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Paul told the Philippians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) That seems to be confusing to some people. "Hang on a minute," I've heard people say, "works have nothing to do with salvation." Well, yes ... and no. We know we are saved by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but it goes on to say that we are saved by grace through faith apart from works for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Works are not the cause of salvation but they are definitely the effect. So Paul is not saying that they need…  ( Click for more )

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38)

"Distressed and dispirited," those are the words used in this translation…  ( Click for more )

I've traveled recently up the West Coast where recreational marijuana was "legal". (That's in quotes because it's still illegal by federal law, but I guess no one is looking.) In the lobby of a hotel we stayed in where they have all those brochures on things to do in the area, there was a brochure on where to find weed as well as enlightening information about cannabis in its various forms and effects. Coming from a state where it is NOT legal, of course, this was shocking. For my entire life where I grew up in the era of the drug culture I've had no problem answering…  ( Click for more )

Warning: Rant Alert! There are, as it turns out, lots of things I don't understand, but something is nagging at me right now. Turn to any of the current TV sitcoms, movies, whatever, and you'll find out that the main goal of every man on the planet is to have sex with girls. Now, of course, this is a product of an exaggerated media bias toward sexual immorality, but, still, who doesn't know that, at least with young males, between hormones and culture they are heavily pushed in that direction? Certainly most young men know it. And older men who were once young men know it. Mothers…  ( Click for more )

The standard definition for the doctrine of Christian Liberty is something like this. Believers are free to do that which God has not commanded them not to do or to not do that which God has not commanded them to do in accordance with faith. That is, if God didn't say anything about the subject, your conscience (guided by the Holy Spirit, of course) should be your guide. The doctrine comes from a couple of biblical passages. One is Romans 14 and the other is 1 Corinthians 8. And most Christians who have heard of this principle are rather pleased with it. Odd thing, however.…  ( Click for more )

While it is not true that God hates rich people, you would still find a reasonably large number of people who affirm that He does. Well, maybe "hate" isn't the right word. How about "despises"? You know, something like "is really unhappy with" or the like. Because, as everyone knows, "Blessed are the poor", right? I mean, doesn't James say, "Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable Name by which you were called?" (James 2:6-7) He goes on to say, …  ( Click for more )

You've heard of these, right? It's a reference to those handy Bibles where they put Jesus's words in red. It's not as if the red letters are inspired, you know. For instance, some Bible scholars are unclear in John 3 where Jesus's words leave off and the words of John (the writer) begin. You see, Greek didn't employ the helpful quotation marks we have today, so did Jesus say the world-famous "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) or did Jesus end with verse 15 and John expanded…  ( Click for more )

Every year New Years brings the pressure to make resolutions. You know, things you promise to do to make yourself better ... or something like it. And every year we know we won't keep them. It's a given. Indeed, the one who does keep that kind of a resolution is the anomaly. What kind of resolutions, then, might be helpful? What would be worth actually pursuing? Not like "I'm going to work out" or "lose weight" or "quit smoking" or that kind of thing. No, something more helpful, more useful, more ... biblical. Like, "Create in me a clean heart,…  ( Click for more )

Christmas. The term conjures up all sorts of things. Sparkling trees, shiny packages, singing, happiness -- all seem to be components of Christmas. In fact, Christmas has few indispensable elements. First, there is the whole "Virgin Birth" thing. It's the start of the story, after all. Then there are angels who sing to shepherds (okay, the text doesn't actually say they sang) and tell them about the Savior. You have some wise men, some "kings", some magi who follow a star to find the King. These are all basic components of the story of Christmas without which…  ( Click for more )

It's Christmas time. I'm going to do a Christmas carol. I thought it might be fun to examine and expand Joy To The World. Let's see what we can learn from a classical Christmas hymn. Joy to the World! From Psalm 98, Adapted by Isaac Watts Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Psalm 98 says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises” (v 4). “Shout…  ( Click for more )

We live in an abundance of Christian music. We have all types, all styles, all forms, it seems. You can find hymns revisited, retuned, rewritten. You can find new stuff to excite and entertain. You can find easy listening to heavy metal, choral to rap. Jackie Hill-Perry is listed as part of the "Passion 4Christ Movement" offering such amazing pieces as "My Life as a Stud" and "A Poem About Weed" which ... wait ... really? Yes, really. It's out there. We have impressive worship songs from heretical sources and lightweight "Jesus is my boyfriend"…  ( Click for more )

Psalm 56 is a psalm by David, written when the Philistines seized him in Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-11). As his friends and enemies trampled him, he wrote, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You" (Psalm 56:3). Why? Why would someone trust in God when they are afraid? I mean, it's not like God always prevents pain. It's not like trusting God guarantees our comfort, our health, our well-being. The Bible doesn't teach that if you trust God, everything will be peachy for you. So why should we trust in God when we are afraid? It is not based on us -- our comfort, our…  ( Click for more )

Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Okay, they recognize it. They indulge it. It isn't only believers buying turkeys and gathering to give thanks. Even unbelievers -- actual atheists, even -- will recognize the day as a "day of thanks" and even admit to being thankful for something, even if it's just the meal. Or the football. Here's the thing. Amidst all the revelry and gluttony and even a momentary "I'm thankful for ...", how often do we/they think about to whom we're thankful. You see, an atheist will say, "I'm thankful for ..." but won't…  ( Click for more )

It has been suggested that there are two views of the purpose of Christianity. One is "a field hospital caring for wounded souls" and the other is "a firewall against the moral corruption of the age." I subscribed to neither. I don't believe the problem is "wounded souls", but spiritually dead people in need of new life (Ephesians 2:1). And I don't call attention to sin to be "a firewall", but to point out the problem. Some time ago I saw a news item on Heaven and Hell. In the CBS story, two thirds of Americans believe in both heaven and…  ( Click for more )

The Problem of Evil is the complaint about God that if evil exists, He doesn't. You know. If God is all good and all powerful, why doesn't He eliminate evil? Must not be there. Another way this question is put to the believer is this. "Do you think this is the best of all possible worlds?" It's a tricky question. We all dream of utopia. Stories are written about it. In large and small ways we figure out how things would be better. "If only" is the phrase. And then there's heaven. Surely that is the best of all possible worlds and this is not heaven. So we must…  ( Click for more )

This question was the Achilles heel of the Scopes trial in 1925. It was without answer, proof that the Bible is in error. The biblical account couldn't have happened because Genesis lists Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel as the only people on the planet and then Cain kills his brother, goes over the hill, and marries. What?! Clearly couldn't be true. Is this true? Does the Bible require that the biblical account be false (or myth or ...)? Let's look. First, my premise. The Bible is true as written. If a claim violates the Bible, it isn't true. If it's in there, it is true. Here's what…  ( Click for more )

Sexual sin is a big one, isn't it? I mean, the Bible makes much ado of it. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4) Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18) But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2) For this is the will of God, your sanctification:…  ( Click for more )

There has been a spate of stories in recent times of well-known and respected Christian publicly ejecting their Christian faith and leaving for "greener pastures," so to speak. It's tough. It's tough when you hear that one who was considered to be a believer rejects the Savior you love. It's tough when you are connected in some way to that person -- a follower, a fan, an admirer, something like that -- and then see them drop out. It's tough to see the assault on your faith and the faith and, ultimately, on your Lord. It has ever been thus, you know. Think of Adam, living…  ( Click for more )

Given the current conglomeration of Democratic presidential hopefuls and the apparently large number amont them that are socialist in their leanings, it might be a good time to ask the question. If you ever talk to anyone from the self-identified "Christian Left" you will find many who answer a resounding, "Yes!". To hear the "Christian Left" tell it, Jesus was a socialist. Hmmm, really? Let's examine that. First, we need to come to terms with the term. What is a socialist? I find the word abused and misunderstood so often that I feel the need to protect…  ( Click for more )

Try to find out what the Gospel is and you'll get a lot of different answers. There is the social gospel and there is the street-corner gospel and there is the "Romans Way" and so on. Some agree, but trying to actually pin down the essential pieces can be tough. So I thought I'd do it from a single paragraph in Scripture. For your consideration, then, here is the Gospel in one paragraph: Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works…  ( Click for more )

"I hope they have apple fritters," my wife told me as we went into the donut shop. Hope. It's a good thing. Merriam-Webster says it is "to want something to happen or be true." You might hope for a promotion or hope for a particular gift at Christmas or hope that someone says something nice to you or hope that you do well in the interview or test or whatever. It's a positive thing. In our language, it's also sometimes a desperate thing. We hope that laws can be passed that will decrease gun violence. We hope that our least favorite candidate for office doesn't…  ( Click for more )

Even if you don't know the address, you know Matthew 18:20. It's a beautiful verse. "Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20)

So we are warmed to think that when we get together with other believers, Christ is there. But ... is that what it means? Logically there is a problem. The suggestion is, "If you're alone, I'm not there." And, apparently, if it's four or more He's not there either? No. The logical problem is that there can be no place where an omnipresent being is not. That is, if this verse is saying…  ( Click for more )

If you read through the Gospels you'll see where Jesus says multiple times in multiple ways, "For this reason I came ..." You can (and should) hunt those down to see what our Savior's intent was when He came to earth. Another explanation (not an alternate explanation; an additional one) is given in Titus. [Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14)

That, as it turns out, is a pretty comprehensive (and surprising) answer. We learn here that His…  ( Click for more )

Recently I had a discussion in which it was suggested, perhaps indirectly, that Paul and Jesus might have disagreed on something that is part of our Bible. The topic (not relevant to this discussion -- just for clarification) was whether or not it was possible to be pro-life and pro-capital punishment. I cited Paul (among others). He cited Jesus. Ergo, it would appear that Jesus and Paul disagreed on the topic of capital punishment, with Paul falling on the "pro" side and Jesus clearly standing opposed. What to do when Jesus and Paul (or any other Scripture) disagree?…  ( Click for more )