Bible Study

Which Eagles?

2 Comments / February 18, 2025

If I were to write you a letter and include the sentence “I went to town with Jack to watch the Eagles,” you’d have to have the context to understand that sentence. What town? Which Jack?Which Eagles?

There’s a lot that could be construed to be something totally different than what I mean. I could call Philadelphia “town” and have gone with my friend, Jack, to watch an Eagles football game. I could have gone to a town across the way to see local Golden Eagles with my grandson, Jack.

But knowledge about me along with sentences above and below the original sentence—as well as the entire letter and even previous letters from me—will give you the knowledge and the context you need so that you will rightly comprehend that I went to my hometown with my bird-watcher nephew, Jack, to see the Bald Eagles that have been hanging around in the park.

This is what I meant when I wrote the sentence and this is what you will be able to understand if you take to the time to know me and to read all the letters that I send to you.

I know it’s a silly example, but we wouldn’t ever dream of interpreting anyone’s letter without considering the intent of what they mean. We would never just come up with something we “think it means” and call it a day.

I, as the author of the letter, intended a specific thing with the sentence that I wrote. No reader has the right to make an assumption about what they believe I meant. Instead, the right and very natural thing to do is to keep reading to understand my intent.

This is called authorial intent and it’s a really big deal when it comes to interpreting scripture.

You see, so many these days want to tell you that scripture can mean anything you want it to. Verses can be ripped out of context and turned into false doctrines (and we’ve talked about this before) but I think there is something far more dangerous to those of us who want to sincerely follow Christ.

While we wouldn’t think of falling for some errant doctrine that is clearly not biblical, many are starting to wonder if there is just one interpretation for any given Bible passage.

I remember a conversation I had with someone a while back and it surrounded a small group of friends who were talking about whether or not the Bible has just one interpretation. Most of the group believed that it does not; instead, they believed that there are various interpretations and that we can choose to interpret it as we would want. The group was made up of conservative, Bible-believing Christians. This wrong thinking is weaving its way into the church like a cancer.

Just as any letter or sentence that you write will have specific intent, so does the letter written to us by God.

Our job is not to just interpret it willy-nilly but to take time to understand the context; to grasp the meaning of the Author in its historical-grammatical-literal sense.

There are many attacks on scripture these days. Authority, inerrancy, and inspiration have been denied and ignored by many. But, for those of us who would still wholly claim to believe in these things, I believe the most dangerous attack is this idea that there is more than one interpretation and we can choose which one we want to believe.

I have been giving a great deal of thought to why this is happening and, more specifically, why this way to approach scripture appeals to people. I’ll probably write about that next week.

But, in the meantime, I hope this will help us all to remember that we have no right to decide what the Divine Author meant when He wrote the Bible through His Holy Spirit moving in men (2 Peter 1:21). I hope this will remind us of our life-long duty to go about reading the entire letter (Book of the Bible) and the rest of the letters (the Bible) to discern what the Author intended about any passage we may come across.

God gave us His Word as a gift. And that gift is inerrant and inspired and serves as our authority. But so much of understanding the Truth and having our lives changed by that Truth hinges on interpreting God’s letter correctly. May we be dedicated to understanding and dividing it rightly (2 Timothy 2:15).

The Crunchy Grass (with a personal note at the end)

2 Comments / September 23, 2024

I walked across my yard the other day and heard the grass crunch beneath my feet. At the time, there was no rain in sight and we had missed what they were calling for the week before. The grass was brown and dry and, yes, crunchy. It desperately needed water.

Unlike thick green grass, which is plush and inviting, this grass looked ugly and felt very unpleasant to walk on or sit on.

As I took another step and heard another crunch, I had the thought that our spiritual walk is just like this when we are not consuming the water of the Word.

You see, the grass just needs some water. And, in fact, on Saturday night we had 3/4” of rain and it is amazing how quickly it is turning green and soft again.

We believers are no different. Have you noticed how quickly you are to be selfish, indulgent, angry, proud, or give in to the flesh in any other way when you aren’t in the Bible and meditating upon it?

I certainly have. It feels like fighting the flesh is so hard. And, in fact, if I am not in scripture, I may even forget to care! I become dry and dull and unpleasant. Oh, we may give the appearance of being lush and green, for that’s what hypocrites do. But, inside, we feel spiritually barren.

Grass needs the rain to thrive and Christians need the Word.

There is no other way. Going to church may be helpful, as may listening to sermons or reading a good book that points you to the truth. Spiritual discussions with friends can help as you practice “iron sharpening iron” as the book of Psalms says. But there is no replacement for reading and studying the Word on your own, in context.

I know I have mentioned this so often, but I learned this way too late in my life. The first forty plus years of my life were spent listening to “Christian” radio shows, reading devotionals (one verse and commentary about the verse), and trying to stay away from the “worst” in the world, while indulging in the things that weren’t “so bad”. This method of Christian living left me dry and dusty and I didn’t even realize it.

But when I began to very intentionally study the Bible and then, later on, began to memorize verses and passages, it all changed. God has provided a very simple way for us to be vibrant and growing believers and it took me far too long to find it.

And while I’d like to say I have achieved perfection in this area it’s obvious to those who know me that I certainly have not. Even green grass has its issues, doesn’t it? There can be insects or disease in even the most beautiful grass. Just as this green grass can struggle, so, too, can a vibrant growing Christian. Our problems and temptations do not disappear when we start reading the Word.

But I will testify that our ability to wage war against sin and to recognize lies changes. The length of time it takes to surrender to the Lord and His will shortens. Studying God’s Word and filling our mind with His promises and desires for us as believers sanctifies and grows us.

But we have to actually pick up the Word and read and study it. If you can read this, you can do this. I am nothing special. God, in His awesome grace and lovingkindness, led me to study His Word and to understand its importance. This has become my main focus here at Growing4Life…to encourage other believers to do the same. God has given me this platform and I believe this is why.

Of course, it is probably good to remind you here that I still have my “crunchy” days (and even weeks). Recognizing this truth doesn’t automatically mean you are eternally green, unfortunately. But recognizing this truth does help you know where to intentionally turn when you find yourself in that state again. Just as the water so quickly revives the grass, so, we, too, are quickly revived when we start watering our soul with the Word once again.

I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know if you are dry and crunchy both inside and out. I don’t know if you are pretending to be lush and green, all the while knowing, deep down inside, that you are faking it. What I do know, however, is how to fix the barren, discouraging state of your heart.

And that is to get in the Word and really spend time there. God has graciously provided His Word to exhort and encourage us. It is only through His Word that we can grow and thrive in our Christian walk. Oh, may we believers recognize the wonderful and never-ending treasure within the pages of scripture!

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

A Personal Note: Over the course of studying Revelation and through various other means, I have been vividly reminded of the truth of what lies ahead, both temporally and eternally, for those who do not trust in Christ for their salvation. One day, perhaps very soon, we will not be here to tell our unsaved family and friends about the Gospel or help them understand what is coming on this world. They will be bewildered at our disappearance and will be susceptible to many lies at that point.

It is with this in mind, that I have created a “To Those Who Are Left Behind” page here at the blog. You can find it here and I have also included it in the menu above. I have no idea if it will be of use to anyone now or in the future, but, for some reason, I felt compelled to do this. The world waxes worse and worse in every way and I just don’t know how long we are going to be here. Jesus could come tomorrow or perhaps not for ten years but, whenever it is, I wanted to have something up on the blog for those who are left behind when it happens.

Red is just not my color

July 16, 2024

The other morning as I sat on my back porch, I was filled with thankfulness at the view around me. But, in my opinion, the view was marred by one small thing. Not really, but sort of.

This spring, when we got our hundreds of flats of flowers that we plant for customers, there was one mistake. They sent red dragonwing begonias instead of white. My husband told me to keep them…that we would use them somewhere. In my head, I quickly reviewed my plans for each customer, as I wasn’t sure where we would use them, but we did keep them.

Since I had these red begonias that were just sitting there, I decided to use some red on my back patio. I haven’t used red…well, in perhaps forever. I am more of a “pink” person. But I thought this one year, it wouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Wrong.

I wish I would have planted my normal pink. I just don’t love red. Now, some of you feel the other way. You love red and don’t love pink. Or you love something different altogether…perhaps purple or yellow. We all have the colors we love and it’s so wonderful that we aren’t all the same. What a boring world this would be if we all liked the same things.

The freedom of opinion is a wonderful thing to have. But it’s not something we have when it comes to the scripture. Over the past few years, there has been a general trend towards making the Bible mean whatever it means to you. To believe that it doesn’t have just one interpretation.

So when Bible studies get together, they will ask questions like, “What does this verse mean to you?” Or the teacher will say “in my opinion, this verse means…”

But this isn’t how we should approach scripture. One of us doesn’t get to choose a certain interpretation because we like it, while someone else believes something different altogether.

As I once heard it said: You can be right and I can be wrong, I can be right and you can be wrong. We both can be wrong. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

As soon as we believe that we can interpret scripture any old way we choose, we have undermined the authority of scripture. And I think that’s probably the whole point.

There has been a slow but steady effort to move Christians from the authority and trust of scripture. This has been replaced by personal authority (the individual gets to decide what a verse means) and trust in reasoning and feelings.

This change has happened so slowly that it is almost imperceptible. I think that is why so many have missed it. It’s only when we take a walk back through history that we can see this troubling change. It’s only as we study the future, according to scripture, that we see why this change had to take place.

We can’t change the world. And, most likely, we won’t change our churches or any large group of people in our circle. But we can recognize this and respond accordingly in our own lives, as well as to speak up about this as God gives us opportunity.

Capturing Our Thoughts

2 Comments / March 12, 2024

What are you thinking about right now? At this very moment? We are all thinking all of the time. It’s not like we can’t think. The question is what are we thinking?

Have you ever stopped to consider how every sin, wrong attitude, and bad habit begins first with a single thought?

It is that point in time, when that first thought comes, that we should harness it and take control. Instead, all too often, we follow the thought off into the wilderness, where we allow it to run free and take us wherever it will. Well, at least I do. I won’t presume to speak for you!

Think with me, if you will, about the sin of worry. I guess this is rarely viewed as a sin anymore. Although, if we say we follow Christ and we take a moment to be honest with ourselves, we must recognize worry and anxiety for what they are: A blatant lack of trust in our faithful God.

But the anxiety and worry that steals our peace begins with a thought. “What if…?” or “Maybe…” and we allow our thoughts to wander, until we’ve ended up in such angst of soul that it completely crowds out any of that peace we are promised in God’s Word. Along with this often comes sickness and disease, for a constant state of worry and anxiety affects us physically.

If we had just controlled that first thought…

Or how about the sin of grudge-holding? This, too, begins with a carefully nursed thought about someone who has hurt or offended us. We think about what happened; we ignore or downplay any fault we may have had in the situation; we offer no grace or mercy but, instead, chew and gnaw on our hurt and offense until it grows into dislike and eventually ends up in cold indifference or hot hatred.

But these grudges also steal our peace. They hurt us far more than they ever hurt the person we are thinking about. Living in a state of constantly “being offended” and holding on to hurts is exceedingly unhealthy for body and soul.

Look at any sin, bad habit, or wrong attitude you struggle with and identify that first thought that gets the ball rolling. It doesn’t take long if we but take a moment for introspection. Whether it’s gluttony or treating our spouses in an unloving way; telling a “white lie” or a big “whopper”; watching something we know doesn’t please the Lord or reading a book we know full well we shouldn’t read; perhaps it’s responding to a Christian brother or sister in an unkind way or just being in a constant depressed and pessimistic state…all of these begin with one uncontrolled thought.

So what can we do? How do we take control of our thoughts? We get a bit of insight in God’s Word in the book of 2 Corinthians–

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;   (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

From these verses we can learn a few important things about taking our thoughts captive.

First, we must recognize that the war we fight is not carnal. It’s spiritual. We are fighting a spiritual battle. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 6 and tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil! We cannot expect to change our thought patterns or win any battle without our armor on. That’s a post for another day, but suffice it to say there is much to think about in that last half of Ephesians 6 if we are someone who struggles to control our thoughts.

Second, we must realize that our thoughts exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Whether they are doubts about the biblical account of creation or they are thoughts of distrust and frustration with God’s plan for our lives, we are exalting our own thoughts against the knowledge of God and what we know about Him from His Word. We aren’t left in the dark here. He has been so kind and merciful to give us His Word, where we find out Who He is, what he’s like, and what He desires from us, as His created beings. We have all the knowledge of God that we need. We exalt our own thoughts against that knowledge when we choose to think unbiblically.

And, third, controlling our thoughts takes intention and action. We are to cast down imaginations and bring into captivity every thought. It’s not just going to happen one day. We must be proactive in identifying the troublesome thoughts and then cast them out and bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

I wish I could give you a list of instructions to help you accomplish this difficult task. As always, I am working on this right along with you. I still find myself ending up in places of worry and anxiety that are absolutely crippling at times. I think we all have our different challenges and struggles. Yours may be something else. But Satan knows our weaknesses and the chinks in our armor, doesn’t he?

But we aren’t left to our own devices. We can’t miss that important phrase that says our weapons are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. We can win these difficult “thought” battles that we fight against our flesh. But we won’t win them without God’s help.

I can tell you one thing that has helped me a lot. I mean A LOT. And that is scripture memorization. I first started out learning individual verses that had to do with anxiety a few years back when I found myself really struggling. As I would lay in my bed at night, I’d start saying these verses to myself when the fearful thoughts would come crashing into my mind. It is hard to describe the peace that would come as I intentionally chose to move my mind from my sinful thoughts to the truth of God’s Word.

I then moved to a few chapters of scripture and some longer passages. These, too, have been such a blessing. Currently, I am working on the last half of Ephesians so these verses have been on my mind. When sinful thoughts come, I try to move my mind to meditate on scripture I am working on.

It is quite amazing to me that I can even memorize at my age. I think if we give an effort God will meet us in it. And even though I can’t always say every verse perfectly, it is quite wonderful how snatches and phrases come to mind as I live my life. It truly does make a difference when God’s Word is hidden in your heart.

What also has amazed me is how much more I can meditate on God’s Word when I memorize a passage. I have never been a good one at meditating on God’s Word. Living a busy life with a long to-do list does not yield much time for meditation. But I have found with scripture memory, I can meditate on God’s Word at times that I would normally waste on futile thoughts, such as when I am in the car or when I am waiting in line somewhere and, most often, when I am laying in my bed at night before I fall off to sleep.

I encourage anyone reading this to begin memorizing scripture. Nothing will help you cast down your wild imaginations or take your sinful thoughts captive like hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Capturing our thoughts is no easy task but it is quite essential if we long to live a victorious Christian life. Because every sin begins with a thought.

God’s Impending Wrath

1 Comment / March 5, 2024

There are some things that are not fun to write about. Today’s topic is one of them. But my study of Revelation has led me to reflect on this subject and yesterday I felt I must dig into this both for myself and for my readers who are studying Revelation with me in the 2024 Bible Reading Challenge. As I’ve been studying, I thought it might be helpful and, yes, even encouraging to share what I have been learning with all of my readers.

I have to be downright honest and let you know right now that the last few chapters of Revelation have challenged my understanding of God and Who He is. Chapters one through five were amazing as I learned of God, His love for His people, and contemplated being in the Throne Room of God. But as I moved into chapters six and those that follow, where we begin to see God’s wrath poured down on earth, I began to struggle a bit. How could a loving God do this? This was the question that kept coming to my mind.

Of course, at the end of the day, reading a book like Revelation simply requires our faith in our God, who knows infinitely more than we do. We must submit to His will, even if it doesn’t seem “fair” to us. This is critical in any book of the Bible we read, but perhaps none more so than in our study of Revelation.

But, remembering that God’s Word is so cohesive and consistent, I sat down for a few moments to really ponder what God has to say about His wrath throughout the Bible. What I found both comforted and encouraged me. I hope it will do the same for you.

First, it is important to get some context regarding God’s justice. Why must a good God be a just God? To help us understand this, let’s think about a human judge in a court room. When someone breaks the law, it is the job of the judge to give the offender a sentence that matches their crime.

If the judge said, “Oh, you didn’t mean to murder that man? Oh, you poor thing. Just go on and go free then,” OR “Oh, you can’t afford an iPhone so you stole one? Oh, my, what a terrible life you must have, not being able to afford something so basic. You certainly don’t need a jail sentence to make your life worse,” what would we think of him?

Yes, we’d think he is a TERRIBLE judge. And it would lead to an even more TERRIBLE society. The judge’s decision to let a criminal go free would not be a loving one, it would be an irresponsible one. You see, we need justice as a framework for goodness and love. The world can’t be good or loving without it. We see this in real-time through the corruption of society and the lack of true justice in our fallen world.

God is no different. He cannot let sin go unpunished. We are all born sinners and deserving of wrath. A good and loving God cannot let the sinner go unpunished. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY! Let’s take a brief walk through the Word and discover some of important truths about this subject of God’s wrath.

1. God has made a way of escape.

For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)

God has provided us a way of escape from His wrath through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took our punishment! He died so that we could be saved from our sins and stand righteous before God. Think about that glorious TRUTH for just a moment!

2. God clearly tells us that no one has any excuse.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23)

From these verses, we can see that every person has the opportunity to choose or reject God. All people who have ever lived are without excuse. Isn’t that a comforting thought? God has not just condemned man without first giving him the opportunity to escape His wrath.

3. God is longsuffering towards us and not willing that any should perish.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Why has God not poured His wrath down on this wicked world sooner? How can He watch all of the evil that takes place in this world day after day after day? It is because He is patient and He loves us. He is not willing that any should perish. But Revelation tells us that day will come. Oh, if you have not yet believed on Jesus Christ, I pray you don’t delay for the day of God’s judgment IS coming.

4. God warns us of His coming wrath.

 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (Isaiah 13:9)

 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

God, in His lovingkindness, has warned mankind that judgment is coming. It’s all throughout the Bible. We have been warned.

So, as I read and study Revelation, I have to understand that the man who has rejected God is deserving of God’s wrath. But, God in His lovingkindness provided a Savior to cleanse us from our sins and to give us the right to stand righteous before Him–not clothed in our own righteousness (for Isaiah tells us in chapter 64, verse 6 that our good works are as filthy rags before Him) but clothed in Christ’s righteousness ALONE! And God has not only made a way to escape judgement, but He has made it possible for all people to know about this way, He has been longsuffering and patient with us, and He has warned us of what is coming if we don’t choose Christ.

One thing that keeps coming to mind as I have been studying Revelation is that these horrific judgments upon the earth and its inhabitants are temporary. But hell is not temporary.

Oh, how my study of Revelation and God’s wrath gives me more zeal to share the Gospel! How I pray it gives anyone studying with me more zeal to share the Gospel. We get so caught up wondering what people will think about us that we hesitate to share the glorious TRUTH.

Christ died for us and rose triumphant over death so that we could be saved. And this will not only save us from God’s wrath which is coming to earth but, more importantly, it will save us from God’s eternal wrath.

Oh, that we may be filled with boldness and courage to share God’s wonderful plan of salvation as we reflect on God’s impending wrath.

Even the Smallest Choice

2 Comments / December 27, 2023

I was vacuuming before my guests would arrive for dinner when I saw the discarded band-aid lying on the floor. I hesitated for a brief moment before making the choice to sweep up that band-aid. That hesitation should have been the key to warn me. Just lean down to pick it up. But I was lazy and sweeping it up was just easier.

As soon as I did it, I knew I was in trouble. The vacuum started making a different noise. Somehow that band-aid had gotten caught in the tube somewhere. I stopped the vacuum, went and got a little tool, and tried to clear out the tubes to no avail at all. In fact, when I went to turn the vacuum back on it started to smell really hot. At that point, I handed it off to my “master-fixer” (my husband).

I thought about what an analogy this is for life when it comes to choices. I think so often we make choices that we know go against our better judgement but it’s just easier in the moment. But, in the long run, the choice leads to frustration and, sometimes, even heartache. The easier choice in the moment is rarely the better choice.

Even the smallest unwise choice can yield annoying and time-consuming consequences that affect both ourselves and perhaps those around us (as in the case of my choice affecting my husband and wasting his time.)

This is true about so many of our little choices, but as we approach the end of another year, I thought it might be good to turn our thoughts towards one specific choice that we Christians make every day: The choice to read and study our Bibles or to not read and study our Bibles.

What is the price we pay for making other things a priority, while ignoring the Bible? There are many but some of them are possibly: We grow comfortable in our habitual sins; our love for the world goes unchallenged; we are fearful and anxious as we face life’s circumstances; pride wells up in us; we lack discernment and accept anything that comes along and claims to be “Christian”. And–most importantly and almost epidemic in its proportions now–we just don’t really know our God which makes us so vulnerable to following a made-up (false) religion based on what we want God to be rather than Who He really is.

Studying our Bibles doesn’t mean that these things are automatically eliminated from our lives, for we will battle many of these things for much of our lives. No, rather, it is that the Bible consistently challenges us when we are tempted to fall into sin or into worldliness or into a status quo Christianity that isn’t pleasing to the Lord. The Bible sheds a brilliant light on false teaching and provides guidance for the small and large decisions we need to make as believers. And it provides comfort and peace through its many promises.

As you review your year, what does it look like in regards to Bible Study? Of course, we all have our challenges and trials that can make this harder at certain times of our lives (I’ll be the first to admit that operating as full-time caretaker for those first few weeks after my husband’s surgery exhausted me both physically and mentally.) But, taking these times into account, how did we do with the rest of the minutes, hours, and weeks we were given? Do we know God better than we did last year at this time? Do we know His Word more?

I know I’ve shared this so often but this has truly become why I write. I want to encourage my readers to study the Word of God for themselves. For most of my life I chose to read books and listen to people talk about the Bible. But a little over ten years ago, I started studying the Bible for myself. It was so life-changing that it has become my passion to encourage you, my reader, to start doing this for yourself.

Through simple Bible Study, in context and with a proper hermeneutic (method of interpretation) undisturbed by intellectual influence, we can get to know who God is and His plan for mankind. We see who we really are and what God has done for us personally. We begin to understand what we are called to as believers here in this life and become familiar with the many promises that God gives to His own dear children. Of course, we will come to passages that are puzzling. Not everything will make sense to our finite brains. God is God and there are things we can’t understand. But it is amazing how much we can understand, if we but give some of our time to this precious Book.

And, so as we approach the beginning of another year, I just want to encourage you to find some method of studying the Bible that you can stick with. Some approaches are overwhelming and so daunting that within a few weeks you just give up (I’ve started those!) I provide a plan for Bible study that might be helpful (find out more here) and I’d love to have you join me in reading the Bible this upcoming year. But there are many more options for Bible Study, as well.

The key is this: We take the time to consistently read and study our actual Bibles.

And, through our study, we will begin to know our God. Through His Word, He kindly reminds us of His many promises, gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) chastises and corrects us, and graciously provides all we need to live our lives for His glory.

There is no more important choice to make in the upcoming year as a Christian than this: Will we read and study our Bible?

The 2024 Bible Reading Challenge Is Up!

Leave a Comment / November 28, 2023

Ten or more years ago now, God opened my blind eyes to the importance of reading His Word. I spent most of my life listening to what other people had to say about His Word, in sermons on Sunday, through devotionals, books, and through radio programs (which was what was available then; these days, people get their theology from podcasts and Instagram reels).

But then some painful circumstances entered my life and, through these, God showed me the importance for a believer to actually be reading and studying the Bible for themselves. And, while I still look at that particular time in my life and consider it difficult and painful, I praise God for the fruit that grew from it, for He used that time mightily in my life.

Through these past years of Bible study, my awe for it has grown and grown. God’s Word is so consistent, so cohesive, so amazing. I had no idea before I began to study it for myself what an absolutely incredible Book I was just leaving on my shelf to gather dust between Sundays.

This is why I offer the Bible Reading Challenge. I hope I can encourage at least one of you to stop leaving your Bible on your shelf and begin to read and study the Word for yourself.

About five years ago, I changed up the Bible Reading Challenge to only focusing on one chapter per week. This has been revolutionary in helping me understand the Bible so much better, giving me time to dig and search and compare. Participants have shared with me that they feel the same way. And so I am going to keep to this same schedule. We have been systematically going through the New Testament books, with some Old Testament books/character studies added, as well.

I am excited to share the 2024 Bible Reading Challenge with you today. The schedule is up on the blog and the links for the workbook and the facebook group are available on that page. You can find all the details here at this page.

I hope that you will consider joining me in studying your Bible in 2024!

Our Plan of Action for the Last Days

6 Comments / October 16, 2023

In 2 Timothy 3 we find out what the world will look like in the last days —

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent (meaning: without restraint), fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

While the world has always been evil, the convergence of last days signs that evidence themselves as we study prophetical passages like this one, has overwhelmingly confirmed that the last days are upon us now. How long they will last, we have no way of knowing, so we can’t make predictions or set dates. But this passage, along with other passages that give descriptions of what the end of this current age will look like, would certainly seem to confirm that they have begun.

This chapter goes on to share some very important information regarding these days, which includes our expectation of persecution as we try to stand against the “form of godliness that denies the power thereof” (otherwise known as fake Christianity).

But at the end of this chapter, Paul gives our plan of action as true believers as we endeavor to stand strong against the tidal wave of wickedness and apostasy–

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Someone pointed out to me a year or two ago that this verse we are all so familiar with and many of us have memorized: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (verse 16 of 2 Timothy 4) was written specifically after the rest of the chapter. The verse, in its context, gives us our plan of action for such a time as this. Paul shows us what we must cling to as we endure these perilous last days.

In the past few weeks, I’ve been reminded, through a variety of events and conversations, of the danger of loving the world (and fostering our kids’ love for the world) while relegating God’s Word to the background or even to discount it completely. The world is eating Christians alive and, yet, those who call themselves Christians continue to feed on it and follow after worldly passions and dreams. Why is this?

I believe it is because God’s Word is not valued nor are those who call themselves Christians willing to follow the difficult parts that are within its pages.

In many churches and families, the Bible has become an afterthought, at best, and outdated and unnecessary, at worst. Many preachers insert a verse here or there to support their own opinions. Many parents care more about grades and sports than they do about the eternal destiny of their precious children. Throughout all walks of life, people who call themselves Christian live their lives without any love for God’s Holy Word.

This is leaving a generation (or perhaps two or three!) floating in a sea of non-absolutes, setting their hearts on worldly pursuits and passions… and utterly devoid of truth and completely severed from the anchor God has so kindly given us.

We cannot control the choices of others. While we can point people to God’s Word as He gives us opportunity, we cannot change hearts and minds. But we can choose, ourselves, this very day, to follow God’s plan of action and to ground ourselves in His Word. It’s a serious and urgent thing, this grounding ourselves in the Holy Scriptures. We are so susceptible to Satan’s subtle tricks and so vulnerable to worldly lusts without it.

I am so thankful God gave us the Bible and how He specifically reminds us in 2 Timothy 3 that our job is to continue strong in the faith and to remember the importance of His Word as we are blasted on every side with apostasy, deception, and wickedness. And as we do this, we can rest assured that–

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

So let’s not be discouraged and anxious but let’s keep ourselves immersed in God’s Word, remembering that it has the answers we need, no matter what challenge, trial, or conundrum we face today.

Do You Want to Feel Better or to See Better?

3 Comments / September 27, 2023

The other day I was listening to a Lamplighter Theatre story and the introduction had a young boy who was quite distraught over recent news. He had gone to visit an older gentleman to talk and expressed his hope that he would help him feel better. The man laughed and said this profound thing:

I won’t help you feel better but I do hope I can help you see better.

I have been thinking on this ever since. How many of us prefer to feel better than to see better? We’d rather be blind and feel good, than to have clear vision and experience some pain in the process.

The pastor’s job is to help his congregation to see better. He is to preach the word, in and out of season–

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Many preachers (and authors and song-writers and popular social media personalities) refuse to do this because it is not what their listeners want. Their listeners want to feel good. Right now.

Paul tells us to expect that this time will come. Right after writing “Preach the Word!” in 2 Timothy 4, he writes this-

 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

He knew that eventually the visible church (as opposed to the remnant genuine church) would eventually turn completely apostate in order to take part in bringing in the antichrist. Paul gave us warning signs of what that would look like throughout his epistles. One of these warning signs is that people who claim to be Christians would be obsessed with hearing things that they want to hear; things that would make them feel better temporarily but that would be based on fables.

Instead of hearing the things that they needed to hear–things that would make them see better but wouldn’t necessarily make them feel better–they’d choose to believe fables and lies.

As we watch this happening around us–perhaps even in the lives of those we care about– it is important that we examine our own lives. What is our goal when we read the Word or listen to a godly preacher? Is it to feel better or is it to see better?

I think something really important to remember as we consider this is that, while we may not feel better in the moment, the good feelings will come. God promises peace and joy and these are not empty promises. When we surrender our will to God’s and when we choose to obey His commands in scripture, feelings of peace and joy do come.

As a friend once told me: Our feelings should function as the caboose and not the engine as we decide what will drive our decisions and choices. Feelings generally follow after our right choices.

We can compare it to a doctor who must administer bad-tasting medicine or painfully dig out an infection that has set in in a wound. These things do not feel good when they are happening but, in the long run, they make us feel so much better. What would we think of a doctor that just bandaged an infected wound, rather than to deal with the real issue? And, yet, this is so often how spiritual infections are treated by preachers and teachers. They don’t want to hurt or offend anyone so they never get around to lovingly telling their hearers the plain truth of scripture.

We may not like what we are reading or hearing from the Word and it may not make us “feel better” in the moment, but if we choose to submit to and obey God’s Word, we will see better. We will not only be given correct perspective but we will begin to understand why it is so important. And…eventually…we will feel better as we honor the Lord with our lives.

So what are you looking for when you study scripture or listen to a preacher? To feel better or to see better?

What matters to you most? That you are happy? Or that you are holy?

I am afraid many of the lies will reap eternal ramifications. We must pray for protection from the abundant lies around us that sound so very appealing. May we not grab on to any of these simply to feel better temporarily. For in the long run, an infection that is not cut out will kill you.

It’s All True or None of It Is

Leave a Comment / September 5, 2023

I remember talking to someone once who spent quite a bit of time with rather liberal Christians. The one thing this person told me is how much these people hate Paul. It’s pretty easy to guess why this is. While Paul gives us such encouragement regarding the love of Christ and His personal care for us (Romans 8) and encourages us to love one another (I Corinthians 13, Philippians 2), he also wrote quite a bit of what would be considered controversial in this modern day church era. He wrote about the role of women (I Timothy 2); he wrote about false teachers (Romans 16); he wrote about modesty (I Timothy 2); he told us about how those who practice and live in sin won’t inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5); he wrote about the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4); he wrote about having no fellowship with someone who claims Christ and yet lives in unrepentant sin (I Corinthians 5) and he set down very specific qualifications for church leaders (Titus 1). In fact, it is Paul who was charged by God to give much of the practical outworking of true faith to all believers throughout the ages.

But many of these truths are unwelcome to those who are looking to have their ears tickled. Rather than going to the Bible to find truth and words of life, they go to the Bible out of habit or duty…or perhaps they don’t study the Bible at all. And this lack of love for and trust in God’s inerrant, infallible Word leads to so many problems. One of them being the tendency to pick and choose what we like or don’t like.

As I have started studying I Timothy this week, I came across those unpopular verses about women and their role in the church. In the midst of a culture that has been feminized and crippled by the women’s liberation movement, there has been much effort to figure out a way to render these verses null and void.

Unfortunately, there is no possible way to do this unless we turn our backs on all that Paul has written, and therefore the entire Bible. Paul was either inspired or he wasn’t. We can’t say he was inspired to write the things we like but not inspired to write the things we don’t like. It just doesn’t work that way.

H.A. Ironside gave the account of a woman who was confused about this in his I Timothy commentary–

I remember years ago at a special series of meetings a servant of God was opening up many precious truths in connection with our calling in grace, our place in the body of Christ, our inheritance in Him, and other spiritual themes. One lady who attended the meetings was so stirred that she told how these truths had meant much to her and that she had received great blessing from them. Then in the course of the series of messages the preacher came to a certain passage in 1 Corinthians 14 that had to do with women’s behavior in the church of God. As he was reading—it was an open Bible class where people were free to ask questions—this same lady who had testified to having found such blessing through the precious Word spoke up and said, “I do not believe that. I think this is all nonsense. Paul was an old bachelor who hated women, and that is why he writes the way he does. We can’t depend upon what he says.”

The preacher said, “My dear sister, you have been rejoicing in the truth that nothing ‘shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom. 8:39), haven’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, “I do rejoice in that.”

“Well,” said the preacher, “I am pained to have to inform you that Paul said that, and Paul was an old bachelor, so you can’t depend upon what he says! I understand you have been rejoicing in the truth that there is ‘one body of which Christ is the head.’“

“Yes,” she said, “I rejoice in that too.” “Well, I am sorry to have to tell you that that is something made known to us by Paul, and Paul was an old bachelor, so you can’t depend upon what he says.” He went from one Scripture to another, pointing out the truths which were given to us by Paul, until that dear lady burst into tears and said, “May God forgive me. I see now that I have been trifling with the Word of God.”

One part of the Word is as truly inspired as another part. When you come across some things in God’s Word that you may think are perhaps questionable, remember that the Holy Spirit who presented Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit who showed how the way into the Holiest has been opened, is the same Holy Spirit of God who tells our sisters how they ought to behave, and how careful they ought to be to maintain feminine modesty.*

You see, we don’t get to choose. We don’t get to love and embrace what we like and toss away what we don’t. We must accept it all. But the beauty of it is that when we do…when we understand that all of God’s Word is the inspired, inerrant revelation of God to us and we accept it as the glorious gift it is, our hearts start to change. The rebellion in our hearts towards those things we hate starts to dissipate like the mist dissipates in the heat of the sun. When we ask God to change our hearts toward His Word, He does just that.

Does this mean we “like” every truth we read in the Word of God? I don’t think it does. This isn’t about liking or about feelings. But we accept them and we bow our knee to God, acknowledging that He knows best even if we don’t agree or understand.

If we don’t come to the Bible with this attitude then we may as well not come at all. It’s either all true or none of it is. We can’t have this middle ground that so many desire where we can embrace and apply all the comforting promises and words about loving others but then toss out God’s commands regarding women and false teachers and all of that other stuff that isn’t as palatable. We don’t have that right. If the Bible is God’s Word then it is all of His Word. We don’t get to pick and choose.

I am probably writing to the choir here as I know most of my readers would agree with me on this. But I do want to encourage you to be thinking about the conversations you have with others regarding this because much of the false teaching and wrong beliefs held by your family members, friends, and co-workers stem back to this one thing: They will not accept the Bible for what it is…the inspired, inerrant Word of God in its entirety given to us by our loving, holy God.

It’s either all true or none of it is. Oh, how important that we remember this as we read and study God’s Word and have conversations with others regarding what the Bible has to say about…well…everything.

*Ironside, Harry A.. Addresses on the First and Second epistles of Timothy (pp. 41-43). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

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