While I was serving as the pastor of CrossHope Chapel for 12-years, I was frequently called “Pastor” and even referred to myself as “Pastor.” Why? Because that was my role and the title my church used to address that and respectfully recognize that. The use of the word “Pastor” was a title for my role. Now biblically speaking the word is meant more as a spiritual gift one might have than a title of a … Continue reading →
There is one Former Seventh-day Adventist Facebook group that I still follow, probably because it’s not as angry as the majority of these groups are. Although it has recently occurred to me that it too has the one or two critics who have found their fame in their anti-SDA cause. Over the years I have joined about all of these groups and ended up un-joining them because of the constant over-the-top expression of hate by … Continue reading →
We concluded Revelation 20 with the end of the millennium, the judgment of the wicked dead, and their fate in the lake of fire. What follows is the remaking of Eden and earth made new by fire and as we’ll see in chapter 21, Heaven makes it home on the earth made new. It is also worth mentioning that in Revelation 21 and 22 we have a parallel to the beginning of the book with … Continue reading →
You may not be familiar with the term “spiritual self-care” so I am going to give you some definition and explain why I starting this new category in my blog. First, “spiritual” means that element that is non-material in the holistic understanding of man as body, mind, and spirit. The spiritual aspect of our being that is most recognized with the religious that reaches beyond ourselves to a higher existence and to others with a … Continue reading →
As we pick up with the story-line in Revelation 19 we find Jesus returning to earth to deliver His saints from the troubling world directed by the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. Revelation 19:11 say that “in righteousness he doth judge and make war” and following that In Revelation 20 we are introduced to a 1000-year period where judgment is set and review is made by the saints before the final end of … Continue reading →
When it came to how we did church, CrossHope Chapel held to the following four church purposes and seven governing values that guide our practices and focuses as a church. Biblical Purposes 1. We seek to be a church where one can safely, without denominational bias, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), 2. We seek to be a church where focus on the New Testament … Continue reading →
For nearly 12-years CrossHope Chapel was an informal, simpler expression of church, where one could encounter the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, engage others in authentic New Testament fellowship, and be encouraged through the verse-by-verse study of the Bible. When you walked through the doors you would immediately notice that we had round tables, no pews or side by side chairs in a theater style format. Our meeting felt more like a Sunday School … Continue reading →
We are going to tackle a large portion of Revelation from chapter 17 through chapter 19, because it is all focused on God’s specific wrath against the Beast, apostate religion, and their partnership for global power, which we read about in the previous chapters. If you remember, from Revelation 12 to Revelation 14 we have an overview of Satan’s end-time plan to war against Christ through the deception of the Beast and his image using … Continue reading →
Happy Independence Day! I share with you an insightful statement from 1906, found in today’s Maranatha devotional by E.G. White. The statement speaks in support of patriotism and against political deconstruction. Enjoy… “The Lord has done more for the United States than for any other country upon which the sun shines. Here He provided an asylum for His people, where they could worship Him according to the dictates of conscience. Here Christianity has progressed in … Continue reading →
The trials we face are different from the trials that another will face. All trials test us in a sense because they can be tools to adjust our faith in God or draw us further in opposition of Him. The trials that we all face come in many forms like disease, poverty, emotional distress, relationship conflict, stress, and may be compounded by severity or an unexpected suddenness. However, there is one thing about trials that … Continue reading →
From Revelation 12 to Revelation 14 we have an overview of Satan’s plan to war against Christ through the deception of the Beast and his image using wicked men to persecute the saints. Now as we come to Revelation 15 and Revelation 16 we read of God’s response to the wicked who have made their allegiance to Satan and rejected the Creator God, His Son, and have willfully pursued harm of His saints. In our … Continue reading →
Harmony is a quality that helps maintain spiritual strength. In the workplace, the community, or home, harmonious relationships are less stressful and more productive to whatever the end that partnership should produce. The Apostle Paul advises, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12:18 (NIV). When conflict exists in our relationships it draws our energy and consumes the peace that otherwise would allow us to … Continue reading →
On this day, Mother’s Day, I always think of a verse in the epistle of Paul to Timothy. The chapter includes some instructions to the young pastor about caring for widows and it is in the middle of this that Paul writes in regard to women as “known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children” (1 Timothy 5:10, NIV). That seemingly casual reference is a huge insight into how God perceives motherhood. What … Continue reading →
In Revelation 12 we saw that Satan went off to scheme for an end-time war of deception against the people of God “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17). In Revelation 13 we saw that this end-time scheme is the enforcement of the mark of the beast on a global scale that would lead to a death decree against those who “would not worship the image of … Continue reading →
