Third Peter

Most of us have been taught to think of heaven as a spiritual "place" that cannot be physically located. This is a necessary belief in a Big Bang, ever-expanding universe that has no absolute up or down and in which we are less than a speck in comparison to the whole. It might surprise you that the Bible specifically locates heaven where God dwells. 

God placed the earth under man's authority and dominion, but he reserved heaven for himself.

God told Job that the earth was formed like clay under a seal. We do not use these devices any longer, but the picture below show how edges are formed when the seal is pressed into the soft medium.

Sharing our "back story" is another way for us to establish common ground with our listeners and sets the stage for relating how Christ intersected and transformed our lives.

Like Eve in the garden, we have been told that if we want to be wise, and we do, we need to believe the scientists rather than what God has told us in the Bible.

It's amazing how the Scriptures come alive when we stop superimposing our "scientific" presuppositions upon the text and let it speak for itself.

People cannot be saved through debate, only by making a commitment to the truth, who, it turns out, is a Person.

We can say we value science over religion, but the truth is that we have simply replaced one religious system of beliefs with another. The way God made us, we cannot escape the requirement to put our faith in something. I choose God and the Bible. How about you?

I believe it is a great idea for us followers of Christ to make it a practice to be present where people gather with the express purpose of seeing what God might do.

When we interpret the Word of God, it is important that we allow it to speak for itself instead of twisting its meaning to fit a preferred paradigm. Let us not resort to word games as we search for truth, even if that search leads us away from long cherished presuppositions.

Those who believe that the Bible's description of the earth and heavens is true understand that God's throne is located above the dome of the firmament.

If the earth is a sphere, with no absolute "up," Jesus' resurrected physical body could not possible be seen by everyone at once. Since we dare not nullify God's Word to suit a pagan notion of the nature of the cosmos, we accept that up means up for everyone at the same time. This requires us to accept the Bible's teaching about the nature of the world in which we live.

We proclaim Christ's victory over demonic oppression, thereby releasing his authority to set captives free. The Holy Spirit then enforces what we say and makes it happen. He is the power behind the authority.

The incommunicable attributes of God are qualities he possesses that we do not share.

The lure of "outer space" is a grand deception whereby Satan has convinced us that the place of judgment is somewhere we need to go and conquer.

One of the great con jobs of the last 500 years was the Copernican Revolution and all that followed. The devil tempted us once again to throw aside the confines of God's words written in the Bible and to embark on the thrilling journey of figuring out the cosmos for ourselves.

A proper understanding of the creation provides a proper understanding of God. A skewed understanding of creation gives us a warped view of God that can produce a false understanding of who we are.

Since it was not until the fourth day that God created the sun, moon, and stars and placed them in the firmament, the Big Bang theory and its corollary, the heliocentric system, is a lie. This places all who profess to believe the Bible in a crisis of faith. Will I believe the Bible is an accurate account of creation, or will I twist its clear meaning into something that bows the knee to modern cosmological theory?

Oh, that Christians regarded the Bible with such reverence today! Instead, the majority have bowed the knee to what is called science, preferring to look good in the world's eyes rather than God's.

The Jews were God's vehicle to bring the Messiah King into the world to redeem people from every people group.

Likewise, a fight against generational devastation is not an admission that the curse of the Law still has power over us. Instead, it is an opportunity to stand by faith in the finished work of Christ against that which seems to contradict his glorious victory. It is our fight of faith and our opportunity to overcome.

Once we identify the lie, we can ask the Lord to speak his truth to us. The entrance of God's truth turns on the light, driving out the darkness and setting us free.

If we will believe that Jesus is God the Healer, Jehovah-Rapha, and believe that he has already paid the price for our healing, and if we will come to him in faith, asking him to heal and restore us, we can experience healing at his hands.

Evidently being considered or called a fool is one of life's greatest fears. Society exerts pressure on all of us to fall in line with accepted beliefs and norms. People who refuse to comply are ostracized in some fashion, either by criticism, shunning, or outright persecution. Bible-believing Christians hold some…Continue Reading

When we share the gospel, we should inform our hearers that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who put their faith in Christ, both as the indwelling source of life and identity and as an outpoured source of power and boldness.

The Bible says that stars are not so far away at all and are not suns, but "lights" in the dome of the firmament.

Most people are more comfortable believing a lie that confronting one.

Once we believe and confess that Jesus is the glorious Lord who is risen from the dead, God wants us to understand that he does not hold our past sins against us.

When I saw that it can be demonstrated that the formula for calculating the curve of the earth is wrong, it was my black swan moment. Instead of curving like a sphere, it is flat!

Many say that it makes no difference whether we believe in heliocentrism and the globe or in the biblical model. The only reason a person would say that is because they believe the biblical model is false. Once a person sees through the lie, it becomes clear how important this truth is.

Since we are all going to face him in judgment one day, isn't it in our best interest to take advantage of his promise that we can escape condemnation by simply putting our faith and allegiance in him?

God's focus in the end times is on Christ and his bride, which is composed of people from every people group on the earth.

The announcement that Jesus is Messiah and Lord over all creation is a game changer. One cannot believe that and continue to live as before.

Christ's ascension is an important part of the gospel that confirms Christ's exaltation as Lord and explains the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost.

Following Christ is not a spectator sport. Each of us has a role to play and a job to do.

God's promise is that when we understand how much he loves us, learn to live by faith in the power of the Spirit, and believe what the Bible says is true, we will be able to live in a way that brings glory to God.

Spirit-led counseling can help with the transformation process and assist in liberating the soul from bondage, which comes from a variety of sources related to sin.

There are both external and internal threats to the local church's well-being. Some of these are obvious, but others are more hidden. Some threaten her ability to be effective and fruitful. Others, her continued viability.

Five-fold or ascension gift ministries are appointed by our Lord Jesus to equip the church to fulfill its calling and function.

When the Holy Spirit opens someone's heart, there will be a positive response to the gospel. We should be ready to tell them what to do next, if the opportunity presents itself.

The gospel calls us to turn away from a self-directed life and choose to serve Jesus the Lord.

The gospel announcement deserves to be heard. It deserves our best effort to properly present it and our listeners' most careful attention.

Peter included the outpouring of the Spirit in the first gospel message ever preached by the apostles, making it part of the gospel.

Good gospel presentations frame the message in the history of God's Old Covenant people fulfilled in Christ.

Through death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the power of death and released all believers from its destructive grip.

When John the Baptist pointed out Jesus among the crowds by the river Jordan, he identified him as the Lamb of God who would take away our sins.

It is important for the church to pray for their leaders who carry the enormous responsibility to govern well under Christ's headship.

Teaching disciples how to partner with the Holy Spirit in ministry is one of the most important parts of the disciple-making process.

When persecution and suffering engulf the church, it always means that Satan is being threatened by the advance of God's kingdom.

Only those who humbly acknowledge their own great need for mercy will experience the fullness of God's love and forgiveness. The more we understand our need for mercy, the more we will love God and be able to forgive others.

If the Lord withholds information, it is because we do not need to know. Knowing that God knows all things and is faithful to keep his promises is enough.