The Christmas season is an opportunity for us to reflect on the first advent of our Savior, even though we may not buy into it as a religious celebration. Since leaving Catholicism I have lost a sense of obligation to celebrate Christmas with religious significance or requirement. There is no biblical command to celebrate the Savior’s birth, no certainty in … Continue reading →
One of the saddest things for me to witness is a person who is nearing the end of their days without any spiritual strength to draw from. It’s something I’ve seen many times in my pastoral and hospital chaplaincy ministry. An individual is facing death but having no spiritual strength in them their emotional stress is compounded with spiritual distress. … Continue reading →
Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 4 and 5 and talked about John’s vision of the throne room in Heaven. Chapters 4 and 5 are a transition of sorts from the seven letters to the seven churches and to the seven seals. When we are back together on Sunday, January 16, 2022 we will get into the 6th … Continue reading →
Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 3 and talked about the three churches mentioned in the chapter. Jesus dictated to John letters for these seven churches and in this chapter we have the letters for the last three: Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The letters have application to each of the local churches of John’s time, an application to … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 2 and talked about the four churches mentioned in the chapter. Jesus dictated to John letters for these seven churches and in this chapter we have the letters for the first four: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyartira. The letters have application to each of the local churches of John’s time, an application … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 1 as we began our journey through this new study series and I want to share with you some of the highlights from our study and discussion… Revelation 1:1 — It is important to note that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Anti-Christ. Some translations say “the revelation from … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we completed our study through the book of Matthew when we opened to its final chapter. In Matthew 28 we dealt with the resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission. One of the things that caught our attention was Matthew’s account of how the soldiers were bribed by the priests to lie and report that the … Continue reading →
I want to continue some thoughts from my last post and email sent to CrossHope Chapel titled “Pastor Appreciation & Keeping Community.” It had occurred to me that some good may come out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the western church. My thought has been that a remnant within today’s western church may be nudged back to a more biblical … Continue reading →
This coming Sunday, October 17th, at CrossHope Chapel we will open to the 27th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and continue through the closing scenes of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. We will cover Matthew 27:1-44 this coming Sunday, and on the following Sunday, October 24, we’ll look at the remainder of Matthew 27 into Matthew 28 as we … Continue reading →
Yesterday I turned 59 years old and I wasn’t feeling good about it. I took my 50th birthday hard, because I realized that 50 years of my life just filtered through my hands like grains of sand at the beach. Turning 59 was not as bad for me as when I turned 50, but I am wondering about my next … Continue reading →
This past Sunday we opened to Matthew 24 and had a good discussion on the signs of the end as given by Jesus to His disciples. We saw that Jesus gave this discourse with the purpose stated in Matthew 24:42-44 that we would all “Therefore keep watch…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at … Continue reading →
I want to encourage us all to stay focus on Jesus and not get dragged down with the anxieties of these times, the startling headlines, or the sorrows that life can throw our way. Remember when Peter walked on water, he was fine as long as his eyes were fixed on the Lord, but the minute he began to focus … Continue reading →
This past Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we examined the 20th chapter of Matthew, but we spent the bulk of our time discussing the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The chapter engaged us with the stories of Jesus healing two blind men, the mother of James and John asking Jesus to make her sons the two highest in command … Continue reading →
Our next thru the Bible study series at CrossHope Chapel will be through the book of Revelation and here you’ll find a list of some resources and an outline. This upcoming study series will give attention to explaining both the historicist and dispensational eschatological interpretations of the book of Revelation. Online Commentaries: David Guzik • John Walvoord • Chuck Smith … Continue reading →
by H.M.S. Richards The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it and the devil’s business to hinder him if he can. So surely as God has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you. He may present other things more promising, He may allure you by worldly prospects, … Continue reading →
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)* When we … Continue reading →
Here are just some of the reasons, other than an anniversary celebration, why couples choose to have a vow renewal ceremony… 1) to reaffirm marriage following a separation, 2) starting anew after troubling relationship times, 3) after the discovery of terminal illness, 4) couples who previously were married by a judge at a courthouse and want an ordained vocational church minister to officiate, 5) couples who have … Continue reading →
Here is a 22-point sequence of events for an understanding of the post-tribulation rapture or the second coming of Christ, sometimes called historicism in eschatology… Jesus returns for His church as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. This is the … Continue reading →
It is often stated that since the church is not mentioned between Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 22:16, it is proof of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. When ministers and prophecy teachers make mention of there being no church between Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 22:16, they mean that the Greek word “ekklēsia” is not used. In an earlier post titled … Continue reading →
I like assessment tools that are simple and not crazy complicated just to tell you something that you already know — marriage is going to have conflicts. I am a big believer in the 5 Love Languages, the 1 Corinthians 13 practices, and the assessment tool that I developed below, using the word FORGIVE as a guide to work through … Continue reading →
It is always a blessing to hear from couples after the wedding, with a word of appreciation or otherwise. A lot of couples message me on their anniversary date, and I do enjoy hearing from them, too. Here is a collection of unsolicited reviews on my officiating services. Please contact me if you wish to share a review or have any questions, … Continue reading →
This is Easter week and soon we will be together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord together through fellowship and communion. Every year during this season I tend to think of a very minute portion of the Easter story that is usually insignificant to most retelling’s of the resurrection day. However, it speaks volumes to the glorious fact that … Continue reading →
I’ve been thinking about the Great Commission as found in Matthew 28:19-20, which says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the … Continue reading →
Organic things go bad. Fruit grows old, vegetables go rotten, and meat will decay. When it comes to organic church groups, the principle is the same. Organic church can go bad, too. I’ve been mauling over this for sometime now and because my blog gets a good deal of traffic on my Simpler Church category posts, I thought the time … Continue reading →