Christmas Road Trip (Part 2)

Today is the second installment of this year’s Christmas story. If you’d like to read Part 1, you can find it here.

     The day had finally arrived! Christmas was only a few days away and it was time to begin our trip to my parents in Florida.
     The boys woke up full of energy and chattered away about the trip. They were especially excited about going to the beach, something they had never done before. Mom had assured me she’d have plenty of beach towels and she had also bought some sand toys. I was thankful not to have to worry about packing these things.
     Mike was out in the driveway loading things into our Honda Pilot, trying to leave some space for Aunt Hattie’s things. He had attached the roof bag and fit as many pieces of our luggage into it as possible. As we both stood back and looked at the room available for Aunt Hattie, we were pleased. She should have plenty of room to add her one suitcase and a few gifts.
     Around 10am we set off for Aunt Hattie’s house. When we arrived, she was standing outside, her petite frame engulfed by her long purple coat. Fluffy white ear muffs and a scarf covered with cheerful, sparkly snowmen completed her attire. In her arms was Princess, whose tail started wagging as soon as she saw the car pull in.
     Aunt Hattie put Princess down, who immediately jumped in the car to greet the boys. They giggled as she excitedly jumped back and forth between them giving them kisses, her bright red and green Christmas collar jingling with every move. Meanwhile, Aunt Hattie gave both Mike and me a grandmotherly hug.
     “Oh, isn’t it so exciting? Can you believe it is the day we are to leave? I’ve been so looking forward to this!” She had the biggest smile on her face.
     Both Mike and I had yet to notice the huge pile of stuff on the porch that was somehow supposed to fit in the car. I happened to glance over at Mike just as his eyes moved to the porch. His eyes grew large and he took a deep breath—I knew just what he was thinking—but he didn’t say a word as he went over to pick up a few of the bags.
     “Oh, I hope this isn’t too much…”
     “Well, let’s see what we can do, Aunt Hattie,” Mike said cheerfully.
     When it was all said and done, only a couple of bags with non-essentials ended up not making the trip with us. The car was packed to the gills and Mike would have no view out his back window but it wasn’t the first time for him to drive like this and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last.
     Tucking the two unnecessary bags inside the house, she locked the door and climbed in the car to sit beside Aiden, who was in the middle seat. Miles was holding Princess, who had already crawled into a little ball into his lap and lay there contentedly.
     Meanwhile, Aiden was already whining, “Mom….I want the puppy.”
     Mike stepped in immediately, “you both will need to take turns with the puppy. We will let Miles have her for awhile,” and then he smiled at everyone and said, “are we all ready to go?”
     There were shouts of enthusiastic “yes!”‘s followed by a dismayed squeal.
     We all turned to Aunt Hattie to see what was wrong.
     “Oh,” she groaned, “I forgot Princess’s things. It’s in a bag in the laundry room. It has all of her food, her leash, her little fluffy reindeer, her squeaky taco, her smartbones…” Aunt Hattie listed every single thing in that bag.
     I considered the space in the car and hoped the bag was not very big.
     “Oh, it’s not a problem,” I assured her, “we will wait here while you run in to get it. It should fit on the floor below Miles,” I said, hoping I was right. The floor was already filled with toys and snacks for traveling. Thankfully, the bag wasn’t overly big and fit nicely in the small area left on the floor.
     “Oh, my,” Aunt Hattie said breathlessly as she got settled again, “do you know I forgot to shut the kitchen window? I opened it last night because it was so hot in the house for some reason I never did figure out and I so I opened it just a little teensy crack. But you know I never thought to shut it last night or this morning? Oh, my goodness, God must have had me leave that bag in my house for just that reason. I noticed it as soon as I went in and I thought to myself, Hattie, God is taking care of you because that window would have been open the whole two weeks we were gone if I hadn’t forgotten that bag. Doesn’t that just go to show you how God uses even annoying, irritating everyday things to work out His plan for us?” She stopped with a giant sigh and leaned back into her seat, “well, shall we go?”
     Mike and I glanced at each other and smiled. One thing we could be sure of is that this trip wouldn’t be boring.
     He started the car and backed out of the driveway and we were soon on our way. The traffic on the highway was surprisingly light. This was unexpected so we were grateful.
     Aunt Hattie talked non-stop for the first hour but then she seemed to wear herself out and decided to take a little nap. The boys were surprisingly content with the toys and books I had brought and I was just thinking how this trip was going to be so much better than I had thought when, suddenly, an odd noise came from the car.
     “What was that?” I asked Mike worriedly.
     “I have no idea,” his voice was concerned, “but something doesn’t feel right.”
     He pointed to the green exit sign that was coming up, “I’m going to take the exit to check it out.”
     I groaned inside. Maybe this trip wasn’t going to be so easy, after all.

The 2024 Bible Reading Challenge Is Up!

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!

Christmas Road Trip (Part 1)

It is that time of year again where I share an original story throughout the Christmas Season. Each part will be posted on Friday mornings, with the final installment on December 22. I hope you enjoy this year’s story. I have a special note at the end of today’s portion, with a personal dedication.

     “Aiden! Miles! Come and pick up these trucks!” I shouted angrily as I tripped over yet another truck on the floor.
     “Allie, just relax,” my husband said quietly.
     “But…”
     “No buts. You need to calm down. Is this helping you get everything done?” He challenged.
     I rolled my eyes at him but I knew he was right. I was just making things worse.
     “Boys, please come and put the trucks away and then you can have a snack and watch tv for a bit,” I said more calmly.
     “Okay, mommy!” said Miles enthusiastically, who especially appreciated snacks.
     Miles diligently began to pick up the trucks, as his older brother Aiden watched.
     “Aiden…”
     “Oh, okay,” he muttered.
     As I watched them work together, my mind went back to my long to-do list. There was just no way I was going to get everything done. Traveling to Florida with two boys for a family Christmas was so much work. I was still struggling through the disappointment of not having Christmas in the home in which I had grown up. My parents had moved in March due to my dad’s severe arthritis. And, while his health was improving, he still didn’t feel up to traveling to New York for Christmas. And so, all of us kids would be going to them. This would be my first Christmas away from home.
     I picked up my list and went to sit at the table. I knew I was going to have to cross some things off. But what?
     After a few moments, I had eliminated two or three items that could wait until I got back. Soon two little boys were at my elbow, asking for a snack.
     As I opened the pantry door, my cell phone started ringing. I glanced at the screen to see who it was.
     “Hi Mom,” I said as I cradled it in my ear and pulled some granola bars from a box for the boys. They grabbed them and then went into the family room, where Mike was working from home today. I knew he’d help them get settled in front of the tv so that I could have a half hour’s peace.
     “So, Allie, I have a favor to ask. It’s a pretty large favor,” I could tell mom was hesitant. What now?
     “Okay…?” I responded.
     “So I know you will need to ask Mike about this and that it might not be possible. I know you have the boys and traveling with them can be a lot…”
     “Mom, can you just please get to the point, please?” I tried to say it kindly but my patience was already wearing thin before she called.
     “Well, you know that with you kids all coming here for Christmas this year, my Aunt Hattie has no place to go for the holidays. Your dad and I were talking about how nice it would be to have her join us for Christmas. Do you think you could possibly bring her along?” asked Mom.
     My heart sank. My dear great-aunt Aunt Hattie was sweet but she talked a lot. She would be so annoying to have on a road trip. But how could I say no? I could never be that heartless, although that is just what I wanted to say. I already knew that my kind and generous husband would be all for the idea.
     “I’ll talk to Mike, Mom, and just confirm, but I’m sure we can do that,” I tried to say it warmly but I knew that my feelings were coming through, loud and clear.
     “Well, that would be wonderful!” Mom ignored my negative undertone.
     I hung up the phone with a sigh. I was already dreading this road trip. Now it was going to be so much worse. I went to find Mike. He responded just as I knew he would.
     “You told your mom that of course we can take her, right? We can’t leave her here all alone for the holidays.”
     “I told her I needed to talk to you but that I was sure you would be fine with it.”
     “Okay, so do you think we will need to stop more often for her? Should we should leave a bit earlier? And what about the hotel? Will we need a second room for her? Does she have a special diet?” As he started to list off all of these things, I realized my to-do list had just gotten a whole lot longer.
     I was grumbling inside as I texted my mom that we would be happy to bring Aunt Hattie with us to Florida. As I was texting, the phone rang in my hand. Aunt Hattie was calling. I tried to sound cheerful as I answered, “Hello?”
     “Hello, dearie! I just talked to your mom and she said that you have offered to take me along with you to Florida?”
     “Yes, we’d be happy to bring you along,” I said warmly. Or at least I tried to say it warmly.
     “Oh, that would be so wonderful,” she gushed, “I just didn’t know how in the world I could bear a Christmas all alone. Wouldn’t that be so hard to bear? I have been depressed the whole last week just thinking of it. And then I got this lovely call from your mom and I just want to thank you..” Her voice caught and, although I couldn’t see her, I was pretty sure she was crying.
     So now I felt really guilty. Of course we need to bring this lovely old woman with us on our road trip. It was only pure selfishness that would be annoyed about doing this wonderful deed for this dear woman. She had had such a rough life. Her husband had passed away when she was just in her forties and her only unmarried son had been in an accident five years later. Within a decade, she found herself without a family at all. We became her family and she was with us for every holiday. As she continued to talk, my heart started to melt a bit and I was able to infuse my voice with real warmth.
     When she stopped to take a breath, I quickly spoke up, “Oh, Aunt Hattie, we are happy to take you along. It might be a bit of a tight squeeze and we won’t be able to take a lot of luggage along, but I am sure we will be able to make room.”
     “Oh, I don’t need much room. And I’ll try to behave and bring only a small suitcase. I do have some gifts, though,” I could almost see her furrowed brow.
     “Okay, let me talk to Mike. Perhaps we can use the roof rack to give us more space,” I said.
     “Oh, that would be wonderful!” she exclaimed and then, all of a sudden, she grew silent.
     A few seconds later, she murmured, “but the dog…I am not sure I can leave her for a whole week….”
     She sighed and then added, “maybe I won’t go.”
     I groaned inside. Aunt Hattie had a small buff-colored Pomeranian named Princess. She took her everywhere. Of course, Princess would have to travel with us.
     “You can just bring her,” I said against my better judgment and before I could change my mind.
     “Oh, Allie, could I?!” She exclaimed, “That would be so wonderful! Incredible, even! You and Mike, well, you are just too much. You’d love an old crotchety lady like me enough to not only take me along to Florida but to take my dear Princess, as well. I don’t know how I deserve such an amazing family,” she kept on like this for a few more seconds. I knew this was a preview of what our trip would be like. She was so lovely but she rarely stopped talking. This was going to be interesting. And I smiled at her word “crotchety”. I couldn’t think of a word that was less suited to Aunt Hattie than “crotchety”.
     Finally, she stopped and I was able to talk about a few trip details with her.
     After a few more minutes, I hung up and reflected on what had just happened over the past half hour. Despite my irritation and trepidation about how the trip would go, I felt more at peace than I had since we started to plan this trip. Knowing the joy we were bringing Aunt Hattie by taking her with us filled me with joy. Yes, she could be annoying with all of her talking. But, I reminded myself, she was pleasant and easy to be around. It wouldn’t be that bad. Would it?

A Personal Note: As many of you already know, we lost my Aunt Sarah this past March in an unexpected car accident. I’d like to dedicate this particular story in her memory. While she was not really like Aunt Hattie–she didn’t have a dog and she didn’t talk too much–she did have some things in common with Aunt Hattie. First, she did love dogs and dogs loved her. Many were the times my little dogs would climb in her lap and rest comfortably there. And she did talk a lot if you got her going on the right subject. She got the biggest kick out of certain things and she would tell us all about them when she had the opportunity to do so. But the thing she had most in common with Aunt Hattie is the saddest thing. She, too, lost her husband and only, unmarried child and found herself without a family as a middle-aged woman. And so this part of the story is coming out of my personal experience. Aunt Sarah, like Aunt Hattie, found herself, quite suddenly, without an immediate family. And, while this story is from the point of view of Allie, I’d like to encourage you to reflect on Aunt Hattie’s point of view for a bit. As we begin the Christmas season, may we not get so caught up in our own personal festivities that we forget those who find themselves alone, for whatever reason. Can you brighten someone’s Christmas this year?

How is it Possible to Thank God in All Things and for All Things?

The idea of gratitude is a pretty easy concept when things are going great. It’s easy to praise God when we and those we love are healthy, we have plenty of money to pay the bills, we feel secure and loved, and we have all our needs met and even many of our wants.

But when life takes a detour from our plans; when it doesn’t go as we had hoped or desired…this is when gratitude can be hard to practice.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I’ve been reflecting a bit on these verses–

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20)

These verses also come to mind–

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

It is clear that gratitude is an integral part of the true believer’s life. However, knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are two very different things, aren’t they?

As I’ve been considering trials (both big and small), I’ve been pondering how we can be thankful in them and for them. (And please keep in mind that I am just looking to scripture for this answer. I do not have this perfected and I am trying to remind myself of these things as much as I am reminding you!)

So what can we thank God for in any trial?

We can thank Him for spiritual growth. Any trial we encounter can be used by God to conform us into the image of Christ. In fact, this is the whole gist of Romans 8:28-29–

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The good that God is working in our lives is to make us look more like His Son. As one who is easily distracted back to temporal things, my expectation for God’s good is way too...small. I want His good to be fixing my problem, making me more comfortable, and providing miraculously for my needs and perhaps even giving me a few of my wants. BUT this is not what is promised. We are promised that He will work all things together for our spiritual benefit.

This will mean so much more to us if we get our eyes off this world and set them on things above (Colossians 3:1-4). Keeping our eyes on this world, filling our minds with things of this world, living for this world will only bring discontentment and frustration.

What else can we thank God for in any trial?

We can thank Him for His abundant grace and His abounding small and large mercies. Have you experienced these things, as I have? Sometimes they are evident as you walk through the deep, dark valley. Other times, you only see them once you get to the other side. But God, in His Providence, often provides just the right bit of encouragement or the blessing you need at just the right time. His timing is impeccable. He provides for His own in ways that are unfathomable. While we must expect persecution and trials in this life (John 15:19-20; I Peter 4:12), we also can be confident that God will walk with us and provide all we need on our difficult journey (Psalm 9:9-10; John 14:27; Hebrews 13:5).

And is there anything else?

We can thank God for His Word. Have you ever been in turmoil of soul and opened the Bible and there was exactly what you needed? The words wash over you like a balm and calm you. God’s Word is not just any old book. It’s God’s precious and holy Word, given to us for all of life and godliness (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3) Including for those times that are just really rough. Memorizing verses exponentially helps us in times of darkness, because we don’t need to read the Word but it’s already there in our hearts. So those nights when we toss and turn, with anxiety-ridden minds, we can take our thoughts captive by bringing some of the verses we memorized to the forefront and meditating on them.

While there are probably other things to thank God for in trials, I’d like to focus on just one more.

We can thank God for His family. When we are going through a trial, the family of God surrounds us with so much care and love. As we live our normal lives, we don’t think to express our concern and love for one another, but as soon as someone faces a trial, we are there, aren’t we? Ready to do what we can to ease the burden. It’s the wonderful blessing of Christian love (I Corinthians 12:26; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19 Romans 12:10).

I would like to recognize here that some trials are acutely private and so, in these times, we do not get the blessing of this Christian love. Some of you are going through things you would never share with anyone. Struggles and circumstances that are deeply personal and not evident to others. These may be the most difficult trials of all.


As we consider this idea of thanking God in all things and for all things, perhaps it’s important to remember that it’s an intentional choice that needs to be made each and every day. For most of us (me!), it’s our natural bent to complain or to whine. But God wants us to be thankful. Not just at Thanksgiving but always in all things and for all things. May we reflect on this as we begin the holiday season.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

So Quickly Forgotten

A few months ago, I was reading an old commentary on the pastoral epistles by an author with the name of Homer Kent. When I turned to the back of the book, I saw a photo of a middle-aged man that looked a bit familiar. You see, by the time I was acquainted with who this man was, he was president of the college I was attending. I thought he was old and, if I am blatantly honest…pretty irrelevant. As a naive college student, I had zero appreciation for all he had accomplished (and written). And yet, here he had made this really helpful contribution to the Christian world long before I was even born.

But, my guess is that very few of you have ever heard his name. He lived, he worked for Jesus, and then he died. Some of his works live on, but they aren’t popular or considered classics. I doubt most of you have heard of them, either.

A few weeks back, we attended an event at the Christian school where our kids had attended high school. When our kids were there we were actively involved and knew lots and lots of faces. But five years after our youngest had graduated, we knew few people. And even fewer people cared if we were there or not. We had gone from being an active part of the school family to being completely irrelevant.

Around the time of these two happenings, I saw an Instagram reel that talked about how we won’t be remembered in a hundred years. We are all so quickly forgotten. Even celebrities aren’t really remembered all that much. Do you know or care who was a movie star in the 1940s? Fame and popularity are just so fleeting, on whatever level we have it (national, community, church, school).

And, in fact, even our descendants will probably know very little about us. I know so little about my great-grandparents and next to nothing about my great-great grandparents other than their names. And I’d even have to think hard about that.

We live and we die and we are quickly forgotten.

And while this Instagram reel was focused on the joy of the daily life and encouraged it’s listeners to stop worrying about the things that are so temporary (“If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it”), I want to take a moment and consider this beyond even that wise advice.

What I write here today won’t matter to most people in the world. And, in fact, even few Christians will read this or care about it. And if the Lord tarries for another hundred years, this will have probably gone the way of many other written words through the centuries. With this in mind, it changes my perspective and my priorities.

And, yet the fruit of my labors may live on. The fruit of your labors, as well. If a person turns to Christ, it changes their legacy for forever. If a person’s life is changed through their study of the Word, they have an eternal impact on their families and co-workers and whoever God brings into their lives.

And I am, once again, reminded of Matthew 6:19-21 and Colossians 3:1-4. These verses remind us that we want to think on things above and build up our treasures there. If we can stay focused on this, then we can weather disappointing responses or hurtful remarks. We can handle rejection or just being ignored. We can stand strong through the antagonism and the hatred. Because these things are so temporary.

But as soon as we move our eyes to ourselves, we are so vulnerable. We get so entangled in our feelings and it strangles us and our effectiveness for Christ.

So let’s remember today what really matters and let’s encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). While the world may so quickly forget us, the impact of our work for Christ will live on. May we keep doing the good works the Lord has prepared for us and embrace the opportunities He has given us to share the Gospel and support and encourage fellow believers.

Let’s point people to Christ. Let’s direct them to the Word. And let’s work through those unpleasant and very temporary feelings we may experience as we work, through keeping our eyes on things eternal.

And, may we remember: While our names may be quickly forgotten on earth, the impact of our works for Christ will leave a lasting legacy on the families that turn to Christ and walk with Him because of our courage to speak up and our obedience to serve Christ instead of self.

To God be the Glory!


For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Do You Know What You Believe About Israel and the End Times?

There is a lot going on in Israel these days. And there has been since its modern inception in 1948. This ancient people group and its goings-on are often at the center of the news. Is their biblical significance to this?

Over the past several years, I have been on my own journey regarding this topic. Because the view that believes in a future for Israel has come to be viewed with antagonism and condescension, I had to start to do some digging to answer the question: Is what I believe actually what the Bible teaches? Or am I just following the traditions of my childhood? And my study led me to a very definite conclusion: A resounding YES! Without a doubt, the Bible teaches in such detail and so clearly the truths I learned in my childhood regarding the future of Israel and also of this world.

I’ve been meaning to write about it but just not taken the time to do so. As my daughter (found on social media at Anchor for the Soul) and I have spent a lot of time discussing what the Bible says regarding the future of Israel, she finally decided to do her own research and write about it. As I’ve done in the past, I have asked her if I can re-post what she wrote here on the blog. I know many of you follow her on social media but I also know that some of you don’t have social media and I also believe this content is easier to share, save, and print from a blog post.

At the very least, I hope that you will spend some time reading what she has written. Everything she writes has been confirmed by my own personal study of this topic (which I have studied in-depth, as mentioned above).

As Jess was preparing this, one particular conversation stands out. We were discussing all she was learning and her eyes lit up as she expressed her joy and awe at discovering the truth for herself in God’s Word. I, too, have discovered this same joy and awe. There is nothing like it! Please, please, please do your own study of this topic. Don’t take our word for it! Study the Bible with an open mind and a literal perspective. And then study the miraculous history of the Jews. And then perhaps take some time to study the dubious beginnings of the opposite view. And when you do these things, I promise you that you, too, will be filled with joy and awe at our great God who plans and carries out those plans in such detail as to leave no doubt that He is in control and what He says will come to pass! It’s so amazing!

I hope what is written here will be a blessing to you. This can be a jumping off point for your own study, as a short post like this could only ever touch the surface of so large a topic. Eschatology (what the Bible teaches about the last days) is an extremely important topic and we really should know what the Bible teaches about it as we navigate the chaotic and confusing Christianity of today.


There’s been a lot of buzz recently on social media surrounding the nation of Israel. And I’m sure there’s quite a few of you who don’t know what you believe when it comes to Israel and eschatology. What is covenant theology? What is dispensational theology? Is God finished with Israel? Does the land have any significance at all? Has the church taken Israel’s place? Why does it even matter? This post is for you. I’m going to attempt to give a crash course in the differences between covenant theology and dispensational theology. And then I’m going to give you a few things to consider before choosing either one.

I’m sure many will accuse me of oversimplifying. And, to a certain extent, I am. There’s only so much I can cover in a post like this. But I’ve seen post after post from the perspective of covenant theology and very little from any other point of view. My goal is to simply offer another perspective and help those of you who have no clue where to begin. I hope this is a starting point for you in studying the topic for yourself.

This post really isn’t for those of you already in the covenant theology camp. I don’t really expect to change your mind. And you aren’t going to change mine, either. My study on the topic in preparation for this post has only solidified my position even more. I hope that this post is gracious in its approach because I know there are many brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with me on this topic. Please be gracious in return.

First things first. What am I even talking about?

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘:

Dispensationalism sees the Bible as the progress of revelation from creation to consummation, with a focus on how God works through distinct stages. The definition of dispensation is simply “ a system of order.”

Dispensational theology teaches that there are two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church. God has one plan of salvation (grace through faith alone) throughout all time. The believing remnant from among Israel is saved by faith just as the true Church is saved by faith. But Israel is not the Church and the promises to national Israel have not been transferred to the Church. The promises God made to them in the Old Testament (covenants, land, descendants, blessings) will still be fulfilled literally.

Dispensationalism is committed to a literal interpretation of Scripture from beginning to end. So there will be a literal, one thousand year kingdom. We are not in that kingdom now. Therefore, Dispensational theology is also premillennial, meaning they believe that the millennium is still coming. The promises made to Israel will be fulfilled during that time. Jesus Christ will rapture His church and then bring judgement upon Israel (a literal tribulation with a literal antichrist) and ultimately bring them to repentance. He will literally rule for a thousand years from the throne of David in Jerusalem, fulfilling the many Messianic prophecies that were not fulfilled in His first coming.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘:

Covenant theology sees the Bible through the lens of covenant, specifically the unfolding and expansion of God’s covenant of grace. It emphasizes continuity and claims that there are three covenants and one people. These covenants are the covenant of redemption (pre-creation), the covenant of works, (pre-fall), and the covenant of grace (post-fall). The covenant of grace is at work in every covenant in the Bible after the fall.

Covenant theology presumes that Jesus is the true Israel and God now accepts all those who place their faith in Him as Israel. Essentially, Israel was the Church in the Old Testament and the Church is Israel in the New Testament. The Church is understood as the culmination of Old Testament prophecies about blessings for Israel and receives them all spiritually.

Those who hold to Covenant theology would say that the kingdom was ushered in when Christ came to earth and is a present, spiritual reality. They believe the tribulation is also an ongoing reality in the present age. History will end at Christ’s second coming and the eternal state will begin. So they are amillennial because they reject the view that Jesus will physically reign on earth in a literal kingdom for one thousand years. They don’t believe in a rapture.

(Postmillennialism, in contrast, believes that Jesus will return after the Church has established His kingdom here on earth. The world will become better and “Christianized” through the influence of the Church. Most covenant theologists are not postmillennial, but the belief system has certainly paved the way for the view. You can’t be postmillennial without believing that the Church has replaced Israel.)

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃:

If I’ve heard the argument once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. “Dispensationalism only emerged in the 1800’s with that silly Darby guy. Church history stands on our side. Therefore, we’re right.”

First, is this claim true?

No. Chiliasm was the predominant viewpoint in the 1st-3rd centuries AD. It held a premillennial, literal view of Israel and the kingdom. Papias and Irenaeus both held this view, and both had a historical connection to the apostle John. Others include Barnabas, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactanius.

Gentile leaders within the church began to reject Chiliasm as time went on. Augustine, influenced by his antisemitism and the gnostic belief that matter was evil, rejected any Biblical future for Israel and the idea of a literal kingdom on earth. To do so, he allegorized the book of Revelation and the promises made to Israel. Augustine’s influence shaped theology more than any other since the apostle Paul, and by the fourth century, amillennialism was the predominant view.

Do you think that the early church (who was directly influenced by John’s teaching) and those closely associated with him would have a correct understanding of what John meant by the millennium? Or do we think Augustine (who had no connection to the apostle John) had the better view, influenced by his hatred of the Jews and Gnosticism? Is Augustine our finally authority? Why?

The Catholic church distorted many key doctrines taught by the early church. The Protestant reformers began to clarify these doctrines, beginning with faith by grace alone. Few studied eschatology, most simply reverted back to Augustine’s view. Calvin, for example, wrote on every New Testament book except Revelation. Premillennialism never disappeared, though. John Bunyan, Thomas Brightman, Joseph Meade, Cotton Mather, Isaac Watts and Thomas Goodwin are just a few examples.

By the 1800’s, the doctrine of eschatology was finally studied on a larger scale (especially the book of Daniel) and clarified. And yes, Darby did play a role in this, among other men. Premillennialism became the dominant view for much of the 20th century, especially after Israel was miraculously gathered in 1948.

Secondly, does church history always prove something to be true?

No. Scripture always assumes priority over church history in regard to our beliefs. Pointing to the fact that the church was amillennial for much of its history does not automatically mean that it’s the correct view. Catholicism preached faith by works for nearly a thousand years. Would you have told Martin Luther he was wrong for standing on Scripture instead of on what the church taught historically? Church history is helpful, yes. But the Bible is always our final authority. Don’t prove your point with what other men have to say. Prove your point with the Bible.

————

Covenant theology is very popular. Dispensationalism is viewed as silly, backward, unintelligent. But here are 9 things you must consider before jumping on the bandwagon of covenant theology:

𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜

Covenant theology requires you to allegorize some portions of Scripture while using the historical-grammatical interpretation for others. Passages referring to national Israel, the millennium, and end times are interpreted allegorically while almost everything else is interpreted using the historical-grammatical method. Who are they to choose which passages are interpreted one way or the other?

So far, Biblical prophetic Scriptures have been fulfilled in accordance with the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, not the allegorical method.

Jesus really was pierced. He really was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He literally rode on a donkey. The wise men followed a literal star. He really was in the grave for three days. He was born in Bethlehem. They literally cast lots on his garments. He was literally sold for thirty pieces of silver. I could go on and on.

Why do we think other prophecies (like the millennium and the tribulation) are fulfilled allegorically? And if they are, how do we know which ones are literally fulfilled and which spiritually or symbolically? All prophecies about the first coming were literal but all the prophecies about his second are symbolic? Unlikely.

𝟐. 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Covenant theology depends for its credibility upon theological covenants with virtually no exegetical proof. The covenant of grace cannot be found directly in Scripture. It’s simply a theological inference. And so the covenant of grace becomes the hermeneutical lens from which they view the rest of Scripture. Its inferences built on inferences.

The Covenant of redemption (a covenant between the trinity) and the covenant of works (a covenant between God and Adam) are also not found in Scripture.

In Covenant theology, the New Testament must be used to interpret the Old Testament. It denies the Old Testament its own perspicuity, integrity, and inspired revelation. Their interpretations veto the plain sense of Old Testament text. They create massive discontinuities all in the name of the demanded continuity of their covenant of grace and one-people of God concept. (which isn’t found in Scripture in the first place)

𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥?

Here are just a few:

Earthly Land – Gen. 12:7, 15:7-21, 28:13, Deut. 30:1-9, Isa. 62:1-5, 63:15-17, Jer. 3:18, Joel 2:21-24, Zeph. 3:15-20, Zech.14:8-21

Peace and Prosperity – Isa. 2:1-5, 11:1-10, 26:1-4, 12, 30:15-26, 32:15-17, 35:1-10, 55:1-14, Mic. 4:1-7, Ezek. 36:33-36, Hos. 2:14-23, Joel 3:16-21, Amos 9:11-15

Israel to be the Head Nation and Jerusalem the Top City – Deut. 26:19, 28:13, Joel 3:17, Jer. 23:5-8, Isa. 62:1-5, Zech. 8:20-23, 14:16-21)

A King on David’s Throne — Psa. 89:1-4, 28-37, Isa. 9:6-7, Jer. 3:14-18, Jer. 23:5, 30:8-9, 33:14-26, Ezek. 37:15-28, Zech. 12:6-9, 13:1

Perpetual Priesthood – Num. 25:11-11-13, Psa. 106:30-31, Jer. 33:20-22, Ezek. 37:25-28, 40-48, Zech. 8:12-13, 14:16-21, Mal. 3:3-4

Gathering of rebellious Israel – Isa. 11:11-12, Jer 30:3, 31:6-9

Covenant theology would say that the Church has absorbed and appropriated the Old Testament prophecies and promises for Israel. One people, elect in the Old and New Testament, inheriting the heavenly promises of Christ.

But what do you do with the promises that don’t fit into that framework, like those above? Physical land, literal throne of David, gathering of a rebellious people, millennial reign. You have to make them “types” or “shadows” of spiritual realities.

“When the plain makes sense, make no other sense” seems an obvious approach to interpreting the Bible. Not so when it comes to Covenant theology and these hundreds of promises and prophecies made to and about Israel.

𝟒. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬?

In the Old Testament, God promised that Israel would be cursed for their disobedience. Chastening, slaughter, evil kings, and exile. Was this fulfilled literally? Absolutely.

And yet the promised blessings are spiritual and for the church? If national Israel received the promised cursing literally, will they not also receive the promised blessings literally?

“The scattering was literal; so also will be the gathering. The pulling down of Zion was literal; so also will be the building up. The rejection of Israel was literal; so also will be the restoration.” – J.C. Ryle

𝟓. 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 & 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

It is clear that Israel specifically is to endure God’s judgement in the end (Jeremiah 30:7, Zec 13:1-9, Rev. 7:4-8) and yet the Church is not appointed to wrath and the judgement that is to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). How can both of these be true if Israel is the Church and the Church is Israel?

𝟔. 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

Revelation 20 is clear that Satan is bound during the thousand years. Is Satan bound now? Does he wield any power on earth right now? Of course he does! Then how can we be in the thousand year kingdom in this present age, either literally or figuratively?

𝟕. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑?

The Church takes center stage in the Bible beginning in Acts 2. This continues until Revelation 3. After that, the Church is never mentioned again (Revelation 4-22) and Israel takes center stage. Why? Because the Church has been raptured! If the New Covenant revealed that the Church and Israel are one and the same, why switch back to using the word Israel after Revelation 3?

𝟖. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥

How do you explain that Israel is the only surviving people group from Bible times? How do you explain how they were miraculously gathered back into the promised land (according to prophecy)? How do you explain the hatred of the nations toward them (according to prophecy)? How do you explain their survival as a nation while surrounded by powerful enemies? Is it really all a coincidence? None of it makes sense apart from the Bible.

How about all the prophecy you can see being fulfilled literally right before our eyes? A literal apostasy of the Church, the technology, the stage being set for the antichrist and everything the Bible tells us he’s going to do? It’s undeniable if you open your eyes to see it.

𝟗: 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟗 & 𝟏𝟏

I wish I had more time to go into Romans 9 & 11. But it’s clear that there are two distinct groups of people in that passage. If Israel and the Church were the same, this is where Paul would have told us. We can be sons of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:6-9) without being the same as Israel. There is clear distinction for the offspring of Jacob (Isaiah 65:9, Jeremiah 46:21) and that’s why the tribulation is called “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7)

———–

The burden of proof is on Covenant theology. Show us. Where does it say the Church is Israel? How do you determine which passages are allegory and which are literal? How do you explain your assumption that God equivocates and breaks his non-conditional covenants?

These are things you must consider and questions you have to answer before picking one side or the other. I think it’s obvious. But study it for yourself! Message me if you’d like some of the articles, sermons, and resources I used in preparing this post.

I’ll leave you with this quote by J.C. Ryle written long before Israel became a nation in 1948:

“𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐄𝐳𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐥, 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥, 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐬, 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐡, 𝐙𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐙𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐈 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐨. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

Diagnosing and Curing Itchy Ear

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; 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!

But What About My Dreams?

We all have dreams and aspirations for this life. For some, they are BIG dreams of wealth and power or to travel the world. For others, the dreams may be simpler, such as to be married or to be a parent or to own a house. As we get older, we begin to recognize that we need to say good-bye to some of our dreams, as they just aren’t going to happen. Some of us find this out when we are young.

Does God care about our dreams, our desires, and the longings of our hearts?

We know He does because He cares for us. And, in fact, Psalm 37 tells us He will give us the desires of our hearts. So is there a condition for this promise?

There certainly is. But before we look at what that condition is, I want to share the story of a man by the name of Samuel Pearce.

Born in 1766, Samuel was saved at the age of 16. He was soon on fire for the Lord and his heart’s desire immediately was to go on the Mission Field. He made plans to sail to New Zealand for this purpose but those plans fell through. And so he became God’s hard-working and faithful servant right where he was.

However, the dream to go on the mission field never left him. And when he met William Carey (pioneer missionary to India), they became great friends. Soon he was making plans to join Carey in India. It was his heart’s burning desire to join Carey there. Surely, God wouldn’t deny this godly man his dream?

But God said no. And Samuel Pearce never did get to go to India.

Why was this godly man denied such a godly dream? Why wasn’t he able to go to India?

Let’s go back to Psalm 37:4 and read the entire verse–

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

There is a condition and that is we are to delight ourselves in the Lord. This is the condition to receiving the desires of our hearts. That is because, when we do this, our desires naturally change.

And so, Samuel Pearce chose to delight himself in His Lord and he surrendered his dream to God’s will. There was no bitterness or rancor in his heart. Oh, I am sure he questioned God but He also trusted His heavenly Father to know best and gave even this most holy dream over to God’s Sovereignty.

Samuel Pearce suffered from illness and died by the age of 33, never seeing India or any other part of the world. But He continued to serve God until that day. He never turned from God because he trusted God.

And this leads us back to our own dreams. Is it wrong to have dreams for our lives? Well, not necessarily (more about that later). But we need to surrender any dream or desire we may have to God’s will for our lives. His will may be different than ours and we need to accept that without bitterness and without resentment.

This is easier said than done, isn’t it? But it’s our only path to the peace that God promises. And, in fact, it’s our only path to the fulfillment of all God’s promises. We must surrender to His Sovereign will for our lives.

Oh, as usual, this is so much easier to write than to live out! We get upset at the smallest detour in our mundane plans. Perhaps the best way to prepare our hearts for the loss of our big dreams is to practice submitting to God’s Sovereignty without complaint in the small, everyday things.

And let’s not forget to thank God for those wonderful blessings He gives us and for the dreams we have had that have been fulfilled. He is a God full of lovingkindness and mercies. Psalm 103:1-5 reminds us of this–

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


So what about my dreams? Is there anything wrong with having a dream for my life? Well, that depends.

If our dreams and aspirations for our lives are completely self-centered and selfish, then…yes. God clearly tells us in His Word that when we are redeemed, our priorities change. We are living for Him and not for ourselves. But if our desires are not born out of our own selfish agenda, then…no. Nothing wrong with these.

But, no matter what it is we long for, we need to surrender this to our heavenly Father, trusting that He knows best and remembering that He loves us more than we can even imagine!

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly. 

O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12)


You can be encouraged by the life of Samuel Pearce and also by the lives of others godly Christians in the book Sound of Trumpets by Faith Cook. I highly recommend it.

It’s Simple Really

This morning as I studied my Bible, I got to thinking about something I heard yesterday in a sermon. Basically the thought was that false doctrines and teachings arise out of our lusts (for sin and for the world). This struck me profoundly.

The Bible’s message is actually pretty easy to understand. Sure, there are a few areas that are hard and we can’t really “get”. But, generally, it’s actually pretty understandable. The Bible clearly shows that we are lost sinners without hope and that salvation comes by faith in Christ alone through grace alone. There are NO works we can do to merit favor with God. It also clearly shows the terrible eternal destiny of those who reject Christ. Our call, as genuine believers, to please God, to turn from sin and worldly lusts and passions, to deny ourselves, to die to self, to call out false teachers, to expect persecution and antagonism for following the truth, and to turn from man’s vain philosophies (such as so-called “science”)… all these things are very plainly expressed.

So what is the problem?

The problem is that we want to “feed our flesh”. Oh, that awful flesh. It gets us into so much trouble. The old man wars with our new man and we can so easily lay our weapons down and stop fighting (i.e. rationalize and excuse our sin and worldliness away) if we but take a few verses out of context here or twist a verse or two there. And that’s how false doctrine is born.

As those who want to sincerely follow Christ, we must pray and ask God to open our eyes where we may be blind. We must ask Him to help us to follow the truth no matter the cost. This is a frightening prayer, isn’t it? And, yet, to be caught up in deception has far, far worse consequences than knowing the truth.

I was studying 2 Timothy 2 this morning and verses 3 and 4 of that chapter give us some guidance on how following the truth is even possible–

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

So, according to Paul, here in this chapter, we are to–

Endure hardship.

Remember that we are a soldier and God is our Captain (which means we are in a war!)

Do not entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life.

And there you have it: Three critical ways in which we must follow God’s Word, if we are to keep from being deceived and confused.

This is so much harder to live out than it is to write. The costs of following after God and His Word are very real and can be very painful. They can cost you relationships, material gain, jobs and careers, your beloved church home, and any other number of things.

But we must remember that it is worth it. Oh, so worth it. I am reminded of Paul’s words in another epistle–

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)

Paul tells us all is rubbish when compared to the treasure of knowing Christ. May we remember this as we travel in the confusing landscape that makes up modern day Christianity.

Following God is simple really. But it isn’t easy.

Our Plan of Action for the Last Days

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. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent (meaning: without restraint), fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 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.

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