teaching, thoughts, devotions & reflections
I want to know Jesus better, and I want to obey Him more consistently; this is the desire of the Christian. We all want to grow closer to the Lord, and we are all at varying levels in our relationship with Him. Each of us has different things that trip us up. What is tempting... Continue Reading →
The most wonderful time of year has begun! I know many are not seeing the Christmas season as wonderful as they did a few years ago. A lot has changed, and things will continue to change, but the Christmas season gives us a chance to reset our focus. One of my favorite parts of the... Continue Reading →
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,Genesis 17:1 ESV From the moment I woke up this morning, I have been thinking about the phrase, “walk before Me and be blameless.” I wonder what Abraham thought when God... Continue Reading →
The book of Ephesians is a treasure trove of doctrine and practicality that every Christian should read several times a year. In it, Paul prays two prayers for the church. The first deals with the calling of a Christian, and the second deals with our source of strength. In today's post, we will look at... Continue Reading →
"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." - Revelation 22:4-5 ESV Today I finished my study in the... Continue Reading →
Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians provides us with an evidentiary list of our salvation. So, if you have ever experienced that lingering question in the back of your mind, I wonder if I’m actually saved, this post will give you the indicators of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10... Continue Reading →
Last week we looked at Colossians 1:3-8 and came to a place of understanding how grace and truth coincide in the Christian life. Today we will look at how that grace and truth bring about growth in our lives. Colossians 1:9-14 ESV “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray... Continue Reading →
In the last two weeks, I have read the book of Acts paying careful attention to instances of healing and miracles, specifically looking at who performed them. I will present all the verses on healing and miracles in this post and then offer my observations and thoughts. THE TEXTS “And awe came upon every soul,... Continue Reading →
As I was reading Colossians a few weeks ago, his prayer for the church stuck out to me. I began to think of the other prayers recorded in his letters. In Colossians 1:18, Paul told the Colossians to share the letter with the Laodiceans and to read the letter written to them. The prayers for... Continue Reading →
This morning I read the story of Gideon asking God for a sign in Judges 6:36-40 ESV “Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and... Continue Reading →
One could say that the Apostle Paul lived the lives of ten men. He lived a faithful life and is a worthy example to follow from a radical conversion on the road to Damascus, fifteen different journeys, starting churches, mentoring young pastors, and all the persecution he suffered. In the coming weeks and months, we... Continue Reading →
“Did God actually say?” That is the question that brought the fall of man, and it is the same question that causes us to doubt the Word of God today. But as much as the enemy causes people to question what the Bible says, a little while after his initial question, God told him that... Continue Reading →
We’ve all heard that it is best to rip a band-aid off because it hurts more when you pull it slowly. My childhood memories say that’s true. So, what about the band-aid of “I’m a good person.” Should we slowly pull it off or rip it off by saying, no, none of us are good... Continue Reading →
I read an article the other day and sat stunned seeing the most anti-biblical theology celebrated by pastors that I’ve seen in a while. Sure, the Church in question is a “progressive Christian” church, but it didn’t make the article’s content any less jarring. The pastor’s wife is a practicing porn star. In the article,... Continue Reading →
After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father in heaven, we come into the mercy court and ask to be cleansed. Now we go into the court of records, and we hold our giving up to you. What? Where is that in the Bible? (I made that up, just like someone made up that theology... Continue Reading →
Casey D. Bell 