So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 ESV Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is…
Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:3-4 ESV If you and I were truly honest, we would be completely content going through this life having never suffered any sort of hardship. No one wants to face difficult times, times that test our…
Within the past year, a great change has taken place in my personal life and in my walk with Jesus Christ. It has come with a price, but having counted the cost, it was well worth any perceived loss to truly know Christ. During that time, I grew restless in the realization that I had been spiritually starving. The hype and the sensationalism were tiresome. Hype sells but it doesn’t save. Oh, I longed for the Word of God to…
I sit here late on a Sunday night with a pit in my stomach, grieving for the church. For over a week now, I have heard about a prophecy concerning the Superbowl, the Chiefs and revival pending their win. Many were banking on this victory as it was prophesied as a sign of a great move of God on the horizon. I was not. It was troubling. As I personally watched the game, I found myself having several thoughts and…
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly…
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Acts 20:28-29 ESV In this particular passage of Scripture, Paul was…
When the thrill of the experience has waxed cold and the fog lifts and the glow of the ambient light has dimmed in the presence of offending fluorescence, there is a questioning of the longevity of this sacred romance called Christianity. As a Christian, I realize that encounter and experience once took precedence in my life. It was the thrill of God seeming to chase me and give me a word, to have the “man or woman of God” call…
How many of you ponder on church history? I found myself meditating on the ninety five theses from Martin Luther. These statements were nailed to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany more than five hundred years ago, and this act sparked what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. It was scandalous, and it cost Martin Luther much for challenging the current atmosphere and teachings of the Catholic church in his time. Imagine bringing the Light of truth into the…
What is the foundation of intimacy with God? As someone who treasures a personal relationship with God, it can be easy to fall into the trap of basing relationship upon emotions, feelings and experiences while diminishing the unadulterated Word of God and the atonement for our sins only found through Jesus Christ. The more you and I get to know the Lord through His Word, the written Word of God, the more we understand that our personal relationship with the…
What would you do if the Holy Spirit directed you to an uncomfortable Scripture for encouragement? All of us desire to hear encouragement and words of comfort, and I want to comfort you with this: God will always direct you to His holy written Word for the encouragement you need to draw closer to Him and to walk in Spirit and in truth. It may not be the Word that you or I want to hear, but His Word is…