Much has been said and even speculated about the Book of Job. Some Christians sweep the complexities under the rug with statements like, “Job is the question, and Jesus is the answer.” Others who are bothered by the sovereignty of God point to Job, saying, “the thing I feared the most has come upon me,”... Continue Reading →
How many times have you started to pray and become distracted? You begin praying, and all of a sudden, a grocery list begins forming in your head, or you suddenly remember you forgot something three weeks ago. Over the last several years, a common prayer strategy has been to pray on your way to work.... Continue Reading →
Genesis is a book of beginnings. In it, we find the creation, humanity, the flood, the story of redemption begins to unfold, and the nation of people is promised to Abraham. God begins to set things in order very quickly, and certain things established in Genesis carry through the entirety of Scripture. For example, Malachi... Continue Reading →
Much has been said, and rightly so, concerning unity in the Church. But what does unity look like? Is it really about setting doctrine aside and accepting professions of faith at face value when there is no fruit behind the confession? Years ago, Catholics and Evangelicals Together came on the scene, declaring we’re all together.... Continue Reading →
This morning my New Testament reading ended in an odd spot at Mark 14:26, so I kept reading and finished the gospel. I sat and pondered why the reading plan would stop at such a weird place but knew it was due to the number of verses in the New Testament being split over four... Continue Reading →
Today is the 49th annual March for Life. This event for life has become increasingly political over the last several years. But unfortunately, with the hijacking of the term pro-life in recent years, much of the movement has given way to the industry. I am unashamedly pro-life, but I refuse to be holistically pro-life. Why?... Continue Reading →
There is an abundance of teaching on the love of God in the Church today, which is a good thing, after all, "for God so loved the word that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." God's love is a central topic of Scripture,... Continue Reading →
Yesterday I saw an ad on Facebook for an online discussion about if the prophetic is still for today. It had several well-known leaders in the prophetic movement listed to speak. I thought to myself; you're missing the point; charismatics aren't questioning if prophecy is for today; they're asking about the accuracy and legitimacy of... Continue Reading →
As Christians, we understand the importance of Bible reading and study. But inevitably, there will always be something that trips us up primarily because we don't understand the context of what is being said or happening in a story. We've all been there; we grab a commentary, look up a word, or search the internet... Continue Reading →
Many of us are on day four of a bible reading plan, and in a few weeks or months, some of us will ask the question, how can I keep the momentum going? Bible reading isn't a chore or a checklist (even though I check off as I read). Reading the Bible is how we... Continue Reading →
Faith in God is not presumption. What is presumption? “an idea that is taken to be true, and often used as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain.” How do we presume upon God? By proclaiming instead of praying is one way we can presume upon God. Some see faith as... Continue Reading →
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me stray from Your commandments.11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." These are the words of Psalm 119:9-11 (LSB).... Continue Reading →
Not far from Christ's manger, shepherds kept watch over their flock. The Good Shepherd was first a baby in a manger, surrounded by animals. Mary pondered the events of the following hours in her heart. The baby in the manger was announced years later as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of... Continue Reading →
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 →
"When Abram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Continually walk before Me and you will be blameless." - Genesis 17:1 TLV 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... Continue Reading →
Casey D. Bell 