“Canon,” a word from the Greek, originally meant “measuring reed” but developed to mean “standard” during the canonization process of the New Testament. We didn’t receive the New Testament through God’s appearance in a cloud of glory during an early church council, holding a quill in His hand, then writing the names of the 27 […]
The Canon of the New Testament Read More »
Have you ever cried out, “Lord, help!” If you have, Psalm 107 has the answer — and, please — remember this psalm as we will all at some point plead, “Lord, help!” There are five “help-needed” situations described in Psalm 107: Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died (vv.
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 107 Read More »
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2:18, ESV). The word “antichrist” is found only in the Apostle John’s epistles (Read 1 John 2:18 [twice], 2:22, 4:3, and 2 John 1:7). John, as the
The Antichrist and the Spirit of the Antichrist Read More »
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3, ESV). Recently, Peter Thiel (founder of PayPal® and a high-tech investor) held a conference entitled … The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series I couldn’t attend …
A Recent Antichrist Conference Read More »
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5a ESV). A person told me, “Christianity didn’t work out for me.” I thought, “Well, I’ve encountered trials as a Christian, and certainly experienced more conflicts in the church than most (after being a pastor for 50 years), so why do I
My Assessment of Jesus: 10 out of 10! Read More »
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 »