On two separate occasions, John was tempted to fall prostrate in front of the angel who revealed the events to him that are recorded in Revelation. The angel, recognizing that he was not worthy of being worshiped, told John to get up and to worship God alone. In a culture that’s fascinated by the idea of angels, it’s so important to know that angels are not ... [Continue Reading]
Just or Unjust (Revelation 12-18)
One of the comments I hear about Christianity sometimes is that it's unjust that God would send so many people to hell - particularly those people who have never had an opportunity to hear about Jesus. One day while I was getting my teeth cleaned a few years back the hygienist started talking to me about her concern along the same lines. She had friends ... [Continue Reading]
The Nature of God’s Wrath (Revelation 6-11)
When we hear of God’s wrath, it’s easy to envision the people who have been a part of our lives who have anger issues. In 11:18 we read about the nations becoming angry because they will not get their way in the end times. The irony is that they have no reason to be angry – God has graciously given them opportunity to come to repentance. But as angry ... [Continue Reading]
Lukewarm Christians (Revelation 1-5)
John has a message from Jesus to the church of Laodicea that they are "lukewarm" - neither hot nor cold. The temptation is to think that Jesus was telling the church not to be "lukewarm Christians", but the problem is that the context doesn't support that idea. To really understand what Jesus meant you have to first understand the ... [Continue Reading]
Being Vigilant (2-3 John)
In his subsequent letters, John makes reference to deceivers who enter the church – people who teach wrong doctrines. The problem is that, as much as true doctrines and life go together, wrong doctrines and wrong living also go together. Our beliefs and our behavior are dependent on one another. People can behave themselves away from God, and they can ... [Continue Reading]
Assurance (1 John)
How do you know if God has begun a new work in you? How can you be certain that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in your heart? Is there any way you can have assurance that you are a Christian? Jesus’ beloved apostle, John, helps us to answer some of those questions. The truth is that we can have assurance of these things. Two litmus ... [Continue Reading]
Forward Motion (Jude)
The life of the follower of Christ must be one that constantly moves forward. If you are in the same place today as you were ten years ago, then something isn’t right. One of my favorite movie lines comes from The Shawshank Redemption where Red says, “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.” Isn’t there a lot of truth to that? We understand it in ... [Continue Reading]
When? (2 Peter)
Much speculation has been made regarding when Jesus might return to the earth. For his apostles, the expectation was that he would be coming back soon, and yet, here we are nearly 2000 years later with no sign of him. Some point to this as a reason why he’s not truly God (i.e. it supports the idea that the apostles made the story up about his resurrection), ... [Continue Reading]
Your Most Important Work (2 Timothy)
I’ll never forget the faith of my Grandma Herrmann. She was an incredibly godly woman who made her relationship with the Lord the biggest priority in her life. When we went to visit her it usually involved attending her church for Vacation Bible School or for Sunday morning worship. She wasn’t a Sunday Christian by any means: she knew Jesus as one ... [Continue Reading]
Learning to Trust (Hebrews 11-13)
Faith* is kind of a funny thing that takes time to build, and the way one goes about building it is somewhat nebulous. I spent a semester in Ireland when I was in college, and one of my biggest frustrations during my time away from the US was trying to figure out how to have more faith. I wanted to trust God more, and it’s evident through Hebrews 11 that God ... [Continue Reading]
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