Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1, ESV). Have you been at a conference (or other meeting) with people mostly unknown to one another, and the leader asked everyone to briefly introduce themselves? I feel awkward at this moment. I’ve used words like pastor, ex-hippie, husband, […]
How Paul Introduces Himself Read More »
O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle (Psalm 140:7, NLT). We all face days of battle. They are coming, sometimes we feel them getting closer; something’s afoot, and our enemies draw near. And often these days ambush us. Interestingly, the battle in this psalm isn’t against
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 140: The Day of Battle Psalm Read More »
Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19a, ESV) The study of human development reveals that the human brain has two opposing extremes motivating behavior — the squishy brain and the rigid brain. Which
Squishy Brain vs. Rigid Brain Read More »
Only, as the Lord has given to a man, and as is the purpose (or calling) of God for him, so let him go on living. And these are my orders for all the churches (1 Corinthians 7:17, BBE). A well-known fact in psychological circles (and the Bible) is that “purpose” is the source of life.
The Paradox of Purpose and Happiness Read More »
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV). In over fifty years as a pastor, discussing with others their tragedies topped the list of the most difficult things I did in my ministry. There were a lot of them:
Discussing Tragedy Read More »
Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18b, NASB). If someone told us that they wanted to add muscle or increase endurance in their physical body, we might ask, “What plan are you using?” If they responded, “Oh, I’m waiting, being patient, and staying humble while letting God take care of everything.” We would think that they
Exercising Our Spirit! Read More »
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent (Exodus 14:14, ESV). The Book of Exodus is the book of miracles in the Bible. Let me state my beliefs: these stories are historical, true, and accurate. Within biblical history, two major periods of time exist when miracles explode — the exodus of the Israelites
Reading the Book of Exodus Read More »
I’ve been writing “Psalms on Saturday” for about three years (having written an Interruption on almost every Psalm). And I’ve focused the “Psalms on Saturday” four times on Psalm 4. I can’t help myself as any Psalm that begins with, “Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness!” (v. 1a, NASB) gets my attention. Now, consider
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 4 Read More »
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5)! He didn’t say “If you pray” or “When you get around to prayer.” Our Lord assumed that we would pray! I pray regularly, I know others who pray often, and I’ve forgotten how many books I’ve read written by those who pray.
Three Symptoms of Great Praying Read More »
No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV). Where did we get our Bible? A legitimate question. The word “canon” has been used to describe the Old
The Canon of Scripture Read More »