Category: Discipleship

Favorite Bible Translation

Posted in Book Reviews, Discipleship, Ministry, Worship2 Comments

Lately, I’ve been thinking a great deal about different Bible translations.  As most people my age, I cut my teeth on the King James Bible. I eventually moved away from the KJV, and for several years I read and preached from the New International Version.  I love both translations, but they are very different.  The King James takes a word-for-word (formal equivalence) translation approach while the New International Version is a thought-for-thought (functional equivalence) translation.

In the last few years, two new, scholarly translations have been published. One is the Christian Standard Bible.  This Bible is a combination of a word-for-word and a thought-for-thought translation.  I have read quite a bit from this translation and I find it a refreshing and accurate approach to the Scripture.

Another recent and excellent translation is the English Standard Version.  The ESV is a word-for-word translation in the tradition of the King James Version.  It has quickly become a highly accepted translation by scholars and casual readers alike.

Which Bible translation do you prefer?

Which Bible translation do you prefer?  Let me complete this post by asking the following question:

Which Bible translation do you prefer?

Here’s a link to a great radio broadcast by Dr. Albert Mohler about the best Bible translations.

7 Facts about the Heavenly Body

Posted in Discipleship5 Comments

Have you ever wondered what our bodies will be like in Heaven? Will I still be a runner? If so, will I be faster and able to run as far as I desire without becoming tired?  Will we need to exercise? Will we need to eat and what food will be available? Here are a number of Scripture passages that shed light on this interesting subject.

7 Interesting Facts about the Heavenly Body

  1. Our heavenly body will be recognizable.  (1 Corinthians 13:12; Matthew 17:1-3)
  2. Our heavenly body will be like Christ’s body.  (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:39)
  3. Our heavenly body will permit eating.  (Luke 24:40-43)
  4. Our heavenly body will be unlimited by time, gravity, and space.  (Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26)
  5. Our heavenly body will be an eternal body.  (2 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:42)
  6. Our heavenly body will be a glorified body.  (Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 14:42-43)
  7. Our heavenly body will be a spiritual body.  (1 Corinthians 15:44)

The Bible does not tell us everything about the Christian’s future body, but it does give us quite a bit of information. I’ve heard other questions as well. Will there be animals in Heaven?  Will we know everyone and not need introductions?  Will we be married in Heaven?  Will we be aware of loved ones and friends who did not make it to Heaven?

Through Him (Jesus) we can experience forgiveness and cleansing.

I hope you are prepared for Heaven.  Jesus loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him.  He came to this earth and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, although He Himself never sinned.  Through Him we can experience forgiveness and cleansing.  Confess to Him that you have sinned.  Invite Him to come into your heart and to forgive you of your sins.  Commit to follow Him as the Lord of your life. Find a local Biblical church and become involved. You will grow and God will be pleased!

Can Non-Christians Have Joy?

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Evangelism, Worship2 Comments

In 1971, the group Three Dog Night released a song that was the #1 song on the charts for 6 weeks in a row.  Here are some of the words to the song:

Jeremiah was a bull frog; was a good friend of mine.  I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine.   And he always had some mighty fine wine.  Joy to the world; all the boys and girls, now.  Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea; joy to you and me.

It seems to me that this song contains a very misguided view of true joy and where it originates.  In the New Testament, the word “joy” is the word χαρά [khar•ah].  Throughout the Bible, joy is almost always associated with salvation.

In Luke 2:10, the angel told the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy….”  What was that great joy?  “Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”  (Luke 2:11, NASB).  David linked joy and salvation when he prayed, “Restore to me the joy of my salvation” (Psalm 51:12, NASB).

I contend that only Christians can experience Biblical joy because only Christians have experienced salvation.  Non-Christians can certainly experience happiness in life, but happiness can come and go.  Joy is constant — it does not depend on circumstances.  I like to say it this way:

Happiness depends on happenings; Joy depends on Jesus!

If we’re going to choose a song about joy, I think the Isaac Watts version of “Joy to the World” is much better than the Three Dog Night version.  Here are the words:

 Joy to the world,  the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King.  Let every heart prepare Him room.  And heav’n and nature sing.  And heav’n and nature sing.  And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.

What do you think?  Can non-Christians have joy in their lives?

5 Keys to Being Like Jesus

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, PreachingLeave a comment

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

As believers, our ultimate goal is to become like Christ. He is the bulls-eye. He is the mark. He is the goal! Here are 5 keys I see in this passage to becoming more like Jesus.

5 Keys to Being Like Jesus

1.  Turn over the steering wheel. God doesn’t want to be co-pilot; He wants to be pilot. The Apostle Paul said, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord….” (Vs. 6). When I ride with someone else, I find myself wanting to grab the wheel, hit the brake, or stomp the accelerator. Similarly, I sometimes do that in my Christian walk, but Jesus deserves to be Lord in my life as well as yours. I must continually turn the wheel of my life over to Him.

2.  Dig in with Christ. There were a number of false teachers in Colossae, so Paul emphasized the need to be “rooted and built up in Him” (Vs. 7). One way to be rooted is to dig into God’s Word. Common sense tells us that we can’t watch television 5 hours a day, then read the Bible 5 minutes a day, and expect to grow spiritually!

3.  Build our lives in Jesus. Paul said that we are “built up in Him” (Vs. 7). Construction takes time. Some building projects take longer than others. The same is true in our Christlikeness. Discipleship is a lifelong, exciting journey.

Discipleship is a lifelong, exciting journey.

4.  Pump up with teaching. Several years ago two famous Saturday Night Live characters regularly said, “we are here to pump you up!” Paul told the Colossian believers they were “strengthened in the faith as [they] were taught” (Vs. 7). Paul connects the teaching of the Word of God with spiritual strength. We should “pump up” regularly with good Biblical teaching.

5.  Spill thankfulness everywhere you go. Paul concludes verse 7 by reminding us that we should be “overflowing with thankfulness.” I remember a couple of times a waitress accidently filled my glass so full that it overflowed. As mature believers, we should intentionally be so full of thankfulness that we overflow for others to see. I believe that genuine thankfulness is a mark of spiritual maturity.

The Lord Jesus is our model and we often fall short. But, always remember that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6, NIV).

5 Mistakes During Conflict

Posted in Book Reviews, Church Chat, Church Consulting, Conflict, Deacon, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, PreachingLeave a comment

We are increasingly seeing conflict in society in general and in our local churches specifically. In their book entitled Redeeming Church Conflicts: Turning Crisis into Compassion and Care, Tara Klena Barthel and David V. Edling did a great job defining conflict and uncovering what the Bible says we should do when conflict arises. In the first chapter, they shared five mistakes that most people make when conflict happens. These mistakes are the beginning of a tragic downward spiral.

5 Mistakes People Make During Conflict

1. We think OUR evaluation of the situation is always right. I’ve made this mistake and you have as well. It’s easy and natural to do, but it’s not best to do. In order to resolve conflict, we must be open to listen to the “other side” and be willing to consider that we are not totally right on the issue.

2. We treat people differently than God treats US. God treats us with love and grace. He forgives us when we don’t deserve it. During conflict, we often treat the other person with contempt and disrespect which leads us to disdain their perspective.

3. We assume that God is on OUR side. Although we may accept that those on the other side of the conflict are believers, we believe that we uniquely have God’s attention, care, and blessing more than our opponents do.

4. We become DEFENSIVE. As soon as we become defensive, we become closed and narrow. We believe that God takes our side on the issue and condemns those on the other side of the conflict in the same way that we do.

5. We are marked by PRIDE and selfishness. These characteristics are not from the Lord. Instead, Christ wants us to be marked by humility and love which leads toward reconciliation.

Conflict is a normal part of life. No one is exempt! But, as believers, God calls us to respond differently than the world and to DO OUR BEST to resolve the conflict.

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18 (NKJV)

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