“He is not afraid of bad news." This statement should not only apply to some Christians some of the time but to all Christians all of the time, for the first six words of this paragraph came directly from scripture. A lack of fear is possible because the Christian’s heart is firm, trusting in the … Continue reading How to Read the News Without Losing Your Soul
There are spiritual battles we, as Christians, need to fight that we are not ready to face. In his mercy, the Lord shelters us from them, but only for a while and only to train us up. There's a picture of this truth in the book of Exodus. Immediately after God sets Israel free from … Continue reading The Battles You Are Not Prepared to Fight
Man’s self-deception knows no bounds. We get a glimpse of it in the chief priests who gave false counsel to have Jesus executed. No greater act of evil has ever occurred. They lied to kill the Son of God, but notice what happens when Judas brings back the money they paid him to betray Jesus. Judas hands … Continue reading The Danger of Self-Deception
If you were questioning God's love for you and the Lord was going to respond, what kind of answer would you expect him to give? If you are like me, you probably would not expect God to tell you about people he hates. However, this is precisely how God answers Israel in the book of … Continue reading The Overlooked Proof of God’s Love
There is an often overlooked event in Exodus chapter 4. It occurs right after the burning bush when Moses speaks with God and then sets out on a journey to do what God commanded. The passage says, "At the lodging place on the way, the Lord met him [Moses] and sought to put him to … Continue reading When God Came to Kill Moses
Merely going through the motions is unacceptable in the Christian life. This truth is a key part of what Paul tells Titus when he says, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure (Titus 1:15).” This statement presents such a severe dichotomy that it should leave our … Continue reading A Ritualistic Heart is an Impure Heart
In the parable of the tenants, the temptation faced by the workers is still faced by many churches today. The tenants wanted the vineyard for themselves. They wanted complete control of what did not belong to them. They desired to build their own kingdom, not someone else’s. They had been working the vineyard for years … Continue reading A Warning to Churches from the Parable of the Tenants
Sometimes, our lives can get so messy that we wonder if God can redeem them. Reading through Genesis 30 and 31, we see how God’s plan proceeds even through jealousies, envy, and the strivings of our human nature. Sinfulness cannot thwart God’s plan. Though the sinner is guilty, the Lord continues in his grace to … Continue reading Messy lives, Merciful Savior
Jesus will pronounce many people "unclean" when they stand before him, because they do not accept the deeper teaching of this verse. -Click to Read More
Some of Scripture’s strongest encouragements come in the middle of some of its darkest passages. 2 Peter 2:1-11 is one such passage. It contains one of the darkest and most foreboding condemnations of false teachers, but Peter wrote it to encourage us. We see this when we get to verse nine, but to truly appreciate … Continue reading Bright Hope on a Dark Canvas
The Fight of Faith 