Posts from 2022 (Page 2)

In the Wednesday night college class, we are walking through the gospel of John, scrutinizing its contents and structure to gain insight into what message the author John was trying to convey to his original audience. One of the interesting patterns that we see throughout the gospel of John is how John depicts Jesus’ authority and nature (as the Christ—Son of God) through the challenging claims he makes and the signs he does. A great example of this is found…

Jesus died an awful death. Ruthless assassins, terrorists, sadistic and serial killers, savage and perverted criminals have all received much more humane treatment than He received that day. What Jesus endured at the cross can only be described as vicious. Consider the violent aspects of His crucifixion. There was physical torture. He was scourged, beaten with a jagged whip (Mat. 27:27). He was fitted with a crown of thorns (Mat. 27:29). He was hit on the head repeatedly with a…

God is the one who blesses us with every good thing we enjoy (James 1:17). God’s blessings are not reserved for Christians alone. Jesus said that God sends rain on the just and on the unjust and he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good (Matt. 5:45). This means that even agnostics and atheists benefit from the goodness of the God that they claim is not there. God loves every human being because we are made…

Much of today’s society is riddled with the fascination with nihilistic views of life. Just look at some of the media out there. A lot of comedy nowadays revolves around the carelessness and apathy toward life itself. Shows, movies, and other videos are obsessed with violence; most of us don’t even bat an eye at the sight of someone dying in a movie anymore. This social mindset of existential nihilism that disregards the value of life has given birth to…

2 Timothy 4:2 KJV “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2 was a favorite verse of gospel preacher Leroy Garner. Brother Garner was a good friend and preached many years for the Villa Rica (GA) church of Christ. He often said that Christians have many tasks (other than preaching) to be done “instant in season and out of season.” I agree. Therefore, following that assertion,…

Trusting in God is many times uncomfortable. In Daniel 6, we read of Daniel thrown in the lion’s den for his faith. We read of Isaiah 43 where God promises us that He will be with us and deliver us. But in Acts 7, we read of Stephen, who despite his faith and courage, was stoned to death. God does not work on our terms. Anyone’s terms. He works in His ways, because He is the almighty one who knows…

The Bible commands us to be baptized to have our sins washed away and enter a relationship with Jesus (Acts 2:38). We are baptized into a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20). When we are baptized like the Bible says we put on Jesus (Gal. 3:26-27) and God performs an operation in removing our sins and giving us a new life in Jesus (Col. 2:11-12). The New Testament does not simply say that we should be…

Do some research on success, self-help, or personal development and you will quickly realize that many people—from maverick millionaires to professional counselors— agree that the mindset of “someday” is dangerous. It is one of the easiest justifications for procrastinating our efforts of reaching the desired goal. Whether it’s your career, finance, fitness, or family, the “someday” mindset has killed more dreams than any other obstacle. The same is true for spiritual matters. We often bind ourselves in arbitrary timeframes for…

Since the year 2000, Capital One Financial has been promoting its credit card services by asking the question, “What’s in your wallet?” The company chose this question as its marketing approach for a good reason. The stuff in our wallet represents financial security, purchasing power, and prosperity. Further, if we do not feel confident about what’s in our wallet, perhaps we need to reevaluate its content. That wallet is physical. Let’s look to a few scriptures for some parallel spiritual…

As this year is still very new, you may be looking back at your past and contemplating your future. You may be the type that says, “I don’t ‘do’ resolutions.” Perhaps it is silly to suddenly jump into healthier habits and aim for higher heights just because the calendar indicates that the new day is a new year, but there is biblical precedence for continual striving to do and be better. Paul writes Thessalonica and twice urges them to “excel…