John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached the same message. Matthew 3:1-2, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven … Continue reading Christian Apathy
The Monster In The Closet
Division shows up everywhere, in marriages, churches, on the job, in politics, and about everywhere else in life. Division can be small - a minor disagreement between two people who eventually decide it is okay to disagree, and nothing ever comes of it. Divisions can also be huge by starting a war that kills millions. … Continue reading The Monster In The Closet
End Times – Really?
Are we in the end times? I reckon the answer may depend more on someone's definition of "end times" than on what is happening in the world. But this column will look at Bible prophecies and current events. In Acts 2, Peter announces the fulfillment of a prophecy from the book of Joel. The prophecy … Continue reading End Times – Really?
Character Transformation
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17. It scares me when someone tells me they are a Christian, but there has never been evidence of a change in who they are. Christians are not broken … Continue reading Character Transformation
Feelings VS Faith
Christian, what guides you, your feelings or your beliefs? Christians have told me, "What a Spirit-filled service we had Sunday! I could just feel the Spirit move!" I ask, "Was your faith increased?" Blank stares are the standard response. People will talk to me about a situation in their lives. More often than not, the … Continue reading Feelings VS Faith
It’s The Little Things
There is a man in our church that grew up on a farm. He drove a tractor at age eight. Driving down the road with him is like listening to a farm encyclopedia. Every piece of farm machinery we pass, he talks all about it. There is no doubt that this man knew more about … Continue reading It’s The Little Things
Or Else?
Jeremiah is one of my favorite books of the Bible. If you know the book, that may seem odd. It is a book of doom and gloom. Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. The first chapter is a conversation between God and Jeremiah. God tells the prophet that He had a task for him … Continue reading Or Else?
It’s Not About Religion
January 22, 1973; the school year of 1973-74; and April 24, 1975 - keep those dates in memory. They are essential to the rest of the column. Abortion is a hot topic on the news, social media, and private conversation since the recent Supreme Court's choice to send the decisions on abortion laws back to … Continue reading It’s Not About Religion
The Great Ramping Up
Scattered throughout the Bible are the words of the Prophets. Some are blatant and obvious, like the books of Daniel and Revelation; other prophecies are more obscure such as Psalm 83. Jesus tells us of the future several times during His ministry. His most lengthy and detailed discourse of future events is called the Olivet … Continue reading The Great Ramping Up
The Bible And Social Issues
It would be impossible to cover every social issue in 700-900 words, so we will start with the hot Supreme Court topic, abortion, and see where that leads us. Abortion. God is the creator of all life (Genesis 1; John 1:3; Acts 14:15, 17:24). So, we must ask, does life begin at birth, conception, or … Continue reading The Bible And Social Issues
Preacher's Point 