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Christians live in the now and not yet.  The now? Saved by grace, but the sin nature remains—and we wrestle with the darn thing every day. The Holy Spirit indwells us, but we wallow in the muddy place between salvation and glorification. That zone where the butterfly battles to free itself from its chrysalis. Where…

How much do you know about the Trinity? Here’s a short quiz: 1. The Trinity is one God. T/F 2. The Trinity is three gods. T/F 3. The Trinity is one God expressed in three Persons. T/F 4. The Son and the Spirit were created by the Father as His first works. T/F 5. The…

Scripture speaks at length about warfare. Believers no longer walk under the authority of the enemy, yet sometimes we surrender the fight. Then Scripture tosses the book of Job our way. Job What about Job? Let’s read Job 1:8-12 NIV: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth…

All authority has been given. Let’s talk about Satan’s authority. What authority does he have and why? Does he have authority over us? The World “The devil led him [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you…

Let’s continue our discussion on authority. While God the Father gave Jesus extensive authority, the authority Jesus gave the Twelve and the seventy He sent out seems limited to power over the demonic realm and the power to heal—all in the context of proclaiming the coming kingdom. The signs performed authenticated the message proclaimed.  In…

Got authority? Maybe. Maybe not.  What Is Authority? When you study authority in the New Testament, you notice immediately that authority is given. You can’t faith it into existence. The Father gave authority to Jesus. Jesus gave authority to the Twelve and to the seventy.  Interestingly, Satan offers authority to Jesus in exchange for worship.…

“There is much need for prayer and much cause to praise. Suffering should elicit prayer. Sufficiency should elicit praise.” (Blue, The Bible Knowledge Commentary) The fast pace of life can cause prayer to be a last resort. And praise? It’s often reserved for church. God intended both to be part of our normal day. Though Todd…

Off-ramps. We don’t take one unless we need to. At least, not intentionally. Traffic flows faster on the highway, and we have places to go and people to see. Unless God takes the wheel.  God’s off-ramp to suffering takes many forms. Nit-picky annoyances that stack up like unpaid bills. Chronic illness. Interruptions that become long-term…

Lord, are You listening? I needed an answer—yesterday.  Unanswered prayer. God encourages His children to pray, but sometimes answers don’t come. Could there be a good reason for unanswered prayer? Scripture gives several. Negative examples, we expect to find, but, surprisingly, several reasons pop up other than disobedience. Let’s take a look: 1. Timing: “Then…

When one of our sons proposed to his bride-to-be, he prepared for the big moment. Extensively. He recreated one of their favorite spots—even securing their favorite table, yes, the actual restaurant table! He hired a photographer. He flew her parents in for the engagement party. He attended to every detail—and created a perfect proposal she…