Steve's Blog
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13 (NIV)
Many Christians believe that sound doctrine or teaching is essential, but they do not always know why it is crucial. Sound doctrine is not an end in itself, but instead, it serves as guard rails to keep us on the road of faith. Following sound doctrine will lead to sound living, sound ministry, and sound hope. When we look at the results of following sound doctrine, we ca...
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!!! *“For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.”* Psalm 95:3 (NLT) The percentage of Christians who would agree with the declaration *“The Lord is a great God”* is probably pretty high, but what does it really mean to us and in what ways does it affect our outlook on life? ===  It is one thing to have an intellectual understanding that acknowledges the greatness of our God, but it is something infinitely greater when that underst...
Waiting patiently is not high on the list of my attributes. I am much happier when things go according to my schedule. I know that I am not alone in my impatience because we live in a society that caters to instant gratification. We have fast food and microwave ovens. The cable and satellite television companies offer movies on demand. Many areas of life are tailored for convenience and hurriedness. However, patience is something that God wants to develop in each one of us. In 1 Corinthians 13 w...
It seems as though the word heresy sometimes gets thrown around with such ease and blatant disregard for fairness that it is almost completely lost its meaning. Something is not heresy simply because we disagree with it. Heresies and false teachings are real, but we must be careful about throwing labels around irresponsibly. There are many things that we will not completely understand until we have the opportunity to see the Lord face-to-face and in an ironic twist, there is a high probability t...
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My blog post is a day late this week because I was preoccupied with a more pressing issue. On Sunday around midnight, the AGIF website stopped working after an automated system upgrade. I spent several hours on the phone with various technical support people and I kept pressing the point that this situation was their fault because everything was working fine before the upgrade and now it was broken. There was no clear indication of what the problem was and it took many hours of diagnosis on my p...
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I had a conversation this week with a friend of mine who has many years of experience as a worship leader. The essence of the discussion settled on the fact that worship encompasses more than singing. We can sing songs of praise, sincerely and with the right motivation, but still not be a worshiper of God. Someone who sings and proclaims the praises of God can do so without being fundamentally changed, but a worshiper is someone whose life is devoted to the one whom they worship. A worshiper’s l...
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*Then the LORD God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone...”* Genesis 2:18 (CEB) Six times *“God saw that it was good”* is declared during creation culminating in the last verse of Genesis 1, *“God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good.”* But at last, God looks at Adam and he laments, *“It’s not good that the human is alone.”* Certainly, there are times when we desire to be left alone and even need to be alone, but under normal circumstances we need to be around other people i...
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I sing by myself quite often, in the car, in the shower and sometimes even on my bicycle. Often, a word or a thought will remind me of a song which in turn will remind me of another song and so on. A couple of days ago in the shower I began to sing, “Isn’t He Wonderful?” That in turn led to, “Wonderful, Wonderful, Jesus Is Me” and then “His Name Is Wonderful.” I began to contemplate just how wonderful the Lord has been to me. I began to think about the wonder and glory of God. The word wonderful...
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Those of us who know and love the Scriptures are aware that they contain many words of comfort and encouragement. They contain words of hope and reassurance that are appropriate for every circumstance in life that we have or will encounter. Additionally, they provide correction and direction as they point us to God. The Psalmist told us, *“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”* Psalm 119:11 (NLT) Almost certainly we can recall Paul’s words to Timothy, *“All Scri...
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You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
In recent weeks we have once again been made aware that there are many confused Christians. On the one hand, they claim to be born again, yet more than two-thirds of them do not believe that the only way to God is through Jesus.
While some of it may be attributable to a lack of training in sound doctrine, it is doubtful that that is the complete picture. The...
For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT)
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is not without controversy. There have been debates over its meaning and significance for centuries. There have been various interpretations regarding the elements of Communion. Segments of the church believe them to be literal, while others see them as only symbolic.
The result is that there are churches that have deempha...
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In these days of uncertainty, when people all around us are filled with fear, anxiety and worry, we as followers of Christ have an opportunity to demonstrate that *“He who is within us, is greater than he that is in the world.”* It was Rudyard Kipling who said, *“If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too!”* We should view the present situation as an opportunity...
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*A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.* Proverbs 19:11 (NIV) I have made a conscious decision to not be offended by anyone or anything. Ironically, I can almost state unequivocally that this will probably offend someone. This is probably easier said than done because, as we all know, there are many offensive things all around us. It is almost impossible to keep track of all of the things in the world around us that fly in the face of decency and stand in...
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“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 (NLT)
I have belonged to the Auto Club for many years. Occasionally, we have gone long periods of time without needing assistance, but when something does break, or we run out of gas, it is comforting to hear the words, “Help is on the way!” To have the assurance that we will not be left stranded in our vehicles is one thing, but much more incredible is the security that God gives us that when we find oursel...
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Help is on the way *“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”* Psalm 34:4 (NLT) Psalm 34 was written in a very difficult time in David’s life. In some ways he was the victim of his own success or perhaps more accurately, the success that came from being obedient to the Lord. God’s favor upon David’s life caused Saul to be jealous and as a result David was on the run. David fled to King Achish of Gath because sometimes we think that the enemy of our enemy could be...
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*“Have Faith in God.”* These words from Jesus follow immediately after the observation that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed earlier in the day had indeed withered and died and they immediately precede the statement by Jesus in which he said, *“I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.”* Mark 11:23 (NLT) === ...
“Have Faith in God.” These words from Jesus follow immediately after observing that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed earlier in the day had indeed withered and died. They immediately precede the statement by Jesus in which he said, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:23 (NLT)
What does it mean to say, “Have faith in God?...
*In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. Job 1:22 (NLT)* One of the perils that is overlooked by those who emphasize health and prosperity is illustrated in the life of Job. As the book of Job commences, Job is already a wealthy man as far as family and possessions are concerned. He had been blessed and there was a wall of protection surrounding him, but more important than Job’s comfort and convenience is the glory and reputation of God. The trials that Job went through resulted from Go...
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Very few “normal” people look forward to difficult trials and tribulations in their lives. In fact, most of us will do everything that we can to avoid hardship and testing. But should we? In John 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the aftermath of his crucifixion. He tells them that they will be scattered in many directions, leaving him alone and yet he will not be alone because the Father is with him. He then proceeds to tell them a most astonishing thing. **“These things I have spoken to...
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*A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength*. Proverbs 17:22 (NLT) If you want to generate controversy, just begin a discussion about health care. People have strong opinions on affordability, availability and just about every other aspect of the topic. It is not my intention or desire to open this can of worms, but instead to remind us of a natural remedy that is found in the Bible. Unlike the medicine that we find advertised on television in which they spen...
I recall a Christmas when I was about 10 years old when I did not receive the gifts that I wanted or expected. I was vocal in expressing my displeasure to the dismay of my parents. I was neither pleasant nor civil with my disrespect and ungratefulness. I was immature and did not appreciate all of the blessings and advantages that were mine, but today it reminds me of Christians who are begging and even demanding favor from God. They do not realize how much favor they already possess. I believe w...
We often hear the declaration: “God is good.” It is easy to say it, but at times, if we are honest with ourselves and others, we may not be as sure, particularly when things are not going our way.
For our words to have any meaning, we must live our lives in such a way that we believe that God is good. Some people live their lives according to how much money they have in the bank. Some people live their lives according to what kind of car they drive. Some people live their lives by how many lik...
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**“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.”** Luke 6:43–44 (NLT) ===  There is not a definitive answer as to how many species of fruit there are in the world, but it is estimated that 1000 to 2000 types of fruit are edible. Individual preference would probably pair this list down quite a bit, but just bec...
Writers know that a provocative title can entice people to read what they have written. However, the ploy cannot be overused because it will soon lose its effectiveness. I am writing this because I have been inspired by the words of Paul to the Galatians. *“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”* Galatians 4:19 (NIV). Paul used the illustration of childbirth to convey the seriousness and determination that he had to see the life and chara...
The account of Caleb’s life in the Promised Land is found in Joshua 14:6-15 and there are four lessons from his life as we begin this New Year. *“I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago.”* Joshua 14:11–12a (NCV) The first lesson that we can learn from Caleb is to have a *passionate heart for God.* There are six references in Scripture that indicate to u...
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