Links & Quotes

Even if the world’s legal system seems unjust, Jesus says by continuing to press our case with the public servants He has put in place, we are really trusting God to bring us His perfect justice. Check out my full sermon on how the Bible from Moses to Jesus explains how to define the legal term, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“A significant amount of research and scholarship (both scientific and theological) indicates that a young Earth is the most straightforward, conservative way to interpret God’s Word. … The most unambiguous way to interpret the Bible is according to its grammatical-historical sense, or the intended meaning of the authors. A literal interpretation accounts for all figures of speech in the text, providing the most straightforward method of exegeting Scripture. To this point, when Jesus quoted the Old Testament, it was always clear that He considered its passages as factual and true.”  Check out the post Long Ages and the Bible—What’s the Problem? 

“Your brain is made up of neurons that communicate with each other through synapses. Delta-FosB is one of the chemicals that creates neural circuits—i.e., ‘pathways’—to help those neurons communicate more quickly and efficiently. … Basically, what you experience as getting better and better at something is your brain ‘rewiring’ itself to become faster and more efficient at sending the same messages between the same neurons.” This works for both healthy and unhealthy activities. In this article from Fight The New Drug, research shows how regular consumption of pornography is hampering your brain’s ability to have normal, healthy relationships.

Dr. Henry Halley, in his Halley’s Study Bible, observed, “Note, too, the unceasing emphasis on the resurrection throughout this book. It was the pivotal point in Peter’s sermon on Pentecost (2:24, 31-32), in his second sermon (3:15), and in his defense before the Sanhedrin (4:2, 10), It was the burden of the apostles’ preaching (4:33). It was Peter’s defense in his second arraignment (5:30). A vision of the risen Christ converted Paul (9:3-6). Peter preached the resurrection to Cornelius (10:40). Paul preached it in Antioch (13:30-37), Thessalonica (17:3), Athens (17:18, 31), and Jerusalem (22:6-11), to Felix (24:15, 21), and to Festus and Agrippa (26:8, 23).” You can check out all of the Scriptures he mentions in this quote here.

Stephen Witmer asks an important question: “Which is closer to the center of your life as a Christian: what you’re doing for God, or what God has already done for you through Jesus Christ? Which one grounds your identity more deeply, affects your mood more frequently, rouses your passions more highly? Your answer to these questions will deeply shape the stability, tenacity, happiness, boldness, and humility of your Christian experience. Jesus wants to provide you grounds for unshakable joy.” Check out this example Witmer shares from an exchange between Jesus and His followers. 

“Informing your opinion of the comparative merits of Christian men, never forget the old rule: ‘distinguish between times.’ Place yourself in each man’s position. Do not judge what was a right course of action in other times, by what seems a right course of action in your own.” —J.C. Ryle

God holds human life as precious in His sight. Whenever anyone asks me why I support the sanctity of human life, my answer is simple, “Because God holds it sacred.” Consequently, God punishes those who devalue human life.

My friend, Pastor Tim Dilena, shares a thought about how God often uses people as the answer to our prayers.

The Hour, The Power, And The Procedure

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

If you’re going through a dark time in your life right now, I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Well, actually three words of encouragement!

Check out this episode of The Podcast. 

Here are the Scriptures I reference in this video—John 13:1-5, 18:4-11; Matthew 26:51-54; John 17:11-12; Psalm 23:4 

You may also want to check out a couple of related blog posts:

My book When Sheep Bite is for pastors who are going through challenging times in their ministries.

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Oh, The Silliness!

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Jesus had just been taken from the high priest Caiaphas to the praetorium where the Roman governor Pontius Pilate presided. And then I read one of the most ridiculous statements in this whole crucifixion scenario. 

In order for you to grasp the full impact of this outrageous request, let me take you back in time a few hours. 

Jesus was arrested by the temple guards without there being any formal charges filed against Him. He was taken to the home of the former high priest for an off-the-record interview to attempt to get Jesus to stumble in something He said so that they would have official charges to lodge against Him. 

The Sanhedrin was then convened in the middle of the night. Witnesses were brought in not really to testify as to what they saw or heard, but because the Sanhedrin was “looking for evidence” (Mark 14:55). In the meantime, the Sanhedrin asked Jesus to answer non-existent charges without having any legal representation of His own. They even resorted to physical violence to try to coerce Him to say something incriminating. 

The Sanhedrin eventually reached a non-unanimous decision, without any corroborating testimony, to ask Pilate for the death sentence. 

Now here comes the silly statement—“Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover” (John 18:28). 

To avoid ceremonial uncleanness?! 

In their blind fury and rabid self-righteousness, these men broke both mosaic law and their own rules of order. Doing things like: 

  • not securing charges first before arresting Jesus 
  • physically abusing Jesus without a conviction or even a proper trial 
  • meeting at night instead of during the day 
  • not calling in witnesses one at a time 
  • not getting corroborating testimony from two or three witnesses 
  • not allowing Jesus to have a legal advocate 
  • not getting a unanimous guilty decision before asking for the death sentence 

(Check out these passages to read all about the actions of the Sanhedrin on this night.)

After all that, they’re concerned about being ceremonially clean for the Passover? Oh, the silliness! 

Then I began to wonder: Am I guilty of this same folly? 

Do I keep my own set of rules? Do I justify bending God’s rules because of what I think are special circumstances? Am I self-righteous? Do I really think that I can do things the way that I want to do them and that God will put His stamp of approval on that?  

Isn’t it far better to simply follow God’s ways, to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to my conscience, and then to repent if I begin to deviate from the truth? 

I need to always deal with my own self-righteousness first—to take care of the plank in my own eye before I point out the speck in someone else’s eye. Or else, I am being just as silly as those religious leaders were! 

You may also be interested in these related blog posts: 

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Don’t Take Advice From Armchair Quarterbacks

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

There are some know-it-alls who want to tell pastoral leaders how they should have done things differently. Much like the “armchair quarterbacks” that seem to know all the right calls a team should make, even though they have virtually no experience. 

Pastor, pay very little attention to those armchair quarterbacks that would speak into your life!

Check out this short clip from my time on the Leading From Alignment podcast.

To put the quote that Jim shared from When Sheep Bite into context, here is the full passage—

     Jesus is our perfect example of a Shepherd Leader. His example was to lay it all on the line, regardless of how the sheep were behaving or misbehaving: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). By contrast, Jesus warns us that those who are not willing to put their lives on the line for the sheep are worse than armchair pastors—Jesus calls them mere hired hands: “The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:12-13). 

     If I am called to be a shepherd leader, attacks will come from both sheep and wolves. It’s what I do in those hard times that shows whether I am truly called or merely acting as an armchair shepherd. 

Please check out both When Sheep Bite and Shepherd Leadership. And get in touch with me if you would like someone to talk to. 

You can check out the full conversation I had with John Opalewski and Jim Wiegand on their Leading From Alignment podcast here.

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An Eye For An Eye

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

We have to be very attentive when we hear anyone say something that they claim is a word from God. The first question we need to ask is, “Is that in the Bible?” If it is, then the next question is, “Is that statement being used in its proper context—does it conform with the whole counsel of God’s Word?” 

So here is statement #14 in our series—An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Is that in the Bible? Yes.  

This first shows up in Exodus 21:24, and it is a part of the legal code God gave through Moses (Exodus 21:1). This code was entrusted to capable men (i.e. judges) in Exodus 18:19-22, 25. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures I reference in this post here.) 

This has been referred to as “the law of exact retribution.” Later on the Romans would name it lex talionis—the law of the tooth. This was to prevent one-upmanship or escalating retaliation, and it also applied to false witnesses who were trying to get someone else in trouble (Deuteronomy 19:15-21). 

By the time of Jesus, this legal maxim was so well known that when Jesus quoted it to His audience, everyone knew what it meant (Matthew 5:38). 

One of the most innate responses that we humans have to threats or to an attack is fight-or-flight. 

In this case, flight would be sweeping it under the run or pretending it didn’t happen. But it did happen, and there is a sense of justice in us that wants to see retribution. If this offense isn’t acknowledged and dealt with appropriately, the desire for retribution will allow unforgiveness to fester. This shows up in all sort of negative ways—physically and emotionally—and often there is a breaking point where the injured party lashes out. 

Fight would be taking the law into our own hands. I want everyone to know that I was wronged by you, and I want you to suffer more than you made me suffer. But the first time this law is given, God calls for precise compensation (Exodus 21:22-25). 

God’s means for carrying our the lex talionis today is exactly the same—a legal code administered by trained judges (Romans 13:1-4). 

This is the law of the land—the natural law—but Jesus calls on us to respond supernaturally. Not to be the judge or jury, but to remember that God perfectly judges and vindicates (Luke 8:17; Deuteronomy 32:35). 

Jesus continually calls us forego the natural reaction for the supernatural response. Notice the repeated pattern of, “You have heard that it was said” and then, “But I tell you…” in Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-37, 43-44 and specifically vv. 38-42. 

If our eyes are on the one who injured us, our eyes are off of the only One who can vindicate and heal us (Romans 12:17-21). 

Natural people merely react out of innate instinct. Supernatural people are able to respond with Christlike love. 

Don’t give in to the merely natural reaction, but submit to the Holy Spirit who can help you respond supernaturally. 

Check out all of the other topics we have covered in our “Is that in the Bible?” series. 

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Links & Quotes

A.W. Tozer said, “There’s an awesomeness about God which is missing in our day altogether; there’s little sense of admiring awe in the Church of Christ these days.” May we repent of little prayers and boldly pray to an awesome God who wants to do awesome things that will bring Him glory!

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

I always smile at the archeological discoveries which confirm the historicity of the Bible! Discovery after discovery keeps reinforcing that the Bible is a reliable historical document—which is exactly what one would expect from the inspired Word of God. Here are two recent article: (1) An archeological biography of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, and (2) The excavation of a rare Roman prison in Corinth that “likely gives us a picture of those that held the apostles as recorded in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 5:18, 12:5, 16:23).”

This is a very informative Q&A session with cold case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace. But I especially like his answer to the first question: Do Christians have to investigate every other religion to be convinced that the Bible is true?

“Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. … No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. … Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.” —Charles Spurgeon 

“Mature Christians can be recognized by a variety of indicators. They feast on the Word of God (Hebrews 5:14), persevere in love and good works (Hebrews 6:9-10), bear the fruit of the Spirit rather than the marks of the flesh (Galatians 6:16-23), use their gifts to help build the church (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 4:12-16), teach the things of Jesus to others (Hebrews 5:12: Acts 1:8), and more. This, the New Testament insists, is the condition toward which every Christian strives.” —T.M. Moore (check out all of the Scriptures T.M. references here

“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done.” —W.E.B. Du Bois 

Jesus shows us that only secure people can serve others. Insecure people won’t ever make themselves vulnerable, and so they miss out on God’s blessing. I address this in more depth in my book Shepherd Leadership.

Reassuring The Timid Soul

…All the people from the small to the great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our pleading come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God for all this remnant—since we have been left only a few out of many, just as your own eyes now see us—that the Lord your God will tell us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the Lord gives you as an answer. I will not withhold a word from you.” (Jeremiah 42:1-4)

You can hear the distance that the people felt from God in the words they say to Jeremiah, “the Lord YOUR God.” 

But Jeremiah reassures them that God still sees them and loves them when he responds with the exact same words—not “the Lord my God” (as the people thought he would say) but “the Lord YOUR God.” 

This word of encouragement from Jeremiah helped this same group of people to see God in the right light: “Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord OUR God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well for us when we listen to the voice of the Lord OUR God” (v. 6).

This is a good reminder for all of us that we need to encourage one another whenever we have the opportunity. “Let’s approach [our] God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith … and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:22, 24).

You may want to check out my post A Unique Look At “Church” for some further thoughts about encouraging our brothers and sisters.

The Craig And Greg Show: Patience And Impatience

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

In today’s episode we’re going to—IMPATIENCE! Yes, we’re talking about impatience. As a leader it can be hard to resist the temptation of impatience, but Greg and I believe that developing patience is a vital skill for leaders. In this episode we’ll explore some of the pitfalls of impatience, and share strategies for you to develop into a more thoughtful and patient leader.

  • [0:14] We’re looking at the leadership builder vs. killer of patience vs. impatience. 
  • [1:41] Patience is sometimes misperceived as not being in control—like we’re simply waiting around for something to happen.
  • [2:27] Can patience be developed?
  • [3:50] Patience allows a process to mature, and helps people grow.
  • [7:35] Warning: patience can cross a line into procrastination.
  • [8:30] Leaders need to avoid the temptation of impatiently answering too quickly.
  • [10:50] What leadership pressures make us give in to impatience?
  • [12:59] Leaders can help their teammates with their own impatience by asking some thoughtful questions.
  • [15:28] Ego + Bad advice = Dangerous impatience
  • [16:40] Patience helps leaders trust both the process and the people around them.
  • [18:33] Leaders need to be aware of what’s happening in themselves when their patience is stretched. Patient leaders grow their leadership influence.
  • [22:24] Greg quizzes me about the origins of patience.
  • [24:45] I make a confession about my impatience in my early years.
  • [25:55] Greg shares an insightful quote about the value of patience.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

An Apologetic For Apologetics

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

I would like to give Christians an apologetic about Christian apologetics.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

The Scriptures I reference in this episode of The Podcast are 1 Peter 3:15-16; Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3; Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:5, 8.

In a couple of earlier blog posts, I elaborate more on some points in this episode. Check out:

I have also talked quite a bit about apologetics on my blog, which you can find here.

Keep up with everything else I have going on, including my newest book and my other podcasts by clicking here.

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Honoring Friends And “Enemies”

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible.

Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, and in their deaths they were not separated; they were swifter than eagles, they were mightier than lions. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slaughtered on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been a close friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful than the love of women. How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished! (2 Samuel 1:23-27)

It’s not surprising that David honored his friend Jonathan in song after his death. But it is surprising that Jonathan remained faithfully at his father’s side, fulfilling his duties as a son and a prince of Israel, although he did not agree with his father’s treatment of David. 

In Jonathan we see the obedience to the fifth commandment: Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12). 

And it is also surprising that David says nothing bad about Saul in this song of lament, but only praises him for his valiant victories as Israel’s king. 

In David we see a true picture of forgiveness—where a forgiven transgression is a forgotten transgression, no longer held by David against his tormentor. Later in his life, David would write about the mind-blowing truth that God obliterates the record of our forgiven sins, never bringing them up again (Psalm 103:10-12)! 

Is it any wonder that David and Jonathan became and remained such close friends? From the moment Jonathan first heard David speaking about his trust in God, they became “one in spirit” and forged a covenant friendship that lasted even beyond Jonathan’s life (1 Samuel 18:1-4). 

May we learn from these two God-fearing, faithful friends what it really means to honor others, whether we call them friends or others might call them “enemies.” 

You may also be interested in a related blog post: How to pray when you’ve been stabbed in the back. 

In my book When Sheep Bite I have a chapter called “When the sheep slander you.” In that chapter, I dive deeper into the lesson leaders can learn from how David treated Saul both during his life and after his death. 

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