Hurt is hard. I realized in the last month that it has been more than a year since I have done any serious writing. I had given up on ministry and started my own business because, frankly, I was done being hurt. At the beginning of 2023, a friend of mine (a couple, actually) told... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Romans 2:17-29
Paul is writing to the unincorporated in Rome—largely a gentile audience. There are apparently Jews there. Here, her explains that Jews are not true Jews if they transgress the Law. Further, Gentiles who keep the Law without having it are true Jews—the people of God. Paul gives us a clue as to the nature of... Continue Reading →
On Christian Arrogance
Paul writes to the local church at Corinth in order to encourage unity through maturity in the faith. He begins a new section about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, or the participation in what is perceived as unholy actions by some. I have heard people apply this portion of Scripture to the eating... Continue Reading →
Christian Contentment
Paul has instructed those married to unbelievers to remain with them. He revealed that God hates all divorce and instructed people to, instead of seek their own freedom, to love their spouses. In such a revelation, we discover that love is not about me seeking what is right for me but, instead, long-suffering with others... Continue Reading →
The Antichrist and Mark of the Beast
In John’s third interlude, he has described a great war between Satan and everything godly. Satan tried to devour Christ and failed. Then, he tried to devour national Israel and failed. Now, he turns to persecute the church. He persecutes the church by building blasphemous nations of his own and influencing people to persecute people... Continue Reading →
Against Human Religion
Jesus is in a conversation with the chief priests and elders who challenged his authority. He tells his second parable against them. https://youtu.be/o0CFBQCFU6Y Matthew 21:33-46 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and... Continue Reading →
The Treasure of the Church
The kingdom of Heaven is not the kingdom of this world. Many things that seem religious or good from the world’s perspective are actually contrary to Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom of Heaven. If I were to ask you what you treasure, how would you answer? Do you treasure family, friends, your house, food, comfort,... Continue Reading →
The Pilgrim’s Relevancy Book XV: The City of Religion
Religion was one of the darkest places on this side of the chasm, and there were a plethora of unique boroughs. There was one that identified with the King’s Son. There was one that claimed He did not need a son. There was one that posited there were many kings, and one that taught that... Continue Reading →
The Pilgrim’s Relevancy Book XIV: Too Many Christian Rules
“Why do you attack the whole world?” someone came out of the school who was just as hot-headed as Encouragement was. The party looked at Encouragement. He almost started again, but noticed that Christian and Witness were both watching. They were watching with those eyes that silently begged him not to start again. He took... Continue Reading →
In today’s world, why belief in Jesus?
Last week, as we started the book of Judges, we learned about this cycle of sin, repentance and restoration that plagued the nation of Israel and we noticed the same type of pattern in our own lives. When I see this type of cycle, I notice something about a Biblical worldview that is different from... Continue Reading →