In the days of the Old Testament (Psa. 2:1), in the days of the New Testament (Acts 4:25-26) and in the days of present-day America, there are those who “rage” against God, “plot a vain thing” against Him, “set themselves” against Him and “counsel together against the Lord” (Psa. 2:1-2). Their intent is to “break” the bonds/laws/Word of God “in pieces and…

Twice in the New King James Version the words “not wise” are found used together in that exact order and phrase. Obviously there is more that God considers “not wise” (as he often uses the word “foolish” to describe such individuals), but it is interesting to see these two specific things that God sets forth as “not wise.” First, in the Old…

One of the most exciting and yet most challenging verses for many Christians is Philippians 4:4. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” It is the word “always” that trips the panic button of many Christians who say, “I can’t do that! How can I possibly rejoice all the time?” Take a moment and look at how Paul used…

For years, bumper stickers have graced (and sometimes disgraced) the backs of many cars. Then, ingenuity brought us the magnetic versions that we could use, move and remove with ease. What do a person’s bumper stickers say about the person? Church members will sometimes put stickers or plates on their cars with various messages. Many PBL members have plates and magnets that…

Abraham left his home and dwelt “in a foreign country, dwelling in tents” (Heb. 11:9).  He was willing to do this because God had made him a promise (see the word “promise” twice in that verse).  What helped him to be so content?  The next verse tells us, “For he waited…”  Waited? The same Greek word is used in John 5 of…

There is not a whole lot of positive assessment of complaining in Scripture (or in day-to-day living either).  Israel’s complaining during the days of Moses takes up more than 40% of the word’s usage in all of Scripture.  The Pharisees repeatedly complained against Jesus.  God instructs Christians to “do all things without complaining” (Phil. 2:14). With the weight of Scripture against complaining,…

Is it just me or are people in general growing more and more impatient and less and less willing to wait?  Perhaps that makes even more challenging the need for God’s children to “wait on the Lord.”  The blessings of doing so are too innumerable to imagine, but by reading passages which speak of waiting on the Lord, we can find abundant…

The worship of God is something that we must take very seriously.  To approach the very presence of God demands that we do such with proper thoughts, proper motives, proper methods, proper actions and proper demeanor.  Is there a place for “hilarity”? There is an interesting Greek word found in 2 Corinthians 9, and it is the only time it is used…