Whenever I read in the book of Psalms, I am reminded simultaneously of my frail humanity, my need for my Savior, and the glory and power of God. It is quite difficult to not see the type and shadow of a believer in Christ expressed in the confines of the psalmists’ words as they bare their souls before God. Martin Luther is recorded as saying, “[The Psalms are] a Little Bible, wherein everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully…
From time to time, I receive messages from women seeking input surrounding specific teachings in the hyper Charismatic church. It is encouraging to see both brothers and sisters in Christ using Biblical discernment and desiring Biblical truth. There are people coming out of this movement who want clarity and answers after the fog lifts from some areas in life. Recently, I received one of those messages from a sister in Christ. She had come across a social media post from…
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately…
How did that get in there? Perhaps you can relate to putting something in the most unlikely of places. I have heard stories of this happening and have almost done this myself on more than one occasion. I once walked to the laundry room with the intent of putting the milk away in the cabinet. It sounds ridiculous, but it happened. I read a story once where a woman put her keys in the freezer and had no recollection of…
Last week, I wrote a blog post surrounding a recent video from Rediscover Bethel where the topic of prophetic ministry was discussed in house among two leaders affiliated with Bethel church in Redding, California. Today, I want to continue looking at the remaining teaching in this video on the office of a prophet, judging prophecy, and false prophets, to name a few. The goal of this post as well as the previous one is to evaluate the teaching and to…
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16,17 ESV For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 ESV It is an interesting observation. Whenever I…
“Don’t try to analyze or rationalize the sound coming out of your mouth. Your brain will try to shut it down because it is not English. It is your private prayer language. Jude 20 says you build yourself up on your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. The devil cannot understand this language, and he does not want you to have it because it is the perfect prayer. You cannot mess it up. I am going to…
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. Psalm 42:7 ESV For the longest time, Psalm 42:7 was lost on me, and I didn’t even know it. I had taken this verse to mean something it was not saying, that the depths in me called out to the depths of God within me. How poetic, right? Not really. I had never read it in context. I had never…
There are two words you would least likely expect to see or to hear used in the same breath. Those two words would be Charismatic legalism. It came to mind about a year ago when I was thinking about some of the things I was once taught over the years in a Charismatic church, things which were viewed as freedom but were really creating shackles. Few words tend to make a believer in Christ bristle more than the word legalism….
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:1-3 ESV A few weeks ago, I was…