Bringing Scripture to Life

Are Christians called to Obey the law of the Land? The reason many Christians believe it is important to obey the law of the land, is because when searching the Scriptures, we recognize that this is clearly a part of God’s revealed will for our lives. The Bible teaches us that God has instituted all human government, and according to Romans 13:1, no government exists apart from God’s will. Paul writes in Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” This does not mean that God approves of all the decisions and actions that human rulers make and do. Yet, we know that God is the one who appoints each and every government official (cf. Saul - 1 Samuel 9:17; David – 1 Samuel 16:11-13; Cyrus – Isaiah 45:1; Nebuchadnezzar – Jeremiah 25:9), and God is also the one who has the ability to dethrone them (cf. Saul - 1 Samuel 15:23; 28:17; Nebuchadnezzar – D...

I was recently asked by someone, "Are the Apostle Paul's letter's considered the Word of God? After all, Paul is merely a human, right?" My answer to this person was brief, but to the point. I responded by saying, "One of the certainties we have in the Christian faith, is that “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), which is why we believe with immoveable conviction that every word Paul penned in the New Testament came from God, and was not conceived through his own human reasoning. Jesus also affirms that Paul would be a chosen vessel for God, to proclaim His message to the world (Acts 9:15, 18:9-10, 22:14-15, 23:11, 26:15-20). The apostle Peter supports our belief, as well as Jesus’ proclamation about Paul, as he includes his writings with the rest of the scriptures (2 Peter 3:15-16)."

The goal in pastoral care ministry is to make and grow disciples. God has not called us to fix problems for people, but to compassionately help people discover what God is up to in the midst of whatever situation they are facing, or struggle they are having, and encourage them to respond to God's Word accordingly. Fixing problems is God’s department. Each and every time I enter into a counseling situation, I remind myself (and the Lord) that He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), and I am simply His vessel. Therefore, as I prayerfully listen to the person share their story, and seek to discern the situation at hand, I do my best to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to how I can most effectively bring the Word of God into the picture for each persons’ life, in order to best minister to them. If the person is discouraged, broken or contrite, I will bring the grace of God, and His promises into the counseling appointment (cf. Mt. 12:20; Ro. 8:28-39).  If the ...

Anyone who has been called to teach God’s Word, has been called to love, serve, and feed the flock of God that is under their care. In fact, when Jesus exhorted Peter to "feed my sheep", He explained that feeding God’s people the Word of God, would be the way Peter could demonstrate his love for Jesus (John 21:15-17). It is no wonder that Peter refused to get distracted by other things that attempted to interfere with teaching the Word of God (cf. Acts 6:4). As ministers of the gospel, it is no different for us. We have been called by Jesus to feed His sheep, and if we are faithful in doing this, our life will be a living testimony that clearly and powerfully demonstrates our love for Jesus. In order to feed God’s people in a way that honors the Lord, we must lead them from the milk of God’s word (Hebrews 5:12-13), to the meat of God’s Word (Hebrews 5:14). This is the work that every bible teacher is called to diligently strive for (2 Timothy 2:15), and focus...

Before getting into this controversial topic, I would like to say that I wholeheartedly believe it is healthy to encourage the church to use their freedom to vote during the elections. My family and I also do our very best to be educated in politics, and as citizens of the United States, we cast our votes each time elections are held. I also appreciate the ministries that diligently study the issues, and the candidates, and provide voting and candidate information. I would also like to encourage you, the pastor, to consider opening up your church to be used as a voting precinct during the elections. This is something I have done faithfully throughout the years, when pastoring churches that have the facilities to hold such events. This is such a great way to practically support your city/county, and practically minister to your community. Free coffee, and snacks are not a bad idea as well.   However, when it comes to pastors using the pulpit to speak out about pol...

When discussing tithing from the pulpit, I like what Dr. Joe McKeever says, “The worst time to preach on money is when you need some, pastor. The second worst time is when the church needs some. The best time to preach on money is all the other times.” I know that this should not be a dogmatic approach, nor does it accurately reveal my heart about the subject, but there is some wisdom in being very discerning about our approach to this subject, as money has the ability to produce much evil in the hearts of others, especially when pastors talk about it from the pulpit (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10). However, as far as tithing is concerned, I believe tithing is an important form of worship, and a very important step in practically living out, and strengthening our faith in the Lord. In fact, Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21), which seems to imply that giving of our time and resources draws us closer to God, and is a practical indicator tha...