THE ONE YEAR BIBLE CLUB

    "Return to your first love" it's the sermon older Christians hate to hear. It's like men listening to a sermon on lust "oh here we go again", they think to themselves. Lust is the Achilles heel of every man (though hopefully triumphant) and "go back to your first love" is the sermon that can be preached any Sunday, and most older converts will be convicted! Because we do stray in our relationships, the fire does dwindle in our relationships and whether we want to hear it or not it is true and needs to be said. We do need to return to our first love, it's not a cliché, but true! We are no longer the "down and out" person we were when we first came to Christ. We are now married, have kids, have sports on week-ends, have good jobs and life is good, for the most part and oh yeah...did I mention, Jesus!  Jesus.... sure, he's good, church is alright, however I don't think I'm gonna make it this Sunday my son has a soccer gam...

   I know that the Christian Life is not the perfect life. That if I expect my life to be ever so bliss because I’m a Christian is wrong. However, I still cannot get away from the scripture that continuously tells me, “my life should be blessed because I fear the Lord and obey him. So while I should make room in my theology or life, for hard times, I must also understand that it isn’t my lot in life to be miserable and beaten down. In both Psalms and Proverbs today we are told that “ how joyful are those who fear the Lord, how joyful and prosperous they will be, may you live to enjoy your grandchildren” then in Proverbs we read, “whoever obeys the law is joyful” it is almost a duplicate of what we read in Psalm 128. And so I get it, I get it, my life isn’t going to be perfect, I know, I’ve been told enough times, through radio talk shows to sermons, books and from friends. I got that part, it’s been made loud and clear. It’s almost the strategy they use in “sales”. Set ex...

         I SIMPLY don't understand Eternal Security and I understand it even less after reading today's passage in Jude. The author provides a clear cut case against eternal security. He writes, "let me remind you". I think part of the problem is we forget and probably worse, most Christians just don't read The Bible, seems like an oxymoron if I've ever heard one, but it's true. If you were to try to have a debate over this subject and say, "well you know what it says in the book of Jude (as I have many times) about this" many "self-professed" Christians/back-slidden Baptists, would give you that stare...."hmmm, Jude, I think I've heard of that book, I'm not quite sure where it is...is that old testament?" And for those that have read the book of Jude and read the arguments of the author they would simply say, "well, that's because they were never really saved". However the author deals with that in Jude....

    The reason we have conflict in the church is because some people are just jerks. Surely it has nothing to do with us! It's always the other person that has the issues, it's always the other person who is causing the conflict. It's always the other persons conceit and arrogance that has caused us not to like him. He's this and she's that and if they weren't like that we wouldn't have such problems. If the Pastor wasn't so .........than I could submit to him, I would even like him. If my ministry leader wasn't so headstrong, then I could get along with him/her. But c'mon, how can you have a problem with the Apostle of Love? If there's anybody in the church you could expect not to have any relationship problems with, it would be the Apostle John, (known as the disciple of Love) the disciple whom Jesus loved the most. However that's not the case is it?! Somebody in the church had major issues with John. " I wrote to the church, but D...

HOSEA 4:1-5:15     It's horrible to read about the moral decline of Israel. Was Israel really this bad? As we read about the moral decline of Israel, it's hard not to think about the moral decline of America. We see that the name and title the Priests wear, has no bearing on their behavior. They are just as lewd and immoral as the rest of the people, if not worse. What happens when we lose are relationship with God and just become religious, is exactly this. No longer does the name we bear, have any effect on how we live or conduct ourselves. For the most part, Americans have lost their relationship with God, but are still a religious people. And so we have a Nation of self-professing religious people, whose conduct is rated R. America is still pretty religious, some States are more religious than others, ie: Texas, Alabama and the whole midwest, but you will not find moral conduct that is being curved or tamed by people in these States as opposed to other States. Al...

HOSEA 1:1-3:5        Selling sex for money is as old as the bible itself. I wonder who the first woman was who thought, “I need money, why don’t I sell sex”. As old as this practice is, it’s amazing that we are still not comfortable with the idea. Nobody is proudly and anxiously bringing his prostitute girlfriend home for the Holidays. “Mom, Dad, I want you to meet my new girlfriend, she’s a very successful prostitute in our downtown area and I love her and thought it was time you meet her”, how well would that go off in front of the family at Christmas?       Most women have never technically sold sex for money and most men have never technically paid a prostitute for sex. I have seen talk shows where a woman was presenting herself as a “dignified woman”. She explains about her role in prostitution and how it is a means of paying her way through University, where of course she’s studying to be a Doctor or Lawyer. The talk show’s agenda is to pres...

1 JOHN 4:1-21     Whoever Loves is born of God” John writes, he sure did create some conflict when he wrote that. Surely we cannot presume that to mean that whoever loves his wife, his children, his horses, his dog Rover, his family…is born of God? Surely that does not mean that the loving Buddhist and Muslim, are born or God? Surely he’s not implying that the atheist who loves his family is born of God? Surely he does not mean that the man who loves his male lover, is born of God? What is John talking about, “whoever loves is born of God, are you kidding me? We can only understand this to mean that whoever loves  “partakes” in the divine nature of God  because, as John writes, “God is Love”. In other words, when the atheist loves, who claims there is no God, he/she is actually partaking in the nature of the one he says doesn’t exist. Those that hate God, but yet love their families, ironically hate the one who gives them the ability to love and enjoy their families....

1JOHN 3:7-24     I’m sure glad John wrote this (the brother of love) and not me because I would be accused of being the “brother of hate”. John is vehemently attacking “hypocrisy” in his writing. To think…..I thought this was just a problem in the bible belt of America or in the Deep South; people claiming “to know Jesus, Praise Jesus, Hallelujah!!” But yet live like The Devil. We preach that “Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, not a religion”, but the problem is; as we venture out across America, we find that in many states and cities across America, Christianity is just another religion to most people. Growing up on the east coast, as a Roman Catholic, we were faithful church attendees on Sundays, but lived pretty sinful lives throughout the rest of the week. Everyone in my family was immoral, everyone in my family drank & cussed, but yet on Sundays there we were in church trying to act (at least the adults) as pious as we could. That’s why as a teenage...

DANIEL 9:1-11:1  Daniel is one of the greatest prophets for end times that ever lived. Over 2000 years later, we still have no prophet, no man that has ever given us more accurate detail about end times, the coming of Christ and the 7 year tribulation. What gives Daniel even more authority is that Jesus himself, tells us to reference to Daniel’s book for End Times “prophecy”. Daniel’s math and prophecies can seem too complex to even begin to digest, but if we take the time we find out they are amazingly accurate. In a simple, “End Times Prophecy for Dummies” let’s break down his numbers. Daniel references the time period for the completion of Israel ’s judgment for their rebellion as 70 x 7, which equals 490 years. Daniel also goes on to predict another prophecy about the “anointed one” “Christ” to come and then be killed, seemingly accomplishing nothing. The dates Daniel gives for the Anointed One are 7 sets of 7 (7x7) = [ 49 ] + 62 sets of 7 (62 x 7) = [ 434 ] . So 49 + 434 = 483...

    Daniel is trafficking in two worlds, as we must. He’s getting all this revelation from God, but yet he must get up and go to work; and to make things worse, serve a heathen king. Daniel is sick in bed, probably mental anguish; eventually he gets up and goes to work. It is hard trafficking in what seems like two worlds, at times. I remember my wife coming into the room one Monday morning as I lay in bed. “You’re not going to work?”, she asked. I said, “no”. “What’s wrong, are you sick?” I said, “yes,....mentally sick!”. There’s nothing wrong or deceitful about taking a sick day over mental sickness. Some how we associate sick days with just the body, but the mind gets sick too! Mental anguish and grief is just as handicapping, if not more, than being a work with a wicked cold. However, like a cold, we must recover and get back on our feet. Daniel is out for a few days, but eventually he gets back to work, but yet the heavy revelation is still pressing upon his min...

   28  “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but  I kept the matter to myself .”     WHAT then is the purpose of this crazy revelation if he is just to keep it to himself, ever wonder that? Isn't the revelation we receive to share with others? We'll get to that later, for now I would say, of course Daniel kept it to himself, who would have believed him?  Had he shared "the matter" with others they would have thought he was crazy!  Is all revelation for sharing? Not according to Daniel! What are these crazy, Steven Spielberg revelations for anyway, if not for sharing? What are the prophecies and almost "fictional" like revelations written in the book of Revelations for...if not for sharing?  Have you ever heard another Christian trying to share what I call a "Revelations Witness" to another person that is not a Christian? To what effect is that, other than to leave them with the...

We don’t know all that is going through Daniel’s mind, but with a little thought, we can piece it together. No doubt Daniel was a very spiritual, Godly man; not easily persuaded or scared away by the ungodly. But what was really going through his mind as he was told the edict had been passed and anyone who disobeyed it would be fed to the lions? We like to see Daniel as this man that was unmoved by death, resolute to serve God even if it meant being devoured by hungry lions and I’m sure that is half of the story. However I believe the other half of the story is Daniel believed that the King, once he found out who it was that had disobeyed the edict, (not to pray to any other God) would make allowance for him. Daniel was no fool and neither are we. We know when we have favor with someone. We know when someone likes us. Daniel has seen himself rise from captive to Wiseman and from Wiseman to ruler over all the Satraps in the country. It has already been made known to Daniel that the King...

   We are apt to look at the Bible as a whole as a time when God brought swift judgment on his people. Nobody got away with nothing, sin & lightning struck, swift judgment was the law of the land...or so we think! No doubt there was incidents in the Old Testament when there was swift judgment, but there were plenty of times where it was more of a looming judgment. Yes even in the New Testament Ananias & Sapphira were quickly dealt with in their scheme to defraud the Church & Disciples, but these are rare incidents. What you will find if you read your bible thoroughly is that it was not much different than today. People seemed to sin in the church without any accountability. For the rest of us that are trying to live for God it drives us crazy to watch others go on in their sin with what seems at times like, impunity. We want the hammer to fall and we want it to fall..."yesterday!". Peter today is definitely on his "soap box" about all that he sees in the...

One thing we can learn from today's reading, is God's judgments are just. Very few times in life will we get to see the chances God gave a person before he judged him. Most often we only see the final scene and think of God as quite a harsh judge. For once we get to see the behind the scenes, we get to see the "before" the judgment. Nebuchadnezzar is not the only person every to be warned of impending judgment and given a chance to alter his course, it's simply the only one that we were privy too. I believe God has done the same for many. I myself have often dealt with people and forewarned them not to continue on a particular course and not everyone is privy to that either, especially as a pastor and parishioner confidentiality must be maintained, all most people ever see if the final judgment or the disciplinary action that was brought. Such an opportunity of Grace and Mercy Nebuchadnezzar was given, Daniel gives him once last prod, just in case he is dense enou...

 For sake of argument, let’s say David wrote this Psalm(choices are David, Ezra or Daniel). David writes, “I am worn out waiting for your rescue”. Well, if David is sick and down why wouldn't God come to the rescue right away? “When will you comfort me?” There is not even any comfort for David either. Unless you have suffered or watched others suffer than this scripture means nothing to you… yet, until one day you experience this situation. I have experienced this watching my wife suffer. She had one ailment, that was very bad, went to emergency was prescribed the wrong drugs, after a few days of that she went to another doctor who prescribed a new medication that she ended up being allergic to and have a horrible reaction, fever, swelling, her skin literally looked burned from the high fever she carried for 3-4 days. I prayed for her every night as she lay there crying, often in pain. My powers were impotent, as far as I could tell. I prayed for her in the morning, her fever ragin...

 Nobody ever realizes that in the great story of a great young man, Jeremiah, God has another great story of another great young man, whom we know as Daniel. As we read the book of Jeremiah we are caught up in all his exploits (“my people shall know me and they shall do great exploits” [ironically we read this in the Book of Daniel]. While Jeremiah is doing his great exploits, Daniel is in the background, being fashioned by God, for phase II, of His great plan. We get so consumed with our little world and churches and Christians begin to see Christianity through their own little world and experience. In essence, we box God up. We claim, “this is where it’s at, this is where it’s happening”, but yet as we read the Bible we see God’s plans and purpose are vast and include many others and are far beyond us and light years ahead of us. God is not limited to one man/woman or any one particular group of people. Think of it, in this large and grand scheme, God is working through Jeremiah,...

1 PETER 2:11-3:7     Well, it sounds like “unbelievers” have been trying to trash talk Christians for a couple of thousand years; and to think I thought this was only happening to us, here in the 21 st  century. Glad to see, nothing has changed….., neighbours, co-workers, relatives are always waiting for the day when we are going to slip, mess up or say something we shouldn't have said; and when we do,  you can count on it, everybody is going to know about it.  It’s interesting to see that nothing has changed in the past 2000 years. However, what I do take issue is Peter eluding to the thought, that I, might behave in such a way that would give my neighbor, justifiable cause, to have slander against me. I’m insulted and I’m sure so are you, that Peter feels like he has to write this and caution us to “act & behave” like Christians in front of our unbelieving neighbors! Verse 12, “be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors”.   Are ...

JAMES 5     There’s no denying, James is not that fond of “rich people”.  At least that’s the impression I get. If it was only this reference in Chapter 5; that would be bad enough, but James has taken jabs at the rich in other chapters as well. No doubt, James did not grow up with affluence of any kind. We know from the Gospels that Joseph and Mary (James’ parents) were poor. Historians believe that Joseph died at an early age, as he is not mentioned in the Gospels; except in the early stages of Jesus’ life. Now with Joseph dead, James & Jesus (step brothers) probably had to work that much harder to make ends meet at home. Jesus himself takes a jab at rich people saying, “it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of an needle than for a rich person to get into heaven”.  I’m sure in the Church of Jerusalem where James was an elder, there were not many affluent people in that congregation. However we cannot deny that it was Joseph of...

EZEKIEL 44:7-8          WHERE were they?  Where did the priests take off to and who's hands have they left the responsibility of the Sanctuary & Temple in? Surely not just anybody???  Can you imagine when these young boys, young men were first given the honor to bear the responsibility of the Temple!  They probably couldn't sleep the night before, so excited that they finally would be trusted with the Temple and Sanctuary of God, Wow!      We have all been there, a place we never imagined we would have the honor of filling, but through time, faithfulness and God's Grace we find ourselves in that place, in that ministry. At first we pamper it, at first we treat our new found responsibility with honor, at first we treat it as a " holy thing ".   I wonder if the first few times the Priests had the duty of caring for the Temple and Sanctuary, if they sang and prayed to The Lord all day and/or all night?...

     There’s no denying, James is not that fond of “rich people”.  If it was only this reference in Chapter 5, that would be bad enough, but James has taken jabs at the rich in other chapters as well. No doubt, James did not grow up with affluence of any kind. We know from the Gospels that Joseph and Mary (James’ parents) were poor. Historians believe that Joseph died at an early age, as he is not mentioned in the Gospels; except in the early stages of Jesus’ life. Now with Joseph dead, James & Jesus, probably had to work that much harder to make ends meet at home. Jesus himself takes a jab at rich people saying, “ it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of an needle than for a rich person to get into heaven ”.  I’m sure in the  Church  of  Jerusalem  where James was an elder, there were not many affluent people in that congregation. However we cannot deny that it was Joseph of Arimathea,  an affluent man , a prominent member...

JAMES 4:1-17   James today follows up on his theme in Chapter 2 that he was touching on; he comes right out and says it now in Ch. 4, "purify your hearts for your loyalties are divided between God and the World". Loyalty is a virtue of a bye-gone era. Our kids are raised watching professional athletes run from one team to another, it's all about the mighty dollar, there is no loyalty. These athletes have no loyalty to any team or any city. It's all about "me". You bring that mind set into the Church or into your Christianity, and it's a nightmare. It goes against the very grain of Christian ethics, that teaches us to " do all things without selfish ambition, but rather considering others more than ourselves ". Churches today are so desperate for parishioners that we put up with this quasi Christian that is coming out, but yet Joshua confronted them and told them, " if it's to difficult to serve the Lord, make a decision today whom you ...

JAMES 2:18-3-18     Sometimes I blame it on the State I live in....Texas!.  It is the Bible Belt of the southwest.  I came here with a preconceived notion that people would be terribly religious, everyone would claim to "know the Lord", but would they live it? I blamed it on the South West Bible belt, but as I read what James has to write in his Epistle, it makes me realize, this is a very long standing issue and has nothing to do with a particular state and/or country. According to James, over 2000 years ago, this was an issue and James was not living in Texas; America did not even exist, but yet James is having to address people who claim to be pious and religious folks, but don't have the actions and character to back it up. James mentions folks praising God and then turning around and cursing somebody. He mentions lots of talk of faith, with little action. He mentions people who can't or don't control what they say. He mentions people who hear sermons, ...

JAMES 1:19-2:17    It seems like brother James is trying to school us in some “good ‘ol fashion people skills”.  Simple gestures like not to show partiality, show mercy to one another and that “love” covers a multitude of sins. We know that according to scripture, “God has ordained that we be fruitful”, so then why are we often, not fruitful? James helps us to understand that if we want to be fruitful, there may be more to it than praying, “Lord make me fruitful, make my church fruitful”.  It’s not like a “super power” that you just miraculously get endowed with. Fruitfulness will not be the result of something you “just get”, but it will be a result of how you treat people. Obviously James has seen this in the Church, as one of the Elders in the Church of  Jerusalem .  He has seen preferential treatment being giving to one Christian as opposed to another, he has seen lack of mercy in the dealing with each other and he has seen people holding grudges for pa...