A lot of people followed Jesus around because He fed them. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you’re hungry. But He was trying to tell them that they needed to start chewing on something else too: “Jesus…said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not [then] work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains [with you] for the purpose of achieving eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you all. For the Father—God, sealed this [One].'” [Jn. 6:26-27] [my emphasis] So then, it ..read more

Sexual distinction has become irrelevant in a world gone mad. But if men and women don’t realize the extent of God’s intentions for creating that difference, then it’s impossible for them to live in obedience to Him. That’s why it’s so important for them to appropriate their sexuality and demonstrate it in the manner He intended for them to.  So how are they supposed to do that?  To begin with, a man is entrusted with an obligation to fulfill his office of reflecting the glory of God: “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God.” [1Cor. 7a]&n ..read more

What’s not to love about the law? Every legitimate law we subject ourselves to today has its basis in the laws the Lord God gave to men for their own benefit and protection. Societal order and justice cannot prevail without it. For that reason, moral men make moral laws and try to adhere to them. So then, the law is good and always has been. [Law: “That which is laid down, ordained or established. A rule or method according to which phenomena or actions co-exist or follow each other.” [Black’s 1st Law Dictionary, 1891] But the misadministration of the law often conceals the worthiness of its f ..read more

Sometimes Jesus uses dirt to define us. His parable about the sower who planted seeds under different growing conditions confirmed that His disciples shall be rewarded on the basis of productivity. But apparently, not everybody in the large crowds was actually listening. Maybe that’s why He said, “He who has ears, let him hear!” when He’d finished speaking. [Matt. 13:1-9] But why did He wait until the end to say this? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to preface His story with this announcement? The text gives the reader some insight. Some people came up to talk to Him afterward. The author, Ma ..read more

Manhood is what young boys dream about. But it often seems unattainable to them. Yet they instinctively rise to the challenges which they know brings them closer to that dream, believing somehow they can accelerate the process if they can only find a short cut. But they can’t. That’s why King Solomon shared his wisdom in Proverbs so that they wouldn’t remain fools their entire lives: “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence, and, O fools, understand wisdom...take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold. For wis ..read more

The Revelation given to the apostle John is very specific about who it’s written to. Yet, many who claim to belong to Jesus Christ are taught that this prophecy can be readily interpreted and applied to their lives merely on the basis of their affiliation with a particular congregation or religious doctrine. But the first sentence confirms the intended audience: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place…” [Rev. 1:1, NASB Translation] [my emphasis] [δοῦλος: (doo-lôs) noun; meaning as a slave] I like the NASB Translati ..read more

Empty spaces always trigger unnatural responses. We proved this in a High School science lab experiment. Having sealed a two-foot glass tube on either end with cork and electrodes, and then creating a vacuum inside the tube, a visible current of electricity could jump from one end of the tube to the other because of the electrons ability to flow unimpeded in that environment. I’ve never forgotten this phenomenon. In fact, I’ve witnessed the same principle unfold repeatedly over the years, especially from a Biblical perspective. Leadership is a role reserved for and best discharged by men and f ..read more

The subtlest of lies can neuter an otherwise virile man . And Jesus Christ’s disciple wears a target on his back today like never before. Perhaps the man of old fought more frequent and violent battles, but none seem to have been on a larger scale than the one he fights now. Because today, we’re more likely to fall by the sword of pretense than of the hand, since the most convincing lies are devised to be the closest thing to the truth. Look around. The Great Deceiver lurks among us. He’s the pack of wild dogs which never initiate an attack on the assembled herd. He seeks out individual vulner ..read more

A king’s authority is always granted by his subjects. That’s because we’ve always chosen who we want to rule over us—whether directly or indirectly. Some would suggest choice isn’t always an option, that tyrants seize power by force. Of course they do. But history also confirms that a peoples’ sovereignty is ultimately surrendered by its own consent. The Scriptures illustrate how that happens. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob established a perfect form of monarchial rule after He led His people out of Egypt. While in Egypt, they were only a people because they had no land. When He gave them ..read more

Where’s your “church?” Tradition provides that we might worship together in specific locations, having different congregations to choose from. And indeed, those different congregations are a license for us to agree to disagree about what the Bible says. But what does the Bible actually teach us about our “churches?” First of all, that Jesus Christ was never on record referring to His disciples as the “church,” but rather as His ἐκκλησία [ê-klā-see’-uh]. This word is defined in the Greek lexicons as a congregation, assembly, or a gathering of religious, political, or unofficial groups. It’s a d ..read more