In last week’s blog, we focused on the birth of the very first church. It all began with Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost when he called on all those who had gathered to repent of their sins, the main “offense” being the crucifixion of their own Messiah. Prior

It was Passover week, and the streets of Jerusalem were choked with tens of thousands of faithful Jews from around Judea and the far reaches of the Roman Empire. It was Palm Sunday, the first day of the week, and Good Friday would be just a few days away. When

As you recall last week, from the time that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Chief Priests and Pharisees plotted together to kill him. Knowing this plot was being hatched, Jesus left Judea and went to the city of Ephraim where He stayed with His disciples. But the Feast

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the response of the crowd was mixed, as some believed that Jesus was certainly the Messiah, while others were resistant, and wanted to make sure that the Pharisees and Chief Priests knew what had just happened in Bethany, just a few miles from

As you recall, after leaving Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples went across the Jordan to the place where John the Baptist used to baptize those who responded to his message of repentance. Shortly after their arrival, Jesus received an urgent message that He was desperately needed in Bethany (about two

After Jesus left Jerusalem, He and His disciples went across the Jordan River to the place where John the Baptist used to baptize those who responded to his message of repentance. People were saying that although John had performed no miraculous sign, everything that he had said about Jesus was

Last week, we saw Jesus attending the Feast of the Dedication, at which time He plainly asserted His deity. As the Jews continued to ask Him whether or not He was the Messiah, Jesus responded by saying: “I told you and you do not believe; the works that I do

In today’s blog, we find Jesus continuing his “mini sermon” on the Temple steps in Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, we discovered that He identified Himself as the Gate to the sheep pen, and the sheep of His pasture come in and out only through this Gate. We saw that Jesus

In today’s blog, we find Jesus continuing his “mini sermon” on the Temple steps in Jerusalem. Last week, we saw that Jesus identified Himself as the Gate to the sheep pen, and the sheep come in and out only through this Gate. We saw that Jesus spoke words that many

While continuing to teach on the Temple steps after healing the man born blind, Jesus began a “mini-sermon,” and this time He decided to focus on His true identity and upon those who follow Him. He began by talking about sheep, saying that anyone who enters the sheep pen by

As we saw in our last blog, the religious leaders were always bent on trying to find something in Jesus’ words that they could label as “blasphemy,” and so when Jesus said that He existed before Abraham (some 2,000 years before Jesus came to earth), they found it. They knew

As we wrap up chapter 8 of the John’s Gospel, Jesus had some very important words to say to the crowds who seemed to always be gathered around Him. Although Moses received the Law at Mt. Horeb in about 1,400 BC, the Jews always looked to Abraham as “the father

As we began looking at the 8th chapter of John two weeks ago, we saw a woman accused of adultery being thrown at Jesus’ feet. After Jesus challenged anyone in the crowd who was without sin to cast the first stone, they all dispersed as they realized that none of

This devotional book, which is now at the printers, is unlike any other that you may have already read. Why? It’s because this one was specifically prepared for those who want to enrich their knowledge of the Bible. Each day you will find a clearly focused snapshot of one book

If you remember some of last week’s blog, Jesus knew that he had a “bounty” on His head as the religious leaders in Jerusalem were already plotting to kill Him. After spending time in Galilee, his half-brothers wanted Him to return to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths (or

Following the extensive dialogue between Jesus and the Jews who had gathered to hear Him talk about the manna that fell in the wilderness and Himself being the living bread that had come down out of heaven, Jesus and His disciples returned to Galilee. Jesus was already aware of the

Last week, we discovered that Jesus told the crowd plainly about one important aspect of His identity:  “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). If we acknowledge Jesus as the One sent

Following the feeding of the 5,000, the crowd was apparently sincere in asking Jesus what they needed to do in order to “do the works of God.” Here is their question:    “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28). To which Jesus responded:

After his trip to Jerusalem where He healed the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, and then provided four witnesses (last week’s blog) to the fact that He was indeed the Messiah, Jesus returned to Galilee with His disciples. And, after seeing Jesus heal dozens of people of their

It goes without saying that the religious leaders listening to Jesus were irate when He called God His Father. Remember what Jesus said: “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17). And, as you recall from last week, Jesus went on to tell them about

If you recall from last week, after healing the lame man and confronting the “religious police” about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus revealed a shocking truth when He said: “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17). As you might have guessed, this sent a

If you recall last week’s blog, we saw that Jesus entered Jerusalem to attend one of the festivals of the Jews, and upon seeing a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus began a conversation with him (John 5:1-18). The lame man was lying there alone, and had no

Today we will look at another miracle that Jesus performed, a “sign” pointing to the fact that He is not only the Messiah, but also the Son of the Living God. Following a time of ministry in Galilee, including the healing of the nobleman’s son, Jesus headed south to Jerusalem

The Gospel of John, as with the other gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, can be divided into three major sections: 1) Jesus “divine encounters,” such as with the Woman at the Well in Samaria; 2) Jesus’ miracles that served as “signs” of His deity; and 3) Jesus’ teachings,

As I mentioned last week, most of you know how committed I am to understand the historical background of any biblical text prior to commenting on the text itself. That was the essence of last week’s blog. Today, we will look at the encounter itself, as Jesus begins a conversation

Most of you who know me well, know how committed I am to understand the historical background of any biblical text prior to commenting on the text itself. Through the years, I have come to realize that this understanding is essential in helping any Bible student to properly interpret the

As we have seen in the first three parts of this Nighttime Encounter, Jesus had much to share with Nicodemus. Jesus began by telling him that he needed to be “born again,” which was not a physical “rebirth,” but a spiritual one. And then Jesus took him back to the

As we have seen in the first two parts of this Nighttime Encounter, Jesus had much to share with Nicodemus. In fact, Nicodemus said very little because Jesus could “read his mind” regarding the questions that were troubling him. If you recall, Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be

If you recall, Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and religious leader, had some questions for Jesus. Realizing that Jesus had surely come from God, Nicodemus wanted to know if there was more to this Rabbi than just being a great teacher and worker of miracles (Jn. 3:1-2). Jesus, knowing his sincerity,

Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and religious leader, had some questions for Jesus. Having seen or heard of the miracles that Jesus had been performing, he boldly confessed that Jesus had surely come from God “as a teacher,” and that God was undoubtedly “with Him.” But Nicodemus wanted to know if

Last week, we discovered that there were those who rejected the Gift of LIFE that Jesus came to give them for two primary reasons: 1) they were looking for Life in the wrong place (the Old Testament Scriptures with its focus on obedience to the Law); and 2) they refused

Last week, we spent some time looking at the Gift that Jesus came to give us – the Gift of LIFE! It was part of His essential being when He came to planet Earth. Remember how John began His Gospel by saying, “In Him was life, and the life was

John begins his gospel by introducing the reader to “the Real Jesus” by saying,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (Jn. 1:1-2). Just what does John mean by “the Word?” In the

Our “meaningful and memorable” verse for today is found in the Gospel of John, where Jesus announced,  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). This is probably the most often quoted

The Book of Revelation is the last book in our Bibles, and it is the last of the 5 documents written by the Apostle John which are: The Gospel of John; his three letters to the churches, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John; and finally, the Book of Revelation. The Book

As in 2 John, the author of this very short letter identifies himself simply as “the elder,” and once again, the style and language in the letter point to the Apostle John as the author. And, similar to 2 John where John addressed his letter to an unnamed “chosen lady,”

First John is the first of three epistles (or letters) written to a general audience scattered around Asia Minor, or modern day Turkey. If you recall, John also wrote his story of the life and ministry of Jesus (the Gospel of John), and as we will see soon, he is

The Book of 2 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter not long after writing his first letter. As noted last week, it was during a time of increasing persecution for the church, remembering that for the first 34 years of the Church (AD 30-64), persecution came from the Jewish

The Book of 1 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter during a time of increasing persecution for the church. For the first 34 years of the Church (AD 30-64), persecution came from the Jewish leadership throughout the Empire. It was the Apostle Paul who faced such persecution everywhere he

The Book of James was a critical document for the early church, especially for those Jews who had become Christians. Having lived lives characterized by obedience to the Law, they needed to understand that their new faith, based upon God’s grace, requires good words for that faith to be considered

The Book of Hebrews is one of my favorite New Testament books as it provides a window that helps us see how the New Covenant finds its roots in the Old Covenant, and shows us how Christ is far superior to anything that Judaism had to offer. For example, the

During his first Roman imprisonment, Paul felt the compelling need to write this short letter to a fellow believer and prominent member of the church in Colossae. It appears that the once enslaved Onesimus had robbed, or in some other way wronged, his master Philemon and had suddenly “left town,”

As noted last week, during the course of Paul’s ministry throughout the Roman Empire, he wrote a total of 13 letters addressed to specific churches (like Corinth) or regions (like Galatia), and to specific individuals (like Timothy). These letters are usually referred to as “The “Pauline Epistles.” However, three of

During the course of Paul’s ministry throughout the Roman Empire, he wrote a total of 13 letters addressed to specific churches (like Corinth) or regions (like Galatia), and to specific individuals (like Timothy). These letters are usually referred to as “The “Pauline Epistles.” His second letter to Timothy happens to

As you might recall, Paul met young Timothy on his Second Missionary Journey while in Asia Minor. From the time of their meeting, Timothy accompanied Paul throughout much of his ministry. It is also likely that Timothy was with Paul for a time during this first imprisonment in Rome, and

If you recall, Thessalonica was the capitol of Macedonia, and the second stop in Europe for Paul on his second Missionary Journey. And remember, Paul and his traveling companions were driven out of town by an angry Jewish mob that was “livid” over the fact that Paul was making so

The City of Thessalonica was the capitol of the Macedonian Province, and the second stop in Europe for Paul and his traveling companions. The Book of Acts tells us that they were only there for three weeks because they were driven out of town by an angry Jewish mob that

The Book of Colossians has some striking parallels with the Book of Ephesians, which we have previously examined. While Ephesians focuses upon the “Church of Christ” (that is, the Church as the Body of Christ), the Book of Colossians focuses upon the “Christ of the Church” (that is, Christ as

On his Second Missionary Journey, after visiting all of the churches in Asia Minor that he had planted on his First Journey, Paul wanted to venture northward spreading the Gospel into Bithynia, but as Luke recorded in the Book of Acts, “the Spirit of God forbade him to do so.”

It wasn’t until the end of his Second Journey that the Apostle Paul visited Ephesus. He had spent over a year in Corinth (Macedonia), planting and strengthening the church there, and then on his return trip to Antioch (home base for his missionary journeys), he decided to stop in Ephesus.

The Apostle Paul traveled in the Roman Province of Galatia on all three of his missionary journeys. During this time, he planted a number of churches, and on this occasion, he felt it necessary to address all of them in one letter, and that’s what we find in the Book

Let me begin with a quick review of what I mentioned last week, as you will not fully understand the letters of Paul without some background. The Apostle Paul traveled throughout much of the Roman Empire sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and establishing churches and church leaders from

The Book of Acts follows the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. The Book has been formally called “The Acts of the Apostles,” which is true, but it’s actually the continuing work of Jesus through His Apostles as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit for life and

The Gospel of John is the fourth, and last, of the Gospels in the New Testament. You might recall that John was one of the first disciples whom Jesus called to follow Him. It all began on the shores of the Sea of Galilee as Jesus was teaching the crowds

The Gospel of Luke is the third Gospel in our Bibles. If you recall, the word for “gospel” comes from the Greek word which means “good news,” and each of the gospels present Jesus as the One who not only is the “Good News,” but who is also the One

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the Gospels in our Bibles. Remember, the word for “Gospel” comes from the Greek word which means “Good News,” and each of the gospels present Jesus as the One who not only is the “Good News,” but who is also the One

From the last page of the Old Testament in the Book of Malachi to the first page of the New Testament in the Book of Matthew there is a gap in history of approximately 450 years. It had been four and a half centuries since the people of Israel had

In our last few blogs, we have been accumulating names associated with the returning exiles after 70 years in Babylonian captivity. These names included the prophets Haggai and Zachariah, in addition to Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the High Priest, both of whom were commissioned by God to oversee the

In our last blog, we were introduced to three individuals: Haggai the Prophet; Zerubbabel the governor of the returning exiles; and Joshua the High Priest, all commissioned by God to fulfill their calling in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. If you recall, after building the altar of sacrifice so that

In 538 B.C. King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their land to rebuild the Temple that was destroyed in 586 B.C. by the Babylonian army. Gathering supplies for the 900 mile journey which would take several months, Zerubbabel (the son of the governor

Empire was ascending. In his very first chapter, Zephaniah describes the coming judgment saying, “Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of

Habakkuk prophesied during the final years leading up to the invasion of the country by the mighty Babylonian army. The Northern Kingdom had already fallen to the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and then just over a hundred years later in 612 B.C., the Assyrians were defeated by the Babylonians. And

If you recall, it was just 2 books ago (the Book of Jonah) when we looked into the life and ministry of Jonah: How he heard from God but ran from his calling; How he cried out to God from the belly of the fish; How he went to the

It goes without saying that we all hate injustice. We despise seeing the poor and weak exploited by the rich and powerful. And we are not alone, as the Prophet Micah over 2,500 years ago called out the rich and powerful in Jerusalem for exploiting the weak and helpless who

Of course, we have all heard of Jonah, the guy in the Old Testament who got swallowed by a whale!!!! Actually, it was a giant fish, and in case you are a bit skeptical, there is a species of “giant fish” who has a throat large enough to swallow a

Up to this point in our study of the Prophets, we have been looking at messages brought to both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. But Obadiah is called by God to bring a message of judgment to another country, a country that lay to the east of Judah,

Once again, let’s remember that following the reign of Solomon, the northern 10 tribes left the “union,” leaving just 2 tribes to the south. While Judah in the south had many “good” kings who drew the people to the Lord, her “sister” to the north, Israel, had only “evil” kings

So that we can keep our historical bearings for the “Minor Prophets,” I’d like to review a bit of history that we covered last week. If you recall, the twelve tribes of Israel were united as one nation during the reigns of the first three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon.

A bit of history before we kick off our series on the “Minor Prophets,” and specifically today, Hosea. If you recall, the twelve tribes of Israel were united as one nation during the reigns of the first three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. But after Solomon’s reign, his son Rehoboam

While the Book of Revelation is the major prophetic book in the New Testament, Daniel is it’s equivalent in the Old Testament. In fact, some have called it “The Apocalypse of the Old Testament.” But in addition to it’s prophetic aspects, there are some well-known historical elements in the book,

Ezekiel was the prophet to the people during their 70-year exile in Babylon, an exile predicted by the former “major prophet,” Jeremiah. Like Jeremiah, in addition to being a prophet of God, Ezekiel was also a priest, and therefore, his prophetic ministry shows a priestly emphasis in his concern with

The Book of Lamentations has been referred to as the text of a funeral service for the City of Jerusalem. It is a tear-stained description of a city that was once the “Pride of Israel” which was leveled by the world-dominant Babylonians in 586 BC. Jeremiah warned the people of

The Book of Jeremiah is the second book in this major section of the Old Testament called “The Prophets.” Jeremiah was divinely called by God in his youth from Anathoth, a city about two miles north of Jerusalem where many priests resided. In fact, his father was himself a priest.

The Song of Solomon is unlike any other book in the Bible. It is actually a love song written by King Solomon as he depicts the wooing and wedding of a shepherdess by the King himself. Filled with metaphors and Israelite imagery, the King describes the joys and heartaches of

Ecclesiastes Along with the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes is considered to be a part of the “wisdom” literature found in the Old Testament. And, along with Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is attributed to the pen of King Solomon, David’s son. Just consider the opening verse of the Book, “The

The Book of Proverbs is about gaining wisdom, that is, acquiring the knowledge and resources to live life wisely, or as some might say, “skillfully.” The problem we all face is trying to live a “godly” life in a “ungodly” world. That’s why the purpose of Proverbs is to provide

The Book of Psalms is the largest and probably the most widely read book in the Bible, comprising 150 chapters, or psalms. The psalms portray the full range of human experience and emotion in very personal and practical ways, ways in which each one of us can relate. The extent

If you are not familiar with the Bible, you might be thinking that this is a book about jobs, but in reality, it’s about a man named “Job.” In the New Testament, James mentions Job as an example of “patience in suffering” (Js. 5:11). Many scholars feel that Job is

You might be interested to know that the name of God is not mentioned one time in the Book of Esther, and yet His providential care is evident throughout. And, that same providential care is true for each one of us. Even though we may not always turn our eyes

Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra and served at the cupbearer to the King of Persia. He was the one who led the third and last wave of Israelites returning to Israel at the end of the Babylonian exile. While in Persia, he had heard that the exiles who had

The Book of Ezra continues the where 2 Chronicles leaves off by showing how God fulfills His promise to return His people to the land of promise after seventy years in exile. Ezra relates the story of two returns from Babylon, the first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple

The Book of 2 Chronicles follows the pattern of First and Second Kings except for the fact that 2 Chronicles virtually ignores the northern Kingdom of Israel. Why is this? It’s because of their idolatrous worship on pagan high places and with total abandonment of worshipping God at the Temple

Both 1st and 2nd Chronicles cover the same time period of Jewish history as that described in 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings. What’s different is the perspective from which these books were written. Rather than being repetitive, Chronicles provides an editorial from God’s perspective on the history of

I sincerely hope that you learned some things about King Solomon (King David’s son) as we took a look at the Book of 1 Kings. As I mentioned last week, Solomon’s divided heart led to a divided kingdom, and the history of this division can be found in the second

As you might have guessed, the Book of 1 Kings has something to do with the “Kings” of Israel. And indeed, you are correct. The first half of 1 Kings deals with the life of King Solomon, the child born to David and Bathsheba. Under his reign, the nation expanded

As you recall, 1 Samuel provides the historical account of the transition from the time of the Judges to the period of the Kings, with three main characters being 1) Samuel (the last of the Judges and the first prophet after Moses); 2) Saul (the first king of Israel); and

The Book of 1 Samuel provides the historical account of the transition from the time of the Judges (when God was to be the nation’s king) to the beginning of the kings of Israel. There are three primary characters in the book: 1) Samuel (the last of the Judges and

Not sure if any of you have been given the name of “Ruth,” but if so, your parents chose well. The Book of Ruth is a very special Book in the Old Testament, and as you will see, has a profound influence on Jesus’ lineage through his earthly parents, Joseph

The Book of Judges encompasses the next period of Jewish history following the conquest of the land of Canaan. In the Book of Joshua, the people obeyed and trusted God and conquered the land under Joshua’s leadership. However, in Judges, they had no appointed leader, which allowed the people to

The Book of Joshua is the sixth book of the Bible. In short, it is the story of the conquest of Canaan (the Promised land) under the leadership of Joshua. Joshua was one of two unique individuals who did not die in the wilderness, but was allowed by God to

The  Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible. It contains a series of “farewell” messages by Moses on the plains of Moab which he addressed to the new generation as they prepared to enter the Promised land. The Book focuses upon “renewing the Covenant” that was established

The  Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Bible. It takes its name from two “numberings” of the Children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land – one was at Mt. Sinai at the beginning of their “wanderings” in the desert, and the other was on the

The Book of Leviticus is the third of the first five books of the Bible attributed to Moses. Moses received the Law from God after the Children of Israel left Egypt in order to worship God at Mount Sinai. The Book presents God’s plan for His people to approach Him

As you might expect, Exodus picks up where the Book of Genesis leaves off. Joseph (one of Jacob’s 12 sons) becomes “prime minister” in Egypt, and during the years of famine, Joseph’s family comes from Canaan to find food, and with Joseph’s protection and blessing, they settle in the land

You are probably familiar with the very first verse in Genesis, which happens to be the very first verse in the Bible, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Of course, much has been written on this subject, and I’m not planning to launch into a scientific

After his transfer to Caesarea, Paul was given the opportunity to provide a “defense” of his faith before Felix, the governor of the province. Paul reminded Felix of certain things that he was already aware of, namely,  “… that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and

Soon after Paul’s First Missionary Journey, the Church in Antioch sent Paul and Silas to all of the churches that had been planted in Asia Minor on the First Journey, strengthening the disciples and appointing elders in each church. As Paul was planning to travel northward into Bithynia, in a

Once again, although the sentence of “death” for Jesus could not be retracted, at least there was a chance that the opinion of those who made up the “court” could be reversed. And that’s exactly what Peter, John, Stephen, and Paul attempted to do. Last week we focused on Paul’s

Once again, although the sentence of “death” for Jesus could not be retracted, at least there was a chance that the opinion of those who made up the “court” could be reversed. And that’s exactly what Peter, John, and Stephen attempted to do in the days following Pentecost. As the

Although the sentence of “death” for Jesus could not be retracted, at least there was a chance that the opinion of those who made up the “court” could be reversed. And that’s exactly what Peter and John attempted to do on several occasions on the Day of Pentecost. Today, we

In case you missed a week or two, shortly after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, appeals were presented in an effort to overturn the decision of the “court.” Although the sentence of “death” could not be retracted, at least there was a chance that the opinion of those

As we noted last week, shortly after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, appeals were presented in an effort to overturn the decision of the “court” made up of Israel’s religious leaders, the jeering crowds, and even the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Although the sentence of “death” could not

Shortly after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, appeals were presented in an effort to overturn the decision of the “court” made up of Israel’s religious leaders, the jeering crowds, and even the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Although the sentence of “death” could not be retracted, at least there

Whenever the facts point to something that is certain, it is no longer an issue to be debated. There is a huge difference between a discussion and a debate. In a discussion, two or more individuals gather together to talk about one or more issues in order to arrive at

Immediately following His baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus began to call the nation to repentance. The word in the Greek means to “change your mind,” and it is always followed by a change of heart, attitudes, and actions. Although there is the “individual” aspect of

I know that we are all “wired” differently, but in many areas of life, we have a desire to be “first,” or at least the “best.” This is not wrong in itself, but when it becomes an obsession, then other people get hurt as they are pushed and shoved aside

At the conclusion of last week’s blog, I wanted each of us be aware of one of the great Christian symbols of our hope in Christ — the anchor. As the writer of Hebrews said, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb. 6:19)

We need answers during hard times. And even more than that, we desperately need solutions. We need a firm foundation upon which to stand when the waves of doubt, fear, and uncertainty attempt to sweep over us. What we need is “hope.” Biblical “hope” is not about “hoping” for a

 I have no doubt that we are all concerned about the state of our nation. In every free society, when issues are raised, there are likely to be a myriad of responses. Differences of opinion go back to our founders, and those differences can be healthy because they spark lively

I want to be clear from the outset, that I do not believe that what appears to be the rapidly increasing downward spiral of our nation’s culture is irreversible. I believe in genuine, biblical “HOPE,” and that hope is grounded in the power of God to change the course of

I really don’t like having to do this, but I need to return to the rats one more time. You see, in the spring, after a delightful winter in which we received lots of rain, it was once again time for me to turn on my drip system in order

When I cleared the back hillside of rosemary and rats, I realized long before I began the project that this was only a part of what needed to be done. The next phase was the daunting task of covering the hillside with vegetation, vegetation that did not include more rosemary!

In Folsom where we live, like in most of your communities, there is a specific “trash pick-up day” during the week when the local trash service picks up garbage, recyclables, and green waste. Our pick-up day is Tuesday, and for several weeks I filled our green waste bin with rosemary,

As mentioned previously “Christian Slavery” is a thoroughly biblical concept. Let me take a few minutes to walk us through the concept. Remember last week, Jesus said,   “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (Jn. 8:34). If you remember, the word

One of the greatest events in biblical history is the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It was then, about 3,500 years ago, that God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of 430 years of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Historians tell us that

In about AD 63, while imprisoned in Rome awaiting trial before Nero, Paul drafted a letter to one of his dear friends in Colossae, in Asia Minor. If you recall, Paul wrote a letter addressed to the entire church at Colossae, but this letter was a personal letter to one

Oh, how quickly things can change! On the morning of September 11, 2001, we woke up to a new world, a world in which the reality of terrorism had become a “clear and present danger,” and a world in which we would all be living with few of the certainties

Let me begin by talking about God, and specifically some of the things that He hates. Yes, although He passionately loves us, He hates many of the things that we do. King Solomon identifies seven things that God hates including: “…a proud look, a lying tongue, a wicked heart, violent

Over the last few weeks, we discovered several things that happened the moment Jesus arrived in Heaven. First, we saw that upon entering Heaven, He shed His “resurrection” body only to be immediately clothed in His “glorified” body. And then we discovered that Jesus, our Great High Priest, performed the

In my last blog, we looked at what happened to Jesus when He entered Heaven following His ascension in AD 30 — He exchanged His “resurrection body” (which was perfectly fit for life on earth for the 40 days following His resurrection) for His glorified body (perfectly fit for Heaven).

As we saw two weeks ago, Jesus appeared not only to His disciples, but to an additional 500 people during the 40 days following His resurrection. Then, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus ascended into Heaven in a “cloud.” We saw last week that this “cloud” was not an ordinary

Jesus’ ministry in Israel was full of life-changing encounters with needy and desperate people, but was also full of some intense confrontations with religious leaders. Jesus was constantly “hounded” by those seeking to entrap Him and expose Him as an imposter. Because of the constant pressures He faced, along with

Almost 60 years ago, the Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, became the first human being to journey into outer space, orbiting once around the Earth on April 12, 1961. Just three weeks later, on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Thus, began America’s journey into space

Writing over 25 years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Paul tells us that after He appeared to His disciples, “…He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, even though some have fallen asleep” (I Cor. 15:6). And so, we

For those of us who have been around for a few years, or a few decades, or more than a few decades, we can’t help but notice the passing of time. For me, it seems like just yesterday when I was a boy causing my parents to question whether they

We have all been encouraged lately to wash our hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, and to do it periodically throughout the day. It’s good advice, as washing will be one of the first and easiest steps that we can do to keep ourselves from being infected and to help stop

Maybe for some, the word “ban” is a relatively new word in their vocabulary. With all the freedoms we have here in American, we seldom hear the word “ban.” But with the current spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are hearing the word much more frequently. Ban is a verb

Have you ever played a game with the intention of losing? I doubt it. Most of our family loves to play board games, especially Peggy (I’m not in that group). But when I see family members gather around the table for a game of Yahtzee, Uno, or Pirate’s Dice, I

In last week’s blog, we talked about “inspiration,” the theological concept that the written Word of God, the Bible, accurately presents the truth of God. Remembering that it was written by over 40 different men from vastly different backgrounds over a period of 1500 years, their writings were kept from

As we saw last week, salvation is surely the most important word in our vocabulary. When a person is “saved,” that person’s sins are not only forgiven, but he is also cleansed from all unrighteousness. But that’s just the beginning, because the one who is “saved” is also “changed,” and

Salvation is the most important word on our list. Yes, there is the physical element to the word which indicates “salvation” from physical harm or danger, but in the overwhelming majority of cases, it means “salvation” from both the penalty and power of sin, and in heaven, from the very

Sanctification is an important word found throughout the New Testament. The Greek word translated as “sanctification” or “sanctify” is hagios, and it means “to be, or to be made, holy,” with the additional idea of being “set apart for divine purposes.” If you recall, “justification” (a word that we considered

As we saw in last week’s blog, it is sin that causes us to be alienated from God, but when Jesus forgives our sins, we are immediately reconciled to God. We also saw that reconciliation is such an important word in the biblical text that its message is part of

Reconciliation is a common word that I suspect we have all used at one time or another. Most of the time we use it to describe two individuals who have been in conflict, only to see that conflict dissolve because they have reconciled. In short, they have “made peace” with

The Bible uses several terms to identify a person’s new position in Christ, and one of them is “justification.” It’s a legal term used to describe the position of the person who has received from Jesus the gift of “LIFE.” This person is said to have been “justified,” or brought

Redemption is the process whereby a person who has been held in bondage is set free. There is always a price to pay for the person’s release, and that is called a “ransom.” Interestingly, the ransom is never paid by the one who is being held captive. It’s almost always

Yes, there really is a difference between merely “existing” and actually “living.” All of us born on planet earth not only “exists,” but we are also considered to be “living,” breathing human beings. But it was Jesus Himself who drew the distinction between “existing” and “living.” You see, everyone is

OK – I get it! It’s a lot easier to talk about bearing fruit than actually doing it. Jesus knew that fruit bearing was a difficult undertaking, and so He provided His disciples with a blueprint for doing so. He did this by using the illustration of a grape vine

Jesus always encouraged his hearers to live their lives bearing the kind of fruit that would bring glory to God and blessings to others. On one occasion, He told the story of a man (God) who planted a fig tree in his vineyard, but never found any figs on it.

Let’s face it – There have been times when we have simply been exhausted: Exhausted after an 8-hour shift of doing hard physical labor; Exhausted after a full day of watching over and caring for rambunctious toddlers; Exhausted after walking off the field after a grueling and intense competition; Exhausted

Peggy and I both grew up in pretty traditional churches. That is where I got to know and love the hymns. I would sing them often, although I made sure that no one heard me except when singing in church. Peggy used to be amazed at me when we would

One of the foundation stones of any marriage is trust. When suspicion is present in any relationship, the foundation begins to crack and will eventually crumble. Like in any marriage, an essential element of having a meaningful relationship with God is learning to trust Him to be faithful in keeping

Let’s return for a few moments to a site just outside the walls of Jerusalem on that first Easter Sunday morning. It was the women bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body who first noticed that the stone had been rolled away and that Jesus was not inside the tomb. Of

I think that we would all agree that it’s tough walking around in the darkness. Getting up in the middle of the night without a “nite light” to guide us can be a precarious experience as we try to navigate through the maze of various toe-stubbing obstacles that can cause

Jill was dying of thirst, and she was desperate to have a drink from that cool and refreshing stream that flowed in the distance. But it was the lion, laying across the path, who blocked her way to the stream. Surprisingly, the lion spoke, challenging her to come and take

(Some edits for readability, excerpt from “The Silver Chair,” The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis) Stumbling through the forest with her lips cracked and her mouth parched, Jill was desperate for a drink of water. Suddenly, she heard the distant sound of a flowing stream. As her pace quickened,

Last week, we took some time to look at the debilitating nature of bondage, particularly spiritual bondage. Jesus not only sets us free from the penalty and power of sin, but also from the paralyzing effects of living with both fear and worry. But there is another bondage that we

Jesus clearly understood the debilitating nature of bondage. During His earthly ministry, He witnessed Roman slaves taken in their conquest of foreign lands who were then forced to serve their captors. Although not indifferent to physical bondage, Jesus focused upon the bondage that everyone faces, regardless of their status in

In addition to listening to Christmas music, I love hearing the Christmas story, regardless of how many times I have read it or heard it told. While the shepherds tended their flocks, their “routine” night was suddenly interrupted by an angel who shattered the darkness with blinding light. Trembling in

Fear is a natural human reaction to stressful and potentially harmful situations. We have all been “afraid” at certain times in our lives, and often, those times are indelibly etched in our memories. Jesus’ disciples were no different. In fact, on at least two occasions, fear enveloped the disciples while

How in the world can we be dead and yet still be living? The Bible says that unless Jesus gives a person LIFE, he or she is spiritually dead and separated from God. The implication is that most people are just “existing” on planet earth, not really “living.” Maybe you

I pray that you had a special Memorial Day holiday last week. Each year, Americans take a special day (and even an entire weekend) to remember those soldiers (and all military personnel) who have died while serving in the Unites States Armed Forces. As an extension, it is also a