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About MansfieldAM251 - Real Mansfield Foodie Ron McCranie: an Interview IIStories we’re covering this week:• Hometown Holidays is one for the record books• Walk talk big money in A Moment With The Mayor• City breaks ground on Geyer Commons• St. John Lutheran gears up for its eighth annual drive-through Nativity• Mansfield Police officers sport a new look• Methodist Mansfield hospital volunteer receives prestigious recognition• In Sports, it’s hoops, hoops, and more hoopsIn the Features Section:• Angel Biasatti talks about staying healthy and within budget this holiday season in Me...2024-12-111h 05About MansfieldAM250 - Real Mansfield Foodie Ron McCranie: an Interview IStories we’re covering this week:• Subcourthouse stuck in a smelly situation• Local nonprofit receives sizable grant from area car dealership• Builders Association names Mansfield as its Municipal City of the Year• In Sports, all eyes are on Lake Ridge basketballIn the Features Section:• What’s going on around town? Tourism Manager Tim Roberts gets us up to date in the Cultural Arts Calendar• Angel Biasatti talks about protecting your health and safety as you age in Methodist Mansfield News to Know• Ang...2024-12-041h 03
The Higher Christian Life036 - Your "Desire" for the Higher Christian LifeWhat Does “Desire” for God Have to do with Inflation?Usually, I send out an encouraging post regarding the Higher Christian Life and the importance of drawing close to Him in these times of trouble. But today, it’s going to be a bit different.We have often discussed the importance of desire, especially when embracing the Higher Christian Life. In essence, we can have all the knowledge and understanding necessary to experience the Higher Christian Life, but without a desire to pay the price and “count the costs” (Luke 14:28) required for deep intimacy with our Lord, noth...2021-08-1715 minThe Higher Christian Life010 - Our Need for the Higher Christian LifeAs we have shared, the key verse regarding the blessings of receiving the Spirit and His inaugurating the Higher Christian Life in each of us is found in John 7:38. Here Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” In this Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit, whom “those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). But the Holy Spirit is now given. And Jesus is now glorified. So what does this say about our...2021-03-2618 minThe Higher Christian Life003 - Abiding in the Higher Christian LifeOne of my spiritual mentors is a man named Andrew Murray. I was discipled for the most part by his books and devotions that I was blessed to encounter early in my Christian life. His writings are devotional in nature and have ministered to my soul for years and have always challenged me to want more of Jesus in my daily walk with Him. Some of his books that are regarded as classics are “With Christ in the School of Prayer”, “The True Vine”, and especially, “Abide in Christ”.For those of you who aren’t familiar with Andrew Murra...2021-03-1718 min
Leaving Laodicea471 - How to Truly Experience the Peace of GodThe Peace that Passes UnderstandingPeace seems like such an elusive commodity today. After all, it seems we are surrounded by ever-increasing chaos and turmoil with no end in sight. What are believers to do in a climate like we are facing today? We are to strive to experience the peace of God. Note, not peace with God, which is something quite different. But the peace of God. It is a peace that only comes from Him, the peace He also experienced while on earth, the indescribable, supernatural peace of God.Paul tells us exactly how to...2020-09-0159 minLeaving Laodicea470 - Seeing Scripture Through the Theater of Your MindSeeing With More Than Your EyesWhen you read anything, including Scripture, there’s something that happens that is called the theater of your mind. It is in the theater of your mind that you take descriptive text and add details to make the story more personal, more alive, more kinetic. For example, consider this simple description: “It was raining. As he walked to the car, he pulled his coat tight around himself and quickened his steps.”Now, what scene are you seeing in your mind? And what details have you added to make this descriptive...2020-09-0152 minLeaving Laodicea469 - What’s the Point of the Lord’s Supper?“I Don’t Understand What the Lord’s Supper Means” In the history of the church, there seems to always be confusion about the Lord’s Supper. What does it mean? Why do we participate? What happens when I do? Let’s be honest, many find the Lord’s Supper somewhat confusing. I often hear people say, “I don’t understand what the Lord’s Supper means.” And, in our narcissistic church culture, where it’s all about us, this is usually followed by “So what’s the point of the Lord’s Supper anyway?” We know it’s something important, really importa...2020-08-1452 minLeaving Laodicea468 - Learning How to Follow Jesus in Real-TimeWhat Does Following Jesus in Real-Time Look Like?Let’s cut to the chase. We are living in troubling times. Right now in California, for example, pastors are being threatened with fines and imprisonment for holding church services indoors. Yet, riots and demonstrations are not restricted but encouraged. How is that possible in our nation? And many Christians, who should be standing shoulder-to-shoulder for the truth, are scattered like autumn leaves afraid of their own shadows. Is this what following Jesus is all about? And what does following Jesus in real-time mean today?Is it an emotio...2020-08-131h 06Leaving Laodicea467 - We are Now Living in Bonhoeffer’s GermanyAre We Seeing History Repeat Itself?In the 1930s, if you were a Jew in Germany, you would be faced with unforeseen challenges, that would only get worse. And if you were a Christian during the same period, you would have to make the same choices many of those brave men made, to follow Christ or the Reich. This choice is now thrust upon each of us who are called by the name of Christ. Will we follow His commands or cower to the oppressive power of the State? And just like Bonhoeffer and the members of the...2020-08-101h 09Leaving Laodicea466 - How to Seek God’s Face and Not Just His HandRemember to Seek God’s Face, and Not Just His HandOne of the four requirements found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a cryptic command to “seek” God’s face. Note, not His hand, nor His blessings or grace, but simply to seek God’s face. What does that mean? And how is that done?Think, how do we begin the process of seeking God’s face? What does the Scripture say about that? Is it something I should be doing? Are there any requirements or things we first must do to be ushered into the presence of God? What is it...2020-08-0759 minLeaving Laodicea465 - The Important, Yet Forgotten Discipline of FastingIsn’t Fasting Some Medieval Christian Ritual?Often the church chooses to let go and forget the disciplines that served her so well in the past. We feel they have served their purpose and then callously throw them aside for something more trendy, modern, and popular. And this is especially true of the forgotten discipline of fasting.I mean, who really wants to fast? And isn’t fasting some Medieval Christian ritual that we stopped doing centuries ago? Plus, if I fast, won’t it mark me as some sort of fanatic or Christian extremist? If I fast...2020-07-2257 minLeaving Laodicea464 - Who Were the Disciples of Jesus and John?The Tension Between the Disciples of Jesus and JohnAs we look deeper into the relationship between the disciples of Jesus and John the Baptist, a few questions come to the surface. Why did John still have disciples after he proclaimed Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:34)? And why is there a perceived tension between the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of John? In fact, you can almost feel the tension when John’s disciples confront Jesus and chastise Him for not doing what they, and the Pharisees, were doing regarding fasting.Matthew 9:14 – Then the...2020-07-171h 24Leaving Laodicea463 - Learning From the Prayer Life of JesusPrayer: Our Connection with the LordWe have been looking at the four conditions/requirements found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to have God forgive our national sin and heal our land. The first of these conditions is for God’s people to humble themselves. And the second, just as difficult as the first, is to pray. But what kind of prayer satisfies the condition? And what is the content of that prayer? Can it be a quick prayer, or does it have to be long and intense? Can we pray with our eyes open, sitting down, all alone? Or do we hav...2020-06-2350 minLeaving Laodicea462 - Learning How to Truly Humble YourselfHow Do We Learn to Humble Ourselves?We have before us, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, an incredible if/then promise from God’s Word. If we meet the requirements, the if’s, then God will respond in ways that only He can, the then’s. And the promise of God is that He will forgive our national sin and heal our broken and troubled land. There are four requirements and three promises in this passage. The first requirement is for God’s people, you and I, to humble ourselves before the Lord. Or, to make it more personal, God is telling His pe...2020-06-2054 minLeaving Laodicea461 - Praying For Our Last Great AwakeningOur Hope and Prayer for a Last Great AwakeningThere is no need to spend any time talking about the lukewarm condition of the church in the West. We all know. In fact, we are all part of the problem. And since we know and are part of the problem, we tend to just assume this is the way things are, and it’s best to just sit back, relax, and live with it. But that’s a recipe for even more failure. The spiritual event that will shock the church out of apathy and lukewarmness is what we c...2020-06-201h 05Leaving Laodicea460 - What Does it Mean to "Abide in Christ"How Can We Abide in Him… Always?In John 15, we have the Lord’s blueprint for the “abundant life” (John 10:10) He promised each of us. And no, that life doesn’t involve expensive cars or vacation homes or buckets of cash or having Your Best Life Now! The abundant life in Him is defined by being able to bear His fruit and bearing it in ever-increasing quantities. Or, like Jesus said, “more” fruit, then “much” fruit, and finally “fruit that will remain.” Consider the following:“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch...2020-05-2449 minLeaving Laodicea459 - Jesus Said, “Abide in Me, and I in You”“Abide in Me”? What Does that Mean?Once we move past identifying the characters in this teaching (Jesus is the vine, God the Father is the vinedresser, and we are the branches), we can clearly see the focus is on bearing fruit (more fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains). But the key to having a relationship with the Lord that allows us to bear the fruit that brings glory to the Father (John 15:8), is being able to “abide” in Him, in the vine. In fact, we find that phrase repeated repeatedly in this amazing discourse. Consider the followi...2020-05-2147 minLeaving Laodicea458 - “I Am the True Vine”… But What Does That Mean?Facing Our “Invisible Enemy”For the past two months, our nation has been held in the grips of, as President Trump said, an “invisible enemy.” But this “invisible enemy” is not Covid-19. Nor is it the loss of jobs and the bankruptcy of thousands of small businesses and the inevitable collateral effect that will have on our economy for years, maybe even decades, to come. No, the “invisible enemy” we face is fear. And fear results from a lack of faith, and a lack of faith renders even the strongest believer useless as His light-bearer (Matt. 5:14-16).But we know that...2020-05-2143 minLeaving Laodicea457 - The Prophetic Implications of COVID-19Seeing the Prophetic Handwriting on the WallRight now, we as a nation and as the church are in the midst of an unprecedented worldwide pandemic that has some unfortunate, unforeseen circumstances. We are currently mandated by our government to stay at home and practice social distancing. Which, in effect, means no corporate church services. No normal business activities. No hugging our grandchildren or shaking hands with a friend. No picnics at the park, no day trips to the mountains, no shopping at the mall, no having friends over for dinner. All of that has changed.But...2020-04-3040 minLeaving Laodicea456 - Fully Embracing the Kingdom of GodOur Love/Hate Relationship with Total CommitmentI love this quote, “The definition of a fanatic is someone who loves Jesus more than you do.” So true. But as a culture, we have always had a love/hate relationship with total commitment and self-abandonment. We admire those whose commitment leads them to do great things, like win an Olympic Medal or lose a tremendous amount of weight. And we applaud their commitment because we value the object of their goals. But on the other hand, we detest the commitment of terrorists, idealogues, and others like that. We brand them...2020-04-2048 minLeaving Laodicea455 - Exactly What is the Kingdom of Heaven?Both Jesus and John Preached About the KingdomAs we begin our study on John the Baptist, we are going to take the Scripture accounts of his life from all four gospels and merge them into one single narrative. But rest assured, all you will see is nothing but Scripture. Nothing has been added. This helps us get a complete view of John’s incredible ministry, the man Jesus said was without rival in all of humanity (Matthew 11:11).The following is the beginning of John’s ministry as told from Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:4-8 and Luke 3...2020-04-1950 minLeaving Laodicea454 - How Does God Respond to Repentance?God Always Responds to Repentance… Always!Another Sunday is upon us and the church is still having to figure out how to worship together while practicing self-distancing. Awkward and uncomfortable, I know. But I believe our choice to forgo our right to assemble and worship for the sake of the least of these (those who are at greater risk), is proper and prudent. And I believe the Lord will honor the free sacrifice of our own rights for the sake of others.With that said, the following message is from the first two chapters of the b...2020-04-1846 minLeaving Laodicea453 - How Can We Increase our Faith?“Increase Our Faith!” – Luke 17:5As I have been sharing with you since late last year, the times we are facing as believers, and as a church and a nation, demand faith. But not faith as usual or faith that is comfortable. We need mature faith, secure faith, maybe even radical faith to believe what our Lord says about everything, and then act on that belief like we truly believe what we claim to believe.In fact, one of the signs of maturity in our walk with Christ is our ability to drown out the voices of our c...2020-04-1254 minLeaving Laodicea452 - Learning How to Hear the Voice of GodHearing God’s Voice is Our Protection Against DeceptionAs we see the day of His return approaching, we must be more diligent to make sure we don’t fall for the great deception Jesus spoke about (Matt. 24:4) and prepare ourselves for the coming apostasy (2 Thes. 2:3). Why? Because as our Lord warned the deception would be so great even the elect, if possible, would be deceived and fall away (Matt. 24:214).So what are we to do? How do we become a faith prepper and guard ourselves against such great deception? The answer is simple to underst...2020-04-0350 minLeaving Laodicea451 - Make No Mistake, Everything Follows FaithDo You Believe What You Say You Believe?One of the questions each of us will have to come to grips with as we see the time of our Lord’s return approaching is this: Do you believe what you say you believe? Or, more pointedly, how does your life reflect what you claim to believe? In other words, do we really believe everything the Scriptures say about God, this world, heaven and hell, our lives, the future, whatever? Or are we somehow hedging our bet in His Word to fit what we feel or think? Consider the foll...2020-04-0257 minLeaving Laodicea450 - How to Prepare for the Coming ApostasyReady or Not, the Great Apostasy is ComingWhen we have the discernment that Jesus spoke about to know the “signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3), it becomes clear we are living in the last days. In fact, there are several key signs that bring us to this conclusion.• The regathering of Israel into their own land• The surging apostasy• The coming Middle East peace• The reuniting of the Roman Empire (East, West, both?)• GlobalismFor the church today, the most important of these prophetic signs is the rising tide of apo...2020-02-2055 min
Leaving Laodicea449 - The Limitations of ApologeticsAs the Scriptures claim, one of the greatest signs of the end is the mass defection or apostasy from the Christian faith by those who once claimed to be believers. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, warns that the "Spirit expressly says that (when) in latter times (who) some (what) will depart from the faith, (how) giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). This great apostasy is characterized by a rebellion or revolt against God and His Word. And it is promoted by those who once claimed Jesus as Lord but are now "giving...2020-02-1956 minLeaving Laodicea449 - The Inherent Limitations of ApologeticsThere are Limitations in the Discipline of ApologeticsAs the Scriptures claim, one of the greatest signs of the end is the mass defection or apostasy from the Christian faith by those who once claimed to be believers. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, warns that the “Spirit expressly says that (when) in latter times (who) some (what) will depart from the faith, (how) giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). This great apostasy is characterized by a rebellion or revolt against God and His Word. And it is promoted by those who once claimed...2020-02-1956 minLeaving Laodicea448 - Narcissism: The Ultimate End-Time Personality DisorderNarcissism: It’s All About MeJesus chastised the religious elite of His day for their confidence in predicting things like the weather, but not being able to discern the signs of the times. In fact, He called them hypocrites. Remember? “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” – Matthew 16:2-3. I wonder if He would say...2020-02-1551 minLeaving Laodicea447 - The Two Invitations Offered by Christ“Come Unto Me…”One of the vital truths regarding our desire to follow Christ is to fully understand our union with Him. After all, we are invited to become one with Him and are described in Scripture as being “in Christ.” In Romans 8 we are called “children of God” that are “adopted” into His family and are now “joint heirs with Christ.” Romans 6 tells us our old man has died and Christ now lives in us in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. But do we really understand the implication of what this means?Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic...2020-01-2457 minLeaving Laodicea446 - Experiencing the Fullness of the Holy SpiritHow Do You Experience the Fullness of the Spirit?How does one receive the Holy Spirit? Simple. As Peter said in Acts 2:38-39, you “repent” and “believe.” Which just happens to be the same requirements for salvation. After all, the guarantee of our inheritance in Him is the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). This is a truth most Christians know and understand. No Holy Spirit, no salvation. It’s as simple as that.But how does one experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit? How do we find our joy in Him? Or, how do we experience the “unse...2020-01-2053 minLeaving Laodicea445 - What it Means to Follow JesusWhat Does it Mean to Follow Jesus?When Jesus began His earthly ministry, His initial message was the same as John the Baptist. He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). And throughout the next three years, one underlying theme in His teaching was about life in His Kingdom. When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach His message, He said, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’ ” (Matt. 8:11). Jesus even told those close to Him why He spoke to the crowds in parables. And His answer had to do with concea...2020-01-1757 minLeaving Laodicea444 - It All Comes Down to Self-Denial and SurrenderYou Cannot Follow Jesus Until You First SurrenderWhen Jesus instructed His disciples, and the others, about what it meant to follow Him in Matthew 16:24-25, He spoke of “desire to come after me” and then “let him deny himself.” We looked at desire in our last message, and now we will turn our focus to what He meant by “deny himself.” Note the requirement and sequence in the verse below. First, there must be desire (“if anyone desires to come after Me”). Then, a denial and the corresponding action showing the commitment to deny himself (“take up his cross”). And finally, t...2020-01-1048 minLeaving Laodicea443 - Ultimately, It All Comes Down to DesireAre You Tired of Two Steps Forward and One Step Back?On any given Sunday, if a pastor asks by a show of hands how many in the congregation consider themselves followers of Christ, most would raise their hands. But if he followed up that question with: “And how many of you know what it means to be a follower of Jesus today?” – the number of raised hands would drop considerably. Maybe even to none. Why? Because our view today of following Jesus is a far cry from what it meant in the time of Jesus. Think about it fo...2020-01-0947 minLeaving Laodicea442 - How to Surrender Your Life to HimIsn’t Surrender a Sign of Weakness?We have looked at what it takes to become a Faith Prepper over the last few weeks. We did this by learning to pray at all times by letting the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, direct your prayers. And we also spent some time learning how to trust at all times by allowing your faith to grow by having it exercised in often unpleasant situations. But even with all of this, we still are plagued with a few questions.• How do we go from talking about faith to living by f...2019-12-1652 minLeaving Laodicea441 - Faith is Justified by Actions, Not By Mere WordsActions Always Speak Louder Than WordsWe have previously looked at how to pray at all times and in all circumstances by letting the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, direct our prayers. But next on the Faith Prepper list of required spiritual skills is learning how to trust Him at all times by allowing our faith to grow by having it exercised in often unpleasant circumstances. After all, faith grows when it is tested. And testing is usually unpleasant during the process but wonderful at the end.The Greek word translated “faith” in the New Testa...2019-12-1051 minLeaving Laodicea440 - Having Faith to Take God at His WordWe Either Believe God’s Word, or We Don’tOne of the attributes of becoming a Faith Prepper is learning how to trust God as His Word. I know many of us will say that we do. When pressed, almost all believers will state the mantra, “I believe everything God says, start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.” After all, that’s the expected answer. To say anything less would make us seem like a lukewarm believer.But the truth is, most believers, maybe ever you, don’t truly take God’s Word as the final authorit...2019-12-0851 minLeaving Laodicea439 - Praying for Things Pertaining to the KingdomPraying Kingdom PrayersWhen we look at the content of the prayers of the early church we are amazed they didn’t pray like much of the church does today— for the little answerable “fix”. Instead, they prayed for Kingdom matters, what we call Kingdom Prayers. Let me explain.A “little answerable” is a prayer for a little “fix” that is often related to our sense of entitlement from God. These can be called horizontal prayers. We lose our job so we pray for a new one. A loved one is sick, so we pray for their healing. We...2019-12-0748 minLeaving Laodicea438 - How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s WordThe Power of Praying ScriptureFor the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about praying through Scripture to help focus our prayers and have specifically been using the book of Ephesians. If you remember, before we began, we looked at three great truths regarding using God’s Word to focus our prayers. They are:One, there is a direct connection between the degree that Scripture shapes our minds and the degree to which our prayers are answered.“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what y...2019-11-2749 minLeaving Laodicea437 - Our Position in Christ and Our Union with HimWhat Does it Mean to be “In Christ”?As we look more into the idea of being a faith prepper, one of the key elements to understanding our position in Christ is to get a firm grasp on our union with Him. After all, it seems the most common phrase in Scripture regarding our position is “in Christ” or “in Him”. But what does that mean? And what kind of union with Christ does that phrase imply?Let’s put on our theology hats for just a moment and look at the two types of unions spoken of...2019-11-2648 minLeaving Laodicea436 - Exercising Faith: No Pain, No Gain“Lord, Increase Our Faith!”As we grow in our life with Christ and actually, without reservation, take His Word and His promises at face value, we will inevitably come face to face with the limits of our faith. After all, there is only so much we can believe today and, if we are growing in our faith, there will hopefully be more we can believe tomorrow. But right now we live in today and today we must prepare for tomorrow. That is why His disciples cried out to Him and pleaded, “Lord, increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5).That’s th...2019-11-2548 minLeaving Laodicea435 - How to Become a Faith PrepperHow to Prepare for the Coming DarknessThere comes a time in each of our lives when we have to ask ourselves some tough questions, especially as we see the coming darkness growing over our land and the church. And for many, that day of self-examination and questioning is today. Consider the following:• What are we to do when we see the darkness rapidly encroaching on everything we hold dear?• How do we raise our children in this deeply divided and hostile environment?• How are we to remain light in the coming darknes...2019-11-0149 minLeaving Laodicea434 - Preparing for the Invite to the Lord's TableIt’s More Than a Simple Church RitualWhen we come to the Lord’s table, we often spend little time in spiritual preparation to meet with our Lord. But this is His table, and He has offered to each of us, regardless of our sins and failures, the blessing to come and dine with Him. Remember His words to His disciples?Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15).With “fervent desire I have desired.” Can you feel the intensity of Hi...2019-10-3133 minLeaving Laodicea433 - Our Natural Reaction to Seeing HimSeeing Jesus Face to FaceWhen we look at the Revelation, we should be shocked by the reaction of those who see Jesus face to face. First, John. And then the twenty-four elders. Look at the reaction of John:After John hears the loud voice of the Lord, “as a trumpet”, and sees the seven lampstands and the seven stars and the “One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band” – John is so overwhelmed that he “fell at His feet as dead”. Dea...2019-10-0356 minLeaving Laodicea432 - The Importance of Trust in Dark TimesSometimes, You Have to Stand AloneThe expectation for our future, as a Nation and as the church, are grim indeed. We are going to face some very tough times, and have to navigate some very rough waters, especially for those of us who live in the United States.During the Tribulation, the Bible teaches that Israel will stand alone. No longer will we be her protector. God will fill that role. In fact, the US is not even a minor player in the end times scenario. Look at Ezekiel 38 and 39 if you need convincing. The pr...2019-09-2553 minLeaving Laodicea431 - How to be Filled with the Holy SpiritThe Promise of the Father – Acts 1:4As we begin to see the darkness come over our land and persecution confront the church in ways unimaginable just a generation ago, it is well past time for each of us to understand and embrace the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit like never before. As Apollo Creed said to Rocky to shake him from his fear, “There is no tomorrow!”And Apollo was right. There is no tomorrow. The time for spiritual preparation is today. Actually, it should have been yesterday, or last week. We cannot put the time fo...2019-08-2036 minLeaving Laodicea430 - Above All Else, He is Sovereign!What Do You Value Most About God?When we think of Jonathan Edwards’ 70 Resolutions or a church mission statement, we know they comprise our bedrock values. So it is the same with each of us when we attempt to put on paper what we value most about God. For me, the choice was simple.In addition to His grace and mercy, His abounding love and forgiveness, the one attribute that I cling to the most about our Lord is His sovereignty. Yes, the Almighty is sovereign! He is Lord over all! He is the Sup...2019-07-0454 minLeaving Laodicea429 - The Primary Sign of the End: DeceptionPreparing for Life in the Last DaysIn this message, we begin a deep journey into the prophetic words of Christ found in Matthew 24. Why? Because we are truly living in the last of the last days and it would do us well to see what our Lord has to say about the events that precede His coming. And we will especially look at the first sign Jesus told us would point to the beginning of the end, deception. That’s right, deception is planáō in Greek and means “to cause to wander, to be led astray, to mislead...2019-07-0457 minLeaving Laodicea428 - The Forgotten Discipline of Remembering“We’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin'”Unfortunately, in our walk with the Lord, Chaucer’s ancient adage proves true: Familiarity Breeds Contempt. It breeds contempt in the form of apathy, laziness, indifference, lack of honor or respect and, finally, misplaced love. It seems to be the curse of Western Christianity that wants for nothing save the things that matter.What can we do when we find our relationship with the Lord boring at best? What happens when, to quote the classic song by the Righteous Brothers, “we’ve lost that lovin’ feelin'”? What happens then?How can we recaptu...2019-06-2655 minLeaving Laodicea427 - Are You In? Or Are You Out? Time to ChooseYou Can’t Sit on the Fence ForeverThere comes a time in each of our spiritual lives when the Lord brings to us His divine interruption that always comes with a choice. And that choice, other than obedience, seems to focus on our willingness to let Him move us into an area that we are totally unfamiliar with. Or will we choose to remain where we feel safe and comfortable? The choice is to follow Him into the deep or remain in the kiddie pool holding fast to our water wings. And as always, the choice becomes...2019-06-1855 minLeaving Laodicea426 - What Does Personal Revival Look Like?Wanted: Mature, Spirit-Led BelieversWhen it comes to revival, personal revival, we are somewhat hamstrung by the reality that many in the church today do not know what that even looks like. Think about it. It’s not like you can pick up the phone and call a mature Christian saint who is at the top of their game spiritually, and has been for years, and ask them to mentor us in a personal revival. It seems, at least in the West, that those people are few and far between, if they exist at all.And t...2019-06-111h 01Leaving Laodicea425 - Is Real Revival Possible? Even for Us?The Solution is ObviousThe greatest need for the church, and for our fractured nations, is revival. No, not the kind of revival we have been satisfied with over the last two generations: the hired evangelist that comes once a year to preach all week to half the congregation of a church, salvation messages to people who are already saved. That’s not real revival. It’s a cheap second. A knock-off.So what is real revival and is it even possible?The First and Second Great AwakeningReal revival has taken pl...2019-05-101h 04Leaving Laodicea424 - Realizing Our Greatest Gift is From HimIt’s Christmas All Year LongAs the Christmas season is winding down, it would be appropriate for us to look at the greatest gift we have ever received from the greatest Person we have ever known— our Lord, and to give Him praise for that wondrous gift. And for me, I find that gift revealed to me in Colossians.Let’s look at this gift together.No Longer Alienated and Enemies of the LordThe Scriptures say that I, and all who are called by His name, are no longer “alienated...2019-01-2432 minLeaving Laodicea423 - Experiencing a Breathtaking View of ChristThere’s Nothing Better Than ChristOne of the major failures of the church today is to downplay the place of Christ when we come together to worship. Yes, you heard right. We, hopefully unknowingly, often relegate Christ to the back pew or the second chair. And who do we elevate in His place? Usually the pastor or, often, the worship leader.And when we come together as a church, we have a tendency to preach on the “what’s” and “why’s” of the Scripture and seldom the “how’s”. Think about it. We know Scripture commands us...2019-01-2256 minLeaving Laodicea422 - Christ + One = More Than EnoughSometimes, Our God is Too SmallWhen we look at the turmoil in the world and the lukewarmness of the church, sometimes it feels natural to get depressed and throw up our hands and see the problem as too big and the solution as too small. We long for others to step up and stand in the gap against the rising tide of sin in our land. And we’ll gladly support those that do. But they seem so few and the enemy seems so many.What are we to do?One Man is Al...2017-11-0257 minLeaving Laodicea421 - Beware of the Wicked Witch of Thyatira“I’ll Get You My Pretty”The Lord said some rather horrific things about the church at Thyatira. In fact, His words to this sinning church should strike fear in all of us who have leadership positions in our own church. Consider the following:“Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I wil...2017-10-311h 01Leaving Laodicea420 - Make No Mistake, Faith Always Has a CostNothing is Free… Especially FaithFaith is not free. In fact, faith costs everyone associated with it something. No, I’m not talking about saving faith or salvation. But even then, salvation has a cost. It costs Christ His life and the Father His only Son. And it costs each of us who embrace saving faith the one thing we hold most dear. Us. Salvation costs each of us who we are.But the faith we are talking about is the Hebrews 11 kind of faith. It’s the faith defined as the “substance of things hoped for, the e...2017-10-3053 minLeaving Laodicea419 - Thyatira - The Church of Sin and CorruptionThyatira, Evil But Not TotallyIn our Lord’s seven letters to His seven churches, He says both good and bad things about three of the churches (Ephesus, Pergamos, and Thyatira). Two churches have only good things said about them (Smyrna and Philadelphia) and two have only bad (Sardis and Laodicea). And when we look at how these seven letters lay out for us church history in advance, we would assume the church that represents the Medieval church, the church of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church, would have only bad things said about it.But...2017-10-251h 00Leaving Laodicea418 - What Happens When Our Prayers Go UnansweredWe Pray, God is Silent. What Gives?Some of the hardest questions in the Christian life have to do with God not answering our prayers— no matter how much we pray or how much faith we can collectively muster. Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? Why didn’t God do what I prayed He would do? Why doesn’t God love me? Because if He did, He would not have let happen what happened? Where was God during my time of deepest need? I prayed to God for ________ and it did not happen.Which inevitably lea...2017-09-181h 00Leaving Laodicea417 - Want Some Advice? Do the Next Right ThingIt’s Pretty Simple, Do the Next Right ThingYou want some great advice? Good. Then “do the next right thing.”When we face depression, chilling disappointment, or numbing loss, what are we to do? What happens when all our dreams come crashing down around us like Jenga pieces scattered on our dining room floor? What happens when the intimacy we once felt with our Lord evaporates right before our eyes— and we don’t know why? What do we to do when the only voice we hear is our own doubt and paralyzing fear? What happens whe...2017-09-1845 minLeaving Laodicea416 - Pergamos: The Church in a Bad MarriagePergamos: A Mixed, Objectionable MarriageThe word Pergamos comes from a combination of two Greek words that mean “mixed, objectionable” and “marriage.” Pergamos therefore means a “mixed marriage” that is “objectionable” to God. Prophetically, it represents the marriage of the church and state where the state elevates the church to a place of acceptance or political correctness at the expense of the church’s devotion to God.Look at what the Lord had to say about this church:“But I have a few things against you, because you have there (in the church) those who hold the doc...2017-08-261h 07Leaving Laodicea415 - The Horrible Curse of God's AbandonmentThe Story of the Prodigal Son in Real LifeThere’s a time when the Lord gives us what we want: freedom, autonomy, independence, and to have no authority over our lives but ourselves. That’s right. God gives us over to our selfish, carnal attitudes and allows us to experience the consequences of our sins. It’s like He says, “Ok, you want to go your own way? Have at it. I’ll be here when you come to your senses.” It’s the story of the prodigal son played out in our lives in real time.This is...2017-08-2457 minLeaving Laodicea414 - The Unbelievable Blessings of PersecutionThings Look Different in the Kingdom of GodSometimes there are passages in the Scripture that confound even the most mature Believer. These are the ones that seem to defy logic, ones that fly in the face of our cherished sensibilities. For example, in Luke 6:30 the Lord tells us to “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them back.” But Jesus gives no qualifier in this verse. The person who asks for your stuff may be a bum, a greedy businessman, or the government. How are we suppose...2017-08-2056 minLeaving Laodicea413 - The Importance of Baptism in Our Spiritual LifeBaptism: Our First Acts of ObedienceBaptism has fallen out of favor in the church today. Many people are confused about baptism. And since there seems to be such a wide diversity of opinion about what baptism means and how important it is, many in the church have relegated it to an archaic, antiquated ritual and not much more. And that is a grave mistake. Why? Because baptism is your first act of obedience as a Christian.Many in the church who call themselves Christians have not been baptized according to the New Testament standard. That...2017-08-1851 minLeaving Laodicea412 - The Unbelievable Pain of Leaving Your First LoveJesus’ Letter to the Church at EphesusThe first of Jesus’ seven letters to the churches in the Revelation reveal more about each of us than we often care to admit. The letter to Ephesus has this chilling assessment from the Lord:“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).Ouch. In spite of this church standing firm against heresy and faithfully persevering under great trials, the Lord holds something against them. He is hurt, angry, almost unforgiving. He must feel rejected and forgotten. Why? Because the church in Ephesu...2017-08-041h 09Leaving Laodicea411 - We Will Not Be Equal in the Kingdom of GodNo Socialism in the Kingdom of GodWe will not all be equal in heaven. Now we’re not talking about salvation, but of rewards. All of us are equal regarding salvation because it is a gift given freely to those who believe. In this, there is no question. But what we do with our salvation is another matter. And God will reward our faithfulness to Him in this life. Consider the following:1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this found...2017-07-101h 04Leaving Laodicea410 - Standing at the Judgment Seat of ChristThe First of Seven Great JudgmentsThe Judgment Seat of Christ is the first of seven great judgments that will occur. And for the believer, it’s the most important. Why? Because at this judgment, all church-age believers will appear before Christ to give an account of their lives for reward. Or, with many, no reward. Consider the following:2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we (Paul includes himself) must (not optional) all appear before the judgment seat (bḗma) of Christ, (why) that each one (personal and individual) may receive (review and reward) the things done in the body, (revie...2017-07-0255 minLeaving Laodicea409 - The Real Reason Why We Study ProphecyThe Law of ProportionsOne of the major reasons we study prophecy is called the Law of Proportions. This law states the more ink the Lord uses in His Word to communicate a message, the more important that message must be. Consider the following regarding the Old Testament:Number of Verses in the Bible: 31,124Number of Predictions in the Old Testament: 1,239Number of Old Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210Percent of the Old Testament that is Prophecy: 28.5%What about the New Testament?Number of Pre...2017-06-2650 minLeaving Laodicea408 - The Next Event on God's Prophetic CalendarFor Him Who Has Ears (Eyes) to Hear (See)Jesus said, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:1-2). In essence, He was paraphrasing an ancient maritime proverb that went something like this: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor’s warning.”But the point of HIs words w...2017-06-1739 minLeaving Laodicea407 - When it Comes to Worship, We're CluelessDoes Your Worship Look Like This?One of the pressing questions today, as we take an honest look at the church, is: What does true worship look like? Is it what we see manifested on Sunday mornings? Is it music, a light show, an engaging speaker telling interesting and affirming stories? Or is it something more?We find the greatest verse regarding the mechanics of true worship in the book of Romans. Consider the following:I beseech (parakaléō – to beg, exhort, desire, call for, encourage) you (personal) therefore (based on what was previously written), bret...2017-06-1650 minLeaving Laodicea406 - The Discipline of Remembering WhenDo You Remember When…?Repeatedly, we see the commands in Scripture to “remember” something. Often we are to remember the commands of God (Num. 15:39-40). Other times we are to remember what God has done for us (Deut. 5:15). Then God Himself remembers His covenant with us and all living creatures (Gen. 9:15) or chooses not to remember our sins anymore (Heb. 8:12). Jesus told His disciples to “remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32) and in the Revelation, Jesus command the church at Ephesus to “remember therefore from where you have fallen” (Rev. 2:5). We see sinful man asking God to “remember me when You come into Y...2017-06-061h 03Leaving Laodicea405 - Christ Calls a Man to Come and DieThe Costs of DiscipleshipIn his classic book, the Costs of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer sums up the teaching of Jesus in this one phrase: “When Christ calls a man, he calls him to come and die.” That’s die to self. Die to our dreams. Die to our reputation. Die to our wants and rights. Die to our families, friends, and future. And die to our very lives.We see Jesus continually calling men “to forsake all and follow Him” (Luke 5:11) Consider the following.Matthew 16:24-26 – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come a...2017-06-0242 minLeaving Laodicea404 - Can You Say You Truly Enjoy God?Do You Truly Worship God?When it comes to worship, some of the most profound words are those of Jesus to the Samaritan woman He met at Jacob’s well in the city of Sychar (John 4:5). It was here that Jesus gave us explicit instructions on the type of worship the Father seeks.John 4:23-24 – “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true (one who cannot lie, real, genuine, sincere) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit (human) and truth (reality, the essence of a matter); for the Father is seeking (to look for...2017-05-2858 minLeaving Laodicea403 - God Never Waste an Experience, Good or BadWelcome to the School of Hard KnocksGod never wastes an experience in our life, good or bad. When we sin, for example, God uses our failure as a ministry to help others struggling with the same sin. He allows us to share the times we fell flat on our face to encourage others who are doing the same. It seems that’s what Jesus was teaching Peter.In the upper room, during the last supper, Jesus told Peter He was praying for him. But His prayer was not to remove the temptation and inevitable fall f...2017-05-2754 minLeaving Laodicea402 - Are You a Murderer? Probably SoDo You Have Blood On Your Hands?In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus equates anger with murder (Matt. 5:21-22), in much the same way He equates lust with adultery (Matt. 5:27-28). Later, John adds the following:1 John 3:11-15 – For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love (agapaō) one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his (Cain) works were evil and his brother’s (Able) righteous. Do not marvel (wonder, be surprised, astonished), my brethre...2017-05-211h 05Leaving Laodicea401 - How Life Changes in a 100 Yard SwimZeal First, then Reality Sets InIn John 21, we have the account of Jesus revealing Himself to a few of His disciples while they were fishing. As soon as it was revealed to John that it was Jesus on the shore, he said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 17:7). And in perfect Peter style, he overreacted and jumped into the water to swim to Jesus.But by the time he swam the 100 yards to where Jesus was, something happened. You can see it in Peter’s demeanor. You can almost feel his reluctance to approach J...2017-05-201h 05Leaving Laodicea400 - You Must Count the Cost, Pay the PriceNo Pain, No GainLife teaches us that anything worth having has a price attached to it. Nothing of value, other than salvation, comes free. “No pain, no gain,” as the saying goes. Jesus spoke that same truth in Luke 14:26-33.And the same principle applies with understanding and experiencing spiritual gifts. There are some things we must do and some things we can expect. Let’s look at our part first:You must have a desire for more of the Lord. A desire for the Spirit’s gifts. But that desire means more than calm, wi...2017-05-0854 minLeaving Laodicea399 - Signs (or Not) of the Kingdom of GodJesus Preached the Gospel of the KingdomIf you’ll take the time, you’ll find the core message of Jesus was about the kingdom of God. Over and over again, we find summary verses like this one:Matthew 4:23 – And Jesus went about all Galilee, (1) teaching in their synagogues, (2) preaching the gospel of (what) the kingdom, and (3) healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.In fact, Jesus said the object of the gospel He preached, and commanded us to preach, is the kingdom of God. Consider what Jesus said in...2017-04-3057 minLeaving Laodicea398 - When Our Blessings Become CursesThe Dual Blessings, and Curses, of WealthOne of the greatest blessings the church has experienced has become its greatest curse. And that is wealth. Opulence. The ability to run ahead of God rather than waiting on Him to provide what His church needs and when it needs it. Then there’s the great blessing that comes with persecution that a wealthy church always views as a curse. How did it become so upside down?The early church understood the blessings that come with persecution. Because they remembered the promise of Jesus when He preached His serm...2017-04-2357 minLeaving Laodicea397 - It Was Evening, the Same Faithful DaySame Play, Second ActIn John 20, we find some events that took place on that momentous Sunday, the first day of the week, when Jesus was raised from the dead. Some of those events took place early that Sunday morning and other events happened later that day, at evening. It was in the evening of the same day that Jesus appeared to His disciples and others who were hiding for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). And then, to this frightened and confused group of friends and disciples, Jesus spoke these words:John 20:21 – “Peace to you! As the F...2017-04-131h 00Leaving Laodicea396 - The Holy Spirit in the Early ChurchIt’s All About FaithTrying to live the Christian life in the flesh is exhausting and, honestly, impossible. But that’s how many believers live today. They start out well, full of hope and empowered by the Spirit, and then digress into a life of flesh, pride, and reliance on human wisdom rather than the wisdom of God. But the early church shows us the “abundant life” Jesus promised those who follow Him fleshed out in real time (John 10:10).And it’s all based on faith.Look at the faith involved in the healing o...2017-04-1058 minLeaving Laodicea395 - What Does it Mean to Live by Faith? - Part 2Is it Even Possible to Live by Faith Today?The best way for the early church to disciple the 3,000 who came to faith after the preaching of Peter’s sermon would be to let them learn to live like the disciples had lived for the last three years. Think about it. How did the disciples of Jesus, who had left everything to follow Him, support themselves during the time they went from city to city with Jesus? Did they take out a home equity loan on their house? Or did they max out their credit cards to fund t...2017-04-051h 09Leaving Laodicea394 - What Does it Mean to Live by Faith? - Part 1“You Want to Pass it On”In Acts 2, after the promised Holy Spirit came mightily upon the faithful praying in the upper room, and after Peter preached his Spirit-empowered sermon, the infant church grew from 120 to over 3,000 literally overnight. And now the apostles had a logistics problem. How were they to manage a crowd of over 3,000 newbies without the benefit of Christian literature or Lifeway, CCM, K-LOVE, God’s Not Dead 1 and 2, WinterJam, or local mega-churches with multiple, cross-town campuses? What were they to do?The answer was simple. They were to teach their new Christian...2017-04-021h 07Leaving Laodicea393 - Right Thing + Wrong Time = Wrong ThingSome Mistakes Take Years to Correct, if EverWhen Peter stands up in the midst of the 120 and declares that Judas must be replaced, he was speaking the truth (Acts 1:20). It is true from Scripture that God intended to someday replace Judas. But that doesn’t mean it was the right time to decide who the Lord had chosen to become part of the Twelve. What happened then, and what often happens with each of us, is that we decide a course of action, present God with two options we have chosen, and then ask Him to choos...2017-04-011h 06Leaving Laodicea392 - The 240 Hour Prayer (and Fasting) MeetingThe Importance of FastingWhen the 120 met together after the ascension of Jesus, there were some logistics we often overlook when considering their 240-hour prayer meeting (Acts 1:14). For example:What about food?Did they go home to eat several times a day?Did someone have food catered in to them?Did they go to Wal-Mart or McDonald’s daily?Did their family drop off lunch bags each day?Or did they go on an extended fast?And if so, what was that like?2017-03-2459 minLeaving Laodicea391 - Some Questions from the Infant ChurchWhat Can We Learn from the Infant Church?As we begin to look at how the Holy Spirit moved in the lives of ordinary men in the book of Acts, we are confronted with a few questions. These questions have to do with the character of the men Jesus chose to fulfill the mandate He gave to His church. And what was that mandate?Acts 1:8 – “But you shall receive power (dúnamis) when (what) the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, a...2017-03-141h 00Leaving Laodicea390 - You Know, Sometimes History HurtsLove Hurts… and So Does HistoryWhen we try to determine the exact day that Jesus was crucified, either Friday or Wednesday, we come face to face with an ugly fact about the history of the church. That ugly history shows the depth of the church’s hatred for the Jews during the first and second centuries, much like the church’s hatred of the Jews today. Church councils were called to try to determine a uniform date for Easter in order for it not to correspond with the Jewish Passover (the 14th of Nisan), even if they are...2017-03-1359 minLeaving Laodicea389 - What is it Like to Live in the Kingdom?The Great DisconnectIf we were honest, we’d have to admit that the picture of life in the church as revealed in Scripture and our own personal church experience are not always the same. In fact, they often seem like polar opposites, like night and day. Consider what Paul said about life in the church:Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works (where) in us, to Him be glory (where) in the church by Christ Jesus to all...2017-03-101h 00Leaving Laodicea388 - What is the True Intent of the Law?Read ‘Em and WeepIn the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus reveals to us what life is like in His Kingdom, He contrasts the Old Testament Law with its true intent. And it does this by saying, “You have heard that it was said to those of old… but I say unto you.” Or, to put it another way, “You have an understanding about the Law and what it governs, but I want to show you the true intent of the Law and what it really means.”The Law governed external actions. Or so it seemed to th...2017-02-2652 minLeaving Laodicea387 - What is the “Baptism of the Spirit” Thing?Baptism of the What?The baptism of, or with, the Holy Spirit is defined as:“The Baptism of, or with, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming upon the Believer, taking possession of his faculties, imparting to him gifts not naturally his own, but which qualify him for the service to which God has called him.”But this just raises more questions for us to ponder. For example:What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?Is it a command from God?Is it...2017-02-221h 02Leaving Laodicea386 - What Does “Praying in the Spirit” Mean?Finding Answers to Controversial QuestionsTwice in Scripture we are commanded to “pray in the Spirit.” We see this first in Ephesians 6:18 and again in Jude 1:20. We are not told to pray “with” the Spirit or “to” the Spirit, but pray “in” the Spirit.Have you ever wondered what that means? Is it praying in tongues as Paul referenced in 1 Corinthians 14:15? No. That’s something entirely different.• Is it something that I do or is it something the Holy Spirit does through me?• Where does my responsibility end and His activity begin?• What is the ess...2017-02-1359 minLeaving Laodicea385 - The Whole Tongue Controversy ExplainedIt’s All About One Word: glṓssaEver since the resurgence of the charismatic movement in the last century, there has been incredible controversy in the church on the issue of spiritual gifts, especially the gift of speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 10:8). One faction believes it is a sign of a deeper relationship with the Lord that everyone should seek but only few find. You hear this when statements like this are made: “You must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues.”Then there is the other side that throws all th...2017-02-051h 06Leaving Laodicea384 - Prophecy and Tongues - Two Sides of the Same CoinNow, For a Simple ExplanationWhen we look at the gifts given us by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, we are drawn to the fact that some of these gifts are verbal (word of wisdom and knowledge, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues) and some are non-verbal (faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles). And within the verbal gifts, we find certain pair that are closely associated with each other. For example, we have the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. Then those who possess the gift of tongues and...2017-01-231h 01Leaving Laodicea383 - Where Do All the Miracles Hide Today?Why Then and Not Now?Have you ever wondered why we don’t see the healings and miracles today like they did in the times of the New Testament? Has it left you longing for what obviously the early church had that we, somehow, seem to have lost? Or could it be something else?We have listened to a litany of theologians try to sell us on the fact that God doesn’t do the cool stuff anymore because we have the completed New Testament in our hands. Or He only did the stuff back then to...2017-01-151h 03Leaving Laodicea382 - How the Holy Spirit Expresses HimselfHe Still Speaks TodayWhen we have the desire to know more about the gifts given each of us by the Holy Spirit, and our responsibility in exercising those gifts, we are faced with a couple of questions. Especially when we see that the purpose of those gifts is to give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to manifest or express Himself to others. Consider the following:1 Corinthians 12:7 – But the manifestation (expression) of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.• How does the Holy Spirit manifest or express Himself in the wo...2017-01-1057 minLeaving Laodicea381 - Could This Year Be The Year of SanctificationOh No, Not Another Meaningless Resolution!Many of us make resolutions this time of year. It just seems natural. Maybe we want to lose weight, get out of debt, or finish a long-neglected project around the house. But as Christians, we want to somehow make our resolutions more spiritual. That also seems natural. So we often resolve something like this:“I want to read my Bible more.”“I want to pray more.”“I want to share my faith more.”“I want to love more, forgive more, worship more.”“I want to live mor...2017-01-0447 minLeaving Laodicea380 - Trust Me, Fear is Not Your FriendNope, Never, and Not Under Any CircumstanceWhen we read the reason God gave each of us spiritual gifts, we find they are an expression or representation of the Holy Spirit to a lost world in dire need of Him. Think about it: the Holy Spirit lives in each of us as a deposit or guarantee of our future inheritance in Him (Eph. 1:14). In essence, no Holy Spirit, no salvation.Because the Holy Spirit now lives in each of us, He also graciously gives us certain gifts that come from Him. Some of these gifts we...2017-01-0350 minLeaving Laodicea379 - The Cost of ChristmasWhen we think of the cost of Christmas, most of us think about how much it is going to cost us and how long before we pay our credit cards off. But that’s the horizontal cost. The cost of presents that feel good for the moment but have very little lasting value.There’s also a vertical cost to Christmas. And that cost was paid by the Son of God who “emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave” (Phi.2:7), the lowest of men.What did Christmas cost Jesus? You’d be shocked, surpr...2016-12-2633 minLeaving Laodicea378 - What Exactly is the Gift of Faith?Ah, So Many Questions Among the Swirling ConfusionIn 1 Corinthians 12:9, at the beginning of the second group of spiritual gifts, it says one of the gifts is faith.“To another faith by the same Spirit” – 1 Corinthians 12:9a.But what kind of faith are we talking about? Is this saving faith? The faith God gives to those chosen by Him from the foundation of the world? (Eph. 1:4). Or is it something else? And, if so, what exactly is this kind of faith?Is it faith like Abraham had when he left his home to tr...2016-12-1857 min