Explained Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.— Revelation 20:1-2 (ESV) There is an incredible amount of discussion
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Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11, NLT). Making Doctrine Simple There is a distinct spiritual gift of teaching. In the original Greek text of the New Testament, this function is called didaskalia — referring to both the act
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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14, NIV). On October 6, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth from Stanford University (along with two other researchers from Germany), who learned how to — get this —
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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4, NASB1995). Psalm 23 is the most popular chapter in the Bible, and its opening verse, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” is widely considered one
Finding Peace in Psalm 23: The Valley of Grieving Read More »
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh (Romans 13:14, NIV). How often do we hear what somebody did and ask, “How could this person do this?” One of my mentors early in my ministry, when I had asked about a pastor
The Downward Spiral of Sin: Five Warning Signs Read More »
How Silence, Solitude, and Cat Naps Restore the Soul The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:25-26, NIV). One of the most influential writers today is John Mark Comer, who has just
In Revelation chapters 6 through 16, we find three series of “sevens” — seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. Considering the “sevens” from a pre-millennial viewpoint, there are two viewpoints. The first is chronological (sequential), like a linear diary; the second is parallel, with the three “sevens” depicting the same sequence of events. Personally,
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Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1, NIV). I’ve been writing about the Holy Spirit on Fridays for several months. Today, let’s consider the gift of prophecy. It’s an important spiritual gift as Paul writes directly to you, “Eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially
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So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:6-7, ESV). Note the context of “faith, not by sight,” as it’s the time we are away from the Lord, the
Developing Faith in the Interim: Faith Over Sight! Read More »
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people (Titus 3:8, ESV). I’m not promoting religion through good works, but over 50 years of ministry, I’ve
Which of These 20 Good Works Have You Done? Read More »