Christ speaks of a “cup” in His Gethsemane prayer. He prays, “Remove this cup.” In John 18:11, our Lord rebukes Peter after Peter cuts of the ear of the slave, Malchus. And He says to Peter (do you remember?), “Put the sword into the sheath; the CUP which the Father has given Me, shall I […]
7 Points on Spiritual Warfare (plus 3 bonus points)
November 4, 2010 by
“Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25) If you’ve been a believer in Jesus Christ for very long, you’ve come under the attack […]
7 things you probably didn’t know about Pastor Mike (but always wanted to)
October 28, 2010 by
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about social media, it’s this: There are so many people that I’d like to know more about their backgrounds, but a Facebook page and 140 characters on Twitter just doesn’t allow for it. With this in mind I’m writing today. And after the example of some others (especially on […]
A Rhinestone in Heaven
October 25, 2010 by
I was a “baby” Christian and I was learning how to hear God’s voice. I was part of a street ministry team. We would go to different parts of the city (Fremont, California) on Friday nights to share our faith and to speak with people. We befriended a “drunk” (I don’t care about being politically […]
“Abomination Of Desolation”
October 21, 2010 by
“And on the wing of abominations will come one (Antichrist) who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27c) The “Abomination of Desolation.” The “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” is the way the New Living Bible translation puts it. It is the key anchor point in our Lord’s discussion of the end times in the Gospel of Mark. (Mark […]
Applause Addiction
October 18, 2010 by
“And [the devil] led [Christ] to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; [the crowd will love it.]’” (Luke 4:9 with my paraphrase) There’s a certain euphoria that comes from applause. (I know. I’ve experienced […]
Message From God (When You’re Doubting His Love)
October 14, 2010 by
Sometimes we question God’s love. (It happens.) The circumstances of life, the burdens, they have a way of weighing us down and causing us to wonder whether God is really for us. (It’s true.) I was in Bible school and I wondered if God cared. I wondered if He was even around. (And I was […]
The Pride / Hypocrisy Quiz (Are You For Real?)
October 11, 2010 by
Hypocrisy. Webster’s defines it as “a feigning (pretending) to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.” This very kind of pretense was rampant among the religious elite in Jesus’ day. It’s why they couldn’t stand Him (and ultimately had […]
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