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In chapter eleven of John, we see the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Herein lies the seventh sign of Jesus’ authority and prophesy fulfilled.

Martha, Martha… How I can so identify with her. Not that I worry so much anymore, or that I have a dust-free, immaculately kept home, or worry about what to feed a group of people when they drop in; I do not. I figure if someone drops in, they can jolly well have what I’m having. She knew Jesus could have prevented the death of Lazarus. She doesn’t exactly chide Jesus for not coming sooner, but in…  ( Click for more )

On Monday, July 4, it will be the 235th anniversary of thousands of lives given in sacrifice to a young America just so we have the privilege of pledging our allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Shame on anyone in the United States who has lost that patriotic spark when the fireworks go off, the lump in the throat when we sing "Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o're the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?…  ( Click for more )

John 9:1-41 – Jesus heals a blind man from birth

John does an intriguing thing with this story when he includes the Pharisees interrogation of the healed blind man. How extraordinary John draws a distinct line between faith in action and willful unbelief.

Jesus spits and makes mud from the clay then spreads it over the man’s eyes – In the beginning God spoke and many things happened over a six day period. The one thing God created using His hands was human. God personally drew minerals, salt, and water from the earth creating Adam, then drew a rib from…  ( Click for more )

This is the fifth of the eight signs. In John 6:15-21 we read how the people who were fed supernaturally with food from Jesus’ hand wanted to forcefully make him king over all. Jesus was appalled about it and secluded Himself to pray; and immediately (Matthew 14:22) when evening came (John 6:16) He urged the disciples to cross the lake to Bethsaida (Mark6:45). In the fourth watch, while storm winds churned up the waves, Jesus walked on the water to the boat in the middle of the sea. When Peter and He had sat down in the boat, immediately the wind ceased and the sea calmed.…  ( Click for more )

Jesus is the Bread of Life – John 6:1-14; 26-40 – Jesus feeds the 5,000. The crowd was not so amazed at this feat because Jesus was never loud in performing His miracles. Unlike many sorcerers of the day, Jesus was unobtrusive in a lot of the miracles He performed. However, certain followers of Jesus were astounded and said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world,” meaning the Messiah. Jesus explains in verses 26-27 what the miracle of the feeding actually meant. He vocally pointed out the crowd wasn’t seeking Him out because they…  ( Click for more )

There are a lot more, of course, but John depicts eight which John MacArthur points out. Studying each of these will give a broad view of Jesus’ authority. John used the word signs to indicate significant displays of divine power which drew, through the eyes of faith, direct attention to deeper divine realities. Each act was a physical event which depicted a deep spiritual truth. We find the all through scripture.

In John 2:1-12— Jesus is the source of life – Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Mark Lowery said, “You gotta love a…  ( Click for more )

It is early 1944. The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), better known as Merrill’s Marauders need replacements. A young volunteer named Ray Mitchell wants to volunteer to the Army. His father drives him and his cousin from Picayune to Camp Shelby just outside of Hattiesburg and drops them off at the gate. Only now, after being a father does Mitchell understand what must have been occurring in the chest of his father that day.

“Wanted: Volunteers for a Dangerous, Hazardous Mission in Jungle Warfare” stated the sign that young Mitchell saw.

“Pretty…  ( Click for more )

The most important role of woman is to be the light of the home; and the keeper of the household. Her role as wife and mother biblically preempts any other roles in her life. It is such a huge shame that women have opted to relinquish those roles in pursuit of other gains. I have even heard some very prominent women who look with disdain upon childbearing and marriage. How sad. The feminist movement absconded with femininity because it is perceived as weakness. This view is hugely unbiblical. One needs only to study Proverbs 31 to realize just how feminine a woman should be all…  ( Click for more )

Many, many people hold up one verse as the ultimate of prohibition of women teaching men in the church. That verse is 1 Timothy 2:12.

1 Timothy 2:12 And I do not allow a woman to teach nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. That is the literal translation.

I am not attempting to retranslate the Bible, nor am I saying that the men translators from eons ago got it all wrong. What I am saying is that there is a tendency toward assumptions that perhaps have a bit of prejudice in them rather that objectivity.…  ( Click for more )

There are so many precious men who love the Lord and are so sensitive to His voice. There are others who are not so sensitive. In the same way, there are many women exhibiting the same attributes of leadership, organization and perception, just as there are many who have other motivational gifts. We are each individuals making up the Family of God and each of us is given our Spiritual Gifts according to the Holy Spirit's discretion. Being individuals, we have work prepared specifically for each one. This is where our study stems. God is the one Who calls, God is the one Who designed…  ( Click for more )

I started this study a very long time ago on my blog in my post The Perfect Wife in Proverbs 31. A little expounding on this subject will follow. It has been my experience that most men have a huge problem with women in leadership roles in the church. It is not Biblical that women should not hold teacher positions or have leadership roles. However, it is very biblical that women should never wrench leadership positions from men. While we're camped there for a moment, these days men are getting beaten up pretty badly in the media. I am so sorry that is happening because it seems…  ( Click for more )

Centuries before Jesus was led to Golgotha, God provided a picture of that event, a promise to His chosen people in the form of the Passover. He said it was to be an ordinance forever.

The lighting…

The lighting of the candles... Only the woman of the house may light the candles because she is the light of the home. Also, through a woman, through Mary came the Light of the World. The Light of the World is Jesus.... John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they…  ( Click for more )

Are angels our protectors, such as guardian angels? Or, are they messengers like what the word angel means, or both? See Psalm 91, for clarification... Psalm 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways. 12They shall bear You up in their hands, that You not dash Your foot on a stone.

Satan quotes this in Matthew when Jesus is tempted. This in no way makes God's promise in Psalm 91 any less a promise. There is a limitation, though. I've bolded it above. As I see it, if we Christians step outside God's ways, then we succumb to God’s…  ( Click for more )

Jeremiah 17:5 So says Jehovah, Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and who makes flesh his arm, and who turns aside his heart from Jehovah. 6 For he shall be like a juniper in the desert, and shall not see when good comes. But he shall live in parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land that is not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and Jehovah is his refuge. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters. It sends out its roots by the stream, and it will not fear when the heat comes; but its foliage will be green; and it is not anxious in the…  ( Click for more )

God designed humans as social creatures therefore we are taught from the first of our toddling steps how to share, and how to communicate with others. We will gravitate to those that have similar interests so we share commonalities. Generally, we do not choose whom we work with, nor do we choose whom resides next to us (unless we own that house, too). But we do choose our friends. Fair weather friends and associates are plentiful, but good friends are hard to find because our society has changed gears in recent decades toward more work time, and less play time. In years…  ( Click for more )