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Among the pro-abortion crowd the chant is for "the woman's right to do with her body as she chooses." Now, the pro-life side will raise the objection, "Yes, but that baby your killing isn't 'your body'." Still, is it true? Do people have the right to do with their bodies what they choose? On the surface, despite all certainties to the positive, I think it's quite clear that we don't. I mean, there is the obvious. You can't kiss your elbow no matter what you choose. You can't tickle yourself. You can't sneeze with your eyes open. Then there is the legal. Suicide…  ( Click for more )

(There appears to have been a "Live as if" outage for a week, so I'm just giving you this one again ... in case you missed it.)

Biblical Christians consider themselves "people of the book", so to speak. We aim to be serious about Scripture. The Bible is our sole authority on matters of faith and practice. It is God's Word. And we're serious about that. So we read it for all it's worth. We try to understand and try to conform our lives and minds to what God has to say. Why is it, then, that we seem to be so blind to some of the obvious things? When I was…  ( Click for more )

Biblical Christians consider themselves "people of the book", so to speak. We aim to be serious about Scripture. The Bible is our sole authority on matters of faith and practice. It is God's Word. And we're serious about that. So we read it for all it's worth. We try to understand and try to conform our lives and minds to what God has to say. Why is it, then, that we seem to be so blind to some of the obvious things? When I was young, I was told, "Never use 'never' and always avoid 'always'." (If you didn't smile at that, you missed the joke.) Those extreme…  ( Click for more )

There are those today who suggest that the concept of the church choir is outdated. However, if we look at the history and purpose of the choir, I suspect we will find that this ought not be the case. The “church choir” has its origins not in Roman Catholicism or in Christianity at all, but in the Old Testament. The first “church choir” was appointed by King David some 3000 years ago. These choirs were far more serious than anything we have today. Now these are the singers, heads of fathers' households of the Levites, who lived in the chambers of the temple…  ( Click for more )

Here's a New Year's resolution for you. I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection…  ( Click for more )

What is Christmas really all about? It's about white. You know, "white Christmas", like the one I'm dreaming about. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).

Yeah, white ... like snow. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without trees. Trees symbolize Christmas. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" (Galatians 3:13).

The tree is an important component of Christmas. It's not possible to think of…  ( Click for more )

That was the famous question from Pilate (John 18:38). He walked away when he asked it, so I don't think it was an actual question, but it is certainly one worth asking. Anyone who has followed my stuff here knows that I'm often about words, definitions, meanings, that sort of thing. And it wouldn't be far fetched to think that I might want to pursue the definition of "truth" as a word or concept. But, this time, that's not my aim. Let's just go with the basic understanding. "Truth" is simply that which corresponds to reality. I don't think that would be too…  ( Click for more )

It would be difficult for anyone with any reasoning capacity and reasonable knowledge of the Bible to argue that "no-fault divorce" is a good thing biblically. I think it is abundantly clear that divorce, both biblically and in society, is a bad thing. The Scriptures describe the marriage bond as two becoming one. This is more than a mere metaphor. There are bonds formed that make a married couple one body, one soul, one spirit. Paul warned against sex with a prostitute for this very reason (1 Corinthians 6:15-17). Divorce, then, is a very literal rending of a union.…  ( Click for more )

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

This is a stunning statement from Paul to Timothy. Paul says that some will fall away and he explains how. Notice the two components. First, the origin of the problem is "deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons". I've often suggested that there is a conspiracy on many fronts. Some think I'm talking about people…  ( Click for more )

The University of Georgia did a study of 468 married individuals. In their study they found that the most consistent, significant predictor of marital quality was ... get this ... spousal expression of gratitude. Didn't see that coming, did you? Not sex, finances, or communication. Gratitude. They said it decreased male and female divorce proneness. They said that when couples engaged in negative conflict patterns, "expressions of gratitude and appreciation can counteract or buffer the negative effects of this type of interaction on marital stability." Imagine that! So,…  ( Click for more )

Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills." You know ... referring to God. As it turns out, it was God Himself who said it. And then some. "Every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine" (Psalm 50:10-11).

Now, most of us would be happy to acquiesce on this. "Yes, God, it's all yours." So why is it that we don't actually believe it? Oh, you didn't know that? Consider. When something goes wrong, do you complain, "Why,…  ( 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 )

There are lots of sins in the Bible. (Who knew, right?) And we know that all sins are equal in the eyes of the Lord, right? Well, perhaps not. All sins are equal in the sense that all sins deserve God's judgment, but I don't think it is true that all sins are of equal weight. We know this because of things like Jesus's words to the cities where His works had been displayed without repentance. He told them that "it will be more bearable on the day of judgment" for the cities that would have repented had His works been done there (Matthew 11:20-24). And John writes about sins…  ( Click for more )

I'm quite sure that this quote from a Christian article won't meet with much resistance: "The Bible says that God loves us completely no matter what we do." Yes, sure, we all know that. God loves unconditionally. Got it. Clear enough. We know. But wait! Is that true? You see, we often pass off on some theological or doctrinal point without examining its veracity. Is it true? It sounds true, I suppose. But is it? If it is true, where in the Bible do you read it? Now that will be an interesting trick, because it's not in there. (Easy verification. Do a word search in the…  ( Click for more )

1 Corinthians 15 is a fascinating chapter for a variety of reasons. It is there that we find the simplest presentation of the Gospel in all of Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We read of Paul's astounding apologetic for the Resurrection -- eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). We have that interesting exercise in logic -- "If there is no resurrection of the dead ..." (1 Corinthians 15:12-20). And who can forget the classic "mom" line: "Bad company ruins good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33). This chapter includes the glorious "O…  ( Click for more )

This will be necessarily provocative. I apologize in advance. I like to "get along", but to go against Scripture is not wise. So I'm going to lay this out as it is, admitting along with you that it's not "pleasant", and leave it in your hands to accept or deny. We live in a world of upside-down pottery. No, that's not my idea; that's the idea from God. He gave the concept to Isaiah to express: "You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, 'He did not make me'; or the thing formed say…  ( Click for more )

If I am a patriot, politically active, working hard to bring up good leadership and policies and bring down bad ones and have not love, I'm just a political activist. If I spend my time fighting for key social issues and campaigning for the marginalized, and if I boldly fight racism and sexism and hate and microaggression and do not have love, I am merely a clanging bell, an irritant for my world. If I am a diligent parent, working hard to bring my kids up to be responsible adults, to work hard, to be reliable, and have not love, I am a nag and an overlord. If I treat my spouse…  ( Click for more )

I heard this term the other day and wondered about it. "Bible-saturated" refers to someone who has been immersed for a great deal of time in the entirety of Scripture. It doesn't mean someone who has memorized John 3:16 and can quote it without thinking about it. The term refers to a saturation of Scripture. It means "full immersion" Bible living, where one is exposed over a long period of time to all facets of the Word. One of the key rules in interpreting the words of the Bible is that Scripture interprets Scripture. It is imperative, if we hold that the…  ( Click for more )

Our culture these days seems almost to be built on being offended. We are offended by anything and everything. When I used the word "boy" in a brief comment to a black person (referrring to her young son), she took offense. When the movie, Tropic Thunder, had one actor describe another as a "retard", people took offense. When Martin Scorsese did The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988, Christians took offense. Publish comics about Mohammed, and Muslims take offense. This last year, with the presidential contests, it seemed as if one of the most popular tactics…  ( Click for more )

After the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus spoke in the temple (John 8:20). He ended up in a discussion with the Pharisees (John 8:13) in which they, obviously, take Him to task. In that discussion we see this exchange: They said to Him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of My own accord, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your…  ( Click for more )

In Paul's epistle to the church in Rome, he writes this. As it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." (Romans 2:24)

No one is entirely sure to what Paul is referring with his "as it is written" statement. Written in Scripture? Written elsewhere? There are a few possible Old Testament links there; Matthew Henry lists three (Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22-23; and 2 Samuel 12:14). None are a word-for-word quote. The intent, however, is clear. The text is talking about those of us who know what is right. After listing…  ( Click for more )

It's a common complaint among many. "I've looked for a good church in my area, but I can't find one." Maybe the music is too loud or too boring. Maybe the preaching isn't ... whatever. Not enough of the Word. Too much of the world. "I'm not being fed." "I'm not able to worship." "I don't feel welcomed." Lots of things. I've seen both "They're King James Only" and "They're not King James Only." Lots of things. So what do you do if you can't find a church? There is a tendency among many to join the "Nones", the…  ( Click for more )

In Romans 1Paul lays out a sequence of God giving Man over to worse and worse sin, starting with "though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks" (Romans 1:21) culminating in a list of evils of the "depraved mind" (Romans 1:28) that takes up 6 verses (Romans 1:28-32). And as the chapter ends, we sit there and nod our heads and say, "Yep, those are really evil persons." Of course, the passage doesn't end at Romans 1:32. Paul has not finished his thought. Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that…  ( Click for more )

Paul wrote: We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me." (Romans 15:1-3)

Did you see that? Has the church in America seen that? This is so counterintuitive to American thinking or, to be honest, human thinking. In fact, there are many -- even Christians -- who would cry, "That's wrong!" What was it? Let's see if I can…  ( Click for more )