Building on the Foundation

  Have you ever wondered what God’s sense of humor is like? After all, He created all that exists, including humor, and there’s such a wide variety of it. Most people have at least some concept of humor, but it varies widely from one person to another. So what about our Creator and His sense of humor? The Bible is a serious book, a book of life and death. God didn’t give it to us for lighthearted entertainment, but rather as a guide to His Kingdom and eternal life. That’s something we must take very seriously. I’d also suggest that much of God’s humor is beyond our comprehension, just as the humor of grown-ups is often beyond the comprehension of small children. There’s much that our minds simply cannot yet grasp. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I pu

  King Solomon wrote, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11). In other words, words fitly spoken are works of art to be as cherished as the most precious metals on earth. But what about words UNfitly spoken? Are there also vile and disgusting things that we, as God’s servants, should not speak? It would seem so, for Jesus Christ told us in Mat. 12:35-37, 35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” If we’re to appear before the throne of Almighty God and give account of every word we speak, then it seems we ought to be very careful about what we say! The apostle James added, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongu

  You are being watched. Every hour, every day, every second. There’s a creature crouching, waiting, stalking, watching you with hate-filled eyes piercing through the darkness. You never see him, yet he’s always there, looking for a chink in your armor, searching for an opportunity to strike. Yes, this adversary is Satan the Devil. The apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). “Know your enemy” is the famed maxim uttered by Sun Tzu, ancient Chinese soldier and author of The Art of War . Indeed, of such a dangerous foe, we cannot afford to be ignorant. After warning the Corinthians of a potential threat, the apostle Paul explained, “Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). God’s Word tells us much about Satan’s attacks. He is “more cunning than any beast of the field,” more cunning than a slithering snake or a stalking lion.

Are you struggling with pronouns like a confused penguin? Fear not, my friend! As a seasoned wordsmith and Bible buff (not to brag, but I have written a couple of posts. Hehe), let me guide you through the treacherous waters of pronoun use. Trust me; you'll be pronouning like a pro in no time! So sit back, grab some popcorn, and hang on as we dive into the not-so-wild world of pronouns and remove your confused penguin look. The first thing to straighten out is the question that might be on everyone’s mind. What is a pronoun? Well, quite simply, it is a noun that has lost its amateur status. It has gone pro. Having gone pro, it is now a word that stands in for a noun. Like nouns, pronouns refer to people, things, concepts, or places. Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun. A pronoun can serve as the subject or object in a sentence, and it will usually refer back (or sometimes forward) to an antecedent—the noun that the pronoun stands in for. Pronouns are used to avoid t

Get behind me, Satan!!!  These are the harsh words that Christ spoke to one of His most faithful disciples. Why would Christ call Peter Satan? There are a few things that spring out of this statement that Christ made that we will look at in the context of leadership. This same statement could be made to thousands of so-called teachers and preachers in the world around us because they are not actually ministers of God; Instead, by teaching lies, they have unwittingly made themselves into ministers of darkness. These men are not possessed, but just as Peter did, they have seized on the lies of the Devil.  With all of these people wandering around claiming to preach Christ, it can be pretty confusing to recognize those who are truly teaching Christ. So just how do we distinguish the light from the darkness? They are all pretty nice people and often have a strong charisma about them as well, so where has God drawn the line? In the gospel of Matthew, Christ made a profound statement to His