There are two major obstacles to genuine spirit-filled walk with Jesus Christ. The two theological terms that describe these obstacles are legalism and relativism. These are big words that describe the two ends of a spectrum. Legalism is putting conditions on salvation other than simple faith in Jesus. A legalist will tell you that salvation … [Read more…]
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16, NIV As I was growing up, I grew accustomed to Christians who focused primarily on the law of God and seemed to ignore the gospel. Now it is popular in many circles to focus only on the … [Read more…]
The world is changing around us and the way our parents did things will no longer work in today’s economic and political landscape. The corporations that used to be the economic engine of the United States have abandoned their core principles leaving many people unemployed. Wages are down and costs are high. This is not … [Read more…]
In my last post, I wrote about how the Bible teaches only God is immortal. But this has brought up the question about where people go when they die. Do people go straight to heaven or hell when they die, or do they wait until they are resurrected at the second coming? The experts have … [Read more…]
“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” ~1 Timothy 6:15-16, NIV One of the reasons that Christians believe that God tortures people … [Read more…]
“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,” ~ Psalm 94:12, ESV Over the past 40 years of my life, I have had some wonderful Bible teachers. I have sat at the feet of countless pastors and evangelists who poured their knowledge into me and taught … [Read more…]
There are many in the Christian churches who do not have a clear grasp of salvation in Jesus Christ. No one has taught them that salvation involves a past, present, and future reality. The Bible teaches that we have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. This is what I call the golden … [Read more…]
As a body without blood is a lifeless corpse, a message without the blood of Christ at the center is doomed to fail. While intellect may be aroused with the logic of the scriptures, and emotions stirred by the holy love of God for sinful humanity, it is the preaching of the cross of Christ … [Read more…]
There are many popular theories floating around in the 21st century scientific community, and even a few more in modern theological seminaries. But I am here to tell you that Christians do not believe in a “Theory of Salvation”. There is nothing theoretical about Christ’s teaching on the gospel. If the Bible is the inspired … [Read more…]
Here is a scripture for my brothers and sisters in Christ who believe the Sabbath was created only for the Jewish people. In these verses, Jesus said the Sabbath was created for ALL people: Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man … [Read more…]
There are some Christians who believe that the purpose of the Bible is to point them to Christ, and then once they know Christ then they have no more need for a Bible as Christ reveals Himself to them personally. Then there are those Christians who believe that only a personal revelation from Christ can … [Read more…]
Lately, I have been conversing with people from various Christian denominations who all claim to have a proper interpretation of scripture. But logic tells me that there is only one objective truth. If our interpretations contradict, only one of us (or none of us) has the correct answer to many of the puzzling questions of … [Read more…]
It is days like these that God reminds me that He taught me the truth of His word. I doubt I would still be a Christian if I hadn’t been willing to sit at the feet of Jesus and beg for His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He revealed to me the mystery of the gospel, … [Read more…]
No one likes a proud, arrogant, boastful person who thinks more highly of themselves than they should. On the other hand, no one wants to follow a person who lacks confidence in their talents and abilities to perform. Would you want to fly in an airplane with a pilot who wasn’t quite sure he or … [Read more…]
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” ~1 John 4:11It is in our sinful human nature to be self-centered and want revenge on those who have caused us pain. But Christ showed us a better way by insisting that we change our human perspective and treat other people the way … [Read more…]
“As it is, there are many parts, but one body.The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ~ 1 Corinthians 12:20-22, NIVSometimes Christians get caught in the trap of thinking that “their way” is the “only way” and this can become … [Read more…]
I am reading through John Wesley on the topic of Christian perfection, and while I understand his main point that God gives us power to do the right things, I don’t agree that we can ever reach a state of sinless perfection until the second coming of Jesus. Even at our best behavior, while we … [Read more…]
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3, NIV David–the mighty man of God who stood up to the giant Goliath with only a sling-shot and five smooth stones when the rest of the Israelite warriors were in terror of becoming slaves to the Philistines–wrote this verse of scripture during a … [Read more…]
Lord, teach me to teachHelp me to preachThe word of lifeTo all in reach.Grant me the lightTo face the darkness of nightGuide me in the wisdom of your love. ~Stephen Beagles
This Bible verse jumped out to me today, and in case anyone thinks that Christians have a tendency to over-complicate the message of salvation, here is what Jesus says about the good news of eternal life. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” These words of Jesus from … [Read more…]
Q. Should we study the Bible using proof texts for a particular doctrine of belief, or should we read each book in a more systematic fashion taking into account the literal, historical, and spiritual contexts of each passage? A. The problem with this question is that it divides the two methods of study into an … [Read more…]
I often think of people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and other billionaires who remind me of how insignificant I am to the world’s economy. I don’t live in a palace, drive fancy sports cars, nor am I able to give millions of dollars to charity. I don’t represent a global … [Read more…]
Lord, lead me in your righteousness All power belongs to you You speak forth light from darkness There is nothing that you cannot do. Help me trust your faithfulness Drive all doubt away You hear me when I cry to you Bring comfort as I pray. ~Stephen Beagles
The good news of the Bible is that we may have the assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ if we trust in His saving grace for the forgiveness of our sins. We don’t have to wait until we give up our bad habits to have that assurance. We no longer have to fear the day … [Read more…]
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13, NKJV This is a wonderful moral statement about self-sacrificing love. It is also a prophecy about the day that Christ would lay down his life for His friends. Christ gave his ALL to grant us the gift … [Read more…]
I have spent the last 40 years of my life learning the Bible. My mother used to hold me in her lap and sing Bible songs when I was a baby. Today, I still love the word of God. If you want to know the truth about life, death, and eternal life then read the … [Read more…]
Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15, NLT Honestly, I love talking to people about the word of God. But for some reason, I don’t feel the need to pester people who have yet to give their heart to Christ. … [Read more…]
I hate it when people use the term “cheap grace” when they are referring to the gift of salvation. Grace isn’t cheap–it is free! People cheapen grace when they attempt to earn favor with God by moral behavior. Let me be clear, even after we become spirit-filled Christians, we are far from sinless. The law … [Read more…]
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2, NIV The most valuable thing a human being can possess is peace of heart. Billionaires cannot purchase it, and politicians cannot demand that everyone have equal access to this inner state of quiet calm and serenity. There is only … [Read more…]
SCRIPTURE: The Bible is the inspired word of God. TRINITY: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. ATONEMENT: Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins as He shed His blood on the cross of Calvary. RIGHTEOUSNESS: God declares us righteous by faith and makes us righteous by the power … [Read more…]
Sometimes I look back over my life and meditate on what might have happened if I had made different decisions in my life. For example, if I hadn’t put in a job application that led to me being hired by a particular company, or if I hadn’t stopped to talk to a military recruiter that … [Read more…]
I have a confession to make that may surprise some of you. I hated school when I was a kid. It wasn’t the English, the Spelling, or the History classes that I hated. But I dreaded Math. Most of the time my homework was only half done in those classes, and I was lucky to … [Read more…]
We are saved by trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of sin; we are blessed and rewarded by obedience to the Ten Commandments. Our salvation depends on simple faith in the blood of Christ, while our rewards in heaven depend upon our willingness to be obedient to God in all things. Without the law there is … [Read more…]
Those who think that it is hateful to call other religions wrong, do not have a problem with religion, but they have a problem with the nature of truth. Truth by definition is exclusive. To call something true means the opposite is false. This is simple logic. If no one has the truth then what … [Read more…]
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:15, KJV I am concerned about the lack of attention that is being paid to the essentials of the historic Christian faith. I am not talking about the debatable subjects that … [Read more…]
One of the characteristics of an educated mind is that it welcomes competing ideas as a way to force an examination of the basic assumptions about what makes something true or false. There is nothing wrong with a healthy debate! I am concerned about people who want to shut down the free flow of ideas … [Read more…]
Recently, I came across the question that some find hard to answer: What difference does God make? Ultimately, this question is not hard to answer. Those who have had a genuine experience with the Creator of the Universe will tell you that God has made the biggest difference in their lives. But then some might … [Read more…]
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33, KJV Do we think that God is not aware of our needs? If we trust Him, He WILL provide. This does not mean that we will not have hardships. In fact, there WILL … [Read more…]
God created a perfect world. But because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, each of us has inherited a sinful nature. The bad news is that without Christ we are completely lost and not even God can save us. The good news is that because of Christ we now … [Read more…]
Not only did Jesus identify Himself as the “I AM” of the Old Testament, but He also established Himself as the “I AM” of the New Covenant: 1. “I AM the bread of life” (John 6:35) 2. “I AM the light of the world” (8:12, 9:5) 3. “I AM the door” (10:7,9) 4. “I AM … [Read more…]
“Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with … [Read more…]
Most mature Bible believing Christians are familiar with 2 Timothy 3:16- “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (NIV). But who can tell me the verse that comes immediately before this one? Don’t look in your bibles! Can you say it from memory? Here it is: “and … [Read more…]
“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” ~ Hebrews 1:14, NIV We rarely bring up the subject of Angels in modern-times. Each of us has guardian angels who assist us in our battle against the forces of darkness. They don’t seem to get a lot of credit, but … [Read more…]
If a house was on fire, wouldn’t you call the fire department and then attempt to get everyone out of the house safely? What kind of a person would say, “it’s not my house and its not my business”? Christians have a moral obligation to sound the alarm to a world that is perishing. If … [Read more…]
I love this question: “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” ~Jeremiah 32:27, NIV The obvious answer to this question is a resounding, “NO!” This is why Jesus had to keep scolding His disciples when they faced a seemingly hopeless situation with doubt, anxiety, and fear: “Oh … [Read more…]
When I was teenager, I became weary of the word “obedience”. This happened because of the hundreds of rules that I was expected to follow that resulted in punishment if I was caught violating one. I wasn’t rebellious, but I couldn’t wait to grow up so I could make my own rules. Then I joined … [Read more…]
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS CHRIST AND TO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF LOVE HE IS THE ONE WHO SAVES MY SOUL MERCIFUL AND LOVING HOLY AND JUST CREATOR OF ALL WORTHY OF ALL HONOR AND POWER. ~Stephen Beagles
The increase in spiritual attacks against Christ and the church will continue to get worse until the end of time. Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow me!” Jesus went to the cross to remove the wrath of God against those who believe and trust in Him. His followers are called to sacrifice ALL if … [Read more…]
I have been watching “Surviving the Cut”, a documentary series on Military Special Forces training. As a Marine, I learned first hand the type of motivation, perseverance, knowledge, courage, and loyalty that this type of training requires from each student. The documentary brings back many memories of sleepless nights, lack of food, endless hiking, seemingly … [Read more…]
For a long time the church has been preaching the gospel in reverse. This has led to the same results as attempting to carry a horse on our backs for hundreds of miles over rough terrain. It simply doesn’t work. The false gospel is that God loves the righteous and hates the wicked. The truth … [Read more…]