The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 NLT Twenty-nine years later, there are still some things I remember from my Composition … Continue reading –>
There are probably plenty of reasons why God waited till He had created everything else, before He created man. Obviously the environment was not inhabitable for mankind earlier, but I would like to suggest another reason. If man had been around while God was creating the earth, he might have come up with the notion … Continue reading –>
I’ve heard that the wise old owls at the American Psychiatric Association who revamp the diagnostic manual every ten years have considered a diagnosis of “perfectionism.” What do you think? So far the owls believe that 301.4, obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD, not to be confused with OCD, [or CDO if you want the letters … Continue reading –>
Happy New Year! I don’t do resolutions. I’ve observed two things—that humans have an indefatigable drive to fix themselves, and that it is utterly futile and fruitless. The only good that comes from our self-fixing is that some of us finally learn it’s impossible. Observe every world religion other than the faith of Jesus. Each … Continue reading –>
I have had a rough couple of months when it comes to driving – I’ve gotten three tickets! One was because I didn’t “stop” when I was turning right on a red light, and the other two were for speeding. All three were my fault. I couldn’t say the red light camera didn’t actually have … Continue reading –>
The earthly sanctuary service revealed three phases of salvation: substitutionary sacrifice, priestly mediation, and judgment. The Bible teaches that all three phases of salvation are embodied in the ministry of Christ on behalf of sinners. Read Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21. How does Christ’s death on the cross satisfy the substitutionary aspect of salvation? What do these … Continue reading –>
Fundamental Belief No. 24 opens with the following words: “There is a sanctuary in heaven – the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man” (see Heb. 8:2). One of the matter-of-fact assumptions of the Bible is the existence of a heavenly sanctuary (Ps. 11:4). Read Hebrews 8:1-5. What is the main point taught in these verses? … Continue reading –>
During the Billy Graham era, while the evangelical movement retained the flavor of modernism, the preaching emphasis seemed to my young adult mind to be “getting right” with God. During that time I became a Christian and then a Seventh-day Adventist. Everything felt right. I got right with God, began worshiping on the right day, … Continue reading –>
There’s a TV show that my family and I watch called American Restoration. The star is Rick Dale. 1 Watching Rick restore whatever his clients bring in is an amazing process. Usually what they bring in has been dropped, crushed, rusted or in some other way destroyed. But after Rick and his employees have worked … Continue reading –>
In order to have victory over sin, we must properly define sin. I believe the sin defined in John 16:9 is the cause of the sin in 1 John 3:4. Thus we must deal with the sin of unbelief in John 16:9 as our primary definition of sin. As we take a look at this … Continue reading –>
