What if someone asked you, “What is your purpose for living? Why are you here?” What would you say? I have heard traditional answers to these questions, such as “To know God and to make him known,” and, to “Love God and enjoy Him forever.” Is that why you are alive? Is there not a more tangible, concrete answer to that question? I believe the Bible does give us a much more specific purpose for our existence. It is hard for me not to…
I am starting to learn to live a totally new way, as described in the Bible—with the attitude of a little child simply doing what Daddy tells me. Shockingly, and I am beginning to notice (naturally, spontaneously and unconsciously) some amazing things happening to me. I find myself beginning to think of loving and not being loved; giving not receiving; being last, not first; serving, not being served; being a sinner, not a righteous Christian saint, etc., This is just the opposite of the…
In all three of the synoptic gospels, Jesus proclaims that we must become “as little children” in order to enter His kingdom (Matthew 18:2-5; Mark 10:15; Luke 9:46-48, 18:16, 17, 46-48). Also, God the Father is called “Abba,” three times in the New Testament, once by Jesus and two times by Paul (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6). This is an Aramaic word that signifies an intimate, experiential (ginosko) relationship with one’s Father, a word that many scholars contend is equivalent to our word,…
For the past few postings, we have done a deep dive into the two contrasting ways we know truth: 1.) external, observational, intellectual truth (eido) and 2.) internal, personal, experiential truth (ginosko) These are both, as in law and grace, absolutely essential to comprehending The Truth of the Word of God. I believe that a keen observer will notice that eido is much more prevalent as an acceptable way to know biblical truth than ginosko. The prominence of biblical, academic education, given to pursuing…
Last week, we discussed two different ways we learn from the Bible, represented by the two Greek words the Bible uses to describe them: 1.) eido – to learn by observation, reading, and study, and 2.) ginosko – to learn by hearing from God experientially, in our hearts. Both of these ways to know truth are necessary. Since eido is knowing truth by external, intellectual study or observation of facts and not experiential, it is how we must know truth in the future, because…
The issue that we all face daily is “By what standard do I live my life?” I have always, since I was a little child growing up in a Christian home, believed that the Bible is my standard for how I live and what I believe, and I still do. The Bible is the transcribed record of what God’s prophets, apostles, a few of their close associates, as well as Jesus Himself, believed and taught. Nevertheless, even with the almost unanimous agreement among sincere…
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). These are the favorite verses for those who believe “Politics is a dirty business and good Christians don’t get involved.” Context, context, context! The Pharisees were asking Jesus when He thought the promised Messiah…
In the model prayer that Jesus asked us to pray in Matthew 6, the first petition is this: ” Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9, 10). For the past few weeks, we have been examining, according to the Bible, how this prayer is being answered NOW, through the institution of the family. Furthermore, the “kingdom comes” in the family only through the rule of the husband,…
As we investigate the vision of a husband’s responsibilities in a biblically structured family, we have seen that its initial aspect is that we LOVE our wives “as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). Last week’s posting outlined God’s “crazy, mixed-up, backward and upside-down” way He will accomplish this impossible task in our lives. If you missed it, you can get to the blog by clicking on “Comments.” Our second, God-assigned task as husbands is to LEAD our wives with strong, firm decision-making. They…
Without doubt, the first foundation stone of a family is the initial, sacrificial, and unconditional agape love of the husband for his wife. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). We discussed that at some length last week. The problem is, we live in sinful bodies, and, if we are honest, we know that our love for our wives is dreadfully inconsistent. We get irritated with them, lose our tempers, or ignore them.…