When Self Becomes an Idol

WE EACH HAVE AT some point in our lives made decisions while thinking only about our own interests. Not every selfish decision is equally damaging, but a pattern can develop that is quite difficult to recognize. I have been talking with people about this subject since my hiatus on December 22, 2022. As a result, …

Change in Schedule

IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED that Wednesday evenings are best for publishing the weekly podcast episodes. This allows for Sunday to be about praise and worship, and observing the Sabbath as a day to rest and reflect on God and Jesus Christ. Also, brother Tim and I meet regularly on Tuesday evenings, which gives us enough …

What’s Your Donkey?

JESUS CHRIST, the Lord of all Creation, walked everywhere, every day, for countless miles. In sandals! He rode into Jerusalem on Passover on a donkey! Not in a palanquin with servant-slaves carrying Him. In Western civilization today, we tend to focus on making the best name for ourselves. But God sent Jesus into a broken …

The Revelation: Part Ten

AFTER TAKING A BREAK from the seven seals to focus on the Rapture, we return to the opening of the third seal. Prior to this, the twenty-four elders inaugurated the opening of the seals with a song of affirmation: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, …

First Principles Part Eight: Praise

PRAISE IS A MIGHTY weapon and the sign of a healthy Christian. In fact, it facilitates access to God, enlarging our perception of Him. He must always be our focus regardless of the circumstances. Merriam-Webster defines praise as 1 a : an expression of approval : commendation; b : worship; 2a : value, merit.(1) Paul …

No “Scorched-Earth” Approach

THE TERM "SCORCHED-EARTH" is used to describe a military policy in which all houses, crops, factories, utilities, etc., in an area are destroyed so that an enemy cannot use them. Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a recent example of this tactic. The United States literally "scorched" the earth during the Vietnam War. The Napoleonic Wars …

“Don’t Blame the Mirror!”

THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE, "Look at what is before your eyes" (2 Cor. 10:7a). He continued, "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves... when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding" (2 Cor. 10:12). We must …

The Revelation: Part Nine (the Rapture)

THERE IS A LONG-STANDING history of competing beliefs regarding when Jesus will scoop up the church of believers during the end of days. This event is typically referred to as "the Rapture." The word “rapture” is an English version of the Latin word rapio, from which we get the word “raptor,” a kind of bird …

The Revelation: Part Eight

AS WE MOVE THROUGH the seven seals—which John MacArthur(1) identifies as the SEAL judgments of the tribulation—it is worth reading Matthew 24 where Jesus explains what will occur as each seal is opened. The seven seals closely parallel the signs of the approaching end times. In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of three distinct periods: (i) …

The Walls of Jericho

ARCHAEOLOGY HAS ESTABLISHED the biblical history of Jericho—one of the earliest settlements, dating back to 9000 B.C. Jericho (Arīhā in Arabic) is known today as a tel—an artificial mound formed from the accumulated refuse or deposits of people living on the same site for hundreds or thousands of years—layer upon layer, holding the secrets of …