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 …
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. …
Don’t Fear Religious People … WIN THEM!
In the past few weeks, I’ve had the blessing of guest speaking at some local non-denominational churches. These small local assemblies are full of people with a genuine love for God and a desire to know the Bible more fully. At each church, people approached me afterwards to either ask questions or to offer positive comments about the message I’d …
From Fellowship to Fear
A common thought about Christian fellowship is that it should produce comfort and encouragement. But how many of us look at fellowship as a source of godly fear? Yet, that is precisely what the first Christians experienced immediately following the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2 informs us that they followed a specific pattern of behavior, but the outcome wasn’t what …
Freedom in Christ
This month the United States of America will celebrate July 4th in remembrance of the ratification of our Declaration of Independence. Both in the preamble and the epilogue they acknowledge the Creator God as the both the author and protector of freedom. It was their reliance upon God that gave them the courage to take their stand and declare truth …
The War is Here… What Now?
Our world is spinning out of control. The most fundamental realities of life are under assault, and it seems most of earth’s human inhabitants are either ignorant, numbed or jaded about the inevitable outcome if we remain on the sidelines. What should Christ’s followers do? Do we march in the streets? Should we write letters of protest to our elected …
Righteous or Self-Righteous
Righteousness in the Bible carries two essential meanings. First, it is the state of being right according to God’s standards. The other meaning carries the sense of having been declared not guilty. One who is declared not guilty, is not of necessity living righteously. Throughout the Bible, God declared many people righteous, but it is through faithfulness to live according …
The Biblical Perspective of Fellowship
Fellowship in our current Western culture has become a broadly used word to describe everything from government programs to civic organizations. Is fellowship just another way of describing a collective group or community or does it imply more? The Bible offers a much more nuanced picture of fellowship; one which will thrill the heart to perceive and practice. In this …
The Biblical Perspective of Fellowship (audio)
Fellowship in our current Western culture has become a broadly used word to describe everything from government programs to civic organizations. Is fellowship just another way of describing a collective group or community or does it imply more? The Bible offers a much more nuanced picture of fellowship; one which will thrill the heart to perceive and practice. In this …