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In everything, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Like ... ... the standards: - Wife - Parents - Kids - Family - Employment - Living in America - Health - Wealth - Comfort - All the good things ... the less noticed: - Running water - A hot shower - A roof over my head - Transportation - Feet on which to put shoes - Eyes with which to see - Functioning body parts - Air to breathe ... the unexpected: - "Unanswered prayers" - Missed opportunities - Red lights - A dead battery - That horribly-timed flu - The lost job - The death of a…  ( Click for more )

We all know that the Garden of Eden was paradise. No sin. No sadness. No error. Until, of course, that crafty serpent (Genesis 3.1" data-version="nasb95" data-purpose="bible-reference" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(70,149, 156); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Genesis 3:1) came along. What was it that got us thrown under the bus? It wasn't that the serpent was merely making suggestions. It wasn't that the serpent had some good ideas. It wasn't that God was a cosmic killjoy and the serpent was offering…  ( Click for more )

Technically, the term "military drill" refers specifically to the mass marching of soldiers, but we know there is more to it than that. The military has "drills" and "exercises" all the time. They send their troops -- sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines -- through simulated events to practice, practice, practice. Why? The idea is simple. If you can get them used to doing certain things in certain situations, when the real situations arise, they will do them without having to think about it. It's like "muscle memory." Muscle memory is not…  ( Click for more )

There is a mysterious verse in 1John. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)

The topic is "What we will be has not yet appeared." The conclusion is "We shall be like Him." But the reason given is interesting. "Because we shall see Him as He is." In short, then, "What we shall be is like Him because we shall see Him as He is." That's a little strange. How will seeing Him as He is make us like…  ( Click for more )

My wife watched me put together my taco -- cheese, meat, lettuce, onions, sauce, cheese, cheese, cheese. "Isn't that a little too much cheese?" she asked. "I'm not sure there's such a thing," I quipped. But I'm talking now about the gospel. We know what it is, right? Right? I mean, we've heard it, haven't we? We've preached it (Mark 16:15), haven't we? Enough? Too much? Is there such a thing? The word "gospel" first appears in our English Bibles in Matthew 4:23. And He (Jesus) went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming…  ( Click for more )

I've already written about various ways we can know if we have eternal life, if we are among the saved. It's interesting that they are mostly behavioral. They are almost entirely rooted in what we do (Matthew 7:17-20; Luke 8:15; John 15:8). Mind you, what we do doesn't save, but faith without works is dead faith (James 2:17) and the notion that you can be born again, indwelt by the Spirit, empowered by God, and have a new heart and not change is, frankly, nonsense. Biblically, however, there appears to be one test repeated above all others. We've already looked at it, but it…  ( Click for more )

John tells us his purpose in writing his first epistle. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

The whole purpose was that you may know that you have eternal life. Note that it was written to specific people. It's not for everyone. It is written "to you who believe in the name of the Son of God." But the intent is clear. You can know that you have eternal life. It is interesting, then, to read through John's repeated use of the phrase, "By this we know." Since…  ( Click for more )

Assurance of salvation is a good thing. At least, it's a good thing if it's true. We know there are people with assurance of salvation that shouldn't be so sure (Matthew 7:21-23). But we also know that Scripture assures us we can know (1 John 5:13). So we look through the pages of God's Word and we find different hints, different clues, different tests that can help us to know -- rightly know -- that we belong to God. The one I mentioned last week was the testimony of the Holy Spirit, but that had to be rightly understood. It wasn't "I feel or sense that the Holy Spirit…  ( Click for more )

What is assurance of salvation? It's not about "eternal security" or anything like it. It is not the same as being saved. It is possible to be saved and not know it or to believe you're saved and not be. Assurance is simply the confidence that you're saved. Can Christians have such assurance? Can we know? One of the most popular verses you might find on the topic is found in Paul's epistle to the church at Rome. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16)

That's it. Pretty straightforward. We can all see it and understand…  ( Click for more )

I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is what defines me as a Christian. I value this relationship, so I pursue it, nurture it, enjoy it, embrace it. I look at the Word of God to learn about the Word made flesh. I seek to obey Him more because He said if I love Him I will obey Him. This is a big part of my life, this relationship. Then I hear others who have this relationship. Christian music, Christian speakers, Christian bloggers, Christian "social media" -- all contribute to the view that all those others have of their relationship with Jesus. And sometimes…  ( Click for more )

James wrote, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). Double-minded. It seems to be the standard rather than the exception. I was looking at a display of works by a local artist. On a plaque was a quote from the artist. "I am certain that there is no absolute truth," the artist assured us. She went on to say that she wanted her work to cause people to see the beauty all around us without any allusion to truth. That is what I call "double-minded." She is absolutely certain of the absolute truth that there is no absolute truth.…  ( Click for more )

"She was a Christian, but she was distraught about her daughter's death all those years ago. 'Why would God take my child?' she asked me. I was able to give her comfort. 'It wasn't God's will,' I assured her. 'God never wills that kind of thing.' She felt much better." It was an actual discussion I heard. It was an actual position that was taken. And, I'm fairly certain, it was not a minority view. The speaker was a Christian, and I'm sure that many agree. God doesn't will that kind of thing. I am, however, completely baffled by "She felt much better." Years…  ( Click for more )

It seems to be a common idea these days. We ought to avoid conflict. The mentality of earlier America, for instance, when "Live free or die" was an actual motto and people thought that fighting for freedom was noble is no longer "in". We prefer now a "kinder, gentler" perspective. Do not take up arms. Do not go to war. There isn't anything worth fighting about, at least not seriously. Well, at least not Christians. Christians are not supposed to fight. You know, like the Bible says: "Wrestle not." Except that's not what it says. Here's what…  ( Click for more )

The Episcopal Church is about to revise the Common Book of Prayer to eliminate God as "Father" -- to make God gender neutral. It isn't new; the Church of Sweden has already discouraged the use of "Lord" and the male pronoun in reference to God. The point in these efforts is not to make our references to God more biblical or more in line with how He has revealed Himself to the human race. It is ostensibly to be "more inclusive," to offer a "variety of gender-neutral options," to "modernise." It is nothing but an assault started by some…  ( Click for more )

Irony is defined as "the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning." If you look around at current events, you'll find lots of illustrations. Often they are humorous; not always. This idea -- words used that end up expressing the opposite -- is a key component of the Cross. Yes, that Cross. Think about it. One Christian song speaks of the irony of the One who made the seas crying out, "I thirst." I think that just touches the surface. The Cross represents the darkest moment in human history. Human beings…  ( Click for more )

We all know that our world has decided to modify, over the past 60 years or so, the definition of marriage. This gradual redefinition has left it essentially undefined. Oh, yes, we might agree that it's some socially recognized legal contract between spouses that establishes rights and obligations, but it's all very vague. It is no longer, for instance, an actual union as it had been considered for so long because dissolving a union is no small issue but we're quite happy with "no fault divorce". And "monogamy" was all well and good for awhile, but we've headed…  ( Click for more )

"Angels we have heard on high," the song says. In fact, it is most likely that we have not heard them. Indeed, I would suggest that we know very little about the ever popular "angel" and his nemesis, the demon. What does the Bible tell us about these beings? First, let's clear the confusion. Here's what is not true of angels or demons. Angels are not people who have died and gone to heaven. (In Hebrews 12:22-23 there are two groups in heaven. There are angels and there are "the spirits of righteous men made perfect". Two distinct groups.) Every time…  ( Click for more )

There is a perception among many believers that faith and reason are distinct and separate. I disagree for biblical reasons. There is, on the other hand, a perception on the other side that would argue the reverse. If we can only provide the most coherent, most cogent, most rational, most well-constructed line of reasoning, we should be able to convince people to come to Christ. The Middle Ages are sometimes referred to as "the Age of Faith". The term, of course, was coined by the philosophers of the time known as "the Age of Enlightenment" -- roughly the middle…  ( Click for more )

We have all heard of "the kingdom of God". The phrase is not new to us. Matthew refers to it as "the kingdom of heaven", but it's the same thing. It is almost exclusively a New Testament concept, an idea that had its launch, so to speak, in Jesus's first teachings: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). We've all heard of this kingdom. But ... what is it? In Jesus's time the kingdom of God was "at hand" and "near", but apparently not actually present. He said, "I…  ( 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…  ( Click for more )

In George Orwell's 1984 the main character, Winston Smith, worked for the Ministry of Truth, the government organization that was constantly in the job of rewriting history in order to control people and thought. One of the Party slogans was, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." The Ministry of Truth controlled the past (and, therefore, the present and future) by rewriting it. Turns out, it's not as much of a fiction as we might think. Rewriting history has become more common these days. Some try to tell us the Holocaust…  ( Click for more )

The Peanuts character, Linus, is famous for his statement, "I love mankind; it's people I can't stand." It's humor. That's how humor works. You set up a thought -- "I love mankind" -- and then you take a sudden, unexpected turn. Funny stuff. But not always. Like the parallel version, "I love Christ; it's Christians I can't stand." Oh, of course, it's not generally laid out that way. It's usually more subtle. "I love Jesus, just not the people who ... make up His church." How does that work? How does one love God but not the people of God?…  ( Click for more )

God is described in Scripture as having all knowledge (Omniscient) (Psalm 136:1-6,16; Psalm 147:4-5; Isaiah 46:9-10; 1 John 3:20; etc.), having all power (Omnipotent) (Matthew 19:26; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 7:11-12; Revelation 19:6; Psalm 147:5; Jeremiah 32:17,27; Job 37:23; Daniel 4:35; etc.), and having all authority (Sovereign) (Psalm 115:3; Proverbs 16:9; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Job 42:2; Psalm 103:19; Psalm 135:6; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 9:21; Lamentations 3:37; Proverbs 16:33; etc.). If you were paying attention to the…  ( Click for more )

In the book of Job we read that Satan tested Job because of a challenge from God and took away Job's property and children (Job 1). What a blow! He lost everything. He lost everything at Satan's hands under God's supervision (Job 1:12). So, of course, Job was upset with God, right? Right? Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Through all this Job did not sin nor…  ( Click for more )