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  • 1040. Is the Bible God's Word and Our Final Authority?

    1040. Is the Bible God's Word and Our Final Authority?
    2025/11/16
    In our culture today, the collection of writings commonly referred to as The Bible has often been called God's Word. Some call it our final authority. Yet we see within the pages where it is Jesus who is specifically defined as the Word who was with God from the beginning—and was God—and He became flesh. In Him was life and light. Jesus never promised an addendum to the writings of the old, holy, Jewish scriptures ... but did indeed promise to send His Spirit as a helper and guide. This is not to minimize the Bible or anything in it, whether it be Old or New Testament. The pages are a reliable source of truth that point us to the Life-giver. But there is much confusion amongst thousands of corporate Christian church denominations with a multitude of different opinions that do not align ... and yet they pretty much all consider the Bible as the source for their beliefs. God is not the author of that confusion. Considering the phrase, "the word" ... it can be defined in multiple ways when looking through the pages of the Bible. For example, there was a word of law for the Jews and there was something better that came along that Paul preached, which he called the word of faith. One was given for the Jews "to do" under what is now an obsolete covenant, while the other was given for anyone to believe in a new and better covenant. But we are not on a divine path to become perfect interpreters of the Bible. This is not our destination. It's all about keeping our eyes on the person of Jesus with the help of His Spirit while getting to *know* Him. *He* is our final authority and the Author of faith, life, and salvation. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    19 分
  • 1039. Is God the "Author" of the Publication Known as The Holy Bible?

    1039. Is God the "Author" of the Publication Known as The Holy Bible?
    2025/11/09
    A slogan heard quite often within Christian circles—used in various ways—is that God is the Author of the Bible. It's a concept that somewhat turns into a catchphrase without entirely taking into consideration what this specifically means. For those who have listened to us for the past twenty years, you know how we embrace the truths found within the pages of this compilation of writings called The Bible. You also know how many things we've come to see differently from the beginning of our journey into grace and throughout the years as we grow in our understanding of the gospel of grace and the knowledge of the truth concerning Jesus. There are "concepts" about the Bible that are often handed down to all of us through religious mindsets that may not always be accurate and will have influence over us ... sometimes positively and sometimes negatively—depending on whether it is based on real truth or theorized assumptions that may be at least partially false. For some, their belief is anchored in thinking everything in the Bible was dictated by God to humans who transcribed it in writing. Does inspiration really means dictation? Is the phrase "God-breathed" synonymous with "God spoke?" Is the Bible alive and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart? Let's be clear ... we continue to be cheerleaders for the Bible as we always have been. But our faith and confidence isn't contained in the writings themselves, but in the living One to whom the writings point to as the Author of faith, life and salvation. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    20 分
  • 1038. A Case of Stolen Identity

    1038. A Case of Stolen Identity
    2025/11/02
    Our former days from working in radio brings a reminder of something the FCC required at the top of every hour for broadcasters. It's called a "Legal ID," where each station airs their call letters and city of license. From a Christian spiritual perspective, what would appear on your ID if it were printed out ... similar to a driver’s license or other form of identification? How do you see yourself inwardly? How are you described? If your identity is based upon what you do, that might fall under the category of a "legalistic ID." Requirements and demands that need to be met in order to become something you think you have not yet attained are just examples of stolen identity that empty religion has tricked us into giving away out of ignorance. On the other hand, one of the greatest discoveries found in the gospel of grace is coming to realize how God *already* identifies us in the here and now. Righteous, perfected, blameless, sanctified, and so much more ... and it's not just how "He sees you" but it is who you *are* as a child who has inherited without trying to do anything to make it happen. We can now live from this "God life" that abides within as God produces it through us. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    18 分
  • 1037. Under Grace: Forgive Others Because God Has Forgiven You

    1037. Under Grace: Forgive Others Because God Has Forgiven You
    2025/10/26
    Have you lived in fear of wondering whether God has forgiven you because you've had struggles forgiving others? This is often related to a "scary" statement Jesus made to His disciples during the "Sermon on the Mount." But we need to consider why Jesus said what He said and to whom He was speaking. In the previous chapter during His talk with these Jewish disciples who were still under an impossible law, He explained their righteousness will need to exceed that of the Pharisees—the assumed pinnacle of dedication to God at that time. Ultimately, Jesus summed it up by saying they would need to be perfect in all that they did when it came to the law. What Jesus said after providing them with instructions for praying was not a threat for us who live in a different covenant of grace. "Forgive others or God won't forgive you." This was based on the law they were under at that time ... a completely different system. But without the knowledge of differentiating between two different covenants, Bible verses will be misapplied. Now, in order for us to forgive others—which is important—we begin to grow in our understanding of how God *has* already and completely forgiven us through Jesus Christ and His blood. With the help of God's Spirit from within, we have been empowered to forgive in the same way God has forgiven us. But let's not allow religion to burden people by getting this backwards. It's not a *have-to* or a requirement, but a response out of love and grace. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    20 分
  • 1036. Will God Forgive You if You Don't Forgive Others?

    1036. Will God Forgive You if You Don't Forgive Others?
    2025/10/19
    Jesus made a statement to His disciples after giving them what is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer in Matthew Chapter 6. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." As we compare this to some things Paul said about forgiveness in Ephesians chapters 1 and 4 (for example), we'll see a contrast. Did Paul and Jesus have a theological disagreement? Of course, this is not the case. But something changed from the time Jesus said what He said to His disciples before the cross, and when Paul was writing to believers after the cross. Forgiving others is important ... but it is not required as some sort of quid pro quo in order to be forgiven by God. But the power of God abiding in us will help us to forgive when we think it seems too difficult. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    21 分
  • 1035. Like the Apostles, We Don't Know Everything

    1035. Like the Apostles, We Don't Know Everything
    2025/10/12
    It's easy to look at "Bible characters" such as the apostles and assume they were some type of spiritual super-humans who understood everything there is to know about God. In their writings, there are references to growing in various ways when it comes to Jesus, our knowledge of the truth, His grace and love, etc. We'll always be learning, otherwise, eternity might get rather dull. Regardless of how God chooses to use people in extraordinary ways, it doesn't change the fact that we're all humans who depend upon God to reveal truth and enlighten us to grow in our spiritual understanding. This week, we'll look at just one example which left many Jewish believers and apostles divided due to a lack of understanding when it came to the first covenant and the new one that replaced it. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    19 分
  • 1034. "Even His Brothers Did Not Believe in Him"

    1034. "Even His Brothers Did Not Believe in Him"
    2025/10/05
    Our conversation this week takes a different approach on avoiding the judgment of others when it comes to trying to identify whether or not they are saved or considered as believers in Christ. We find passages in the Bible where it's easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and allow human speculation and misdirected theology of the written pages to put God in a box, which limits His love and grace. The brothers who shared the same mother with Jesus did not believe in Him. The disciples saw Him after His resurrection and worshipped Him—but some still doubted. Others who came to believe after the resurrection were also zealous for a law of works, considered as part of an ongoing formula that had been wiped out and abolished without them realizing it. We're providing some food for thought for all of us to consider. But Jesus promised something even better that can bring people to a place where they will never hunger or thirst again. That's the ball we should keep our eyes upon. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    18 分
  • 1033. Jesus: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"

    1033. Jesus: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"
    2025/09/28
    "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you'" (John 6:53). This was one small piece of a passage that had people trying to figure out just exactly what Jesus was saying. This not only included those opposed to Jesus but also those who had been following Him. In fact, many of the disciples left at that point. Jesus asked the twelve who were left if they also wanted to depart. There are things Jesus said that contained words of truth where the understanding with the mind was unfruitful ... but something within their hearts that had been revealed about Jesus caused them to realize that He was their only hope for eternal life. The same is true today with people who lack understanding about spiritual things, statements from Jesus, and Bible writings. But this will not prevent God from revealing truth to us when it comes to Jesus. Believing doesn't require intellectual comprehension. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7
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    19 分