-
Speak Life
Did you know that one of the best ways to speak life into any situation or heart is to speak truth? Particularly, God's truth. No, I am NOT talking about any word-of-faith-type theological ball of tangled yarn. I am simply saying that if you want to lend light and wisdom to a situation, or encourage someone to walk in faith and godliness, speak God's truth. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life." [Jhn 6:63]
-
Where is Your Focus?
Do you realize that out of all the children of Israel, only Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land? Their faith was in God, their focus on His strength. The people who grumbled and scared the entire assembly with their bad report had their focus on themselves, their lack, and also on their enemies, their seeming strength. The Israelites' entire focus was based on comparing their own ability against these "giants," instead of the power and faithfulness of Almighty God.
-
Simon Says
Most of us have played the game Simon Says (at least if you've ever been a kid). Most psychologists and educators view this game as helpful to a child's development physically, mentally, and socially. But I was just pondering what would occur if we had an evil Simon who, instead of suggesting harmless actions like making a happy face or running in place, gave out more diabolical suggestions, like to hit a classmate or spit on the teacher. The thought then occurred to me that in the life of a Christian, we have an enemy very much like this. I am not so much talking about Satan himself, but the…
-
Easy Does It. Or Doesn’t It?
Remember back, oh, fifteen years ago or so, Staples had an ad campaign featuring "The Easy Button?" I've been thinking about it quite a bit lately, wishing I had one to instantly fix any of my struggles and difficult situations that we all face in life. Can y'all relate? My flesh does not like to be challenged by having to roll up my sleeves, dig in, and exert myself. I LIKE easy.
-
I Am Not Ashamed
Oh, speak to me not Of a higher being-- Mine has a name, It is Jesus, my King. An unnamed man did not die on the cross Or breathe his last at such high cost. He had a name unlike any other Force, or being, or "neutral" power. An unnamed man did not rise from the dead After they mocked while He suffered and bled... To raise us to Heaven and with Him reign As sons and daughters of the King again!
-
Orthodoxy Drift: How Semantics, Euphemisms, & Coined Phrases Influence the Church–Part III
This week, I'm picking up where we left off in the last post and forging ahead to the word "works" and how the semantics behind this word has caused a wide rift between Catholic and Protestant faith traditions and also seems to be shifting to what it was never meant to define, and, therefore, twisting God's truth. As for myself, the tension between Paul and James had left me feeling very confused at one time, because my whole heart was to please the Lord, but it felt like if I "worked," or served the Lord in any way, I would displease Him, and if I did nothing, that would displease…
-
Orthodoxy Drift: How Semantics, Euphemisms, & Coined Phrases Influence the Church–Part II
As promised, I'd like to continue this post I started a few weeks ago and talk about the words "faith" and "believe." There has been quite a bit of discussion already from several well-known Christian teachers who, like me, have a desire to address and correct what is called "easy believism" in the Church today. It carries with it the idea that one needs only to believe in Jesus to be saved without anything ever further required, that intellectual agreement with the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He promises eternal life to everyone who believes on Him is all that is necessary for our…
-
Worthy Is the Lamb
You know, Jesus said some really tough things to people when He walked the dusty roads of Judea. For example:
-
Orthodoxy Drift: How Semantics, Euphemisms, & Coined Phrases Influence the Church–Part I
I am going to attempt in a series of posts, relying fully on the Lord's help, to point out that many words used by the inspired authors of the bible and coined phrases in use now have experienced or are experiencing a semantic shift in today's culture, words like grace, works, freedom, and unconditional love. A semantic shift occurs when a word takes on a different connotation and meaning over time. For example, the term "gay," back in the thirteenth century, meant "lighthearted or joyful, but in the fourteenth century also took on the connotation of "bright and showy." The term "the gay '90s" refers to the 1890s period of…
