The early Church Fathers accepted the Old Testament Scriptures based upon the testimony of Jesus. Jesus had revealed to His disciples that His life and ministry fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [Mt. 5:17-19, KJV]

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”  And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He ...

The Bible claims to be a supernatural book, a record of God's purpose and plans for humanity. It reveals how humanity's relationship with God was broken and restored through God's sending of Jesus Christ to die and become alive again. It also promises that when Jesus returns, all vestiges of sin will be removed from humanity's experience forever.

Yet how did the supernatural revelation of God's plans get recorded in a written form? The Bible plainly states that God is a spirit, yet the Bible, for all its supernatural claims, is a material object that even a child can hold in their hand. How did something composed of spirit change into a material asset? The answer is a process theologians call "inspiration."

Through "inspiration," each of the sixty-six books of the Bible was originally written down. God Himself supernaturally guided the writers to write what He wanted. As 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us,

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and...

The Bible is unique in that it was composed over 1600 years. This Bible, a collection of some sixty-six smaller books, claims supernatural authorship (1 Pe. 1:25; Ps. 119:89). Although some forty men were involved in the creation of the various sections of the Bible, God alone is responsible for the words contained in the Scriptures. This supernatural authorship is confirmed repeatedly by phrases such as “thus saith the Lord,” “the Lord spake. . . “, etc. However, the Bible also reveals that man was important in the formation of the Bible. Moses gave the Law as he received it to Israel (2 Chr. 34:14). Ecclesiastes is called “The Words of the Preacher.” (Ecc. 1:1). Therefore, the Bible is the result of a combined effort between God and humanity.

The Scripture Itself explains how this cooperative effort between God and man to produce the Bible occurred. The Bible states,” All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . .” The Hebrew...

It’s Alive!

The importance of the Bible in my life has become more apparent as I have grown as a Christian. However, no matter how my failure to acknowledge its influence, the Bible [that collection of books that dares to claim to be the written Word of God] has always undergirded my existence.

I was eighteen years old before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior; however, I had grown up in the organized church. In Sunday school, I learned the Bible stories found in the Old and New Testament. The Biblical themes taught to me in Sunday School undergirded the development of my moral character and thinking. Although I assumed the Bible was inaccurate in its scientific and historical record and historical record [because of what I was being taught in public school], I still felt the impact of the Bible’s teachings. As a result, my sinful nature was somewhat checked during my youth.

In junior high school I read through the New Testament and found it boring. I was offended...

One of my strengths is the ability to focus intently on one activity or problem.  However, this strength becomes a weakness if I allow myself to become inflexible in my thinking or how I work with the people who surround me.  If I focus on my expectations and plans coming to pass exactly as I have planned, I will suffer great disappointment and may miss God's best for our lives.

When our plans are interrupted or go awry, we have the opportunity to use that problem to grow in grace and become more like Jesus, or we can choose to stew in frustration and disappointment.  A recent book Ambushed by Joy speaks of the balance we need to maintain in order to live in the fulness of life that God intends for us.  

I took the unexpected interruption of a rainy day to make a cartoon video!   Please watch this short video to learn more. 

We of all people have eternal hope.  While wars, deaths, and other troubles bring us sorrow, we do not have to be desolate.  We have the peace and strength of the Lord to draw upon.

I have lost a friend and mentor.  Yet while I will grieve, I know that I will see my friend again.  I know I can love and uphold my friends and the family, knowing we can all come to the Father and pour out our hearts to Him.

Blessed be the Lord who knows and carries our sorrow.

Have the last six months flown by you like a whirlwind? Do you feel shaken and tossed? Certainly, the events of 2021 and the beginnings of 2022 can leave the average person shaken. We are in a period of time in which everything that can be shaken is being shaken. 

God is allowing this shaking so that we will see our own hearts and discover if we really trust Him, or whether we are only giving Him lip service while we allow our own wants and desires to rule and reign in our hearts.  Only as we face uncertainty and adversity do we discover our real heart motivations. It is so easy to deceive ourselves.

And now, when we are weary of the horrors of Covid and  Afghanistan, war has engulfed Ukraine. Like many people, I have been praying and interceding.  Yes, Ukraine has had a very dark history, but a major revival has been arising in the land and the spirit of the antichrist has risen in opposition to that revival. I am praying for my brothers...

The last month and a half I have been absent from the world's affairs.  My own world shrank considerably when my household grew from two people to two people, a four-month old puppy, and a dog whose owner had to be away for a number of months. Between housebreaking a puppy, helping a heart-sick dog adjust to a new environment, and trying to keep the house standing, I have not spend much time considering the significance or impact of events.

So I find myself on this day, November 19th, discovering that the inquisition is alive and well in America.  As of December 6th, every hospital in the United States of America is being forced to require 100% vaccinations for Covid-19 of all employees or have all their Medicare and Medicaid moneys with-held.

However, one views the vaccination process, one has to admit this is a drastic step which has the slight odor of heavy-handedness attached.

Locally and in many other areas of the country,  people are scrambling...