Jesus is Not my Chum; He Is King
We have a King above all rule and authority. He is King and will be King whether we submit to his reign and rule or rise up against it.
We have a King above all rule and authority. He is King and will be King whether we submit to his reign and rule or rise up against it.
Too frequently, in the body of Christ, we are seeing egregious offenses categorized as mistakes, lapses in judgment, inappropriate behaviors.
Paul, the Shema, Proverbs all underscore the father's responsibility in instilling character, faith, and godly knowledge in his children.
She belileved Jesus was different. All that mattered was getting to Jesus, or at least getting close enough to touch his clothing.
Biblical texts were penned by specific human hands, but being God-breathed suggests that God was guiding those hands. How did this happen?
It can be terrifying to witness the world falling apart, but God is your refuge, strength, and very present help in times of trouble.
God is our shelter and our safe place. He covers us with his wing, his shadow, and he protects us with his everlasting arm. There we abide.
Founded in 1956 by Billy Graham, Christianity Today was long the standard bearer, the flagship for evangelical Christianity. Now, not so much.
I want to understand the scriptures such that my heart burns within me, and I also want powerful obedience to apply that understanding and to live it.
We dare not get so locked into a narrative that we are blind to truth. The Jews were locked into a Messiah narrative that did not fit reality.
We cannot overestimate the importance of knowing our audience, of understanding where the person is that we are about to try to help.
Not one of us has the ability to live out God's will for our lives, but we can place our trust and faith in the one man who did so.
It is common for us to grow impatient, to run ahead of God, to help God and force some specific outcome. Let God be God and we be his people.
Each of us is instructed to build ourselves up, our own faith. And further, we have a responsibility to build up others in Christ.
But if there were one thing you could ask of God and know he would grant it, what would that one thing be? It's a question worthy of pondering.
When my time comes, and I am called home, I want the prevailing message to be, "He touched my life because he pointed me to Jesus."
It is not imperative for us to understand the Trinity to believe it.And anything I can decipher is not big enough to be my God!
Some of the strongest language in scripture is in Jude's letter, as he compares the church to three evil examples from Old Testament history.
In humility, the Creator became one with the created. The God of heaven touched the earth. The all-powerful God became a helpless infant.
"Incarnate," is a declaration of Jesus' taking on human form. Jesus was God personified in flesh. The implications of that truth are astounding!
The giving of gifts is a ubiquitous in scripture. The theme of gift giving is found well beyond 2,000 times from Genesis to Revelation.
True freedom is not living without constraints. True freedom is living as we were designed. That's not legalism. That's intelligent existence.
It is one thing to say, "I was in darkness," another to say, "I was darkness." Now you are llight in the Lord.Darkness has no power over you.
Music is strewn throughout the pages of scripture. It is there at creation and it is there in the end as we sing before the throne of the Lamb.
As we fight the good fight we must be aware that the true battlefield isn't here. Our war against the world system is something otherworldly.
It's not a matter of literally knowing God's name. There is a much broader sense wherein one's name is representative of everything about them.
"Neighbor" in Jesus-speak is not necessarily someone whose home is close to my own. To qualify as neighbor, I don't even have to know you.
We test everything against scripture—the whole counsel of God—from Genesis to Revelation. What does not align must be rejected.
When John says, "God is light," he seems to be saying that what we see as physical light reflects in the intellectual realm as well.
It is likely that one of the least understood and most abused words in the English language is “holy.” On one end of the spectrum, we find extreme sanctimonious, “holier than thou” religious snobbery, while the other end of the spectrum houses the use of “holy” as something of an...
Pastoring is hard work. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting, carrying with it a stress level I have experienced in no other vocation.
While the world spews a stream of lies and propaganda, claiming truth can be redefined, God remains true and his word remains trustworthy.
Praise springs from a heart filled with awe and gratitude. Joy bursts forth from us in ourpourings of praise! How is that a sacrifice?
Regarding the Christian response to the Olympics, it is absurd for the Chrisian community to be shocked by the worldliness of the world.
Any faith with a divided loyalty will fail, being "divided against itself;" a split-personality where the personalities destroy each other.
As those created in the image of God, the God who created and then rested, we rest and we remember. Taking a Sabbath rest is a trust issue.
I can rest in the assurance that God was pleased to call me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, and to adopt me to himself by his purpose.
The idea of putting God first sounds noble and dedicated. The truth is, it compartmentalizes our faith in ways God never intended.
Peter gives us message of victory in Christ. Jesus has reigned victorious and defeated our enemies on every front, in every conceivable realm.
We are uncomfortable relying on anyone but ourselves, particularly when it comes to salvation.What must I do to inherit or obtain eternal life?
When we worship in spirit and truth, we are approaching the state of loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
At times, the Word of God will tell you to do something altogether different than what your experience and professionalism tell you to do.
As Christ-followers, be strong and courageous as you walk confidently into that to which God calls you, knowing God will be with you always.
I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. I’m not so obtuse as to be unaware that opponents of the faith existed during that time, but their objections were more subtle, more veiled than those we see today. Typical television families in the 60s and early 70s were portrayed as going to church, or if…
I saw a meme last week that had a backlit match stick casting a shadow on the wall. The outline of the matchstick was clearly seen, but the flame itself cast no shadow. It was an impactful demonstration, and it made a powerful point. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim…
Soldiers, war, battle, fighting, standing firm, armor, victory, and defeat. The imagery of war and conflict is strewn throughout the pages of scripture. There, the Christ-follower is repeatedly characterized as a soldier. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please…
A high-visibility battle on varied social media platforms continues as those in various stripes of Christendom engage in a battle of words with those they unflatteringly refer to as “the Torah Keepers.” If you’re not familiar with the term, Torah refers to the first five books of the Old Testament canon. These writings are also…
Not too long ago, I had a brief exchange with someone who excitedly exclaimed that the Greek language was so cool because the Greeks had four words for “love.” “No,” I responded. “They don’t. Rather, English is such a limited language that it has only one word to convey four different Greek concepts.” That’s not…
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Fess up! If you have kids, you’ve performed that aria. Even if you don’t have kids … well … you probably read that with the little…
I’m not afraid of dying. I fear pain, but not death. Indeed, the older I grow, the more I understand the apostle Paul’s statement that he’s torn between dying and being at home with the Lord, and staying here for the sake of those left behind. Go, gather all the Jews to be found in…
One of the more profound texts in the New Testament is found in 1 Corinthians 6:11 – “And such were some of you…” Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves,…
I cannot count the times I have been told something along the lines of, “I just want to know God’s will for my life.” The sentiment is expressed in a variety of ways, and at times I have articulated that same desire. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your…
As I write this, I’m working on a manuscript chapter on being devoted to the fellowship, one of four basic devotions we read about in Acts 2:42. In that context, the disciples were devoted to one another, and part of that devotion involved something called fellowship. Fellowship, κοινωνία (koinonia), goes well beyond “hanging out” together…
I am persuaded that God is more involved in the creation than we are aware of. We are often aware of God’s involvement in our own lives, and we get glimpses of his involvement in the lives of family and friends, but his work extends well beyond those endpoints. God’s Care You care for the…
I don’t have a favorite book of the Bible or a favorite verse. I do, however, have a favorite chapter and, while I am generally drawn to the gospel of Luke, my favorite chapter in all the Bible is John 9. John 9 is where we find the events surrounding the healing of the man…
Last week we looked at the imprecatory psalms. This week, we are taking one step to the side and looking at a couple of specific statements from the psalms that are a bit difficult to understand or swallow. Several times over the past week, I have seen this concept floated, “Love the sinner but hate…
I don’t want to wish ill on anyone. I don’t even like the idea of having enemies. Teachings like “love your enemies,” and “bless those who persecute you” ring in my head. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray…
Alean and I are on the road this week, traveling to spend holidays with family. This week’s blog posting comes to you from Kansas. There is an obscure verse in Revelation 2 that I’ve always read past because it strikes me as such a bizarre statement. Vacation time grants us the privilege (or is it…
The Gotcha While browsing an online media source this week, I read a statement that gave me pause. It’s a strange sensation we feel when someone posts what they believe to be the ultimate “gotcha,” but their gotcha is so far off base that we want to shake them awake and get them to see…
I have taught for decades, and still maintain, that the resurrection of Jesus is the central truth of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, we have nothing. It is the hub around which every other doctrine rotates. The resurrection is the key. It is the victory over death. The next day, that is, after the…
Much hand-wringing and consternation occurs among Christ-followers who are frustrated with and taken aback by the worldliness of the world with its flaunting and glorification of sin. “Why can’t they see?” is the unspoken question that drives many to work harder, to argue longer, and allow the anxiety to build within them. The fruit will…
It is a rarity for me to call out a single person’s gross error on my blog. I cringe writing blog posts like this one. I’m far more interested in building up and encouraging by passing along teaching that exhorts and equips. Today, however, that is not the case. There are things that happen, so…
One of my favorite movie lines comes from The Magnificent Seven. It is a scene in which Chris, trying to recruit members for his team, is explaining the job to Harry. Harry is so convinced there is a huge score tied to the job that he keeps interrupting Chris as he tries to explain their…
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide.The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.When other helpers fail and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. It is a beautiful hymn, and a compelling cry of the heart. Stay with me Jesus. Walk with me through this. It is a cry we make to the one who…
The varied events in the life of Samson make for a fascinating read. At times I pore over them in astonishment that Samson could be so obtuse and reckless, yet God used him repeatedly for his purposes and his glory. Set apart as a Nazarite from birth,1 Samson did little to live up to and honor…
We hear a lot about “calling” from various passages, and equally varied speakers. It’s another one of those religious words we speak and hear and occasionally nod in agreement, doing so whether or not we really understand the word. Sometimes the head-nod means, I’m uncertain what you really mean, but I’m trying very hard to follow…
If you have been a Christ-follower for any length of time, you have encountered that critic who decries the Bible as “inconsistent,” because the old covenant God is harsh and wrathful while the supposedly same God of the new covenant is all about grace and love. Almost like it’s two different Gods. I understand how…
I AM and Moses God called Moses to act as his messenger to the Pharaoh of Egypt, the nation that had long oppressed and enslaved the Hebrew people. Moses was to be God’s representative to Pharaoh, demanding that Pharaoh let the people of God go free. Amid Moses’ flurry of pathetic excuses for not serving as God’s…
Those of you familiar with my writing and speaking know I am nowhere near even the outskirts of the “name it and claim it” movement. Abusing scripture with this theological construct is both insulting to the sovereignty of God and depressing to the one naming and claiming when their claims go unfulfilled. For the eyes…
In exasperation, one person may say to another, “Well, I can’t very well be in two places at one time, can I?” Oh, ye of little faith . . . 😉 You can. And if you are in Christ, you already are. Both Here and There …even when we were dead in our trespasses, made…
The vineyard is a staple metaphor throughout scripture. We see it in prophecy, in the parables of Christ, in Genesis accounts, in threats from foreign kings, in the Psalms, and even in the very words of Yahweh. The vineyard is everywhere. Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard:My beloved had a…
Few things are as off-putting to me as arrogance, the smug superiority that constantly looks down upon “lesser beings.” I recently finished reading Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. As I read, I was repulsed by the self-importance and snobbery reeking from Lady Catherine de Bourgh in almost every scene in which she appeared. Lady Catherine was…
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.– John 10:10, ESV Years ago, I heard a man tell an intriguing story about four thieves. It was intriguing because though all four were thieves, each of the four met with a different fate.…
Early in the life of the church, there was confusion and ignorance regarding whether Gentiles were required to adhere to Jewish Law and custom upon becoming Christ followers. This debate led to what is called “The Jerusalem Council” we read of in Acts 15. In that council, following a presentation from the apostles Barnabus and…
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?– Romans 8:31-32, NIV-1983 There are times I read scripture,…
It should not amaze us that scripture proves itself as relevant today as it was the thousands of years ago when it was written. Take a moment and ponder the unsettling state of the world today, and when you’re ready (or disgusted), consider the following statement from the prophet Jeremiah: Righteous are you, O LORD, when…
Alean and I worship and serve with a smaller fellowship of about 100 to 125 and we know we are tremendously blessed to be a part of this unique and loving church family. It took us years to find this family, and we won’t give it up easily if the time ever comes that we…
(My apologies for the late upload of this blog posting. The passing of Mister Bear derailed so many things for me, including this blog.) One of my favorite incidents in the record of Jesus’ ministry is his encounter with the man born blind recorded in the ninth chapter of John’s gospel account. There are numerous…
This is week four of our look at the cost of following Jesus. It is my intention that this should be the final installment in the series, and I will hold to that decision right up until the time I change my mind and do another one! 😉 You can read the first three installments…
Over the past two weeks, we have been challenged by Jesus with some strong teaching regarding the cost of following him. It is difficult teaching because it is so uncommon in current-generation Christian thought to speak of costs when following Jesus. The more prevalent teaching is saturated with ideas regarding how easy it is and…
Last week, we journeyed together through Part 1 of “Following Jesus Will Cost You Everything.” This week we continue that investigation with Part 2 by looking at three ostensible Christ-followers who encounter unexpected responses from Jesus regarding their candidacy for discipleship. As was common with many teachers of his day, Jesus walked from place to…
I became a follower after Christ on January 16, 1983. It was an abrupt incident. It was a time of metamorphosis, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, but happening instantaneously rather than over time. It was a transition, a transformation, from the inside out, as though I had been flayed before my God as he…
The meme attached to this blog posting is ubiquitous in the online world. Various forms of it are found with ease by way of a simple web search. I have no idea who deserves credit for the graphic and struggled mightily to find the originator. But it was just too funny not to share, even…
One of the best-known verses in the New Testament teaches us that it is by grace we are saved through faith, and not of works so none may boast.1 Less emphasized is the fact that Paul also spoke of a man’s works, and how each will be rewarded or not rewarded on the basis of that…
Recently, I was involved in a discussion/debate/disagreement, whatever we need to call it, regarding the existence of God. The guy considered himself proficient in science, so he wanted evidence and falsifiability. Science, true science, is about disprovable hypothesis. So I flipped that around on him and challenged him to disprove my hypothesis that God exists.…
Love. Love is the greatest commandment.1 Love is the new commandment.2 Or is it? For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.– 1 John 3:11, ESV This phrase, “from the beginning” is all over 1st John. You can scarcely scan a single page of the letter without…
If there were any area of my life in Christ I would like to heal, it would be my prayer life. I know brothers and sisters in Christ who pray with such ease – as easily and naturally as I converse with Alean. My prayer life is not like that. But as tattered as it…
I got called Satan this past week. It had nothing to do with behavior. It happened because I, along with several brothers and sisters in Christ was disagreeing with some wild doctrine being put forward by a man on social media. I’m not talking about anything to do with tribulation, rapture, Calvinism, etc. This was…
Thomas has been erroneously called “Doubting Thomas” because of his initial refusal to believe in Jesus’ resurrection based on word of mouth. Dare I say, the Doubting Bereans were called “noble” for not taking the apostle Paul at his word.
When calamity hits and our world feels as though it has collapsed out from under us, fear seems to be the only sane response to the uncontrolled free-fall that overwhelms us. It is, to be sure, the default response. There may come a time when, in our despair, we cry out to God, “What’s going on here?…
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands fast to the end will be saved.– Matthew 10:22, NIV-1983 One Man With Conviction Tuesday night, January 17, the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team celebrated Pride Night by wearing LGBTQ+-affirming warm-up jerseys. Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov chose to abstain from pre-game warmups saying, “I…
I do not have a deep kinship with the King James translation of the Bible. I certainly do not revere the translation as a “Holy of Holies” among Bibles the way some do. It is a translation. It is a good one. It’s not without its challenges, and it is dated in its English language…
There are some phrasings in the King James translation that are simply delightful, and they cannot find equivalency in more recent translational works. One such phrase is in our target text for this week’s blog posting.
Yesterday, we celebrated something unprecedented – God took on flesh and pitched his tent among humanity.1 It is unprecedented because it had never happened before, and no other faith throughout history even purports that such a thing could, would, or did happen. Not only do other faiths and cultures not speak of Immanuel (God with us), many find…
A Bad Hymn Every so often, the discussion will reemerge about how there is bad theology in many of the praise songs used by the modern church. It’s true. There is. Yet, the same can be said for some of the most beloved hymns in more traditionally structured churches. Consider the “theology” from this hymn:…
Telling God How It Is More than once I have had that curious conversation with a young-to-middle-aged man or woman who has decided that they are displeased and disapproving of the way God is running the universe. If you have not had one of these conversations, you need to do so. Get that on your…
I’ve grown weary of hearing/reading the many buzzwords, virtue signals, and phrases of offense being thrown around lately. It can be exhausting to attempt to live up to the standards and expectations of others. Don’t mention critical race theory. People will say [ any number of things]. Don’t say that! They’ll think you’re “woke” or worse…
Consider this … adversity enters our lives, and it is directly related to our faith. This doesn’t happen often in the west, but it does happen. What do we do in response? The normative reaction is to call the prayer hotline and to engage our own prayer life and ask God for relief. “God, we are suffering here. Please relieve us of this pain and burden.”
Just this morning I read a heartbreaking thread from a young woman on Twitter who has decided that prayer is pointless and she has stopped praying as a result. Not cut back. Stopped. Completely. Several others chimed in with some form of, “Yeah, me too. Gave up praying years ago.” I’ll admit that I struggle…
“Oh, get real, will ya?” Such is the retort one might hear when others believe we are living in a fantasy world, or are not seeing things in life as they really are. “You need to start living in ‘the real world.’” I have seen similar statements made against those who invest great qualities of…
Author, Speaker, Dir. of Comm. @ Inspire Christian Writers, Former pastor/Campus Minister, Long-View Living in a Short-View World, Rep'd by Bob Hostetler - @bobhoss - The Steve Laube Agency