The 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!

Diagnosing and Curing Itchy Ear

4 Comments / November 1, 2023

2 Timothy is the final book that Paul wrote before being executed under the evil rule of Nero. It is full of practical wisdom and much exhortation for Timothy and for any believer who would read it throughout the ages. In chapter three Paul describes what the last days would look like. This description was not about what we would see in the world but about what would take place within the professing church.

As he moves to chapter four, he continues to let us know what would be the natural response of those he is describing in chapter three:

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; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3)

When true believers come to this passage we often shake our heads in agreement and feel deep sadness at all of “those” people who are doing this very thing. We see them everywhere.

But today I’d like to take a bit of a different turn and think through this verse with a different lens.

Have you ever talked with someone about something and came away thinking, “they are so blind!” This might be a godly person who really wants to live for the Lord. But, for some reason, they can’t see their own sinfulness in a certain area or the truth about a false teacher or some other truth that is clear. Could this be because they have a slight case of itchy ear?

According to 2 Timothy 4, verse 3, there are a few ways we can diagnose itchy ear. Let’s look at them now–

1. We won’t endure sound doctrine. If we aren’t willing to endure sound doctrine in any particular area, then we probably have at least a slight case of itchy ear. What exactly is sound doctrine? In this context, it is the pure teaching of the Word. If we aren’t willing to submit and obey the Word in all areas, it will lead to a definite case of itchy ear.

But this is not always as cut and dried as we’d like to believe. Many of us will gladly obey most of the Bible. But when we get to a part that convicts us of entertainment, the lifestyle of anxiety or worry that has become our normal, or of giving up that long-held grudge and forgiving someone who deeply hurt us…well, that’s just too much to ask. And so we won’t endure that particular “sound doctrine”. This is a sure sign of itchy ear.

2. We only want to hear things that match our own desires. And so if someone brings something to our attention that we don’t care for–perhaps about a false teacher we love or a sin that is firmly entrenched in our lives– we will respond in one of two ways. We will get very defensive and maybe even a bit angry. Or we will just ignore it and go on with life. However we respond, we certainly won’t honestly examine our lives in regard to what is being said. Because we will choose not to hear what goes against our desires.

3. We will only like positive, uplifting teachers. If someone dares to call out sin, worldliness, or a false teacher (by name) we get all up in arms, declaring them to be negative, judgmental, and all sorts of other awful accusations. How dare they?!? And we conclude they must be the most unloving and unkind person we know.

4. We will turn away from truth and turn towards fables. The Shack is a rather old book by now but it is the perfect example of this very thing. This book (and its subsequent movie) presented a fable about God. It was not truth, according to scripture. And, yet, because so many loved the god that William Paul Young presented in his book, they turned away from the true God (as described in scripture) and embraced this false god. They turned away from truth and turned towards a fable. This is just one example. There are countless others and countless more to come. Satan loves to fool Christians. And he does it in such a way that it looks so good and so…right.

Do you have itchy ear? Even a slight case? Perhaps we all do to some extent. We don’t like to hear what is uncomfortable and demands change, do we? Change is hard and ingrained habits are hard to break. Teachers are much loved and the loyalty runs deep. Following hard after truth is not for the fainthearted and weak. And, yet, God can turn a fainthearted and weak person into someone willing to stand courageously in His strength, through the power of the Holy Spirit. But how?

How do we cure our case of itchy ear? How do we become someone who is willing to endure sound doctrine, willing to turn from our own desires in humble submission to God’s desires, willing to hear both the positive and the negative as we listen to teachers, and willing to turn toward truth and away from fables? How can we be sure to be the kind of listener that benefits our spiritual walk and blesses a biblical teacher?

There are a few things we can do. It’s rather simple really. But we can’t miss a step.

First, we must pray and read the Word. Let’s bring a humble spirit before the Lord, asking Him to show us the truth and to help us be willing to change. And then let’s read and study the Word with perseverance and diligence, so that we can know our God and what He desires.

Second, we must be willing to examine ourselves in light of the Word. Many of us live in a superficial way because we are unwilling to do this. And, I must admit, it is much easier to just live day to day as we endeavor to complete our to-do lists and take care of the many things calling our names. But, without taking the time to examine ourselves, we are opening ourselves up to a severe case of itchy ear, for it will sneak up on us when we least expect it.

Third, we must be willing to turn from our feelings. For many of us (myself included) the temptation is strong to let our feelings drive our lives. And so we don’t read our Bibles because we don’t feel like it. Or we turn on the TV and waste hours of time because we don’t feel like doing anything else. We don’t feel like reading hard books that help us grow but we feel like reading easy novels that fill our mind with fluff (at best) or trash (at worst). We make choices about going to church (oh, it was such a late night, let’s skip), we make choices about music (oh, this has such a catchy tune), we make choices about our children’s entertainment (but I don’t want to upset my child and take this way from her because then she might be mad at me) all based solely on how they make us feel. This will almost always lead to itchy ear.

With God’s help, we must move from making decisions based on feelings to making decisions based on what will please God. For a genuine believer that wants to live out their faith, no decision escapes this examination. Am I choosing this because of how it will make me feel or am I choosing it because I want to please the Lord? (I am convicting myself here!)

Fourth, we must be willing to listen to biblical teachers that will preach the whole word of God instead of those who just give us the positive, uplifting messages that make us feel good.

If we do these things, then we will cure our case of itchy ear, whether it be a severe case or just the slightest case. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be walking around with itchy ear, spiritually sick and weakened, when God has made a way for us to live out a radiant, vibrant faith as we journey through this darkened world!

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.

Can I Lose My Salvation?

4 Comments / August 15, 2023

There are a lot of teachers, preachers, authors, and ministries out there these days assuring you that you can lose your salvation. They use a variety of verses to back up this belief. And so–they say– we can never be sure if we are saved or not saved. They tell us we have the responsibility to not lose that golden ticket to heaven. This is a discouraging and disheartening view of Christianity, isn’t it?

Of course, the only question that matters is: Is this biblical? Are these verses being interpreted correctly? Are they in context and consistent with what the rest of scripture says?

I am wading into some deeper theological waters here–waters from which I generally shy away. But I wanted to share with you two reasons why I believe, without a doubt, that we can never lose our salvation.

First, it’s not consistent with God’s character. All through the Old Testament we see God’s faithfulness to Israel, despite their rebellion. All through scripture we read of His faithfulness to all His chosen and beloved children (Lamentations 3:22-23; 2 Timothy 2:13; so many others)

Is this faithfulness dependent upon our goodness? Why, this even goes against the definition of the word faithful. You can’t be fickle and faithful at the same time.

Faithful: steadfast in affection or allegiance; firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty.

Second, it is totally out of character with the nature of salvation. If we can do nothing to win our salvation, why on earth would we be able to do anything to keep our salvation? Technically, this takes us back to a works-based religion; a religion that is based on our own efforts and what we can and must do for God in order to be (and stayed) saved. May it never be!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There is nothing we can do to be saved or to keep our salvation. It is the gift of God.

Gift: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.

It wasn’t until I read and then memorized (and meditated upon) John 10:27-30 that I came to understand this concept more fully and with more confidence–

 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

No one can snatch us from our Father’s hand. And that would include our own selves. We can’t take ourselves out of the Father’s hand. We are literally unable to be removed from His hand once we are His! This should give us such great comfort.

So how do you explain all of those people that walk away from the faith and never come back? What is going on?

I think it’s clear from this passage that they were never saved at all. They, like Judas, were excellent pretenders. John talks about these people in I John 2:19–

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

They were not of us. They were not part of God’s family but just pretending to be for their own selfish reasons. True believers persevere to the end. True believers love God’s Word. True believers may backslide or struggle but they can never be removed from God’s family. God will not turn His back on us! Scripture says He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

I am dismayed at the popular false teaching that you can lose your salvation. I have only touched on this subject. There is so much more that could be said and I am sure theological reasons to cling to the truth that when we are saved we are saved forever of which I am unaware.

If you have been uncertain about this topic, may I encourage you to study your Bible instead of listening to what people say. Get to know Who God really IS through the Word and interpret all verses through what the Word says about God and about salvation. In doing this, we come to quickly understand that the Bible verses that talk about perseverance or works cannot mean that we need these things in order to be saved. Instead, they must mean that we will do these things because we are saved.

There is an enormous and infinite difference between these two beliefs, it there not?

Oh, friends, if you are one of God’s then you are His forever. If you aren’t sure that you are, then seek Him with all your heart.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

God delights in answering our humble prayers to know Him more. So open up the Word and pray for wisdom. Ask Him to show you the truth about yourself with ears willing to hear and a heart willing to obey. He is so very faithful to His Word and He will answer your cry.

The Conditions We Must Consider

2 Comments / May 30, 2023

Have you ever heard someone say “God works all things out for good”? Or “He will give you peace”? We love to say and hear the promises of God. They are encouraging to our souls and they fill us with comfort.

But do we ever stop to consider the conditions that are in place for those promises to be fulfilled? I don’t think we do so intentionally, but perhaps we often just tend to sideline those conditions because they do not offer comfort and they require something of us—two things that aren’t all that attractive. But, of course, we can never just quote the promises without considering the conditions for those promises. God is so kind and faithful and He makes it so clear who His promises are for very specifically.

First and foremost, we must realize that the promises in God’s Word aren’t for everyone in the world but only for His own dear children. We dare not assure an unbeliever that all things will work out for good for them, as we will see the reason later on in this post. But, beyond that, there are some conditions even for us believers. Let’s take a look at some of the favorite verses to quote and see what conditions are attached to the promises, shall we?

Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

This verse promises that God will sustain us and that we will never be moved. But only IF we choose to cast our burden on the Lord and IF we are righteous. Notice God did not use the word “anyone” but very specifically says He won’t permit the “righteous” to be moved.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Here we see that our paths will only be directed by Him when we stop trying to direct our own life. We can’t “have our cake and eat it, too”. We can’t expect His guidance while we continue to hold tightly to the reins of our own lives and demand our own way. His guidance is for those who have given up their own will in order to trust in God’s will for their lives. We can see that this will only be accomplished when we stop leaning on our own finite, short-sighted understanding and acknowledge God in all our ways—whether in small choices or huge decisions—THEN, and only then, can we be assured that He will guide us.

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

Here, in this well-loved verse from Isaiah, we see that we will only be in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on God. Funny thing is…our mind can’t be focused on ourselves and on God at the same time. We have the opportunity to make a choice each time life doesn’t go our way. Will I trust God for all things or will I dwell on and complain about my unhappy circumstances? It’s a choice we Christians make multiple times each day. And, if you are like me, I, too often, make the wrong choice. No wonder peace is missing. I heard this quote the other day: Stress comes when we don’t yield to God. Yes, that’s true. Stress and anxiety come when we don’t yield our will to God’s. Of course, this all sounds great as I write but you and I both know that when the rubber meets the road, it’s downright hard to live. Thank the Lord for His Holy Spirit, Who moves and works in us to grow us to trust God more and more each day as we walk with Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Here is a promise that is perhaps the most quoted one from the Bible. But, here again, we see a condition. Things work together for good to those who love God. And this seems to beg the question—Do I love self more than I love God? If I want to live solely for God and strive to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), then I can rest assured knowing that He will work all things out for His glory and my good. If we think little of God and dwell on our own personal safety, comfort, dreams, and desires as we live this life then we can’t hold on to this promise. It’s not for us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Here again, we have a promise that is so wonderfully appealing. But it, too, comes with a condition. We must let our requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Then, and only then, can we expect that wonderful peace to guard our hearts and minds. You may think— how can I be thankful in the midst of such a heavy trial? But the redeemed child of God always has something to be thankful for…for we are saved from sin through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and now have the sure hope of eternity in heaven. If we can think of nothing else to be thankful for, may we start there.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

This is an interesting promise that assures us that the devil will flee from us. But what must we do to make sure this happens? Two things are given here: Submit to God and resist the devil. Submit to God’s will and give up our will (we saw this same idea in Proverbs, didn’t we? The Bible is SO consistent!). When we insist on our own will—fulfilling our personal desires and dreams—we open ourselves up very much to Satan’s subtle and not-so-subtle temptations… “Oh, just lie about this, compromise on this one tiny thing, …it won’t matter.” And because we want what we want, we will do so. We can do so much to resist the devil simply by submitting to God. For it is our lusts and idols that get us into so much trouble. When we submit to God, we can expect the devil to flee from us for his power over us is limited if he can’t tempt us by using our lusts and idols.

So these are just a few well-known promises of God and the conditions that accompany them. Whenever you hear someone quote a promise of God, look for the condition that goes with it. God’s love is everlasting, His kindness is overwhelming, and His promises are sure, but scripture makes it clear that these are not given indiscriminately but are rather given with very specific conditions.

And let me just reiterate as I conclude this post that, though it is easy to write about these conditions of God’s promises, it is so much harder to live them. Let me assure you that I do not write what is above from a place of “arrival” but from a place of striving, right along with you, at turning my eyes from self to God with each new trial. Every day is a new day that gives me opportunity to submit my will to God’s in both the little things of life and the big things.

But when we make the choice to submit to God and to keep our eyes on Him, we can be sure that, without a doubt, we will experience the fulfillment of God’s promises as we go through each new day. What a wonderful thing to consider! They are no empty promises, but given to God’s dear children as they walk through this troubled world. Great is His faithfulness!

Only Two Places

4 Comments / May 23, 2023

The other night, we were at a ballgame and my husband was sharing with our pastor about his severe back pain and the next step in trying to fix it. The man in front of him turned around and shared that God could heal him. This led to a bit of a theological conversation where it soon was made clear that this man was confused. Finally, our pastor asked: If you were to die tonight what reason would you give for God to let you into heaven?

His answer started with “I”. I did this, I have done that…He was following the rules he believed were going to merit his ticket to heaven.

But rules and good works won’t give you a ticket to heaven.

If you aren’t saved by faith alone in grace alone by Christ alone there are really only two places to land: Legalism or Licentiousness. Living by rules or self-seeking. While there are extremes in both places, all unsaved people land somewhere on the spectrum of one of these. And sometimes –perhaps often– they move from one to another. Because neither gives lasting satisfaction.

Have you ever watched someone leave legalism to living a self-seeking life? We wonder how can this be? How could they look so good and righteous and then turn their back on God so completely to live for self? I believe there are as many answers to that question as there are situations. Each person probably has their own personal reason as to why they gave up on legalism. And it’s probably a pretty good one.

But, honestly, is it that much different than seeing someone living for self turn to legalism in order to please God? We see that, too, don’t we? Someone who has lived a dissolute or worldly life turn to religion to make them happy? It can be any religion. But in that religious worldview, they are given a set of rules to follow in order to please God and reach heaven. This gives them some semblance of peace, although if they are honest, they don’t really know if they are going to heaven and they wonder if their good works will outweigh the bad. This person has simply gone from living in self-denial about eternity to trying really hard now to do something about it.

But both places are lost places. One is full of man-made rules and the other is full of self-seeking but neither leads anyone to peace with the One, True God. That is because God tells us in His Word that there is only one way. John 14:6 puts it this way–

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

If you aren’t saved by faith alone in grace alone by Christ alone then there is no true faith. There is no true Holy Spirit; no eternity in heaven; no steadfast love or mercy; there is no “peace that passeth understanding”; nor is there true joy.

If you don’t believe this is true, then you may as well toss out the Bible. This is what true Christianity is. It is also TRUE for every person in the world. It is why so many have given their lives–sometimes even unto death–to share the Gospel through the years.

More and more, we hear of people who would call themselves Christians living licentious lives. They believe they can do whatever they want whenever they want and that God will approve. They love the world passionately and fully, filling themselves with the entertainment that God hates and by turning to vain and humanistic philosophies (most often fed to them by “Christian” therapists) rather than to the Bible.

Less often now we see the typical legalism based on rules (although it is still alive and well!). We also see a new legalism is rising. The one that says that in order to be close to God you must have visions, or speak in tongues, or hear from Him audibly.

But none of these things are to be found in the Word. Anywhere. It is all delusions and deceptions and man-made methods from the Father of Lies himself. I suggest that you take some time to read and study Romans 6, Colossians 3, James 4, and Jude to understand why both legalism and licentiousness are places of considerable spiritual danger.

These places can be tempting to lean towards, even for those of us who are genuinely saved. It is so much easier to just follow a set of rules than to be worried about my heart and my attitudes. And it’s a lot more fun to follow after my desires and chase my dreams.

I am reminded of two verses I am currently memorizing. They remind us of our need to lay aside those things that would trip us up and to look to Jesus as we run our race. I hope these encourage my fellow believers as they have encouraged me–

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

And, this morning, if you don’t know if you are going to heaven but would like to, then I encourage you to call upon the name of the Lord. Romans 10:13 tells us that all who call upon the Lord will be saved. No one will be turned away. No sin is too great, no past is too ugly. Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. And salvation is a free gift for all. I pray that you will turn to God today. (You can start by turning to the book of John in the Bible to get to know who Jesus really is. If I can help feel free to contact me. I’d love to talk with you about this.)

Life lived with Jesus may be hard but it is always worthwhile. And the message of the Bible may not be popular but it is true. May we be courageous and bold to point people to the truth and to share the hope that is within us in the midst of the great delusions of legalism and licentiousness.

Some Reflections on the Past Thirteen Years

7 Comments / May 10, 2023

Next month will begin my fourteenth year of writing at Growing4Life. This blog has changed a bit over those years but the tag line of the blog is still the goal of the blog — to encourage believers to never be satisfied with “status quo” Christianity.

What is status quo Christianity? It’s the Christianity that doesn’t care a whole lot about what the Bible says about much of anything. It’s the Christianity that looks like the world, thinks like the world, and acts like the world. It’s the Christianity that finds its validity in church attendance or small group or mission trips. It’s the Christianity that is nice to people but rarely truthful; that focuses on self-fulfillment and dreams coming true rather than on pleasing God. It’s one or two of these things in some and all of these things in others.

As I started to study the Bible– really study it– God showed me that this isn’t what Christianity is about at all. And, in fact, that most religion that goes by the label “Christianity” today isn’t really Christianity at all. No, instead, I realized that biblical Christianity is actually quite the opposite of status quo in almost every way–

True, genuine Christianity cares about what the Bible says in every area of life (Psalm 19). Biblical Christianity seeks to “unfriend” the world and live separately from its philosophies, entertainment, and lifestyles (James 4:4). It finds its validity in a relationship and not in a list of good works (Romans 8). True Christianity is both kind and truthful (Ephesians 4:15). And it calls us to focus on God and His will, denying self in order to please Him (Luke 9:23).

And so this blog began to focus on this difference as I learned more and more (and continue to learn still today!) through my study of the Word. Through the years, the biblical and the status quo have begun to be more obvious in their differences. For a long, long time they walked side by side and they were intertwined in such a way that it was hard to distinguish between the two. But not so much anymore.

Interestingly enough, with this parting of ways, I’ve noticed a trend that saddens me deeply. People who I would have expected to stick with biblical Christianity have gone down the status quo road. They have followed after the latest and greatest and man’s philosophies rather than wholeheartedly searching the scripture.

If you have been around here for awhile, I am guessing that you are noticing this trend as well. Some of you have even mentioned it to me. It is a hard thing to watch people you trusted and friends or family you love take the path away from the Bible and towards the coming one-world religion.

Of course, this is not a statement on anyone’s salvation. Let’s be clear on that, shall we? I, myself, was caught up in worldliness but that didn’t make me unsaved. I imbibed books and movies with anti-god, unbiblical themes. That made me rebellious and disobedient and deceived but it didn’t take away my salvation. God, through His Word, is ever so faithfully leading me and growing me. All praise and glory go to Him for any good in my life. He is doing the same for all who are redeemed through Christ’s blood. It would be nice to be automatically spiritually mature from the moment of salvation but it just doesn’t work like that! So we must have so much grace for one another!

So this is never–and has never been–about judging someone’s salvation but it has always been about calling genuine believers to walk with God as we are called to in His Word. And to never give up on this, even amidst the failures and the stumbling and the discouragement (and I’ve shared many of my own experiences with these through the years. Writing here doesn’t make me immune to these things!)

Writing in this way and about this topic of genuine Christianity as opposed to status quo Christianity has grown increasingly unpopular. More and more, I feel isolated in my calling. I know there are others of us (you are probably one if you have read this far in this post!) out there but we are so few, are we not? And the hatred for “our type” is growing. To stand up for the truth of God’s Word is to basically open yourself up to ridicule, irritation, antagonism, and sometimes even persecution.

And then there is the confusion and chaos we need to constantly be wading through. It seems like if a speaker or ministry is biblical in one area they have another completely wrong. It’s so confusing and so discouraging and it is growing worse by the day. Just as we knew it would. I know that this theological chaos lead some to stop following me.

So I just want to reiterate here once again: I am following scripture to the best of my knowledge. If I ever find out that scripture teaches something different than I have posted here, I will admit it, apologize, and share the truth. That is my commitment to you, my reader.

Because the only thing that matters is what the Bible says! Only there can we find out what God thinks. And that’s all that matters. Don’t follow people. I hope I can encourage you towards the Word and in the Word but I am so imperfect. I struggle daily, just like you do. I am nothing without Christ. In Christ alone do I boast.

The other day, as has been my experience in the past, I heard of certain people who don’t like me. This kind of thing always knocks me for a loop. Even though it has happened so often. This very public platform that speaks regarding a very unpopular topic leads many to not “like” me. And perhaps some of it is deserved. As I’ve said above and before, I don’t do this perfectly. I am sure sometimes I am too harsh or say things that don’t need to be said. I wish I could do this perfectly but I know full well I do not.

Of course, most who dislike me don’t say it to my face. They just distance themselves through a variety of ways. Readers often just disappear, never telling me why. Even those who had reached out in friendship for many years. Because of this, I can honestly say that some days I find myself discouraged to be traveling this path.

But God clearly created this path for me to follow (you can read more about how He showed me this here) and so, for thirteen years, I have followed it. I plan to follow it until He clearly directs me off of this path. I just want to do what He wants me to do.

I am studying Jonah right now in the Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge and I have been convicted by Jonah’s attitude. He was more concerned for his shade than he was for the lost. He cared more about himself than he did about others. When I grow discouraged here I know it is because I am caring more about myself than I am about others.

If God has shown us the truth from His Word, we must boldly proclaim it for it is only this truth that sets us free! We know that it is not only our only hope but the only hope for everyone else, too! It is the only hope for the lost to be found and for the saved to be sanctified. And so, no matter the cost and no matter our feelings, we must keep encouraging others in the truth of God’s Word. Remembering that it is God we seek to please and not self. As Paul reminds us–

 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.(Galatians 1:10)

So, instead of staying focused on our desires and dreams and disappointments, may we instead obtain an eternal perspective, keeping our eyes fully focused on God with hearts filled with compassion for others.

Should We “Eat the Meat and Spit Out the Bones”?

5 Comments / April 25, 2023

A few years ago I heard a pastor say to his congregation that, as believers, we need not reject a teacher simply because he is false in one area. We can “eat the meat and spit out the bones” is the phrase used to describe such an approach.

In theory, it sounds nice, doesn’t it? I’d like to share with you today a recent (and rather embarrassing) example from my own life as to why I do not follow this approach myself personally. And I encourage you not to, either.

Last week, I wrote about a book of prayer that I had picked up by an author I thought I could trust (you can find that post here). In that post, I mentioned that something seemed off and that I gave it to my brother (the pastor) for review. A few days ago, he sent me a text and mentioned some of the serious theological errors in the book, along with screenshots of the marked pages.

I was thoroughly ashamed of myself. Why didn’t I spot those? They were so blatantly obvious now that he had pointed them out. But I can tell you why I didn’t spot them. It was because I was so enamored by the amazing “answered prayers” and the experiences of the author. While my eyes were drawn towards these fascinating accounts, the other parts that go completely against the Bible found a back road into my brain.

And, while I had no idea this author was compromised, I will not choose to read any other theological offering he may have now that I do know. Why is this? Why would I choose to avoid him if he clearly showed himself unbiblical in just the area of prayer?

Well, let me give you four simple reasons why I’ve come to the conclusion that “eating the meat and spitting out the bones” is not for me–

First, God demands 100% purity. While balance is important in most areas of life, it is never called for when it comes to discernment. While we will never be able to be perfectly pure here on this earth (which is the reason we need Christ), we should be striving for it. We should desire to make our lives as pure as possible as we seek to live for Christ. This includes everything we “feed” to our minds.

If I know a teacher is false, it is my responsibility to walk away from this teacher. Paul says we are to mark and avoid them and John says we aren’t to allow them into our homes or even greet them (Romans 16:17; 2 John 7-11). That is pretty strong language, isn’t it? Instead, many would tell us to dig for the gems that can be found among the dung heap. But the Bible makes it clear: If we know a teacher is false, we should run (not walk) to the nearest exit!

Second, I just don’t know my Bible well enough. The “eating the meat, spit out the bones” approach has a pretty important presupposition that cannot be ignored. It presupposes that I know my Bible well enough to spot any and all false teaching. But here’s the problem: I just don’t. The incident with the book on prayer was just a confirmation of what I already knew to be true. And although I have spent many hours studying the Bible, I do not consider myself even close to where I would need to be to approach any book with an “eat the meat, spit out the bones” mentality. I just don’t know enough. I don’t think I ever will, no matter how much I study.

Third, my flesh is drawn towards the wrong things. My “human nature” draws me towards those lovely experiences and supernatural signs that give goose bumps and wow me. I didn’t think it was but then I read that book and I realized how susceptible I am (and I even know to be looking for these things so how pathetic is that?) It made me realize once again the power that is in experience. This is why mysticism is so very attractive today. It is why churches and individuals are leaving the Bible and objective truth by the droves and chasing after it. It makes so much sense. It is also why we must guard our hearts and protect our minds from anything that would lead us a wrong direction. I am not so much better or stronger than the one who has traded in the Bible to be wooed and wowed by experiences, now am I?

Fourth, it’s a waste of time. Let’s just say that I believed I did know my Bible well enough and I wasn’t prone to fall for accounts of “experiences”, does that make it wise to choose this approach? I don’t think so and here’s why: Why would I waste my time? There are so many great books and preachers out there who aren’t compromised. Why would I bother to waste my time and energy on ones that I know are compromised? It just doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Paul tells us twice to “redeem” our time (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5). This means we should think carefully about how we spend our time. Is a book that we know to contain falsehood a wise way to redeem our time? I have decided that, for me personally, it is not.

So this is why I choose not to “eat the meat and spit out the bones”. But before I close I do want to answer a question that may be in your mind as you read this:

What about disagreement on “secondary” (non-Gospel) issues?

I’m obviously not going to agree 100% with any author. So how do we handle this?

While I don’t actually believe there are “secondary” issues when it comes to interpreting scripture (there is one RIGHT interpretation), there are issues and areas on which disagreement would not keep me from reading a book written by them. For instance, most of the Puritans were wrong in their eschatology (the study of the last days) but I have learned much in reading works written by them regarding living the Christian life. I would not, however, read a book that they wrote about the subject of eschatology, as it would not be biblical.

Another principle I have regarding this specific question is to avoid any work that would direct its reader towards mysticism (which ultimately renders the Word of God irrelevant to one’s relationship with God). There has been a horrible abuse of the Holy Spirit, in which it is taught and practiced that His work in our lives is divorced from Scripture. This is not a biblical concept whatsoever. This is an absolute deal breaker for me. I will not read or listen to anyone who would lead me in this direction.

And one final principle I personally follow is to avoid anyone that I know to be compromised in how they live their lives and in their associations– even if I agree with what they say or write. This hypocrisy — to preach one thing but to live another– is also a deal breaker for me. And so I generally refuse to read or to promote anyone who I know to be compromised in this way.

I know that many of you will not agree with me on this but I thought there might be a few of you out there who might find these thoughts helpful as you navigate the mine field of “Christian” material available to us these days. This is my own personal approach and it is what I have chosen to do in order to protect myself as best I can against false teaching.

But, that being said, as I recently learned, it can sometimes slip in even through an old book written almost a hundred years ago. We can never let our guards down. We must test all spirits (I John 4:1) and we must test all things (I Thessalonians 5:21). We cannot let ourselves be distracted by the exciting or the unusual or the fascinating. But, instead, we must hold firmly to the truth of scripture at all times. To lose our grasp on that is to lose our grasp on the anchor that keeps us moored safely to our God. And that’s where we want (and need) to be at all times.

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