Latest writing
March 31, 2022
When the Bible talks about the end of the world, I think it's important to define what that statement really means. A better way to think about the end of the world is to think about the end of the world as we know it.
March 30, 2022
God can work a miracle at any time, for any person, for any reason. There is only one requirement needed for you to become a candidate for a miracle. You need to have a problem.
March 30, 2022
The cross. To some this represents the ultimate act of foolishness, and to others the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. The reality of the cross is that it comes with contrasts. Yet when you examine them thoroughly, you will discover they are beautiful in nature. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/IrisImages
March 29, 2022
If it is your desire to really trust God, believe God, and love God, then you must do everything you can – with the help of the Holy Spirit – to avoid sin at all costs. This may require you to run from some situations, separate yourself from some people, or let go of some things. But if you truly are striving to keep sin out of your life, you will do whatever you must do because your relationship with God is that important to you.
March 24, 2022
One of the sins mentioned in Scripture that can strike fear into the hearts of people is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus talked about this, the words he used were indeed frightening:
“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32).
These are truly sobering words which should not be taken lightly. However, I believe there are two important questions to ask regarding this topic.
1. What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
2. As a Christian do you need to worry about committing this "unforgivable" sin?
Let’s answer these questions and learn more as we look into this very important topic of blasphemy.
In general, the word blasphemy according to Merriam-Webster means “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.” Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when you take the true work of the Holy Spirit and you speak evil of it, attributing his work to the devil. I don’t believe this is a one-time thing, but it is an ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit, of over and over again attributing his precious work to Satan himself. When Jesus addressed this topic, he was responding to what the Pharisees had actually done earlier in this chapter. Here is what happened:
“Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons’” (Matthew 12:22-24).
The Pharisees by their words were denying the true work of the Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit, the Pharisees were giving credit for his work to Beelzebub, which is another name for Satan. By doing this they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Deagreez
March 16, 2022
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
In John’s letter we are commanded to test the spirits. One of the main reasons behind this command is because there are many false prophets who have gone out into the world. When it comes to testing the spirits and identifying false prophets, the difficulty is their messages are often very close to the truth; that is why you must test.
However, knowing that you should test the spirits does not tell you how to test the spirits. This is what I want to clear up for you today. I am going to give you five tests you can use which will help you identify which spirits truly are from God.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/phototechno
March 14, 2022
When we think of the cross, it is right to think of Jesus’ broken body and spilled blood. However, for a moment, I want to turn your focus in a slightly different direction. I want you to think about what the cross reveals about who God is.
March 10, 2022
Before he got to the cross, he had to first go through the garden of Gethsemane. It's there in the garden where Jesus prayed “let this cup pass for me.” What did he mean by that and why did Jesus pray let this cup pass for me? A closer examination will allow you to see a beautiful picture of both Jesus’ humanity and his divinity.
March 9, 2022
When you die to yourself or are crucified with Christ, then you give Christ permission to fully live through you. If you choose not to do this, then God cannot live out the full expression of Christ in your life. For him to do that you must first step out of the way, which is another example of what it means to be crucified with Christ.
March 7, 2022
If there is one thing that every human being on the face of the earth has in common, it is that we were all born from a woman. In other words, we all have a mother. Some of you are fortunate that your mother is still with you, while others have had the experience of losing their mother. Regardless of where you find yourself, when you look at what the Bible says about mothers, you will discover mothers are invaluable and play a very important role in the home and in the life of their children.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Fizkes
February 28, 2022
Jesse was an ordinary man, from a small clan, and out of his seed came the greatest natural king Israel ever had, David. Also, from the line of David came the King of all kings, the One who is greater than all and who will reign forever.
February 23, 2022
You would think the desire of every believer in Jesus Christ is to strive for spiritual maturity. I can’t say for certain this is true of every believer, but at least I can hope. If you are going to strive for maturity – and I trust this is your desire – doesn’t it make sense to know what it looks like? After all, as the old saying goes, “if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.” For this reason, I want to give you a target.
The target is simply five questions that will help measure how you are doing in terms of your spiritual maturity. These questions are in no manner meant to be judgmental, but hopefully eye-opening as we seek to continue to grow as believers.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/kevron2001
February 17, 2022
As we examine the lives of Elisha and Elijah in the Bible allow me to share with you some tremendous leadership principles that were evident in their lives and their relationship.
February 16, 2022
I want to ask you a question right out of the gate. Are you truly aware of what the Holy Spirit can do in your life?
In the Bible he is called our Helper, but how does he help us? It is fair to say that of all the persons in the trinity, the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood and misrepresented. Not only does he get blamed for many things he has nothing to do with, but believers often miss the importance of his work in their lives. For this reason, so many believers fail to live up to their full potential in Christ and often miss out on God’s best because they don’t understand the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The Bible is very clear about the work and purpose of the Holy Spirit. Today I want to analyze one place in Scripture and identify nine reasons you need to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Photo credit: Pexels/Luis Quintero