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I was recently asked to fill in for a vacationing teacher of an adult Bible School class which was chronologically studying the Book of Acts. They had finished chapter 6 the previous week, being introduced to Stephen, discussing his ascendance to leadership among the disciples and his subsequent charge by some among the Jewish community of blasphemy.

It was at this point, however, that the Jewish authorities made a strategic mistake, in that they challenged Stephen to defend himself; he having already proven his superior reasoning and debating skills –…  ( Click for more )

Does anyone have a right to tell you what you can or can’t do? After all, it’s your body – your life. Shouldn’t you be able to decide what you do with it and when?

The idea of personal choice and freedom runs strong throughout our society and that’s fine as long as everyone is willing to accept the personal responsibility that is an inseparable part of freedom of choice. Many of you are at an age where you have more freedom to choose and less guidance and supervision of those choices than ever before, to your great delight and your…  ( Click for more )

Scripture says, “…godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6 But what does it mean to be content? Is it a lack of want or need? The absence of interruption and trouble? To a degree, I suppose being content embraces all the above, but scripture leads us to a realization of contentment in the midst of these as well. Jesus cautioning us to, “…not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”; promising “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” But not as the world gives it. (John 14:27) As his…  ( Click for more )

I have to admit that some scripture still confuses me. In particular, that used to espouse predestination, such as Romans 9:16 and following. Salvation declared as not dependent “…on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” I get that, but then to declare that some “vessels” are destined from the very beginning of time to heaven or hell, regardless of the person they become or the life they live, is beyond me. (And yes, I am aware of God’s response to Job’s similar questions – ‘Who are you to judge/question…  ( Click for more )

Does our Christian witness depend on how appealing we portray the gospel? Some believe so, offering a get-what-you-want gospel of self-fulfillment and ease of life; replacing the glory of God with man’s edification and the abandonment of our lives for his purposes with the demand that He grant all our wishes. Our submission to his will exchanged for his submission to ours.

“…if the message is too confrontational, or too judgmental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelievable, hard to understand, or too much of anything for your taste, churches…  ( Click for more )

The Psalmist rhetorically asked this question while having the answer readily in hand. His response? “By living according to (God’s) word.” Psalm 119:9 Jesus assuring us that, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 Hopefully inspiring us to pray, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

But how will He do that? By mysteriously remaking us into an obedient servant, willing partners in His ministry – automatically and effortlessly…  ( Click for more )

At first glance, this instruction by Paul to Timothy might appear to excuse some “attitude” in your relationships with older people. To be sure, your parents and elders don’t know everything. And no, you’re not always wrong. But is all the counsel you receive from older people out-of-date and out-of-touch? Are all your dreams and ideas well thought out, correct and positive? Hardly. Besides which, Paul instructs us elsewhere, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 So how do…  ( Click for more )

You may have noticed from some of my reference notes that I like to read, the information gathered then passed on to others who may not have the time or inclination to do so. I particularly enjoy reading books pertaining to history, not so much to gain knowledge of dates and figures, but to gain an understanding of what may have shaped people into the individuals and then the nations they have become.

I try to avoid stereotypical explanations of people, but can’t help but notice that some aspects of such descriptions are legitimate in noting certain nuances…  ( Click for more )

That seems unreasonable, doesn’t it? I don’t see how everything benefits me. In fact, I don’t like a lot of what happens. Yet much of thankfulness has to do with our perspective and attitude toward life. Some people suffer through hardship or calamity and ask, “Why me?” Others realize it could have been worse, and thank God it wasn’t. Some people see gloom and doom, others see opportunity to serve; instead of continually questioning their fate, they understand what they can and do what they must. True happiness often depending on…  ( Click for more )

Many Anglo-Saxon girls of European descent, as well as Jewish girls, have been named in honor of Miriam – the anglicized version being more recognizable as Mary – by which we know Jesus’ mother. But who was the first Miriam mentioned in scripture? The answer to that question lying in the pages of the Old Testament books of Exodus and Numbers.

The Israelis had been in Egypt for 350 years, having gone there to escape the famine gripping their homeland. After a period of successful coexistence, the Egyptians became concerned with the growing…  ( Click for more )

I think it’s interesting that the prophet Malachi records this assertion of God’s unchangeableness in the midst of threats of punishment and what many Israelites undoubtedly saw as God’s abandonment of them. Yet in reminding them of his promise to stay true to them as their protector and guide to blessing, he likewise recalled the stipulation that had been placed on them as well to finish the deal; allegiance to his person and obedience to his will. Promising them that, if they would “Return to me, …I will return to you.” Malachi…  ( Click for more )

Does the suggestion that you might be something other than what you ought to be offend you? Believe me, I have no hard evidence against anyone, but am merely attempting to get you to consider whether your response to Christ might reveal an underlying attitude of arrogant indifference, defiant doubt, or complacent acceptance at best. Emotions that were expressed to varying degrees at Christ’s crucifixion, not only from the assembled crowd but directed at him from the two criminals hanging on either side of him as well. (See Matthew 27:44 – Luke recording a much…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever done that? Is that a crazy question? Only to those who never experience doubt, knowing exactly what they want to accomplish and having no reservations about how to achieve it. That’s not me! I’ve always struggled – past and present. I know in a general sense what I am – a Christian, husband, father, and grandpa; but I’ve always struggled with who I am deep inside. What does it really mean to be a Christian? How do I go about being the most effective husband, father and grandfather?

For many of us, the answer often…  ( Click for more )

During a U.N. commemoration of the Jewish holocaust, Germany’s then-Chancellor Schroeder acknowledged the environment that existed prior to and throughout W.W. II that encouraged the atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people and anyone else disagreeing with the Nazi agenda.

The simple statement that, “The brutalization of thought and the loss of moral inhibitions had a history,…” in Germany that preconditioned its citizens to embrace Nazi ideals, enabling them to cruelly march across the European continent and much of the rest of the world,…  ( Click for more )

Much is said today about Christians forcing their beliefs and world-view on others. But in reality, a case can be made that just the opposite is happening. When Christians are denied access to public displays of faith through nativity scenes and “religious” Christmas carols and many public depictions of our Christian heritage are ridiculed and removed from sight; when the morals of free-sex and homosexual activists are prominently displayed across the whole spectrum of broadcast media (presumably protected by the freedom of speech clause of the constitution);…  ( Click for more )

In any attempt at remembering past accomplishments, care must be taken to avoid boastfulness. Recognition of our roots and acknowledging past achievements can however go a long way in identifying who we are or need to become. Crucial to this process is education, which was significantly impacted by Christianity; universal education following close on its heels whereas prior to the churches influence, education was primarily reserved for the privileged few.

Often called “People of the Book,” Christians naturally found it necessary to be able to…  ( Click for more )

Many peoples have revered their elders and ancestors, feeling a keen connection with the men and women of their past. At times, this respect was expressed in extremes such as over-sensitivity to perceived insults and the virtual worship of their predecessors. Sadly, a proper identification with, alongside a balanced reverence for the accomplishments of our ancestors is largely missing today – even among Christians – putting us in danger of losing all respect for our heritage and having no real sense of what our legacy should be.

Many people have made…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever heard the old truism of slippery slopes, how once you start sliding it’s increasingly difficult to stop. That appears to be where we are now with the homosexual agenda. It’s not enough to have the right to “marry” and not be discriminated against by caterers, bakers, etc – who can now conceivably be forced to participate in a ceremony they disagree with 100%, but now the umbrella movement representing the LGBT community is gaining ground in its drive to have the government sanction the use of public bathrooms by members of…  ( Click for more )

Nowhere is this statement more true than in evangelism, the dual roles defined in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. The first was fulfilled by God, “…who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” That part is finished, but the fact that our sins were nailed to the cross with Christ does not mean everyone is reconciled to Him. That only happens when we as individuals place our faith and trust in the redemptive work of Christ, expressed – at least in part – through repentance and obedience to his will. (See Romans 3:25)

The second…  ( Click for more )

In continuing our study of what appears to be contradictory instructions concerning our love of God and our love of family, friends and the world in which we live, let’s look to scripture for clarification.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 For, “…don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

And yet, “…God…  ( Click for more )

Maintaining successful relationships can be difficult, the Bible being the place to learn how to develop them to the highest degree. But there is scripture that seems contrary in it’s depiction of our relationship to God in comparison to the love we have for our families, friends, and the world in general. It actually seems to encourage us to be antagonistic with many and to disregard those we love. Taken individually that might be the case but as in any serious study of scripture, when all the related references are taken into consideration, we get a deeper, more balanced…  ( Click for more )

Don Miller still loves Jesus, his problem is with Christianity and how it’s often identified and practiced. “It (Christianity) is a dangerous term so I try to avoid it.” he says. In fact, he considered turning his back on the church several years ago because he found it difficult to attend without being offended and becoming angry. For him, the word conjures up conservative politics, unbridled consumerism and insensitivity to people who don’t fit in. Of such concerns came, Blue Like Jazz: Non-religious thoughts on Christian spirituality (a decided…  ( Click for more )

Many remember Jonathan, the son of the first King of Israel – and thus his heir – as a dear and committed friend of David; the shepherd boy and giant-killer who would usurp Jonathan’s right to the kingship of Israel. But David did not betray his friend by forcibly taking the throne from his father or surreptitiously foment dissatisfaction among the people, thereby inciting his overthrow. Jonathan himself recognizing David’s greatness, at the root of which was his relationship with Jehovah, compared to the many less desirable attributes of his father. …  ( Click for more )

Christians should automatically have a different perspective on politics than their secular counterparts, having submitted their entire lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As such, encouraging society’s spiritual transformation remains our foremost duty, and that is accomplished through the spiritual reordering of each individual’s life – not political ideologies of the right or left. At its core, the legitimate function of government is to promote justice by preserving law and order while protecting its citizens from domestic violence and foreign aggression.…  ( Click for more )