Links & Quotes

We have added a lot of “stuff” to our prayer language, almost like God wouldn’t know that we were praying to Him unless we used these special words! Jesus made it simple by giving us two words: “Our Father.” I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Immersing ourselves in the Psalms and turning them into prayers teaches our hearts the ‘grammar’ of prayer and gives us the most formative instruction in how to pray in accord with God’s character and will.” —Tim Keller, in Prayer 

New sequencing of the Y chromosomes are creating problems for evolutions. When looking at the genetic code for the larger primates (chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan), not only are they found to be not nearly as close to human DNA as previously claimed, but even these primates are not as related as was thought. This is just more scientific evidence pointing to an All-wise Creator.

“We best take care of others when we are judicious about self-care. We only pour our lives out for others well over time if we have taken care of our own bodies and souls well in time. … Folly neglects soul care and leaves us empty, powerless to effectively serve others. We only have resources to constantly give out if we have been diligent to constantly receive in.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

Issac is an amazing foreshadowing of Jesus. Consider these aspects:

  • the wood for the sacrifice is on his back 
  • the father placed the wood on his son’s back 
  • the son was to be the lamb offered in sacrifice as God commanded

John Stonestreet and Dr. Glenn Sunshine write, “Constantine has been a controversial figure throughout Church history. Both the genuineness of his conversion and his impact on the Church have been consistently questioned and scrutinized. Many think that Constantine’s actions to tie the Church to the empire compromised the Gospel. Often, these arguments are based on a misunderstanding of what Constantine did and fail to consider what followed from the legalization of Christianity.” Check out more of the history and the impact of Emperor Constantine.

“God Said”

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And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3).

“God said.” His words literally became substance! 

Those who deny a Creator claim that this whole universe came into being by chance. But they still cannot get away from the fact that there was “something” there—some basic elements—that interacted to start the process. The Bible tells us that the “something” was actually Someone—Jehovah God! 

The New Defender’s Study Bible notes: 

“No other cosmogony, whether in ancient paganism or modern naturalism, even mentions the absolute origin of the universe. All begin with the space/time/matter universe, already existing in a primeval state of chaos, then attempt to speculate how it might have ‘evolved’ into its present form. Modern evolutionism begins with elementary particles of matter evolving out of nothing in a ‘big bang’ and then developing through natural forces into complex systems.” 

Which requires more faith? To believe that all of the order and perfection in our universe—from the astronomical to the sub-atomic—came to be by mere chance? Or that the perfect design we see came into being by a Perfect Designer? It seems to me that it takes tremendously more faith to be an atheist. 

Check out this recent post from the Institute for Creation Research:

“It is appropriate for Christians to begin the New Year by referring back to the beginning of the very first year. The first verse of God’s Word is also its most important verse, since it is the foundation on which everything else is built. Even God’s great work of salvation is irrelevant and futile without His prior work of creation, for only the Creator of all things could ever become the Savior of all things. If a person really believes Genesis 1:1, he or she should have no difficulty believing anything else in the Bible.” 

I trust the God revealed to us in His Word and in His Creation. He has proven Himself faithful over and over again, never giving me a reason to doubt that He is who He says He is. 

“God said” is the encouraging, faith-building promise I cling to!

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Links & Quotes

A great mental health strategy: focus on what is happening today. Trying to fix yesterday or worrying about tomorrow robs you of the peace God wants you to have. Check out the full series of mental health strategies I shared here. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Compromise and commitment cannot coincide. … Conviction leads to commitment, but the lack of commitment leads to compromise.” —Dr. Tony Evans

I love reading about the archeological finds that confirm the historicity of the Bible! Here is a post from The Bible Archeology Report on the top ten discoveries related to Christmas.

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.” —G. Michael Hopf

“Luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” —Denzel Washington

“Ministers are set to be lights to the souls of men in this respect, as they are to be the means of imparting divine truth to them, and bringing into their view the most glorious and excellent objects, and of leading them to and assisting them in the contemplation of those things that angels desire to look into…by which they may know God and Jesus Christ, whom to know is life eternal.” —Jonathan Edwards

“Scripture the unus sermo Dei—the one sermon of God.” —Augustine

T.M. Moore is presenting another outstanding series of posts, this one about the dignity of work. In one post, he wrote, “A just society requires all members to contribute love for their neighbors, whether they are poor or wealthy. Those who will not work when they can do so should be left to the consequences of their sluggardliness (2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is incumbent on local community leaders to discover ways, analogous to the work of gleaning, of helping to meet the needs of local poor. These might include keeping part-time work available, identifying ‘community work’ opportunities and helping to fund them, offering job counseling and training, and so forth. Churches certainly could pioneer the way in this, creating opportunities for work on their campuses, on behalf of needy members, and for the community at large.”

“The Holy Spirit responds to our walking according to the Word, not merely talking about the Word.” —Dr. Tony Evans

Links & Quotes

On the latest episode of The Craig And Greg Show, Greg and I talked about Christmas traditions. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Always be sure of your ground and be sure that you are honoring God. If there is anything about the situation that will make you special, it will bring you sorrow. Your whole ministry has to be along the lines of His grace and blessing.” —Smith Wigglesworth 

“Leaders have the responsibility to keep evil out. Government is incapable of making men and women moral and, in fact, it is not given that assignment, for it does not have that power. God grants government the right to make laws to hold back the power of evil, for only the church through the gospel can help men and women be good. Conversely, leadership and government can do much harm if they, through injudicious application or partial enforcement of law, let evil in. Government cannot make people good, but it can certainly make them bad. We need leadership and government to build barriers against what is wrong, but neither leaders nor external human powers can usher us to what is right. Only Jesus, full of grace and truth, can do that.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

The celebration of Christmas is obviously not seen in the Bible, but it has always seemed to be closely connected to the church’s calendar. Scott Hubbard has an eye-opening history of Christmas in his post The Curious History of Christmas.

Scientists have learned from butterflies’ amazing vision how to better detect cancer cells. The way our Creator has designed these winged marvels is truly astounding!  

The ways the biblical text has been preserved and transmitted down to us today is nothing short of miraculous! Daniel Wallace is at the forefront of continuing to preserve the Word of God for future generations. Here is an example of the dedication of the biblical scribes: “The hand that wrote [this] is rotting in the grave, but the letters remain until the fullness of the times. Completed with [the help of] God. February 23, Friday, the second hour, during the eleventh indiction, in the year 1079, through the hand of Andrew, scribe and calligrapher. And if it happens that any error of omission [remains|—this, for the sake of Christ, forgive me.”

Just as archeological finds continue to confirm biblical accounts, fossil discoveries continue to confirm the biblical claim of Creation. Paleontologists have now created the term “problematica” to try to address fossil finds that don’t fit their evolutionary models.

T.M. Moore is sharing a thought-worthy series of posts on the biblical view of our economic activities, including a look at how governments and businesses should operate under God’s laws. Moore says, “Since God has written the works of the Law on the heart of all His image-bearers (Romans 2:14, 15), we should expect that awareness (if only subconsciously) to find expression. Put another way, whether they know it or not, people long for an economy guided by Biblical principles and guidelines.”

Links & Quotes

Are you looking for a Christmas gift for your pastor? Check out my book Shepherd LeadershipI have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“We rise no higher when we pull others down, yet when we stoop to serve, we conquer.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied 

“Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is.” —Winston Churchill

The amazing history of the authors of the New Testament epistles, and their connections with each other.

“Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” —J.M. Barrie

“God has made His Word so precious that if I could not get another copy of it, I would not part with my Bible for all the world. There is life in the Word. There is power in it. I find Christ in it, and He is the One I need for spirit, soul, and body. It tells me of the power of His name and the power of His blood for cleansing.” —Smith Wigglesworth

“Christians can most directly affect the shape of our economy by practicing love for God and neighbor in all our transactions. Beyond that, we should make the most of every opportunity and means for influencing the shape of public policy so that honesty, fairness, justice, and love guide all the policies that bind us together as we the people.” —T.M. Moore

Christian apologist Sean McDowell goes head-to-head with ChatGPT—

An Octopus And God’s Word

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

Watching a documentary about an octopus reminded me of something new about God’s Word.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Some resources to go along with this video:

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God’s Word Always Prevails

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

I love the simple but utterly profound statement the angel Gabriel leaves with Mary. Listen to it from different biblical translations:

  • For no word from God will ever fail (Luke 1:37 NIV) 
  • For nothing will be impossible with God (NASB)
  • For the word of God will never fail (NLT) 
  • For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment (AMPC)

“No word”—not the single dot of an “i” or the cross of a “t” will be missing. 

The God who never slumbers—the Omnipotent One, the Omniscient One—superintends every single word He has spoken. 

It is His word: “No word from God will ever fail.” It is not the way I desire it to be, or the way culture wants it to be, but it is the way the All-Loving, All-Powerful One has already determined it is going to be. 

The plans God has for me are for His glory. He is working all things out to bring to completion what He has declared. 

God’s words never fail, but they always prevail. It doesn’t matter how dark, hopeless, or even impossible it may seem, His plan always triumphs! 

When I have God’s word on it, I can confidently say, “Worry, be gone! Striving, cease! Doubt, you are a liar! I belong to the One who has spoken His word. I will rest assured in Him until His word prevails. I say as Mary replied to Gabriel, ‘May it be to me as you have said’” (Luke 1:38). 

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Dismantling Lies

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Lies, half-truths, and fake news: All of those can steal joy from a Christian’s life. How do we dismantle these joy-stealers?

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Resources mentioned in this video:

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On Guard!

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

When Jesus was discussing end times events with His disciples, He described days that looked pretty bleak. Do any of these descriptions sound familiar today?

  • Wars 
  • Turmoil
  • Persecution
  • Betrayal 
  • Family strife 
  • Christians hated by the world (see Mark 13:5-12)

In times like these, Jesus said many people will be deceived. This is why Jesus twice tells His followers to “be on your guard” (vv. 9, 23). 

What exactly does “on guard” look like? 

Maybe you’ve heard a similar phrase before a fencing match, reminding the combatants to raise their swords. That’s a good picture for Christians. Paul tells us that we can use the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” to defend ourselves during spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:17). 

While Jesus is instructing His disciples, He tells them the sword-like power of His words. He said, “My words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). In other words, His sword is invincible! 

Another modern-day phrase that fills out the definition of being on guard is when someone says, “Heads up!” This means to watch out for things that may be headed your way. Jesus reminded us, “I have told you everything ahead of time” (v. 23) so we can be aware of what’s coming. 

We are aware of the approaching dark days of the end times, but we are not afraid of them. Three times, Jesus tells us to “keep watch” (vv. 34, 35, 37). This Greek word means to be aroused from sleep so that we can give active and strict attention to the task before us. 

“Be on guard! Be alert!” Jesus said (v. 33), so that you don’t become apathetic. The devil prowls around, seeking to use the times of turmoil to confuse, deceive, and then mislead people. 

But we are not unaware of his schemes. 

Christian, we must stay on guard. We must be ready but unafraid of the opposition. We must keep in mind the never-failing Word of God, and we must use that sword to cut down the deceiving ideas. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words to wield at the right moment—

“…Don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13:11) 

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The Only Secure Foundation

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My, my, my, how quickly things can change! Unfortunately, the constant changes usually lead to feelings of instability. Fortunately, Jesus told us the surefire way we could find the stability, security, and confidence we all crave.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Resources to go along with this podcast:

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