One of the things that constantly impresses me about the study of the Old Testament is the imagery that God has preserved to grant his children understanding in the relationship that we share.  I have always thought on judgment day, that the presence of the Lord would be such an awesome sight, that no one would be capable of standing to offer an excuse for any rebellious mishap in their life.  If standing in the presence of the Lord would be possible, then the Lord would simply reveal the countless opportunities…

Reading scripture in a less than careful way can lead to many erroneous conclusions.  For example, some have read Peter’s instructions to the wives of unbelieving husbands and concluded that a person may be won to Christ apart from the word of God.  Let’s take a close look at what Peter wrote to see if that is a correct understanding:

1 Peter 3:1  “Wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the…

Romans 8:26 (ESV)  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

     Have you ever felt like this? So overwhelmed or sad or depressed, that you don’t even know where to begin your prayer? The Spirit of our Lord knows our hearts and can understand our despair, without us even uttering a word. But sometimes we can neglect…

In Acts 16:14 Luke records:

“A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

   This language is sometimes understood to support the Calvinistic doctrine of the direct operation of the Holy Spirit.  It is affirmed that man, because he is born…

It is not uncommon today to hear older Christians who have already reared their children comment somberly in the presence of young prospective parents, “I certainly wouldn’t want to be bringing up children in times like these.”  It may be innocently done, but it is not helpful. These already anxious young people do not have a choice of times in which to rear children. For them, it is now or never.

Candidly, from the short term perspective, these are certainly not the best…

A temptation comes upon you, and you are faced with a spiritual battle.  The temptation could be many things, such as to lie, be overcome by fear, gossip, lust, drink alcohol, complain, or spiral in discouragement.  We all find ourselves in the crosshairs of temptation, and Satan intentionally targets us in times of weakness.

I think about biblical stories such as Adam & Eve, Cain, David & Bathsheba, & Judas.  If only they would have seen the temptation for what it was, and…

John Owen was an influential Puritan preacher in the 17^th century.  Consider what he wrote concerning acceptable worship:

Question:  What doth God require of us in our dependence on him, that he may be glorified by us, and we accepted with him?

Answer:    That we worship him in and by the ways of his own appointment.

Question:  How are the ways and means of the worship of God made known  

In Judges 2:8-10 we read of a sad and tragic development in the history of Israel.

            And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain  of Gaash.  And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers.  And there arose another generation after them who did not know the  Lord…

     A 93-year-old man in Iowa named Bob Williams is known for sharing chocolate bars with random strangers in his small community. Every Saturday, he goes to the local dollar store to buy boxes of chocolate bars before handing them out to random people. People in his community say it puts a smile on their face and makes them feel special. They also tell how an act of giving a simple chocolate bar from an old retired teacher can turn a bad day on its head. “The Candy Man” – as…

It’s not good theology to attribute to the Holy Spirit that which the Holy Spirit never attributes to Himself. Doing so results in both faulty and contradictory claims, and this is exactly what we often see. Feelings get attributed to the Spirit, which are then contradictory to the feelings of others, who might also claim the Spirit as the source. Such feelings may also directly contradict God’s own word. Claims are made about what the Spirit is doing, when all the person has is a good feeling about a work. I wish it…