Today is Labor Day, September 4th. Summer heat still clings to the days, but fall's cooling promise is growing. While our days are still over 90 degrees here in South Carolina, the nights are cooling off, falling into the low 70s and high 60s.

It has been a tough summer. Ferocious wildfires have ravaged Canada, Hawaii, and California; smaller, less publicized fires have hit other states. Floods have devastated several states. Excessive heat has caused deaths in the South and West. And, even as summer is ending, a hurricane has devastated "the Bend" in Florida.

This summer has also been challenging for me personally. Several friends are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. One of these friends is now celebrating her homecoming in heaven. My own battle for good health seems to be at a stalemate.

Through it all, a sense of God's peace has prevailed. The struggle has been challenging. However, three revelations have made this journey easier.

1.  It's all about...

 It’s Crunch Time—Part 2

If first, you don’t succeed, do not give up! My original blog entry for “It’s Crunch Time—Part 2” [as I wrote before] was somehow deleted. I have rewritten the blog, as I promised, concerning a Biblical response to conflict resolution. 

While believers are grafted into the Body of Christ, they can still disagree with each other and with nonbelievers. Some of the Scriptures dealing with conflict resolution are so well-known that they are now part of everyday speech. “An eye for an eye,” “judge not, lest ye be judged,” and “turn the other cheek” are all well-known phrases. 

Unfortunately, these Scriptures are sometimes taken out of context. The idea that the “perfect Christian” is supposed to be a quiet, mousy doormat that acquiesces to indignities and evil doings has developed from a misunderstanding and misapplications of the Scriptures.

It is true...

I was asked recently how a person could obey the Biblical command to "stir up the giftings" within us. After all, no one I know wants to be considered the lazy, wicked servant Jesus spoke about in the Parable of the Ten Talents.

 "For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. But he who received the one talent went away, dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

 "Now after a long time, the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them…. "He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn't sow, and gathering where you didn't...

Recently, a friend asked me to explain the terminology used to indicate times and seasons in the Bible and among modern prophets. I wrote my friend the following letter, and I hope that it is helpful for you also.

Dear .....,

You asked about the "'times and season" issues that prophets face when prophesying.

First, I admit it is easy to get the timing of a prophetic word wrong. I have done so. I had to repent because I accidentally misled someone. I specifically remember [back when Mike was a resident] about prophesying that a disastrous storm was coming. I said it would happen within two weeks. It did come, but it was more like two years. Fortunately, our pastor, Max Flynn, stepped in and corrected that word so folks didn't panic.

When giving a prophetic word, I often warn people that God's timing differs from humanity's. God exists outside of time and steps into time as He will.  

•  Jesus said He was coming "soon." It has been 2000 years.
• God spoke through Samuel,...

Why is the Bible so important? Why must a person consider the claims of the Bible carefully? In other words, what's the point of the Bible?

We've previously talked about letting the Bible speak for itself and considering what it says about itself. These include the claims that:

•  The Bible is a record of the revelations of God given to men.
• The Bible is inspired; God showed the various authors what to write down.
• The Bible is inerrant.
• The Bible has received divine protection to ensure its existence continues throughout history.

However, numerous lies and distortions concerning the Bible's teachings are still bandied about. One often repeated fallacy is that the God of the Old Testament is not the God of the New Testament. Richard Dawkins, in his book The God Delusion, states,

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic...

Publishing houses have repeatedly declared that the Bible is the most published book. Originally written on papyrus and leather scrolls, the Bible is not available in various sizes, languages, exterior colors, and translations. Online and d editions of the Bible also exist.

Yet it is also true that the Bible is one of the most neglected books in the Western hemisphere. Even among those who call themselves believers, few can honestly say they have time set aside daily for Bible Study.

The younger generation often ignores the Bible, while this generation chases spirituality through various causes, occultic practices, and strange religions. Yet the Bible still speaks. It speaks with authority and power to those who will listen to its words. It defines a narrow road that leads to righteousness and eternal life and debunks the claims of other religions.

The Bible also declares it has its supernatural origin. The Bible proclaims its unique status as a document that speaks to each...

The Bible claims to be a unique writing, a writing that contains the thoughts and plans of the Elohim. This Biblical claim forces humanity to face a series of “If” questions: 

• If the Bible is the Word of God, then a person had better pay attention to It (Isaiah 34:16). 

• If the Bible is truly God's Word, then this communication from God is more important than one's home, job, or present circumstances. Even one's concern for others whom one might love or hate pales next to the significance that Almighty God desires to instruct an individual (Isaiah 1: 18-20). 

• If the Bible is God's Word, it is vitally important that the individual knows what information is in the book (Psalms 119:104). 

• If the Bible is God's Word, then the Bible alone can fully explain man's feelings of confusion and lostness over his existence (Genesis 3), and the Bible alone will contain the solutions to the questions one faces. 

• If the Bible is God's communication to...

Like Moses, David, and even Jesus, the Psalmist treasured the written Word of God.

The Psalmist also knows that he can trust God to protect him and © fulfill His promises (Ps. 56:4). God had already demonstrated the power of His truth (Ps. 33:4) and His covenant promises. God had spoken and acted upon these promises throughout the ages (Ps. 105:8, 147:19). Thus, the promises of God, contained in His Word, give men hope during various trials. "My soul fainteth for salvation, but I hope in Thy Word." (Ps. 119:8l see also 119:116. 107, 154, 41). Over and over again, the Psalmist declares that

• " I hope in Thy Word." (Ps. 118:81).
• "I trust in Thy Word." (Ps. 119:423).
• "I have hoped in Thy Judgements" (Ps. 119: 43),
• and "in His Word do I hope." (Ps. 130:5).

God's Word also brings comfort and renewal during trials and afflictions (Ps. 119:50, 67, 82). Thus, when the Psalmist needs God's help and protection, he turns to God's Word and His promises as a basis for his pleas for help....

In speaking of the Bible, believers often refer to the Bible as "The Word of God.

Now, in using the term "word," a Christian may use this term as a synonym for Christ or a specific prophetic word, such as a personal prophecy. However, the term "Word" [notice the capital form] is often used to refer to the entire revelation of Yahweh as revealed in the Scriptures.

The Psalmist  used three different words—"omer,' "imrah," and "dabar" (Strong's Concordance) to express what we translate into English as "Word." In conjunction with the three Hebrew words that we translate into English as "Word," the Psalmist also used specific Hebrew terms meaning "Thy" or "Thine." These modifying words indicate that the "Word" [the particular portion of the Scripture referred to] refers to God’s spoken revelation to man. Only once, in Psalm 139, does the author use any of three Hebrew terms ["omer,' "imrah," and "dabar"]  to refer to himself.

 Before a word is on my...

Bible Trivia:

Bible study can be more enjoyable if you break up your serious study with some fun trivia. Do you know, for example, what Bible chapter and verse is at the very center of the Bible? The fact can vary a little bit based on what Bible version you are using, but by most reckoning, the very center of the Bible [when measured by chapter count] is Psalms 118.

Here are some other fun facts surrounding Psalm 118:

• The longest chapter of Psalms falls just after this center chapter--Psalm 119.
• The shortest chapter of Psalms falls just before this center chapter--Psalm 117.

Have fun testing yourself on these other Bible trivia questions [the answers are at the end, so don’t peek!]

1. What is the longest book of the Old Testament [by word count]?
2. What is the shortest book of the Old Testament [by word count]?
3. What is the longest book in the New Testament [by word count]?
4. What is the shortest book in the New Testament [by word count]?
5. Do you know the...