“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20 NIV The things that excite this world are not the same as what inspires a follower of Jesus Christ. The world may celebrate immorality, knowingly promote a lie, and applaud when truth is … Continue reading →
“in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” — Titus 1:2 NIV Most religions recognize that our planet has been subverted by evil and that some type of divine intervention will either end it, correct it, or re-make it. The promise of the Christian faith, as explained in the Bible, … Continue reading →
This article is not about arguing my position or trying to disprove your position. It’s about the often overlooked common ground between the pre-trib and post-trib positions of the return of the Lord. Pre-trib is the eschatological position that believes the saved will be in Heaven before the reign of the Anti-Christ and a tribulation period of seven-years. See the … Continue reading →
When a loved one lays unconscious and dependent on a machine to breathe or a simple drive to the grocery store is interrupted by a drunk driver or a physician informs you that the pain you thought was a pulled muscle is actually stage 4 cancer, we ask Why? Why do bad things happen? In this post I want to pull … Continue reading →
The immediate shock and despair of a loved one’s passing can leave us feeling hopeless about the future. No matter how much we may think we are prepared, death is devastating. It is the perfect earthly definition of finality, and it’s why we sometimes doubt that we’ll ever feel hopeful again. However, this is an issue dealt with in the … Continue reading →
The doctrine of the “second coming” or what some call “the rapture” are not presented in the Bible for an intellectual exercise but it is there to spur us on to hope. I realize that some students of prophecy think the second coming and the rapture are two different events, while many recognize them as the same. Here, I wish … Continue reading →
As a chaplain at a trauma hospital just miles from the beaches of the upper Gulf Coast, I frequently deal with patients and families who have had diving accidents. In my experience, diving accidents best sum up what it means to have your world shattered. Diving accidents means a family has come to our coast waters and beaches for relaxation … Continue reading →
I’ve been contemplating 2 Timothy 4:8 and Paul’s mention of those who “love his appearing.” Paul is reflecting on the end of his life and ministry and writes, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them … Continue reading →
Yesterday I turned 59 years old and I wasn’t feeling good about it. I took my 50th birthday hard, because I realized that 50 years of my life just filtered through my hands like grains of sand at the beach. Turning 59 was not as bad for me as when I turned 50, but I am wondering about my next … Continue reading →
Here is a 22-point sequence of events for an understanding of the post-tribulation rapture or the second coming of Christ, sometimes called historicism in eschatology… Jesus returns for His church as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. This is the … Continue reading →
Recently I was doing some studying on a topic that led me to Psalm 37:1 which says, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” When we read Psalm 37:2 we see the reason why it admonishes us to “fret not” and it is because “they shall soon be cut down like the … Continue reading →
In Jesus’ discourse on the sign of the end times, He makes a statement that often raises a question about who is He talking about, that statement is Matthew 24:34. The verse says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Over the years of my ministry I have heard people ask, … Continue reading →
What should be our attitude toward the return of Jesus? Well here are five Bible verses and my thoughts about that… 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – We are to eagerly be waiting and looking for our Lord’s return. As a child I remember days of anticipation in our house as my mom and my siblings waited for my dad to arrive home … Continue reading →