Music brings Scripture alive for me. It’s not just something I hear, it’s something I feel deep in my spirit. There are moments I don’t just want to read the Word, I want to pray it and sing it. I take my old Songs We Sing hymnal into my prayer closet, and those old songs turn into sermon for me. They carry truth sound doctrine, and they carry the presence of God in a way that reaches deep into my heart. “It Is Finished” is my favorite song of Easter, and every single line of that song impacted me this week. If you choose to read this long post, I pray you are impacted as well. And when Jesus cried out It is finished, He meant exactly that!!! “There’s a line that is drawn through the ages” All of history is divided by one moment, the cross. Before it, man was bound in sin, striving and sacrificing but never able to be enough. After it, grace was released because the final sacrifice had been made. The cross did not just happen, it separated everything. “On that line stands an old ...

  I created this chart to help you sort out what's biblical and what's not. Hope it helps! Explicitly Biblical — “The Bible says it” These are truths directly stated in Scripture with little to no ambiguity. • Clear commands, doctrines, or events  • Repeated or strongly affirmed in multiple places  • Not dependent on inference  Examples:  • “Jesus is the only way to the Father” • “All have sinned”  • “Love your enemies”  • “Christ rose from the dead”  • “Salvation is by grace through faith” Implicitly Biblical — “The Bible supports it” These beliefs are not always stated in one verse but are clearly derived from the whole counsel of Scripture. • Built from multiple passages working together  • Strong theological consensus  • Solid, faithful inference  Examples:  • “God is sovereign over all things”  • “Believers are called to make disciples”  • “Sin separates us from God”  • “The chu...

The Christmas account of the Magi offers insight into how the Holy Spirit works to bring mankind to Christ. The wise men or μάγος (wise men, magicians) were likely educated Babylonians who would have heard of the Jewish Messiah when the Jews were in captivity and exile. Due to their fascination and study of the supernatural, they were prime candidates to witness Jesus’ arrival. The unusual star is what got their attention. And, being astrologers themselves, they quickly recognized that this star was different than other stars that moved about in the night sky. The star’s physical illumination led the way for the Magi to find Jesus nearly 2 years after his birth. But if we take a few moments to reflect, there is something deeper at work here. In the Bible, darkness and light are two terms used metaphorically. Darkness is generally associated with ignorance or evil, and light is used as a metaphor to describe understanding or the Holy Spirit and his work. The star illuminated the path t...

Don't turn away from this one too quickly. It has wide-ranging applications. Over the years I have developed my own set of "rules" for studying and teaching the Word of God. They are not meant as substitutes for established sound exegetical guidelines ,  but are my own personal addendum that help guide my studies. Rule #4: context, Context, CONTEXT      Like most everything else in life, understand the context of a matter aids in understanding the matter. You might even say that a matter cannot be understood unless the context it understood first. We see this in media and politics frequently where a word or phrase taken out of contex t so that the story can be tainted or spun at the author's discretion.  The great rule in real estate was aptly stated by Lord Samuel Harold, "There are three things that matter in property:  location, location, location ."(NY Times 6/28/2009)   In theology and Bible study the rule is similar: context, context, conte...

" not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." - Heb. 10:25 When it comes being a Christian, one of the fundamental truths that we much grasp is that we are now part of something much bigger than we are as individuals. We have become part of the family of God, the Body of Christ: the Church. As a Christian, you are not the Church by yourself, but you are part of the Church. Your unique gifts, talents, and personality means that you are unlike anyone else in creation. You are a valued member of God's family. That means that the Church needs you, and you need the Church! When the writer of Hebrews penned the verse above, I doubt very seriously that he could even guess that we would be in the place we are today. Due to COVID-19, every church in the US--and likely all over the world--is operating a bit differently than before. Most of us have been impacted to some degree wh...

  " For you will no longer remember the oracle of the L ord , because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the L ord  of hosts, our God." - Jer. 23:36 One problem the people of Israel encountered was prophets who prophesied their own oracles as if they came from God. In Jeremiah chapter 6 we see the LORD condemning the voices of falsehood, "Saying 'Peace, peace, but there is no peace.'"(v.14) The people during Jeremiah's day had turned from God's oracles to the oracles of man, and they would suffer as a result.  Although Jeremiah's words about people perverting God's words were directed at a straying Israelite leadership and people, the words speak to the world in which we now live as well. This will not be a popular notion, but it seems we are seeing more and more Christian proclaiming messages God has supposedly said or something God is supposedly going to do. I am a Pentecostal pr...

The L ord ’ s  lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,  For His compassions never fail.  They  are new every morning;  Great is Your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3: 22-23 The book of Lamentations is not the most uplifting of writings, but then again, Jeremiah's writings tend to be a bit darker than that of other prophets. He suffered much as a prophet, and it is reflected in his tone. Don't believe me? Take note of just a few of his comments in chapter 3:  He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away (v3), He has walled me in so that I cannot go out (v7), He is to me like a bear lying in wait (v10), He has filled me with bitterness (v15), I have forgotten happiness (v17). Not very encouraging is it? Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, and it shows. However, this same prophet turns around and gives us this great statement about God's lovingkindness. It almost seems out of character. How is this possible? Well, Jeremiah understood something that ...

"Jesus wept." - John 11:35 Hands down, this is the shortest verse in the Bible. Two little words, but they carry a very large message.  When Lazarus became sick, Jesus knew the plan was to delay so Lazarus would die. That sounds harsh, but God had a much-bigger plan than healing Lazarus. Jesus was going to raise him from the dead, thus proving to be the Son of God. The disciples nor Mary and Martha had knowledge of this plan. Four days later we find that Lazarus has died and Jesus now wants to go to where Lazarus was. Once Jesus arrives he sees Mary and Martha and all the mourners grieving. I'm quite sure the disciples were weeping as well. Then we see something remarkable. Even though Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the grave, and even though everyone's weeping is about to change to exhilaration, Jesus weeps as well. So, the question is why? I believe the answer is fairly simple: Jesus wept because his friends wept. the Bible is clear that Jesus understand...

" And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." - 2 C orinthians 12:9 It is easy to get strengths and weaknesses mixed up in our world. Society has a habit of encouraging behaviors that we often deem as wrong. Crying, for  example, is seen by many as weakness. Other behaviors often seen as weak include apologizing for harmful actions, refraining from retaliating against those who hurt you, and even  seeking treatment for illness . I'm not trying to make a list of items, but just to simply point out that we often mistake strength for weakness. The Bible gives us some very good insight into this very idea. Paul dealt with some mysterious "thorn in the flesh" . To this day no one knows precisely what Paul struggled with, but it was so something so difficult that he asked Jesus to take it from him--three times....

  "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." - Acts 17:1 We live in a social-media-infested world in which everyone is a practicing physician, historian, or theologian...or at least that what they claim; a world in which everyone is now an expert. Many claim truth is relevant, and others say it does not exist at all. And opinions? Well, opinions are as numerous as the stars in the sky. The result is that truth is often left behind. During one of his missionary journeys Paul ended up in Berea. There he preached and taught of Christ just as he had done in many other places. In Berea, the believers listened to what the apostle Paul said, but they did something even more important: they measured his words against Scripture. Paul was--arguably--the greatest evangelist in history, and his reputation was well-known. However, the ...

Genesis 1 For every day and everything God created He finishes by saying it was good ; every day that is except for day six. When He created man, He did not say that His newest creation was good , but blessed .  Blessed. Blessed, created in the image of God, and filled with the breath of God.   Actually, He does say that the entirety of His creation is very good (v.31) but only man was blessed in this passage.  Blessed indeed

"...when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Matt. 6:18)    Years ago I went on a fast, but did not tell my wife, but rather choosing to make it a secret from anyone. I just so happened that a day or two later that she desired on of her favorite quick-meals: bean burritos, extra cheese and no onions. Due to my fast, I ordered nothing. As we drove down the road she asked me the inevitable question, "Would like some of this burrito?" My answer was a simple "No thank you." This was repeated several times until she began to wave said burrito in front of my face, telling me just how marvelous it was. It was at this time that informed her that I was fasting, which caused her to feel quite guilty. Looking back at I can clearly tell you that it was funny then and even funnier now (at least to m...

" ...even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." - Rom 4:17 (NASB)    Typically speaking, when we think about creation, our minds immediately go to Genesis. There we read how the LORD spoke and the universe as we know it came into being. After six days God rested or ceased. But is this the end? Is it possible that He is still creating, even as you read this?     The verse above is speaking about Abraham and his faith. As he writes to the Roman believers Paul is presenting the concept that we are made right in God's sight by faith. (You'll have to read the entire chapter to get the context.) While he is doing so, he briefly touches on a powerful principle that we do not often think about. He writes that God calls into being that which does not exist . That's creating! Not reallocating what He has already created, but bringing not existence.    So what is God is bringing into existence?  W...

The following is from #1 of an 11 week series entitled: That's Not What the Bible Says "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able..." 1 For 10:13 (NASB)    Is it an encouraging thought that God knows your precise limit and that He never allows one ounce more than you can handle to come into your life? My mind conjures up an image of a man at the gym lifting weights with a trainer. The trainer never allows him to "max out", but always keeps him lifting weights that he knows are within the limits the man can handle. Except that's not how it works. Anyone who has ever lifted weights knows the goal is not to lift what you can, but what you cannot. Adding more weights little by little, challenges and stretches the limits of the body thereby increasing the mass of the muscles and ability of the body. In other words, the way to grow when working ou...

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp..." Exodus 14:1    Have you ever stopped and considered why God led the Israelites to freedom by taking them through the desert? Really, think about the process for a moment. He led them out of the slavery for a day or two, then told them to turn back towards the city of their captivity, next to the sea, and make camp. This lead to their being trapped. Then He led them to a place with with plenty of water, but it was undrinkable. Not too long after that, when all their food provisions were depleted, He led them to a place where there was no food or water for themselves or their livestock. Why would God be so cruel? Well, if you know the rest of the story, then you may already know the answer. They were never trapped, for God parted the waters, allowing them safe passage through the sea and drowning their enemies. The undrinkable water was made drinkable, and they were provided food ...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction... - 2 Corinthians 1:3-9    Affliction (pain and suffering) is an inevitable, unavoidable, and repeatable part of life. None of us are exempt. While  we would all like to avoid affliction, the truth is that pain and affliction  serve a greater purpose , whether it comes from our own choices, the ordinary course of life, an attack of spiritual forces, or from God Himself.  Richard Cecil is noted as saying, "God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.” Even  though we cannot avoid affliction, we can use it for the glory of God. That’s right. Your pain can be used to glorify God. How do we do this?    First, we need to learn to receive God's comfort. Much like in life, some folks are better at letting ot...

"Indeed, has God said...", (Gen. 3:1, NASB).     It seems to me that one of the most effective tools Satan has in his arsenal is his ability to twist and misconstrue the Bible. A thorough reading will uncover that he often attempts to discredit and undermine the Word of God. And, since God's Word is our foundation for life and godliness, Satan compromises truth at its very.  Notice, Satan said to Eve,  "Indeed, has God said..." In contemporary language, "Did God really say that?     Satan is the master of taking God's truth and turning it into "if".  I would not go as far as saying that doubt is the exact opposite of faith (see Mk. 9: 14-27), but I am comfortable stating that when Satan can cause a child of God to take an "if" attitude towards the Bible, or even Jesus himself, then disaster is on the way. God's Word is God's Word , whether we believe it or not. Our unbelief does not change reality per se; it simpl...

"The Pharisees came out and began to argue with him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test him." (Mk. 8:11, NASB)    It's a classic, and anyone old enough to know who Gilligan is knows the story well. Charlie Brown wants so desperately to kick the football. His desperation is such that he will continue to believe that Lucy will actually hold the ball steady until he kicks it. However, after nearly 50 years of comic strip appearance, it just does not happen. Well, actually she does leave the ball in place on one occasion but he misses the ball entirely. He stubbornly refused to believe that he was going to kick that ball. He believed what he wanted to believe.    In the passage above, Jesus has just finished dismissing the crowd after feeding 4,000 men (not counting women and children) miraculously, and it has only been a page or two since we read of Him feeding 5,000 men (again, not counting women and children). The response of the Pharisees is a...

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them..." (Lk. 6: 1-6, ESV)    In these short six verses, Jesus outlines three areas of spiritual life: righteousness, giving, and praying. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of spiritual qualities. These were chosen by our LORD to teach a very important lesson in Christian living. What lesson is this? Knowing who your audience is. Notice how Jesus addresses each aspect. The issue is not the acts themselves. I doubt many people would argue that these are unimportant or irrelevant aspects of serving God. Righteousness should be an important (and growing) part of any Christian's life. Giving is the same, and so is prayer. Each of these qualities should be present and increasing in our lives. In addition, these things should certainly be seen by those around us. If we truly are the people of God, then these qualities should be evident to those around us. The problem is when we p...

"But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" - Acts 19: 13-15 (NASB)    One of the great problems we have in the church today is one the apostle Paul encountered early in the Christian church: head knowledge of Jesus without heart knowledge. Paul encountered these brothers while ministering in Ephesus.  Ephesus was the hub for all things political, philosophical, and spiritual. This was the location of the temple of Artemis, one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". These "sons of Sceva", as Luke refers to them, were sons of a Jewish Chief Priest. They witnessed Paul doing some amazing things "in the n...