Leaving Laodicea

When we recognize the dark, deep gravity of our sin we no longer are content to say, somewhat callously, "Oh, my bad, sorry."  Instead, we cry out for something that is seldom mentioned today.  We cry out for that one forgotten word:  Mercy.Consider the words of David in Psalm 51:"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions."David has come to understand the proper view of his sin.  He doesn't pray for mere forgiveness, but pleads and begs for mercy.  Did you ever wonder why?Then keep listening. The following is a study on Psalm 51.

The Scriptures tells us more about ourselves and our relationship with the Lord than we often choose to believe.  After all, Hebrews 2:7-8 states:"You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.  You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him.But what does this have to do with you and me?  How can this passage help me survive the encroaching darkness that threatens to engulf me and my family?For the answer, keep listening.The following is a study on Hebrews 2:5-9.

Psalm 51 is the greatest of all the Psalms of repentance.  In it, David pours out his heart to the Lord, begging that he not suffer forever the consequences of his sin.  And God forgives David's sin, but the consequences remain.The Psalm begins with this short introduction:To the Chief Musician.  A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone to Bathsheba.Ah, now we know the setting of the sin... the all-too-familiar story of David and Bathsheba.  But, as with most of Scripture, there is much more to this story than we might think.Want to see a bigger picture of Psalm 51?  Keep listening.The following is a study on Psalm 51.

Psalm 6 is the first of several Psalms of repentance.  It is a Psalm of anguish and deep soul searching."So," you ask, "what can we learn from this Psalm?"  Ah, much!For example, the turning point in the Psalm is when David calls upon the name of the Lord.  We must learn from his example.  In times of victory, call upon Him.  In times of defeat, call upon the Lord.  In times of temptation, call upon the name of the Lord.  In our "dark night of the soul" call upon the Light of the World.  Call always upon the Lord regardless of the circumstances.But there is so much more in this Psalm.  Keep listening.The following is a study on Psalm 6.

The miracle of the Incarnation of Christ can be summarized in the following statement:"Remaining what He always was, He became what He was not."I know that often we focus our attention on the actual birth of Jesus and its accompanying highlights:  the star in the sky, the visit of the Magi and the annunciation to the shepherds.  But the greatest miracle took place some nine months earlier when the promise was given to a young girl that the "Holy Spirit would come upon her" and "the power of the Highest would overshadow her" and she would conceive a child.  Ah, the miracle of the incarnation.Are you interested in finding out more about this great event?  Good.  Then keep listening.The following is a study on the Incarnation.

When we look around at the people in the church it becomes painfully evident that many of them are deceived, lost, and have followed the wide path that Jesus said leads to destruction and have forsaken the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.  These people seem to pop up everywhere, like kudzu, and can often choke out the spiritual health of a church.Come on, you know it's true.And the question facing us is how are we to deal with this reality?  What are we to do?James addresses those very questions in the closing of his letter.  Let me encourage you to keep listening and find out more. The following is a study on James 5:19-20.

There are times when we read a phrase or word in the Scriptures and assume we know what it means simply because of how the word is used today.  But language changes over time.Just think of what the word "cool" or "rock" or "gay" meant 70 years ago and what it commonly means today.  See the problem?So, to rightly divide the Word of Truth we must determine what the Scriptures say when they were written and not what we want them to say today.  Words like "sick" and "healed" and "saved" don't always mean what we think they do.  And this is never more clear than in the last chapter of James.Intrigued?  Good.  Then keep listening.The following is a study on James 5:13-18.

Lying today has evolved into an art form.  From our government to the media to our valued institutions, it seems there is little truth spoken today unless it serves some selfish purpose.  After all, everybody lies.Men and women lie to each other when they promise to stay together until "death do us part" and then they turn around and say the same line to someone else who is more "compatible" or whose differences are not "irreconcilable." Everybody lies.  But James speaks about the radical truthfulness that comes with knowing Christ.  And that truthfulness flies in the face of our contemporary culture.  Want to hear more?The following is a study on James 5:12.

As Christians, we are commanded to "love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul" and to "love our neighbor more than we love ourselves."  But often we find our affections focused on stuff, worthless trinkets and toys, more than on the Lord.  And that sad fact of life never becomes more clearer than during the Christmas season.James rebukes that kind of self-centered life rather harshly.If you have ever looked at the teaching of Jesus and the example of the early church regarding wealth, and compared it to our selfish, narcissistic lifestyle and felt... uh, ashamed, then keep listening. The following is a study on James 5:1-6.

The Bible gives us the story of ordinary people who have had their lives changed by the infusion of a extraordinary God.  It shows their successes and their failures.  The Scriptures show what happens to these ordinary, yet empowered, people when they rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and it also shows what happens when they try to do the supernatural in the flesh.Like most of us, they turn-tail and run.But each of these, Abraham, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter and you and me, need to cry out to the Lord and plead, "Lord, increase my faith!"  Sound too close to home?  Keep listening.The following is a study on how to increase our faith.