not good enough

Is Being “Good” Good Enough? A Biblical Perspective on Salvation

I have often heard someone say, “I think I am a good person,” or variations thereof: “They are a good person,” or “There are many good people in this world.” Often, this sentiment is paired with the notion that being good is all one needs to secure a place in heaven. This thinking is attractive…

showing mercy

Showing Mercy

In Matthew 5:7, Christ said that it is the merciful who shall obtain mercy. James 2:13 states the same truth:  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. The spirit of this beatitude and the passage in James is seen in the Parable of the Unforgiving…

Times of Restoration

Times of Restoration

The book of Joshua ends with the death of Eleazar, son of Aaron. Phinehas, his son, succeeded him as high priest. Phinehas is best known for decisively ending God’s punishment of Israel for their unfaithfulness with the Moabites. God praised Phinehas:  Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger…

the law legalism

How to Use the Law

Teaching in higher education for ten years taught me that you cannot assume people will do what’s obviously right, and they will not admit to understanding what is obviously wrong. When people are left without marked boundaries to exercise their own free will, they will defy their own conscience, ignore any sense of right and…

Satan spiritual warfare

It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want To

Satan secured the scepter of government in the earth from Adam by right of conquest. He has organized the present world system on his own cosmic principles:  pride, ambition, selfishness, force, greed, and pleasure. The world system—scientific, cultured, and elegant—is dominated by satanic principles, and beneath its deceptive veneer is a seething cauldron of ambition…

grief jesus wept

Jesus Wept

As many of you may already know, my wife Leah and I have recently suffered some severe loss. On November 30, 2023, we lost our son, Andrew James, at 16 weeks gestation. Then again on July 2, 2024, we lost our daughter, Quincy Kay, at 20 weeks gestation. There were many thoughts that followed both…