In the last four weeks, we have covered various aspects of recognizing false teachers and false teaching. Even though Jude has spent his entire letter on this topic, he also reminds his readers of what the apostles said on the subject. Jude 1:17-19 LSB " But you, beloved, must remember the words that were spoken beforehand... Continue Reading →
July 2021. There is a distance between now and September 2019, when all the questions began. That distance allows for clarity of thought and better reflection. It started with examining whether Todd Bentley, the leader of the Lakeland Revival, was qualified for ministry. The clear answer was no; a committee said as much, but his... Continue Reading →
In the last post of the Jude series, we looked at the profile of a false teacher. This week we will look at two verses that explain why false teachers will face judgment at the end of time. Jude 1:14-16 LSB “But Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied about these men, saying,... Continue Reading →
Take every thought captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5 As I began praying this morning, I was led to take authority over my thoughts. Last night I was listening to Rabbi Curt Landry talk about the importance of looking forward and thinking about the future. One of the things he mentioned was how we all have a... Continue Reading →
But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. Ephesians 2:13 TLV There is much division in the world today. And sadly, the same kind of division has come into the Church. That should not be so. In Christ, we are all one; Jew... Continue Reading →
My son, pay attention to my words— incline your ear to my sayings. Proverbs 4:20 TLV This verse and much of Proverbs talks about the Word of God, the Bible. To incline your ear means to bend your ear; we would say listen intently. But what about hearing God and knowing when the Spirit of... Continue Reading →
"Be still, and know I am God." Psalm 46:11a TLVa I don't know about you, but when I go to bed at night, I can never get my mind to stop. Sometimes I'm thinking about a Scripture; sometimes it's just stuff, other times it's the weird, deep stuff, like what if there was nothing….. and... Continue Reading →
Have you ever looked at someone and just knew something was off? When you found out, did the thought of I KNEW IT! Come out of your mouth embarrassingly? Or worse, did you think someone was terrific, only to find out something else. Nothing is worse than finding out someone isn’t who they seem to... Continue Reading →
The motto of the Protestant Reformation was “Semper Reformanda,” reformed and always reforming. They didn’t say we had arrived. There is always a need to continue learning and growing. The change of yesterday leads to the change of today. The time of the Reformation taught men the necessity of the Scripture. Martin Luther saw a... Continue Reading →
If a verse in the Bible describes the Church today, it is the first verse of this week’s text. Jude 1:4 LSB “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master... Continue Reading →
When I look at America today, it is shocking to see what is going on in our nation. From the promotion of things of the most vile sort to corruption in all levels of leadership, the state of the nation can seem hopeless. But this post is not about that. As shocking as the state... Continue Reading →
Have you ever read or heard something that was so thought-provoking it was on your mind for days, weeks, or even months? That was me several years ago when I read several books by various authors. A repeated theme was rethinking Christianity; in these books, they invited the reader into conversations that challenged Christians to... Continue Reading →
As we come to the end of James’s letter, it is essential to review the entire chapter to rightly understand the last eight verses in the correct context. James chapter one deals with handling trials and temptations and the importance of doing what the Scripture says, not merely listening to it. Chapter two warns against... Continue Reading →
"Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 ESV Pride and haughtiness are characteristics of the age we live in; being proud is seen as a good thing, yet the Bible repeatedly condemns pride (Prov. 11:2, Js. 4:6, 1 Jn. 2:16, Prov. 16:5). We take pride in our accomplishments but... Continue Reading →
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13 ESV When we talk about the armor of God, it is customary to hear the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit get most of the emphasis.... Continue Reading →
Casey D. Bell 