fisher of men

As if They’ve Already Arrived By Jennifer Waddle Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Romans 14:19) I remember the first time I heard the concept of treating your spouse as if they’d already “arrived.” I admit, I was skeptical.  The idea behind it is to stop complaining about what your spouse isn’t doing, and start encouraging them in the things they are doing. I was afraid to try it, worried that my husband would start to think he was doing everything right! But I also knew something had to change, so, despite my skepticism, I decided to give it a try. My biggest complaint was that I felt like my husband didn’t spend enough time leading our family spiritually. For years, I would take the lead in this area and then act...

To the modern mind, the idea of purposely slaughtering animals and offering them up to a deity may seem barbaric. It also may seem incongruous with the Christian God of love. Certainly, a vengeful ancient god or angry spirit might demand blood compensation, but a God of forgiveness and love? However, after some exploration, this seeming paradox may not be so conflicting after all. The Old Testament Situation To understand animal sacrifice, we must start at the beginning. Genesis 3 records the story of the fall of humanity, during which Adam and Eve disobeyed God, bringing sin into the world. Genesis 3:21 then records the first death in the Bible, when God made clothes for Adam and Eve out of animal skin. Presumably, this would have been shocking and horrifying to the first couple. It was a...

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?'”  – Matthew 27:46 When You Ask “Why, God?” By Dr. Jeff Schreve We all grieved and mourned the brutal, unimaginable horror that took place November 5, 2017, at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.  A deranged and demonized (if not demon-possessed) gunman shot and killed 26 people and wounded 20 others in the worst church shooting America has ever witnessed. The loss of life and utter decimation to individual families and the church family at large are simply heartbreaking to contemplate.      In times like this, we naturally ask, “Why,...

When is Jacob first mentioned in the Bible? Jacob is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 25. When Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, was pregnant with him and his fraternal twin Esau, she inquired of God as to why her two babies were fighting in her womb (Genesis 25:22).  God replied that the enmity between the two brothers was a foreshadowing for the two nations that would arise from them – Jacob would be the forefather of Israel (Genesis 32:28, Genesis 35:10-13),  Esau of Edom (Genesis 36).  Additionally, Esau, the elder twin, would become the servant of Jacob, the younger (Genesis 25:23). Meaning of Jacob’s Name The name Jacob is derived from the Hebrew verbwhich means “to follow.” Jacob was born grabbing onto his twin brother Esau’s heel. Hence, Jacob means in Hebrew “one who ...

A Prayer of God’s Blessing Over Those You Love By Debbie McDaniel “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 As believers, we can know in our hearts that God is sovereign and strong. We can believe that His plans for us, for our loved ones, are for good and that He has blessing in store as we follow after Him. Yet often, when life presses and things feel stressed, when problems overwhelm, and hardships come our way, our focus gets blurred. We somehow start to believe that it all depends on “us.” Like maybe we blew it, messed up and got ourselves off the course from “the road to “success.” We spin our wheels trying to find a fast way ...

Organ Donation Facts As medical technology has improved, more and more lives have been saved through organ transplants. From around 16,000 donations in 1991 to almost 35,000 in 2017, organ donations in America have increased significantly. However, the number of people on the donor list waiting for organs has increased even more. From around 23,000 in 1991, the number has grown to more than 113,000 as of 2019. Clearly there are more people waiting for organs than those willing or able to give them. But should a Christian sign up as an organ donor? What does the Bible say? What Is Organ Donation? According to Donate Life America, there are a few types of organ donation. The main two types will be discussed here. 1. Living Donation The first is living donation, in which a living person volun...

If you are a teaching pastor of a church, or in leadership of a church, this blog is for you.  Everyone else can eavesdrop. You need to do a series on race and racism. And you need to do it soon—as soon as you can.  Racial division is our culture’s most pressing concern, and it is a deeply biblical and spiritual issue. To not address it would be overlooking the largest elephant in the cultural room. And, I might add, the Christian room.    The church is the hope of the world and, in this particular matter, the only hope for modeling racial unity. We have been called into the new community, with Christ as its center. If we can achieve racial unity in our churches, it truly would be offering the world something it does not already have and could never achieve on its own. ...

Toys into Tools   by Shawn McEvoy From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48 With the start of football season this month, I’ve heard the phrase, “to whom much is given, much is required” used a lot… and that’s a good thing. A great thing. Athletes, profiled on sports shows, have been given chances to explain how they are using their celebrity and money to help mankind, or even spread the gospel. One prominent football player was interviewed about wanting to use what he’s been given as a platform to further the Kingdom of God. His goals were reminiscent of the parable Jesus told about the difference between faithful and unfaithful serv...

Meaning of Judas’ Name Judas’s name is the Greek version of the Hebrew “Judah” which roughly means “Praise” or “Let God Be Praised.” However, the origin of “Iscariot” is not as clear. It is widely held that the Greek iskariotes comes from Hebrew ishq’riyoth, meaning “man of Kerioth,” a city in Palestine. Thus, in this case a name like Judas Iscariot would be similar to calling someone “Bob from Los Angeles” or “Jenny the Bostonian.” Historical Context: The World around Judas Iscariot Judas lived near the beginning of the first century A.D. If the speculations about the meaning of “Iscariot” are true, he would have been from southern Judah, which also means he would have been the only one of the 12 disciples from Judea; the rest were from Galilee. Though we don’t know for sure where h...

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” – Psalm 119:32 5 Truths to Know about Psalm 119 By Debbie McDaniel All too often, maybe simply because of its length, we read through Psalm 119 too quickly. Or we skip forward to something else, or just read a verse here or there, but possibly never look at the entire chapter as a whole, or think about who wrote it, and what the real point of it even is. In looking deeper, we can discover so much wisdom, hidden gems that reveal the richness of our God coming to life through its words.   5 Truths to Know About Psalm 119:  1. Psalm 119 is actually written as an acrostic poem.  The verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of ea...

Jehovah-Rapha Meaning The origin of Jehovah Rapha can be traced back to two Hebrew words, which in combination can mean “God who heals.” “Jehovah,” which is derived from the Hebrew word Havah can be translated as “to be,” “to exist,” or “to become known.” The Hebraic translation of Rapha (râpâ) means “to restore” or “to heal.” Jehovah-Rapha is also recognized as Yahweh-Rapha. When does God first reveal Himself as Jehovah-Rapha in the Bible? God first revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha to the Israelites after their exodus out of Egypt. After three days of wandering in the Desert of Shur, the Israelites were in desperate need of water. The discovered a river, however the waters were unfit to drink. As a reflection of the quality of the water and their emotional disposition, the Israelites nam...

[embedded content] Total depravity doesn’t teach that we are all as bad as we possibly could be in a practical sense. Total depravity simply means that every part of our being is corrupted by sin. And specifically, that our will, our human will, is bent in on itself, so that we will not seek God, we will not choose God, in and of ourselves. We need God’s effectual grace, His powerful working, to change our hearts, and to change our minds, so that we do choose Him. So total depravity is really about our inability to do what God calls us to do, because of our own sinful corruption. And an understanding of that helps us to appreciate the wonderful grace and mercy of God, who seeks those who are not just lost, but who are wayward and stiff-necked and rebellious. And He gives us a h...