Psalm 22:16- 18 7/29/2025

 “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.  All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”

The earliest known record of crucifixion comes from the Persian King Darius I (522–486 BCE). Yet this psalm was written by King David (1010–970 BCE). That means the details of Jesus crucifixion were prophesied 500 years before crucifixion was even “invented”, and 1000 years prior to Christ dying on the cross.  

There are hundreds of completed prophecies in the Bible.  Some are Messianic Prophecies about Jesus:  

- death and resurrection -  Gen 3,Dan 9:24

- born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 

- born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14 

- His resurrection – Psalm 16:10  

There are also confirmed Historical Prophecies, such as:

- The Fall of Babylon – Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 51  fulfilled 539 BC. 

- The Destruction of Jerusalem – Luke 21:6  fulfilled AD 70. 

- Scattering and regathering of Israel – Deuteronomy 30:3,
        Ezekiel 37 fulfilled in 1948

There are literally hundreds of documented predictions like these that have been fulfilled.  Couple that with the transformed lives we see from those who truly follow Christ, and it becomes evident that God does not require “blind faith”. In fact, some would argue it takes willful blindness not to believe. 

Jesus said, "if you seek, you shall find”, so if you haven’t found it yet,  you’re not looking hard enough.  Some people don’t look hard enough on purpose…  because if they find the true God,  they can no longer claim to be Him.

And if there is no higher power than you,  then you need some answers. Are you comfortable with the scenario that  there was once nothing, and nothing happened to nothing until it exploded, creating everything, and then everything rearranged itself into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs? If that works for you then continue to follow yourself as your own god.  

But if your heart doesn’t buy that,  then seek truth and you will discover that you are not qualified to be God and there is overwhelming evidence that the position has already been filled by your eternal heavenly Father who loves you deeply.   

“I maintained that God did not exist. I was also very angry with God for not existing.” - C. S. Lewis

Acts 19:9-10 7/22/2025

“But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

Disciple making is a marathon, not a sprint.

Paul spends three months teaching in the synagogue but eventually wears out his welcome.  This isn’t surprising. Sometimes the world embraces truth as “edgy” and is entertained by it for a while… but when change is demanded it loses its attractiveness. This happened to Paul, but he didn’t go online and try to humiliate unbelievers. He didn’t change his message to fit the culture; he just moved to the lecture hall and spent two more years investing in those who wanted to hear truth.

There is a lesson here… Even with extraordinary miracles, from an incredible teacher… discipleship often meets with opposition.  It is frequently difficult, and time-consuming. My expectations seem to be that one good sermon, or conversation, should “fix” people.  If I get involved with an organized weeklong revival, I expect it to permanently transform the masses! There is nothing wrong with sermons and planned revivals… But the pattern that changed Asia in this passage was discipleship. Paul established long term, personal relationships, with frequent interactions… and that can be challenging.  

Sometimes I jokingly say, “I love ministry… except for the people”. But the truth highlighted by that lighthearted comment is powerful.  You can’t love ministry if you don’t love people. Ministry is simply introducing God to sinful, stiff-necked people, just like I was… and watching Him change their lives.

Some envision ministry as preaching to stadiums, flying from country to country spreading the gospel. And God has ordained some people to do that. But the great majority of church building is done, person-to-person, with years of intentional mentoring.  Even those who come to faith through a great evangelist will need teachers to build up their knowledge and faith.  

Building disciples is like building a building… it must be done one brick at a time. Find the “projects” God has placed in your life and intentionally set the first brick today… then show up again tomorrow and place the next one.

“You can’t microwave spiritual transformation.” – Pete Wilson

Proverbs 20:15 7/15/2025

“There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.” 

Let’s talk about asset management.  Jewels, and precious metals can be acquired today with the click of a keyboard. And it is easy to find people who will encourage you to pursue them at all costs. We seem convinced that if we have enough trinkets to make others believe we are happy… we will be.  

So, we spend an inordinate amount of  time searching for shiny things that will catch the eye of the world and help us sell the charade.  That leaves little time for us to search out assets of real value such as “lips of knowledge”. 

What are “lips of knowledge”?  In the book of Ephesians, we are told to speak the truth in love.  If someone actually does that, they are a person with “lips of knowledge” which, this verse says, is a rare treasure.  People who speak God’s truth, and do so with God’s love, are  “vessels of valuableness”.  Do you have people like that in your life? … Do you want people like that in your life?

Do you pursue wise individuals to provide you with honest and perceptive evaluations, or are you content with cheerleaders?  Do you want truth, or do you prefer flattery?  Rubies and gold puff up your self-image,  but those who speak knowledge and truth deepen your walk with God.  Will you surround yourself with folks who are running on the same treadmill as you, or will you seek out those with lips of knowledge?

Check your inner circle. Make sure you haven’t collected a group of “yes men” who will “rubber stamp” your shallow pursuits… instead search out valuable treasures in the form of teammates who will challenge you and tell you the truth.  

Everybody needs a good “press box coach” who can see the game from a different angle and will provide wise input. But wise inputs aren’t always comfortable, and you won’t find friends like that by accident.  Be intentional. Search for and listen to knowledgeable lips. They will assist you in your pursuit of excellence. Then make sure your words provide the same assistance to others. 

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.” – Dan Rather

Proverbs 1:7 7/8/2025

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”

This verse feels confusing because scripture repeatedly says, “fear not”.  The problem is that the word “fear” is an inadequate translation for this passage… it doesn’t have the depth needed to  describe how we must approach God. 

I understand the verse because I had a Dad who loved me more than his own life… He was the most consistent, godly man I’ve ever known… I was safe with him, yet I had a healthy “fear” of him.  I cannot explain why, as he was never abusive in any way. Sure, I got a well-deserved spanking or two growing up… but that was not what I feared.  I think I feared letting him down… I feared not being in agreement with him because that would mean I was wrong.  His presence was comforting, challenging, and inspiring, all at the same time.

That is an inkling of what this verse means…  God proved His love for us by sacrificing His Son in our place… Because of that, we have not received the wrath we deserve, instead we’ve received grace and mercy,  which provides redemption.  

So where does “fear” come in?  As I said, translating to the English word “fear” is insufficient…  Awe, reverence, respect,  amazement, humility, astonishment…  we need a word that encapsulates all those emotions.  His power and holiness are unfathomable.  He is our protective loving Father and yet He remains the Omnipotent Warrior God of Armies… and we must perceive and hold on to both of those identities. 

I never referred to my Dad as “my old man”… and it would have been ill-advised to do so in his presence.  It would have been incongruent with our relationship and what I knew him to be… In the same way there is a danger in thinking of  God as the  “man upstairs”…. That flippant dismissiveness is unwise.

Fearing the Lord means never forgetting who He is or what He’s done… Recognizing His power produces tremendous “fear” which ironically will make you courageous.  This morning, recalibrate your opinion of your Redeemer and approach today with a healthy “Fear” of the all-powerful God who loves you more than you can comprehend.

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
- Oswald Chambers

Matthew 7:13-14 7/1/2025

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

What does Jesus mean by referring to a wide or narrow gate?   

We find some insight in James 2:19 when it says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”  James is saying that recognizing the existence of God isn’t faith, it’s just acknowledgement, and later in the chapter he states that acknowledging scripture without doing what it says, is the wide gate of deceiving yourself.    

In our passage this morning Jesus references the wide, well-traveled road that leads to destruction.  Its lack of doctrine allows us to lead ourselves and does not offend our flesh. It doesn’t call for remorse or repentance … doesn’t even call for change.  Instead, it permits us to claim Christianity without transformation.  We rename and normalize depravity and modify scripture to fit “our truth”.  We accept His Mercy without acknowledging His Lordship. That has never been God’s offer and unfortunately, many take this path.  

What about you?  Have you died to yourself and committed to following Jesus?  Christianity is not an additive to your life , it’s a replacement… it defines you.  It ends your old existence and begins a new one … The gospel is clear on that point.  If your Pastor never offends your sinful flesh, and doesn’t prompt you to change…  then he’s not preaching, he’s just entertaining.  If there is no evidence of the Holy Spirit redeeming your life, you may still be on the wide road to destruction… and you don’t have to be.  

Accept God’s offer today and be reborn… The narrow road is narrow, but it is well marked by fruitful changes in your life.  It transforms you into a new creation who lives a different way. Acknowledging the narrow way, and walking it, are two different things… Place your faith in Christ today. Give Him Lordship of your life and set out on the beautiful narrow path that sets you free.  

"The false prophet is a man who has no 'strait gate' or 'narrow way' in his gospel. He has nothing which is offensive to the natural man; he pleases all." -  Martyn Lloyd-Jones