Sabbatical Thoughts: Repentance and Rest
What promises of God have I allowed to drift to the back of the mind that need to be brought to the front so that I live boldly in the light of them?
It is so easy to be pessimistic- why repent when I know I am going to fall again? And yet the one with faith will say that defeat doesn’t have to be inevitable because I go forward believing that God the Holy Spirit lives within me. And, to pick up the theme above, it is... Continue Reading
God Is the Knower of Hearts
Knowing that God sees any pretense, any wrong motive, or any hidden agenda will help us guard our thinking.
Since God searches the hearts of men, that means our hearts too; it also means that He will give unto every one according to our works (Revelation 2:23). Think about that. This is why we must fill our hearts and minds with the Word of God instead of the garbage the world is trying to... Continue Reading
God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle
Give the Lord your lament. Give the Lord your pain. Give the Lord your tears.
God will give you more than you can handle, but He will never give you more than He can handle. These are the two statements that now drive my preaching and counseling. God gives you more than you can handle so that you can realize you can’t handle it on your own! He gives it to you... Continue Reading
The Fall of Man
The Fall not only affected Adam and Eve but all of humanity until now.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God which introduced sin and death into the world. Satan whispered questions of doubt, “Did God really say?” He led them to believe that God was withholding good, but if they just ate the fruit, they could “become like God.” When we begin to question God’s Word and doubt his goodness,... Continue Reading
The Faithfulness of Christ in the Little Things
Our Lord’s faithfulness in little things was simply the reflection of the perfect beauty He saw in the face of His Father.
Although Jesus owned no Hebrew Bible of His own, He had hidden it in His heart. He listened to God’s Word each day and meditated on it. That means something more than merely reading it. He was reflecting on it, letting it sink in, digesting it. It is a principle in Christ’s kingdom that... Continue Reading
The Pollution of Man
Knowing our complete inability to save ourselves highlights the grace and mercy of God.
Even if man were to recognize his condition, total inability means that he is powerless, on his own, to change his ways. Just like the leopard cannot change his spots (Jer. 13:23) so we cannot stop our sinful actions and motives. 1 Cor. 2:14 teaches that the natural man doesn’t receive the things of the... Continue Reading
Who is Chosen in Love?
We were just as unholy and fallen as the rest of the fallen human race until God intervened.
The wonder of divine election is not that God loves us because we are lovely but that He loves us even though there is nothing lovely in us. But in choosing us, He loves us in order to make us holy in His sight. Those whom He chooses will certainly become lovelier over the course... Continue Reading
Alcuin of York–More Than a Scholar
Two doctrinal concerns take prominence in Alcuin’s writings: the primacy of grace and the divinity of Christ.
Alcuin’s accomplishments were numerous and varied, both for the church and the Carolingian court, and his impact on Charlemagne was probably more profound than the existing documents allow us to know. He also influenced generations of European thinkers, either directly or through the educational programs he designed. Alcuin of York–More Than a Scholar In... Continue Reading
CA Legislators Blame Religious People For High LGBT Suicide Rates
There is no reputable, serious research showing people commit suicide because a particular religion refuses to embrace homosexuality. None.
We must admit that something else is driving the tragically high suicide rates of our gay and lesbian neighbors, and it’s not traditional faith convictions. True compassion demands we find out what that cause is; these lives are too valuable to play baseless politics with. Legislators in California have discovered yet another way to... Continue Reading
Mind the Gap
The admonition is to pay attention to where you’re walking lest you fall into the gap.
The gap between where we are in our spiritual growth and where we need to be is addressed through the mind. We are to mind the gap, recognizing that we are to progress in Christ-likeness and seeking the grace of God that Christ might be formed in us. We want to sow in our... Continue Reading