few things are as crucial in coping with life as getting a firm grip on the purpose of God. All hope must be bound together with purpose. The higher your purpose the more substantial your hope.

I recently…

How do you pray when your soul is troubled? In John 12:27,28 Jesus said His soul was troubled.

First, it is important to see that having a troubled soul is not necessarily sin. Jesus' soul was troubled. In fact, having a troubled soul may indicate spiritual sensitivity. It certainly did in the life of Jesus. His disciples couldn't see anything to be troubled about on that day. But look at these verses and see how…

Do you use profanity in your writing? Frankly, I have been alarmed lately at the amount of profanity I have found in books and motion pictures. I won't argue with you, at least at this point, if you tell me that I should not be reading those books or watching those movies. For now I just want to deal with the phenomenon. First, while all of these words represent bitterness and rebellion, there are actually at least four separate categories of…