When Constantine gathered people he perceived to be the leaders of Christianity together in Nicaea in the year 325, part of what he caused to occur was an entitlement of “ecumene” over the church. This description means literally “the whole inhabited world.” It is as much a mistake as calling the church of Rome “catholic,” which means literally “the universal” […]
In John 15:16, Jesus informed His listeners that He had appointed them, ordained them, set them in place, to bear much fruit, and that their fruit should remain. They should have their thumbprints on lives that cause their own character, their giftings, their work, to continue after they were gone by residing in the followers’ lives. In 1 Corinthians 4, […]
Being baptized is a three part process like sanctification and repentance are. You were this, then this happened, then you were that, or you were here, then this happened, then you were there, or you thought this way, then this happened, then you thought this other way. An image that appears often in discussions of baptism in the Bible is […]
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter then, and our tongues with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord had done great things for us; we were joyful. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like watercourses in […]
Much of the stress in our lives comes from struggles related to winning or losing our battles with sin and our enemies. I believe that the line should be drawn in a different place. Winning and losing are on the same side of the line. On the other side of the line are the sidelines. If you fight correctly, you […]
After the Holiness Movements (Salvation Army, Nazarenes, Pentecostal Holiness, etc) had their effects on what they could impact, many believers thought their highest call was the work of exposure of sin. One famous TV preacher gets great cheers from his audience when he informs “Washington” of their evil habits from his pulpit. No one in Washington is listening, though. No […]
We have enemies who are devoted to robbing us of courage, truth and success. Identifying them and their habits and learning to discern their deception will greatly improve our likelihood of being effective in our attempts to hear and then obey our King. The resistance that is at work in us may be more powerful and more destructive than what […]
Allied forces invading occupied territories brought freedom in their wake. The occupying forces had brought bondage and death. It was easy to see the second invasion as a welcome army. An army unlocking the doors and gates of a prison camp would be welcomed with thankful tears. We are invaders of the kingdoms and prisons where even the rich and […]
Here are a few fresh proverbs: Peeves make terrible pets. They make too many messes and cost too much to feed. Stop beating yourself up over missed opportunities and mistakes. Several people are already lined up for the job, which means you are free to focus on more important and appropriate work. You’re already not using much of the brain […]
Most concepts that are related to moral ideas or philosophies or quality can be reduced to a proverb. Doing so can make the concept easier to reference or remember or teach. Rules work differently. They define or limit actions. They create liberty to do things in one situation and hinder liberties in another. It is usually a mistake to take […]