Jesus said that those who made the decision to follow him would experience suffering for having made that decision. The early church soon found out the truth of those words and Peter’s first epistle addresses that development head on. When he wrote it the pressure and suffering had already begun and he said it would get even worse. Of course, …
Pure or Impure: The Choice is Ours
The Old Covenant beliefs were frequently faced with the possibility of becoming “impure” or “unclean” before God. Many things could create this state of uncleanness, like touching a dead body, or having open sores. In the condition of uncleanness, they were disqualified from certain rights and privileges relating to association with others and to temple worship. In like manner, New …
Worship Before Blessing
If you ask the average Bible student, “Why did God want the children of Israel to be set free from Egypt?”, most would answer, “So they could inherit the Promised Land”. But that is NOT what the scriptures teach us. Five times Moses tells Pharaoh to let the people go so that they may worship God in the wilderness. Was …
Back to Basics
Ever since I first heard the truth of God’s Word, my desire has been to share it with as many people as I can. Clearly, the best way for each of us to do that is to both live and speak that truth, like Jesus did. The first step in doing that is to know the truth. Titus 1:1“Paul, a …
Standing Strong with First John (Part 2)
First John is a book of the Bible that speaks of the assurance of God’s love and the importance of living a life of obedience and faithfulness to Him. It is a powerful and inspiring reminder to stand strong in the faith and be faithful in our love for God and for one another. It calls us to keep our …
Standing Strong with First John (Part 1)
First John is a book of the Bible that speaks of the assurance of God’s love and the importance of living a life of obedience and faithfulness to Him. It is a powerful and inspiring reminder to stand strong in the faith and be faithful in our love for God and for one another. It calls us to keep our …
Living Out Your Redemption
As we face the mounting opposition and oppression in our lives, it is important to remember the spiritual reality of our redemption. Our redemption is an eternal spiritual victory in the face of any adversity. When we face the challenges of life, it is easy to forget this spiritual reality and instead focus on the immediate physical conditions we face. …
Crouching Sin… Redeeming Savior
Genesis 4:6,7Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” This is one of the most enlightening dialogues recorded …
The Dichotomy of Fear
Since the late 1980s we have all seen tee-shirts and placards displaying the phrase “No Fear”. While this popular mantra may give some degree of encouragement, it can also be misleading. While it may seem sensible to eliminate fear from our lives, not all fear is bad. It is a good thing to fear a sow Grizzly bear with cubs. …
Truth in Troubled Times
From the moment Adam and Eve chose their own way over God’s way in the Garden of Eden, difficulty and pain have been an unyielding component in the story of humanity. Sin impacted all of creation, introducing suffering and damaging everything from our personal relationships to nature itself. The effects of sin can be felt in our lives today, manifesting …