"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 ...

Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain?"...  (Lk. 1:19, NASB)    There are a number of similarities between Zachariah and Mary. Both had angelic visitors, both were encouraged, "Do not be afraid", and both were told about future events. Even more so, their responses were almost identical: "How will I know this for certain?", "How can this be...?". However, this is where their similarities end. Mary, when she questioned the angel, was comforted and answered rather specifically. Zachariah, on the other hand, was rebuked and left mute until after John's birth.  Why was God so unfair? I mean, both simply asked a question. Could the angel not just simply answer Zachariah in the same manner he did for Mary?    The answer is found when we look at the difference between the two individuals involved. Mary was a virgin. Although Scripture informs us that Mary was most certainly a virgin in regard to sexuality, here the ...

"like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word..."  - 1 Peter 2:2 (NASB)    I'm not very knowledgeable in the mechanical world (truthfully, I'm probably dangerous), but steam engines are interesting to me. Not too many years ago trains, and various kinds of other engines, were powered by steam. The power behind the massive engines was produced through a system of converting water into steam. However, to create the necessary steam some person had to shovel coal into the engine. The more coal that was fed into the grate the greater the potential power would be available. If, by chance, someone were to neglect feeding coal to the engine it would slow then stop working all together. In other words the power of the engine was directly tied to the amount of coal supplied. Actually there's more to it but you get the idea.    I see our spiritual lives as not too dissimilar to coal engines. As long as we provide a fresh supply of fuel (the Word of ...

" As I urged you upon my departure to Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines." - 1 Tim. 1:4 (NASB)   I am a teacher. I have had the wonderful privilege of conducting kids crusades, serving in youth pastoral roles, associate pastoral roles, as a church planter, and a pastor. Currently I have the privilege of serving a great church in rural Texas. In addition, I am pursuing my Ph.D in theology, and I write Sunday School curriculum and teach in a school of ministry within the fellowship that I serve. In all these things, teaching the Word of God is my passion and what I do best. Why am I giving you my resumé? Years ago my wife and I planted a church in Texas. The same message that Paul was giving to Timothy was one that the Holy Spirit implanted upon my heart. Although I pastor another location now, the calling has not changed. I am called to teach sound biblical doctrine.    The verse above is the o...

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Col. 4:6, NASB) There's a song many of us sung as children in church. The third verse went like this: "Oh, be careful little mouth, what you say, Oh, be careful little mouth, what you say, For the Father up above, Is looking down in love, So be careful little mouth what you say." This was and is a kid's song, but the principle that is presented in this song is not merely one for children.  Paul stated that our speech should be with grace "as though seasoned with salt" . We often seemed to be focused more on the salt  part of Paul's statement than the grace part. Social media is a fairly new dynamic that many are still struggling with. There seems to be an air of anonymity when we stare at our electronic devices that allows us to say things that we would never say in person to another individual or to a gr...

"...Go therefore and make disciples... ” - (Matt. 28:18-20)   The Greek word mathetai is the term we usually translate as disciple, and it expresses the idea of "student" or "pupil". To me, the best understanding today of the biblical principle of disciples is apprentices. Think about it, in a typical apprenticeship a new generation of practitioners are prepared with on-the-job training and often some accompanying classroom work and reading.  Apprenticeships typically last 3 to 6 years, and generally involve four steps:     (1)  Commitment - At this level the apprentice makes the commitment to stay the course by receiving the education and training necessary to become the “journeyman”.       (2) Classroom - At this phase, the apprentice receives the information necessary to understand and work within the sphere of labor.      (3) Training - At this phase, the apprentice begins to put the informat...

(the following is a condensed excerpt for a message I recently preached) "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not goon presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." – (Rom.6: 12-14, NASB How many times have you made a decision by flipping a coin? Honestly! This may work when deciding on pizza topping choices or the color of paint for your house, but for bigger, more important decisions we need some guidelines. Discovering if a behavior is sinful can be a bit more complicated. One preacher says it is, another says it is not. So, who is right? Possibly both, and possibly neither. The best help in navigating difficult issues is the Word of God. The following principles are based on Scripture,...

" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".   (Rom. 10:17, NKJV)    Jesus told us that we only need faith the size of a mustard seed in order to cast the mountain into the sea. (see. Matt. 17:20) That's impressive, but was Jesus telling us that the size of our faith does not matter? I do not think so. Jesus was speaking of the power of faith in Himself. Even a small amount of faith in Jesus can do mighty things. But, what if we had a large faith? What might God be able to do? Well, faith is like a muscle, in a sense. The more we exercise our faith in Jesus, the greater our faith becomes. However, there is a danger. We can actually get to the place in our spiritual lives where we  trust in "faith", rather than trusting in Jesus, who is the the object of our faith. Faith in Jesus is always grounded in the Word of God. So, then, the real question becomes, "How can I strengthen my faith in Jesus?"     Paul's subject in ...

"But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." - (Matt. 5:39, ESV)    Life is not always pleasant this side of Heaven, and it is not always easy to handle those difficult moments that find their way into our life. Someone yells at us and we want to yell back. Some anonymous driver cuts in front of us on the road and we fly past them with an angry glare. Someone accuses us, lies about us, otherwise mistreats us, and the list goes on. We know how the world reacts, because it is the way that we often want to react, and sometimes do. However, the Bible calls us to live in a way that is, shall we say, unnatural.     Jesus's words are piercing, even to the most faithful servant, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Is Jesus telling us that we need to allow ourselves to be mistreated and just take it? I do not thing that is the point that Jesus...

   "So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat." - (2 Chronicles 10:15, NASB)    "Thus says the LORD, 'You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.' So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam." - (2 Chronicles 11:4, NASB)     Two verses of Scripture today that point to the same general idea. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live, according to Scripture. However, in his humanity, he acted foolishly by erecting and worshiping idols and "other gods", As a result his kingdom was going to suffer. After he died, his son Rehoboam became king. And, due to foolishness of his own, the kingdom of Israel split into two groups of people: the kingdom of Judah, with Rehoboam as ruler, and the ki...

" And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons."  (Mk. 3:14-15, NASB)     Many of my friends know that we (my wife and I) have embarked on a new venture of raising and breeding long-haired dachshunds. Currently we have, well, enough, and each one has its own personality. Daphne, our little brown female, loves to mow with me. The other dogs will run away once the mower is cranked up, but not Daphne. She runs towards the mower, wanting me to hold her while I work. Yesterday, as I was mowing, she was contently in my arms as I walked and mowed. She never made a sound, and never made a move. She just quietly rested in my arms as I worked. I was amazed at how she was content simply to be with "her master" while he worked.     I could not help recalling the verse above. Jesus most certainly had a task for the disciples to do, and He would give them ...

"...They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread...  And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?"  (Mk. 8:14-21, NASB)    The disciples were so . . . human. When we read the gospel accounts we see a group of men that dealt with the same struggles, temptations, and weaknesses that we do. I am not sure if that brings us comfort or not, but it does remind us that we am not alone.    In verses mentioned above, the disciples were a little concerned because they jumped on the boat with only one loaf of bread. Why is this such a big issue? Well, they wanted to eat just like everyone else. So they are just a little concerned that there will not be enough to go around. Here's the real problem though: they still did not get just who Jesus was. Up to this point they had watched Jesus heal people from various diseases and infirmities, and watched Him perform various other miracles including walking on water. In chapter ...

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but it's end is the way of death." - Prov. 16:25 (NASB)    Solomon's words are so simple, and yet so true. I realize that there is nothing new, in regard to sin. The same problems that have been plaguing men since the beginning are still here today. Yes, they may be dressed up and presented differently, but they are still the same.    Solomon's words speak to our world as much as his own some three thousand years ago. Man, by his own account, does what "seems right" to him. Some have used the phrase "moral relativism", and I think that is appropriate. Society continually changes what is right and what is wrong. There are social, sexual, and spiritual themes that persist today, and are deemed "right" by society, and yet run contrary to the Word of God. Even if a people group, a government, or a church condone them as acceptable behavior, they are still wrong when they run contrary ...

"A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty." - Prov. 27:12 (NASB)     We have all seen warning signs. Perhaps not like the one pictured here, but most of us have seen signs related to traffic accidents, high water, downed power lines, or others like them. Sometimes the signs are not as obvious, such as strange noises coming from the car engine, a teenage son or daughter repeatedly getting into trouble at school., or a cough that will not go away. Regardless what the particular sign may be, they serve a purpose: they warn us of some potential problem that lies ahead. What we do concerning these signs is of the utmost importance.    Solomon tells us that it is the prudent man that sees the evil. Living as a child of God demands some foresight on our part. We live in a world of depravity and evil, so it is understandable that we encounter these in our daily adventures. However, just because evil is present in this world ...

This week marks one year that I have been posting Biblical insights online. "Thank you" to each of you that have read, commented, shared, or have otherwise been encouraged in your faith. As a way of commemorating the first year, I have decided to post some of the most popular posts of 2013, chosen by your interactions with them. I look forward to many more years of encouraging and equipping believers in the Word.     "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, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB)    How many times have you heard someone say about a difficult situation, "God will give you a way out?" Each of us encounter trials (temptations) on a regular basis. Although we do not enjoy them, life is unfortunately filled with them. However, God uses trial...

    "...And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered." (Ezekiel 34:1-5, ASV)     The painting here is entitled, "The Bad Shepherd," by Pieter Brueghel II in the 1600s. If you look closely you can see where it receives its name. The shepherd is running from a wolf who is devouring one of the sheep. If you look closely, there appears to be another in the distance doing the same. It is a pretty good visual illustration of the LORD's scathing words through the prophet Ezekiel. The LORD had not-so-kind words for His ministers, His shepherds, that were responsible for caring for His people, but shrugged off their responsibilities to the sheep for their own interests.    I fully expect to be taken to task over this post, but I cannot remain silent. Several days ago, I posted a blog on alcohol consumption, looking at the OT priests' responsibility, and making appli...

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." - Romans 12:1 (NASB)     Worship is not singing, although singing is a part of worship. Worship is not praying, although praying is part of worship. Giving is not worship, and neither is Bible reading, attending church services, witnessing, or any number of activities that we often combine together and call it "worship". So then, what is worship?    If you look at any Bible dictionary you will find a definition that states something along the lines of "homage paid to God." Paul notes above that worship is presenting our lives as a living and holy sacrifice (or offering) to God. In other words, worship is both an attitude and posture of the heart in which a person humbles himself (or herself) before God,  surrendering to His will, His plan, and His desires.    Please do not mi...

"The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways." - Prov. 14:14 (ESV)    Popeye was one of my favorite characters as a child, although I still will NOT eat spinach. Even as a child I got the message that if I ate my veggies I would grow up big and strong like him, rather than like Wimpy who ate cheeseburgers continually.  Popeye had a great catchphrase, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." Pretty good philosophy from a sailor with freakishly-large forearms and no biceps. It also sheds light on this verse of Scripture in Proverbs.     I confess that it took me several times reading this verse, and six different translations, before I got what Solomon was saying. We know that a backslider is full of their own ways. Backsliders are those who walk away from the LORD into their own interests. The problem is Solomon wrote that the good man is filled with ways, just as ...

"Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. - Joshua 1:3 (NASB)    If you look forward from this point in Joshua you will find that Josh and the Israelites are constantly driving out their enemies. At every turn they are taking up their swords and routing another enemy. In some cases, the enemy routes them. Eventually they manage to conquer the Promised Land, but not completely, for they let some of their enemies stay because the fight was too difficult.        This brings me back to the verse above. The LORD told Josh that He was going to "give" the land to him. Give. When I think about someone giving something to me, I envision me reaching out my hand and simply taking hold of what is being given. The LORD said He was giving the land to Josh, he simply had to reach out and take what God was giving. It belonged to His people, but His people would have to fight to claim it.    As...

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29 (NASB)  Disclaimer: This post will cause both "Amens" and "How-dare-yous!" You have been warned... Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are not my church. I am not the pastor, for all those on social media sites, nor are they my congregation. However there are those, whom I have the privilege of shepherding, who are on these various social media venues. They see these same things and question me about them. With this in mind, there are a few things I wish to address from a Biblical perspective. As a Disciple of Jesus, as a husband, father, and pastor-teacher, I am deeply disturbed by the "stuff" that seems to permeate among Christians within social media circles. I understand that each of us have our faults and failures, and none of us is perf...