You have been Changed Have you ever just watched a small child? It is not difficult for children to act like children. Little children do not worry about whether they grew enough this week, or where their next meal is coming from, or whether they are actually your child or not. They just go around…
Soul and Spirit Recently my view that a person is a spirit, has a soul, and lives in a body has been brought into question. In the past I have written about this very confidently. Some have pointed out that unless I could show this clearly, I should consider softening my remarks so that they…
What Does God Want From Us? – – Part Three So far in this study we have seen that the Law of God sets the standard of perfection—a standard none of us can possibly meet. We have seen that nothing we do can possibly make us right with God, and we have seen that what…
What Does God Want From Us? —Part Two In Part One we saw that no one is justified by what they do. We saw that Jesus showed that the Law presented the standard of perfection, which is impossible for us to meet. Interestingly, there is another thought about what God wants running through Scripture. Here…
What Does God Want From Us?—Part One What exactly is it that God wants from us anyway? I think a lot of people wish they were certain they really knew the answer to that question. Some might point to self-sacrifice; or “suffering for Christ”. While self-sacrifice is laudable and suffering is bound to happen, as…
Live Love Have you ever sat in a chair, in silence, doing absolutely nothing for an entire day? Do you think you could? One of the most common whiny complaints of children is, “I’m bored.” We’re always looking for something to do. It feels unnatural to us to do absolutely nothing. This innate desire to…
Light Light can do many things. It can illuminate, expose, color, cause plant growth, and even disinfect. Focused light can burn; highly focused light can cut. Light can be painful too. Staring at the sun is not a good idea. Welders wear protective glasses to filter much of the light generated by the welding process….
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know! Romans 8:31b-39 “31b …If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He 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? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God…
The Power of a Transformed Mind A few years back, I renovated one of our bathrooms. This part of our house is very old and was constructed using the Jenny-Lind technique. After so many years, it is no longer square. Truthfully, it is more of a trapezoid. When you build something that must fit fixtures…
Translating Scripture There are many translations of the Bible. Some feel strongly about one or the other. In this little article, I want to discuss Bible translation using Romans 12:2. Before we begin, please understand that I am not a Bible translator. I am not an expert in the ancient languages. These are simply my…
Thoughts on the Role of the Spirit The Spirit guides us into truth. He is active in causing us to see sin in our lives. The Holy Spirit prompts believers toward godly behavior and attitudes, but He does not convict believers. The definition of “convict” is: “1) declare (someone) to be guilty of a criminal…
Reading the Old Testament Sometimes reading the Old Testament can make a person nervous. There are a few things that are important to keep in mind when reading scripture in general, and the Old Testament in particular. What we call the Old Testament is the Hebrew Scriptures. These were for the Jews and written before…
Trust with Abandon One of my most purposefully remembered scripture passages is Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (NASB) When it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ, if…
This Grace in Which We StandA Study of Romans 5:1-11 Amazing grace; hyper-grace; cheap grace. We hear a lot about grace in church. Ask any Christian how someone can be saved and you’ll be told that it is by grace we are saved. Grace is mentioned outside of church too. We say grace; we refer…
Sanctification-An Introduction The Greek Word for sanctification is the same one translated “holy.” The word is ἁγιάζω (hagiazō) and it means, Hallow, Holiness, Holy, Sanctification, Sanctify, Consecrate. It is the same Greek word translated “saints,” which means “holy ones.” Both sanctify and holy mean “set apart.” We typically assign “holy” a sense of pure and…
A Brief Testimony I grew up in the church. I was raised in one of the more legalistic denominations and taught that my salvation might be impermanent. I studied the Bible. I was trained as a lay minister and assigned to a church. I preached a legalistic message and grew angry with those who suggested…
The Power of Sin Paul said in Romans 7 that he does things he does not want to do. He says that if he does not want to do them, then it is no longer he who does it. He blames it on sin living in him. So, which is it? Is Paul the one…
What is Our Nature? When I speak of our “nature,” I am referring to our hard-wired inherited traits. When we were born of the flesh, we inherited our traits from Adam. Therefore, though not everyone sinned in the same way as Adam (see Romans 5:14), all are sinful right from the start. It is the…
Dividing Soul and Spirit There has been a serious lack of clarity in the Church about the difference between our spirit and our soul. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our…
Is There Bad News in the Good News? 2 Corinthians 5:6–11 6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent…
Justification from Sin Justified means acquitted, found not guilty, declared or made righteous in the sight of God. Justification then, declares that one is not guilty of sin. If one is not guilty of sin, then one is in fact righteous. One of the problems we may have with our understanding of sin and justification…
Worship by Wandering Around John 4:23–24 23“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” 24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NASB95) For many years, the…
Does The Holy Spirit Keep You From Doing What You Really Want? Galatians 5:16-17 (KJV) 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to…
Justification by Works? In James Chapter 2:21-24 James says, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM…
Mercy and Grace Are Yours Hebrews 4:15–16 (NASB95) 15For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy…
