Links & Quotes

No one wants what the gloomy person has. Joy is a Christian’s testimony—it’s what attracts others to Jesus! Check out this full message from my series on the Songs of Ascent.

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

“At first glance, people may not see how these different forms of sexual violence connect to each other. But, in fact, experts are increasingly recognizing that they may all stem from one common source—sexual objectification. Sexual objectification occurs when people perceive others as sex objects rather than complex human beings deserving of dignity and respect.” Pornography is a major contributor to the sexual objectification which leads to sexual violence.

Dr. Brian Thomas describes why fossils are found where they are and why land animals may even be found near marine animals: “This fossil discovery [a bone from a South American megaraptor found near Cape Otway, Australia] fits well with a biblical history, which goes something like this: Around 2348 BC, a worldwide flood crushed and reshaped the earth’s surface, breaking up a single landmass (Pangaea) into continents and fossilizing countless living things. Prior to the Flood megaraptors roamed Pangaea, during the Flood they were fossilized, and in the late Flood stages the boundaries of new continents (along with their fossils) were roughly shaped. Unlike the standard story, the outlines of this history have been testified to by reliable eyewitnesses, and this testimony has been faithfully preserved in Genesis.”

“The more we let God take over us, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us.” —C.S. Lewis

J. Warner Wallace shares two trends in American society that are contributing to the decline of religious adherence in America.

“There is no way around hard work. Embrace it.” —Roger Federer

Shame on my thoughts, how they stray from me!
During the Psalms, they wander on a path that is not right; they run, they distract…
One moment they follow the ways of loveliness, and the next the ways of riotous shame…
Swiftly they leap in one bound from earth to heaven…
O beloved Christ… may the grace of the sevenfold Spirit come to keep them in check!
Rule this heart of mine, O swift God of the elements, that You may be my love, and I may do Your will! —Anonymous, On the Flightiness of Thought, Irish, 8th-9th century

Ungodly leaders become more and more selfish, while shepherd leaders become more and more God-fearing and more and more attentive to the needs of others (Jeremiah 12:10-11). Check out my series of posts for godly leaders and my book Shepherd Leadership.

Links & Quotes

You are more likely to act yourself into good feelings than you are to feel yourself into action. Leaders need to get moving and keep moving! Check out this full conversation from The Craig and Greg Show.

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

In news that’s not surprising at all, many recent paleontological discoveries confirm to exactly what would be expected if we take the biblical account of Creation and a global Flood literally.

John Piper was asked to weigh-in on the value of repetitive phrases in worship songs. He said, “The issue’s not repetition per se but whether there is enough substance, enough rich content of truth about God woven into the repetitions to justify them, to warrant them. That’s the issue. There’s a difference between repetitions that are called forth by the repeated crescendo of new, glorious truth, and repetitions that serve as a kind of mantra without sufficient truth that is simply used to sustain or intensify a mood. Moods in worship should be awakened and sustained primarily by truth, assisted by music—not primarily by music with a little truth thrown in to justify the singing.”

Pastor John Piper used Psalm 136 as an example in the post above. T.M. Moore also shared this thought about Psalm 136: “The term most frequently used to describe this everywhere-present-and-always-at-work love of God is translated as ‘lovingkindness’ or, in some versions, ‘steadfast love.’ Especially Psalm 136, with its antiphonal arrangement of verses, insists that the cosmos is upheld, sustained, and pervaded by the lovingkindness of God. … It would improve our learning to pray without ceasing if we simply took some time out during the day to thank the Lord for the many ways His steadfast love surrounds, sustains, and swarms us at every moment!”

“When people refer to a man as a man of the Book, meaning the Bible, he’s generally found to be a man of multitudinous books, which simply isolates the one Book to its proper grandeur. The man who reads only the Bible does not as a rule know it or human life.” —Oswald Chambers

Men’s Health magazine shared an interview with Jeremy Renner, who was nearly killed in a tragic accident. I love his attitude about making today better than yesterday. His words remind me of a poem my grandma used to use to motivate me to keep “besting” what I had already done.

Christopher Ash writes about reading the Psalms through the lens of Jesus. He concludes this way: “I remember seeing on the wall of a church the words of Psalm 20:4: ‘May [the Lord] grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!’ How wonderful, you might think. The Bible promises me all that my heart desires. Until you read the psalm and realize that Psalm 20 is a prayer for the king in David’s line. Ultimately, it is a prayer that Jesus will have His heart’s desire granted and that His plans will be fulfilled. And they will! The Psalms are not all about me. If I think they are, I will end up disillusioned. But when I grasp that they are all about Christ, my heart lifts in joy that He is the blessed Man and I belong to Him.”

Links & Quotes

This is the intro to an exclusive video for my Patreon supporters. Your support would be so helpful and you will get some cool stuff too!

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

I’m proud to be a part of the Assembly of God fellowship that has its roots in missions. Alice Luce is a great example of a missions pioneer whose work in the 1920s is still bearing fruit today. 

“Our nation’s founding document declared independence from Britain, but, with equal fervor, declared dependence upon God. Expressing ‘firm reliance on the Protection of divine Providence,’ the signers committed the American experiment to their Maker. The Spirit of 1776 was reverence and trust. So, as we mark this solemn occasion, let us seek a rebirth of true liberty, which is possible only when governed by divine law. For, without God, we can never have ‘liberty and justice for all.’” —Chuck Colson

“It is impossible to describe the abundance of peace and heavenly joy that often flows into my soul by means of the fresh answers which I have obtained from God, after waiting upon him for help and blessing; and the longer I have had to wait upon him, or the greater my need, the greater the enjoyment when at last the answer comes, which has often been in a very remarkable way, in order to make the hand of God the more manifest.” —George Mueller 

The Institute for Creation Research reports on a study: “Physicists at Roskilde University in Denmark have shown that a single equation correctly describes the frequency of wing and fin strokes for a wide array of flying and swimming creatures, including birds, insects, bats, and whales.” Wow, it’s almost as if an all-wise Creator knew what He was doing!

T.M. Moore uses the understanding of wireless internet access to help Christians with a picture of prayer. “When we bend our increasingly Christ-filled minds, hearts, and consciences to the spiritual code-writing of prayer, we craft messages which shape the spiritual air as they course their way toward the Source of all living-water spiritual power, Who is filling all things with Himself. The more we pray with Christ-overflowing souls, the more we flood the spiritual airspace with the Lord, crowding out and sidelining those forces of wickedness which seek to jam those airwaves or fill them with spiritual disinformation. And the less spiritual ‘airspace’ the devil can command, the better for all of us.” —T.M. Moore 

Links & Quotes

Godly men honor their wives by having eyes only for them. Fellas, if you find your eyes wandering you need to tell yourself, “That’s not mine!” and then quickly put your eyes back where they belong. Check out my full message to men on Father’s Day.

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

From a recent article at The Institute for Creation Research: “Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have recently confirmed that two galaxies are extremely distant, with one becoming the new record holder as the most distant galaxy from Earth. … By uniformitarian reckoning, this galaxy existed just 290 million years after the supposed Big Bang, yet it looks too mature for its age. … This new record-breaker is just the latest example of the ‘distant mature galaxy problem’ that has long plagued the Big Bang model.” These galaxies are all the masterpiece of one Creator! Here is another resource from a biblical perspective that outlines what the “in the beginning” moment (Genesis 1:1) may have looked like.

“Give me the preacher who opens the folds of my heart; who accuses me, convicts me, and condemns me before God; who loves my soul too well to suffer me to go on in sin, unreproved, through fear of giving me offence; who draws the line with accuracy, between the delusions of fancy, and the impressions of grace; who pursues me from one hiding place to another, until I am driven from every refuge of lies; who gives me no rest until he sees me, with unfeigned penitence, trembling at the feet of Jesus; and then, and not till then, soothes my anguish, wipes away my tears, and comforts me with the cordials of grace.” —Samuel Pearce

Matthew Emadi writes, “The New Testament quotes Psalm 110 more than any other Old Testament passage. The apostles and the early church loved Psalm 110 for its majestic depiction of the Lord Jesus Christ and His reign over all nations.” Here’s how to read Psalm 110 in light of the words and works of Jesus.

J. Warner Wallace, at a Q&A session, answers questions about why some Bible translators have marked a couple of passages as unreliable, and why some books that claim to be authentic accounts aren’t included in the canon of Scripture. 

I always love when archeological discoveries confirm once again the historicity of the Bible! Here is an archeological biography of Esarhaddon.

“So the writer [of the Book of Hebrews] urges his readers, as part of being faithful to Him Who called them, to consider Jesus, to strive for the glory of Jesus, and to fix their minds on Jesus as the key to knowing daily strength for faithfulness (Hebrews 12:1-2). What does this entail? … The writer of Hebrews admits that he learned to look to Jesus by paying attention to those who had known Him, listening carefully to their words, and laying hold on them with faith (Hebrews 2:1-4). As he heard the apostles and studied the Scriptures of the Old Testament, the picture of Jesus presented there began to become increasingly clear. … The lesson is plain: Jesus is being revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. Wherever we read or study in the Scripture, Jesus is present, making Himself known. We can see Jesus throughout the Bible, and consider Him as He is presented to us, in all His majesty, beauty, and power. Our responsibility is to read the Bible in such a way as to recognize what God is revealing about His Apostle and our High Priest, Jesus Christ.” —T.M. Moore

Links & Quotes

There’s no secret formula to fruitfulness as a Christian. We just stay connected to Jesus and the fruit will grow. This clip is from this sermon.

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

The “Ten Commandments” are not explicitly listed or reiterated in the New Testament. Does that mean they are obsolete? No, says David Mathis, it means they are fulfilled. “Jesus Himself says He did not come to destroy the Law and Prophets, but to do something even more striking: fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). That is, fulfill like prophecy. Not simply keep the Ten in place, or remain under them, or leave them untouched, but fulfill them—first in His own person, and then by His Spirit in His church. He came not to cast off Moses, but to fulfill Jeremiah, and in doing so, He accomplished what is even more radical: establishing Himself as the supreme authority, putting God’s law within His people (rather than on tablets), writing it on their hearts (rather than stone), and making all His people to know Him (Jeremiah 31:31–34).” Check out my post The 10 Commandments in the New Testament.

More archeological evidence supporting to the historicity of the Bible. You can check out the full article, but this paragraph is a good summation: “One of the surprising findings was that, according to the results of their tests, the Broad Wall in Jerusalem, also known as Hezekiah’s Wall, was likely built during the reign of Uzziah, who Scripture says built fortifications in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 26:9). Another finding was that Jerusalem was much more heavily populated and urbanized in the 12th through 10th centuries BC than some scholars previously thought. This would align with the biblical description of Jerusalem, particularly during the days of David and Solomon.”

“There is much of beauty, goodness, and truth to be discovered in the city of man, as Augustine pointed out toward the end of his great treatise, City of God. But all the culture and best intentions of men turn to corruption apart from the power of God to redeem and renew them. We who live also in the heavenly city now possess the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16); we are able to see the ways that culture can be ‘taken captive’ from the clutches of sin and unbelief and made to serve the purposes of Christ in all things. Thus, for the honor and glory of God, we commit ourselves daily to using all our time, activities, relationships, roles, responsibilities, and culture to furthering His rule on earth as it is in heaven.” —T.M. Moore

“Have movies and most conventional paleontologists got it all wrong? T. rex and other theropod dinosaurs (the meat-eaters) are often portrayed as intelligent predators that can outmuscle and outsmart their opponents. But is that really supported by science?” A very interesting compilation of research can be found here. The conclusion is exactly right: “God designed dinosaur brains that were perfectly suited for their lifestyles and body size when He created dinosaurs on Day 6 of the creation week (Genesis 1:25).” 

Links & Quotes

Let’s change our leadership mentoring perspective. It’s not whether you dropped the ball or not, it’s what you learned from the time you dropped the ball. This is how we help others move forward. Check out the full Craig and Greg Show episode where we talk more about “untraditional” performance reviews.

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

If it hadn’t been for J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence, C.S. Lewis may have remained an atheist. And if it hadn’t been for C.S. Lewis’ encouragement, the world may never have been able to enjoy Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. This truly was a friendship that blessed the world! A book that explores this relationship further is A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War.

“We don’t all have to be geniuses to innovate in the way we use culture. For example, what if we were to repudiate, once and for all, all gossip and all carping and complaining, and instead were to work hard day by day to redirect our tongues toward building others up (Ephesians 4:29)? We would have to innovate some new ways of engaging people in conversation, by getting to know people and taking a real interest in them, becoming better listeners, asking good questions, making sure all our words were seasoned with grace, and always speaking truth in love. Would that not be a radical and innovative improvement on much of what passes for conversation today? If every believer just worked a bit harder to innovate new forms of conversation, I’m persuaded the world would certainly notice the difference!” —T.M. Moore

I think anyone who has read the Bible has heard the amazing story that Jesus told about a wayward son, a loving father, and a struggling older brother (see Luke 15:11-32). Jon Bloom imagines a conversation that the brothers may have had with each other after the younger brother returned home.

J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case detective and a premier Christian apologist. Some Christians believe that we only need to use Scripture to form our trust in Scripture. In this video, Wallace explains from Scripture how even Jesus used evidence outside of Scripture to make His case that He was who Scripture said He was. 

It is interesting how many modern-day scientists will accept without fact that an asteroid impacted Earth “millions of years ago” to trigger massive changes that resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs, but will flatly disregard the Flood recorded in the Bible. As a result of their false assumptions, they reach conclusions (like believing they have refuted Bergmann’s Rule) that are quickly refuted. Check out this insightful post.

If you are doing all the calculating with your money, then Jesus says you’re not rich toward God. Check out this full sermon here.

“When God brings new opportunities the path forward is often unknown; it’s a risky journey to start. After all, if you can see the path to the finish line, you do not need to trust the Lord. Why would God give a golden opportunity to those unwilling to trust Him for the unknown?” —Roger Parrott, Opportunity Leadership 

(For security reasons, I cannot share a link to the following but I can verify its veracity). “Sam” is a Christian in an Arabic country who has been instrumental in starting and leading a church in his country for several years. He was arrested two months ago and held in prison for 55 days. He was interrogated the first 8 days, then left in solitary confinement for 47 days: the bright lights always on, Some Christians were able to meet with him after his release, listen to his story, share Scripture together, pray with and encourage him. Here is one of their main takeaways from their conversation with Sam. 

“So, Sam, how did you make it 55 days in prison?” 

Sam said, “The Holy Spirit was with me and was with my mouth. He gave me the words to say. But the devil also sat right next to me twisting Scripture.” Sam continued, “Tell those that will go to prison it is very important not only to know the Scripture but to be able to interpret it correctly as the accuser (I found out by experience) is so adept at twisting God’s Word to both tempt and discourage us.”

Links & Quotes

Shepherd leaders do know the voice of their sheep, and the sheep know the voice of their shepherd. Leaders, this is the value of regularly being around all the people on your team. Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on our leadership podcast. This idea is central to my book Shepherd Leadership.

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

Alice Reynolds Flower (1890-1991), the wife of [Assembly of God] pioneer J. Roswell Flower, is a shining example of motherhood. Affectionately known as ‘Mother Flower,’ she preached, taught Sunday School, led prayer meetings, wrote articles, penned poetry, authored books, and lived a godly example in front of her six children and everyone she came in contact with. As Mother’s Day approaches, it is good to consider an article that Mother Flower wrote for the Pentecostal Evangel in May 1952.” Check out Alice Flowers’ article here.

Kenneth Blanchard discusses when it is and isn’t a good time for a leader to be a micromanager. He concludes this insightful post by saying, “The best leaders know how to continually adjust their leadership style to fit each situation, helping to develop individuals who will ultimately achieve each goal and perform well on each task with little direction or support.”

“The pre-Flood world had some truly massive dinosaurs, and the largest of them were in the group Sauropodomorpha. Within this group were titanosaurs, which include the gigantic Argentinosaurus that is estimated to have weighed over 100 tons.” Read more about titanosaurs here.

What is it about morality that points humans higher and higher to find the Source? J. Warner Wallace, in this video based on his book God’s Crime Scene, makes the case that objective, transcendent morality is good proof for God. This reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ similar argument: “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?”

Pastors, listen to this call to revival from the pen of Jonathan Edwards. Let us seek in prayer for a revival in our day! “The Scripture gives us great reason to think, that when once there comes to appear much of a spirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will soon be accomplished…Spiritual waters and rivers are explained by the apostle John, to be the Holy Spirit…It is now a time of scarcity of these spiritual waters; there are, as it were, none. If God’s people, in this time of great drought, were but made sensitive of this calamity, and their own emptiness and necessity, and brought earnestly to thirst and cry for needed supplies, God would, doubtless, soon fulfill this blessed promise.”

Links & Quotes

Romans 8:28 tells us that God uses ALL things to accomplish His purpose for our lives. Too many times I tried to rush through things without getting anything out of it. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

He is 98 years old and he’s still busy serving other people! I pray we can all be as selfless and vibrant in ministering to others until the day God calls us home.

“When with an eye of faith we behold Christ crucified we ought to weep, not for Him, but for ourselves. We must not be affected with the death of Christ as with the death of a common person whose calamity we pity, or of a common friend whom we are likely to part with. The death of Christ was a thing peculiar; it was His victory and triumph over His enemies; it was our deliverance, and the purchase of eternal life for us. And therefore let us weep, not for Him, but for our own sins, and the sins of our children, that were the cause of His death; and weep for fear (such were the tears here prescribed) of the miseries we shall bring upon ourselves, if we slight His love, and reject His grace, as the Jewish nation did, which brought upon them the ruin here foretold.” —Matthew Henry, on Jesus’ word, “Do not weep for Me” in Luke 23:28

J. Warner Wallace shares three responses Christians can give to those who make the claim that Jesus didn’t think He was God. In this video, Detective Wallace talks about a section of his website that gives further evidence. You can find that section here.

The Institute for Creation Research is a group of scientists explaining how science points to a Creator. What does Creation have to do with Easter? “Any view of Christianity that incorporates long ages of death and suffering before Adam makes a sham of the Cross. This Easter season, as we remember our salvation made possible by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross and His triumphant resurrection from the grave, let us understand it within the ‘big picture’ of a ‘very good’ creation that was ruined by our rebellion but restored by the willing sacrifice of our great Creator-Savior.”

“One measure of the greatness of a man is not only that he practices what he preaches, but also that he doesn’t consider himself above the ordinary means of grace that all Christians need.” —John Piper

“Beware of idleness—satan sows most of his seed in fallow ground.” —Thomas Watson

He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
Hath made and loveth all. —Samuel T. Coleridge

Links & Quotes

We are to love the sinner but hate the sin. This is hard to do, especially when the sin they are doing is directed at us and making us angry! Jesus gave us a great example in these times of high anger: withdraw. Check out my full message “A Christlike Response to Skeptics.” I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“In many pagan religions the purpose of worship is to placate the gods—to keep them happy and to stay on their good side, lest they mess with, you know, the harvest or procreation or whatever. Worship is thus a work pagans do to earn or keep the favor of their deity. Christians don’t worship to placate God or earn His favor. We don’t worship to make God happy or bring Him pleasure. God is all-satisfied, all-happy, and all-pleased in Himself alone. We add nothing to Him when we come together to worship. At the same time, as we worship, God adds Himself to us. He deigns to commune with us, inhabits our praises, and brings us into His presence and joy in ways that transform all we are, think, feel, value, say, and do. … In worship, rightly conceived and conducted, our minds and imaginations expand beyond their everyday thoughts and dreams, stretched and molded to fill up with the glory of the heavenly throne room, to be conformed to the mind of Christ, and to see the world as He does (1 Corinthians 2:16).” —T.M. Moore

J. Warner Wallace shares two reasons why we can still consider the Bible relevant today.

My grandpa had honey bees on his farm, and I’ve been intrigued by them ever since that time. In fact, honey bees were subject of my semester-long research project in my ecology class. So I’m always fascinated to read more discoveries about these amazing insects!

The level of a leader’s strength and courage is directly tied to the leader’s meditation upon God’s word. God’s wisdom transforms a leader’s heart and sharpens his thoughts. This is what gives the leader the necessary courage to lead people in a God-honoring way. I have a whole series of posts on godly leadership where I expand more on these thoughts. 

Links & Quotes

We’ve added things that we think should be in our prayer vocabulary. But kingdom praying should be as natural as talking to the most loving Father you can imagine! Check out more thoughts in my series of posts called Kingdom Praying. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” —Michael Jordan

In the post-Flood rock layers, fossils are often found of animals that were much larger than are currently observed. This has been called giantism. “Evolutionists claim that adaption occurs as random mutations make some organisms better fitted for their environment, and the less-fit organisms then die off. … This supposed, random, trial-and-error process requires long periods of time waiting for the ‘right’ random mutation to occur. In contrast, ICR gives credit to Jesus. He designed organisms with built-in sensors that enable them to detect changes in their environment. Internal genetic programming then allows these organisms to rapidly adapt to these changes in predictable ways. Such adaptation is often too rapid for natural selection to be the correct explanation. This design-based paradigm of adaptation is called continuous environmental tracking (CET).” This is an excellent article. 

“If the stone falls on the pot, alas, for the pot; if the pot falls on the stone, alas for the pot.” —Jewish proverb, based on Psalm 118:22 and Luke 20:17-18

Godly leaders need…

  • …ears consecrated to hear God’s voice and the voice of the people
  • …hands dedicated to ministering in love and obedience
  • …feet that only walk in God-directed paths

Godly leaders don’t minister to please people, but to lead people to God. So godly leaders are ever aware that in all they do, they must hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”