In Paul’s defense before King Agrippa and the governor Festus, in Acts 26, he made a direct appeal to the king‘s knowledge and faith in the prophets (26:26-27). Agrippa’s “almost” response has troubled and even hunted many for the last two millennia. “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (26:28).  What does this rejection by the King show us is required…

John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This passage has been used by many to downplay the importance of baptism and obedience all together. Is belief all that is needed to be…

The Bible expresses such profound truths in such simple ways that we read them and think we already know this truth, when in reality we do not know what we know! If these words intrigue you, then permit me to use God’s simply words to illustrate this. I vividly recall an experience from our early days in New Zealand in 1962. As…

What an amazing Vacation Bible School we had this year! Our Lord was certainly glorified by this incredible event. While this is certainly true every year, something felt extra great. It was the Christians that made it happen. So many hands played vital roles in making VBS special this year. Whether we are talking about the planning team, the decorators, the kitchen…

This expression, with an obvious military origin, is often used in everyday life to express an absolute willingness to make a strong defense and hold a position (in a particular argument), with no intent to ever consider compromising or backing down (even if presented with information that makes one’s position indefensible).  It is being unmovably committed. In a surprising and very unfortunate…

In Paul’s letter to Rome, he uses an interesting phrase. He said, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:11-12). Contextually, he may have not been talking about their…

We are learning how to understand the Bible. In this series, we have been looking at the way God authorizes in the Scriptures. God gives us direct commands and He gives us implied commands. But, there is one more way in which God authorizes. Throughout the sixty-six books of the Bible, God gives us a tremendous amount of examples of how men…

Have you ever been afraid of Bible verses?  Maybe you weren’t afraid of the verses BUT afraid that someone would bring them up?  When I was a kid, I attended a religious school that did not teach what the Bible teaches about salvation from sins.  I was that kid in the back of the room, who frequently raised my hand to say,…