With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18a NASB1995). But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). We are encouraged twice in the New Testament to pray in the Spirit. We should do this, but what does it mean to pray in the Spirit? When I […]
What is Praying in the Spirit? Read More »
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8, ESV). Before Christ, the Jews didn’t call the Old Testament the Old Testament. They used the phrase “Mikra,” meaning “that which is read.” Before the Christian church, scrolls were the format of the Old Testament (oops, Mikra). Books
Scrolls, Books, Canons, Gobbledygook! Read More »
Psalm 87 is the Zion Psalm … On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob (vv. 1-2, ESV). This psalm has a three-layered meaning: Zion as a literal city during the time the psalm was written; Zion as an eternal city illustrative of
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 87: What We Need to Know About Zion Read More »
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6, ESV). We should hunger and thirst for righteousness. This “hunger,” not religious activity or radical frenzy, defines the spiritual growth taught in the Bible. A.W. Tozer wrote on maturing in Christ … … many Christians in our day are lukewarm and
Growing Spiritually Read More »
God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12-13a, MSG). There’s a church growth movement that focuses on reading and obeying the Bible.
Today’s Most Successful Bible Study Method Read More »
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:21, ESV). I was stunned (I’m being very facetious in this Interruption) when I read this headline: Fossilized
Fanciful and Farcical Evolution Read More »
Love puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end (1 Corinthians 13:7, MSG). I just heard of a famous couple filing for divorce after 19 years of marriage. Talking to my wife about it, she said, “It’s just sad.” I agree. I
My Wife and I — Aging Well Together! Read More »
This should not be shocking, but the Jews don’t use the phrase “Old Testament.” Instead, most Jews today use the terms “Hebrew Bible” or the “Tenakh” (explained in a moment). Also, did you know that the Hebrew Bible comprises only 24 books, while our Protestant Old Testament (OT) contains 39 books? Why? The Hebrew Bible
The Old Testament vs. The Hebrew Bible Read More »
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins (Psalm 79:1, ESV). The Psalms encompass the gamut of human emotions: joy, victory, frustration, anger, sorrow, vengeance, love, forgiveness, defeat, praise, and complaint. There is a psalm for any experience. In Psalm 79, with the defeat and destruction
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For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12, NLT). I’ve heard Christians discuss having a “biblical mindset.” I agree! But exactly what is a Biblical mindset? Sometimes, when
The Seven Points of a Biblical Mindset Read More »