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November 10, 2025

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Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Faith & Hope, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith, Wisdom & Guidance

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. [1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (NIV)]

I came across an article questioning whether we have to believe certain things to be a Christian or is it enough just to trust God. The author believed that Christians don’t have to “assent intellectually” to the facts of traditional Christian teaching or agree with the Christian creeds. “Faith” to the author is simply placing one’s confidence in “Spirit” (not the Holy Spirit) and following Jesus’ teaching is more important than believing certain things about Him. Having nothing to do with dogma or creeds, Christianity was seen as a wisdom tradition and way of life rather than a belief. Claiming they were “man-made” and date from the 4th century and Emperor Constantine, the author believed Christianity’s creeds should be disregarded.

A creed (or confession of faith) is simply a statement of what we believe; every time we share what we believe with others, we are confessing a creed. The first creed predates Constantine by at least 1,600 years and was given to us by God. The Hebrew Shema, found in Deuteronomy, declares the fundamental belief of Judaism: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” [6:4] To be recited every morning and night, this declaration of belief remains the cornerstone of the Jewish faith. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, we find worshippers recalling the Lord’s faithfulness with confessions of faith like that in 1 Kings 18:39 that, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” The belief that, “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone,” is a cornerstone of Christianity, as well!

In the New Testament, we also find confessions of faith or creeds. Christianity’s fundamental belief was confessed by Peter when he stated that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” [Mat 16:16] and again when Nathaneal acknowledged Jesus as “the Son of God…the King of Israel!” [John 1:49] When other followers deserted Jesus, the Lord asked the twelve if they would leave. Peter responded, “You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” [John 7:68-69] Although short, these confessions of faith were creeds.

The earliest creeds of the church can be found in the epistles of Paul. His words in today’s verse from 1 Corinthians 15 appear to be an early creed. That he “received it,” means Paul wasn’t the original author and, since he’s reminding them, it predates Paul’s first trip to Corinth (49-50 AD)! In his first letter to Timothy, Paul emphasized the importance of preserving and proclaiming the truth and includes what historians believe to be an early hymn summarizing the theology of the incarnation.[3:16] In Philippians 2:5-11, we find another early hymn explaining the dual nature of Jesus. It’s believed that Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all,” were an early creed that was recited by new converts when they were baptized. If we believe Scripture is God-breathed, those words of belief aren’t man’s—they’re God’s!

The article’s author contends that belief and faith are two different things and that belief is not essential for faith. I think the Apostle Paul would disagree. Belief is intellectual acceptance that something is true and faith is trusting in the promise of that belief and they seem to be two sides of the same coin. If I believe the boat is sea-worthy, it’s my faith in it that gets me to sail it out to sea. On the other hand, if I don’t believe it’s sea-worthy, I wouldn’t have faith enough to take it sailing. Faith involves trust, commitment, and action and, without knowing and believing the promises of God, how will we have faith enough to trust them? Our creeds are the foundation of Christianity and help us know exactly what it is in which we have faith! It’s that knowledge that keeps us from falling for the false “feel-good-anything-goes” theology we find in the world today!

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. [Timothy 3:16  (ESV)]

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November 6, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Obedience, Temptation & Sin

HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. [Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)]

giant swallowtail butterflyAaron’s four sons were priests and, in Leviticus 10, his oldest sons Nadab and Abihu offer incense to God in the Tabernacle. The incense symbolized the people’s prayers rising up to God and the coals used for burning it were to be taken from the altar of burnt offerings outside the sanctuary. Although priests were required to fulfill their duties precisely, Scripture tells us the two offered “strange” or “unauthorized” fire and were immediately consumed by fire from God!

In 2 Samuel, God severely punishes Uzzah for a different ritual error. After being stolen by the Philistines and recovered, the ark of the covenant had been in the house of Abinadab for 40 years. David gathered his men to return the ark to its rightful place in the Tabernacle in Jerusalem. Symbolizing God’s presence, it was God’s earthly throne and, like ritual incense, there were specific rules about the ark’s handling. To ensure it was treated with the proper reverence, the ark never was to be touched by any man. Rather than moving it on a cart, Levites were to carry it on poles. Nevertheless, the ark was loaded on a cart (as the Philistines had done when they returned it). When the oxen pulling it stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark as he would a piece of furniture and God immediately struck the man down for profaning it with his touch.

These stories are troubling and, as 21st century Christians, we wonder at such harsh punishment. After all, these men were trying to do the right thing, even though they did it incorrectly. Perhaps a closer look may help us better understand what happened.

Nadab and Abihu’s error was not that of inexperienced youth. Men of prestige and privilege, they joined Moses, Aaron, and seventy of Israel’s elders on Mount Sinai and had the honor of seeing the living God and eating a covenant meal with Him. Nevertheless, the brothers failed to take their priestly duties seriously and follow God’s law absolutely. The “strange” or “unauthorized” fire could mean the live coals were not taken from the proper altar or were offered at the wrong time. Only a few verses later, however, Aaron’s two remaining sons are told never to consume any alcoholic drink before entering the tabernacle and it’s possible the older brothers were intoxicated. Whether out of ignorance, heedlessness, or disobedience, the “unauthorized” fire used by Nadab and Abihu profaned the Lord’s sanctuary and God took their lives for failing to respect His holiness!

As for Uzzah’s death. Uzzah was the son of Abinadab. After seeing the ark in his father’s house for decades, perhaps the gold-plated chest became commonplace and more like a piece of furniture than a sacred object to be revered. Moreover, Scripture only tells us that the oxen stumbled, not that the cart tipped or the ark was falling. Did Uzzah not trust that the Lord would protect His ark? Like Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah meant no harm. But, like those men, he knew the law and broke it. His touch offended God because it brought impurity into His presence.

The people of Israel encountered God in the tabernacle or temple so keeping His “home” and the ark free of sin’s contamination is understandable but, as Christ followers, what do these stories mean to us? The sins of Uzzah, Nadab, and Abihu were those of irreverence and disregard toward God. Are we much different? Sometimes I think we forget that our friendship with the Lord is not that of equals! He is our Lord and Master. Rather than pals, we are His servants and it is our privilege to serve Him. Could our familiarity with Him ever cause us to become blasé or disrespectful? Are we ever on auto-pilot when we worship? Do we ever take Communion without the proper reverence and time of introspection? Do we fail to honor God with rushed or half-hearted prayer? Have we become lax in our Bible study? Have we lost our fear of God—our reverence and awe for the Lord? True worship takes place in our hearts—the dwelling place of God. Are we always a “holy and acceptable” sacrifice or do we ever allow sin’s contamination to soil our heart so that it no longer is a place fit for our King?

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. [1 Corinthians 11:27-29 (ESV)]

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November 3, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, God's Word: The Bible, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Temptation & Sin

THE TIME HAS COME

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. [2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV)]

red-chouldered hawkBecause the literacy rate in the 1st century was around 10 to 15%, only a few people could read the Hebrew Scriptures or Apostolic letters. By necessity, the new faith came about through public reading and preaching. In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul warned of a time when sound doctrine would no longer be tolerated. Rather than reproof, rebuke, exhortation, and instruction, people would want to have their itching ears knéthó (meaning tickled or scratched). Rather than knowledge and doctrine, they’d be more interested in myths, sensationalism, and viewpoints suiting their desires. I fear that time has come!

We no longer need to consult our Bibles because we have AI Bible apps and video channels. I recently watched a 10-minute AI video claiming to be the “full story of Job’s faith;” it isn’t. Beginning with God and Satan making a wager as to whether Job will curse God, more than half the video is from the first chapter of the book. After plenty of impressive AI visuals, the next 40 chapters are summarized with one sentence not found in Scripture. While we see people speaking to Job, we never hear what’s said nor do we hear God’s words that cause Job to recognize and submit to God’s sovereignty and power. The video’s sole take-away seems to be that you’ll be rewarded richly in this world if you don’t curse God when bad things happen.

Although the Nephilim warrant a brief mention only twice in Scripture with no clear explanation of their identity, these fantastic creatures are extremely popular in AI. Relying heavily on the apocryphal book of Enoch, one video blamed the flood on these evil giants who ruled the world. It called the flood a “cosmic reset against chaos induced by fallen angels” and an “act of defense for the souls of men.” Usually portrayed the size of King Kong, other Nephilim videos are even more bizarre and far-fetched. Let’s remember that it is subscribers (not necessarily believers) these sites want. Unfortunately, content faithful to Scripture that is historically accurate and theologically correct doesn’t necessarily make a video attention-grabbing or exciting to a viewer. Unless one is Bible literate, there’s no way to know where fact and truth end and fiction and fantasy begin. Nevertheless, like baby food, videos like these are easy to digest!

AI has even moved into the prayer business. When we want to “chat with God,” artificial intelligence can step in and answer for the Lord Almighty. On one site, we can get the god of our choice by choosing our religious affiliation such as Agnostic, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or Mormon along with the topic to discuss. We can tell God whether we desire inspiration, comfort, or something else but correction or reproof are not an option. On another site, we can “embark on a spiritual journey and engage in enlightening conversations” by texting with Jesus, the Apostles, or “a multitude of other revered figures from the Bible.” The premium option even allows us to text with Satan! In theory, the responses from these chatbots or “godbots” are said to be “in line with the teachings of the Bible.” But, since AI is putting words in their mouths, are they? If we’re not Bible literate, how will we know when they aren’t?

One New York Post writer posited that AI might be “a beacon lighting the way for a new kind of spiritual exploration” and, perhaps it can be. Nevertheless, there is no substitute for the Bible! We can’t test what we see and hear on our screens against the Word of God if we don’t know what God’s word says! We must never forget that Satan will do anything to lead us astray. He has been perverting God’s words since speaking with Eve and his false teachers and prophets have attacked the church since it began. Jesus warned us: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” [Mat 7:15] I suspect they may come to us dressed as AI, as well. Let us beware.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. [Colossians 2:8-9 (ESV)]

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October 30, 2025

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Church & Worship, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days, Prayer, Salvation: A New You, Thanks & Praise

FOR ALL THE SAINTS

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…. [1 Corinthians 1:2a (ESV)]

blue-eyed-grassThe early Christians often marked anniversaries of the martyrdom of Christ’s followers. By the fourth century, however, there’d been so many martyrs that there weren’t enough days to honor them all and the idea of one feast day honoring all the martyrs began. In 609, Pope Boniface IV established an All Saints’ Day in May. After Christianity came to Ireland, however, the Roman church attached the Feast of All Saints to the pagan holiday of Samhain (a celebration of the end of the harvest and precursor to Halloween). In 847, Pope Gregory IV formally rebranded this pagan Celtic festival as All Saints Day. Saturday, November 1, is All Saints’ Day and, regardless of your denomination, it remains a day to commemorate all of the saints, not as determined by any Pope, but as defined in the Bible.

Biblically speaking, what is a saint? The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios meaning “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious.” Sainthood isn’t conferred by people; it is granted by God to all who trust in Christ. When Paul addressed his letter to the Corinthians, it was to “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints….” Even though they were struggling with issues like immorality, jealousy, and divisiveness, those early Christians were saints because they’d been made holy when they united with Jesus.

Sainthood wasn’t reserved for the Corinthians; Paul also referred to the believers in Rome, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica as saints. Simply put, saints were and still are the entire Christian church—the body of Christ. All Christians (as flawed as we are) are called to be saints—not just in heaven but right here on earth. No martyrdom, miracles, heroic virtue, or canonization is required. Simply by being followers of Christ, you and I—everyday garden-variety believers—are saints! As His saints, like the Corinthians, we are called to grow more and more like Christ every day. Scripture, however, never tells us to revere, worship or pray to saints. Rather, it tells us that the saints (meaning us) are to revere, worship, and pray to God alone.

For Roman Catholics, the focus of All Saints’ Day tends to be on the “official” saints (those people canonized by the Pope). Nevertheless, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, November 1st is a day for all of the living saints (that’s us) to remember the saints who went before us. We have never been alone in our journey of faith; along with the Holy Spirit, we encountered believers (saints) who demonstrated their faith, pointed the way, urged us on, answered our questions, and corrected us when we strayed.

If we were to make a list of those who influenced our Christian walk, there might be some champion saints like the Gospels’ writers and Paul, the Wesleys, Martin Luther, Augustine, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Corrie ten Boom, or Billy Graham. There are, however, many ordinary run-of-the-mill Christians who guided us on our journey—saints like our pastors, parents, grandparents, neighbors, school mates, teachers, friends, co-workers, college roommates, or even strangers—people whose faithfulness encouraged us on our journey. Saturday, in honor of all the saints of God, let’s remember the life and witness of those people, both known and unknown, who were a part of our personal salvation stories—the people who strengthened our faith by their words and actions and led us to where we are today.

Who are the heroes in your individual Christian history? Who would you acknowledge in your spiritual memoir? Let their examples of faith spur you onward.

Saint: one separated from the world and consecrated to God; one holy by profession and by covenant; a believer in Christ. [Easton’s Bible Dictionary]

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. [Ephesians 2:17-22 (ESV)]

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October 27, 2025

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Word: The Bible, Sharing Our Faith, Wisdom & Guidance

NEPHILIM

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. [Genesis 6:1-4 (ESV)]

Beach sunflowerThose four verses are some of the most confusing ones in Scripture. Who are the sons of God, the daughters of men, the Nephilim, and how did they come to be mighty men (or as some translations say giants)? The Nephilim appear to be a race of formidable beings associated with extraordinary physical stature and fearful reputation. Mentioned briefly twice in Scripture, we find them in Genesis, just before the flood, and again in Numbers (post flood). Nephilim comes from naphal, meaning to fall. One school of thought holds that the “sons of God” were fallen angels who mated with human women (the daughters of man) and produced a hybrid race of giants called Nephilim. The apocryphal book of Enoch claims these offspring were giants standing thee hundred cubits (450 feet) tall. They had such insatiable hunger that they ate humans as well as one another. Having taught humans medicinal magic, astrology, divination, and other sinful practices, it was their evil ways that caused the flood! Written around 300-100 BC, the book of Enoch never was accepted as part the Hebrew Scriptures and never has been in the Christian canon.

Let’s look at the context of these confusing verses. The previous chapters are about man’s fall into sin and the genealogy of Adam’s line rather than fallen angels and their giant offspring. Moreover, describing the Nephilim as “the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown” hardly seems an apt description of evil beings. When Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” there’s no mention of fallen angels or giant angel/men. Moreover, while they can take on human form, angels are spirit and Matthew 22:30 tells us they “neither marry nor are given in marriage.” Finally, Nephilim are mentioned again in Numbers. If this race of angel/humans existed post-flood, we must ask how they survived the great deluge. God vowed to “destroy every living thing” not on the ark with the flood and they weren’t on it!

Who were “the sons of God”? While angels are called the “sons of God” in the book of Job, Moses calls the men of Israel the “sons of the Lord your God” in Deuteronomy [14:1,32:8]. In Isaiah 43:6, God calls for the return of both His sons and daughters (meaning Israel). Indeed, Adam (meaning man) is the “son” of the one who formed him and gave him breath: God. On the other hand, woman is the “daughter” of man since she came from Adam!

While some posit that the “sons of God” descend from the godly line of Seth and the “daughters of men” come from the godless line of Cain, there really is no indication that Seth’s descendants were more godly or Cain’s more evil than anyone else. Nowhere else in Scripture are the terms “sons of God” or “daughters of man” used to indicate someone’s spiritual state. While there’s no evidence of them elsewhere, others believe the “sons of God” were early rulers who established royal dynasties. More likely, they were men of large stature and prowess who took women as their wives. Like their fathers, their sons (known as Nephilim) were people of considerable size who became “mighty men” because of their size and power. The Nephilim reappear in Numbers 13:33, when the scouts reported back to Moses. Seeing men of remarkable physical stature in the Promised Land, they called these descendants of Anak “Nephilim.” Elsewhere in Scripture, these descendants of Anak are called “a people great and tall.”

We don’t know the exact identity of the Nephilim and never will on this side of heaven. While I believe they were mortal men of extraordinary physical stature and military skill, you may disagree. Fortunately, our different interpretations do not impact our faith in Christ. Non-believers, however, love to take isolated verses like these as evidence that Scripture is filled with errors and ancient myths. The Bible, however, is inerrant which means it’s free from all falsehood, fraud, or deceit. But, that doesn’t mean the Bible is without difficulties and the Nephilim are just one of many. It’s our job to defend our faith. We can’t do that, however, without digging into those challenging verses and finding a rational and articulate defense of God’s voice as heard in Scripture.

“And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” [Numbers 13:33 (ESV)]

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October 23, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, God's Plan, Sharing Our Faith, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

COINCIDENCE

By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. [Luke 10:31 (NLT)]

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Was it just a coincidence that Pharaoh’s daughter was at water’s edge to hear the cry of Moses? Was it just a lucky break that, the night before Haman planned to have Mordecai impaled on a pole, King Xerxes couldn’t sleep and read about Mordecai saving his life? Was it by chance that Rebekah was the one who watered the camels of Abraham’s servant? Was it just a coincidence that Jesus was at the well when the unnamed woman came to fill her jug? No! They were God-ordained encounters. The God who keeps track of every sparrow is not about the leave anything up to chance! The apparent randomness of life is under sovereign rule and Scripture affirms divine governance over all events.

Recently, my husband and I were in aisle seats across from one another in the crowded airplane. It so happened that the man stuck in the middle seat next to me was married to the woman in the middle seat by my husband. When she started chatting with my husband, her husband warned me, “She’ll probably talk his ear off!” I reassured him, “It won’t bother my husband; he’s nearly deaf.” Laughing, he replied, “So is she!” That opened our conversation about the trials of living with a partner who has gone from being merely “hard of hearing” to profoundly deaf, even with hearing aids.

Commiserating with one another, we spoke of our shared challenges, concerns, and frustration with an unhearing partner. But then God intervened and we put ourselves in our partner’s spots. We seriously considered the distress, frustration, and sense of isolation they have daily. During this chance encounter, our hearts grew a little bigger as our empathy toward our spouses increased and we realized the need for more patience and understanding. As it turned out, on their side of the plane, my husband and his wife were having a conversation about the challenges of living with a partner who assumes they’ve heard everything that’s been said! Was it merely coincidence that those middle seats were the only ones open when that couple booked their tickets? I think not. We often experience God’s providence through what seem like accidental encounters.

New to her church, my daughter didn’t know the other team members when she responded to God’s call to go on a mission trip in July. Once there, she immediately hit it off with her roommate Cara, a woman close to her age. Twenty years ago, Cara’s husband was killed by a crazed gunman when their baby was only 11-days old. Oddly, about half of those on the mission team were widows or widowers. It was during that mission trip that my daughter received the heartbreaking news that she, too, had become a widow when her husband died unexpectedly back home.

Just because we didn’t know our son-in-law was going to die doesn’t mean God was taken by surprise. He knew exactly what kind of support our daughter would need and, with that mission team, God laid out a support network for her before she knew she needed one! From barely knowing anyone in her church, the trip gave my daughter the opportunity to become one with her church family. Having suffered traumatic loss herself, Cara was there to help her grasp the shocking news. When my daughter returned home, she had the support of a group of people who truly had “been there and done that.” During these last several months, her new church family have been advisors, encouragers, friends, and prayer warriors for her.

In Scripture, the only occurrence of the Greek word sugkuria (meaning coincidence, chance, or circumstance) is found in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. The traveler lies half-dead by the side of the road when a priest “by chance” comes along and sees him. The priest ignores the man and seemingly random events follow. A Levite happens along but passes by the traveler before a Samaritan coming along stops and helps him. In Jesus’ story, however, what seem to be coincidences turn out to be significant events. Although coming upon the injured man seems by chance, they were God-ordained and each person’s response was deliberate.

God’s orchestration of events—His sovereignty—doesn’t negate our moral responsibility. Their encounters with someone in need provided the priest, Levite, and Samaritan an opportunity to be a conduit of God’s mercy. Although the priest and Levite ignored the man’s cries, like the Samaritan, they freely chose how they would respond. Their sin was not diminished just because the Samaritan showed compassion and helped the dying man.

While all things happen for a reason, the reason is not necessarily a message from God. We shouldn’t get carried away trying to find divine meaning for every coincidence or chance encounter. Nevertheless, let us remember that life is filled with moments that appear accidental but carry eternal weight. How will we treat the unplanned encounters of life? Trusting that God’s hand is behind them, will we see these coincidences as a call to be the hands and feet of Jesus or, like the priest and Levite, will we go on our merry way?

Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. [Albert Einstein]

We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall. … You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. [Proverbs 16:33,19:21 (NLT)]

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [Romans 8:28 (NLT)]

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