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 →
Now it is time for Sand Ceremony. The Sand Ceremony actually dates back to Old Testament times when covenants were made between individuals by the blending of salt or sand, with the idea that just as it would be impossible to separate the original grains of sand, once mixed with the other’s, so it would be impossible to undo the … Continue reading →
This past Sunday when I mentioned wanting to leave you with a promise for our fellowship as we go into the future, I asked for someone to find and read Matthew 18:16. I wrote that verse on the flip chart, but of course my handwriting says I should have been a physician, so the verse that was read was Mark … Continue reading →
Recently I was doing some studying on a topic that led me to Psalm 37:1 which says, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” When we read Psalm 37:2 we see the reason why it admonishes us to “fret not” and it is because “they shall soon be cut down like the … Continue reading →
How can Isaiah 7:14 be considered a prophecy about Christ’s virgin birth when the word translated there also means a young female? This is a popular objection for those looking for a reason to deny prophesy and the virgin birth of the Messiah but it is also an opportunity to consider proper interpretation of Scripture. So I am going to … Continue reading →
From time to time someone on social media gets all hyped up about wanting to educate people about Bible translations that appear to have eliminated verses, and this video below addresses that question.
Continue reading →I am beginning to wonder if Satan is hijacking our political outrage as a scheme to take our eyes off the Lord, the coming Kingdom of Heaven, and what Scripture warns us about end-time deceptions. Thanks to social media, I am seeing some of my minister friends getting obsessed with the current political situation in Washington and sounding almost exclusively … Continue reading →
I’m contemplating death today, because I just learned of the passing of Edith Waugh, a former church member from my Rock Hill, South Carolina days and wife of Les Waugh, whom I wrote about in a previous blog post. Edith was also the sitter for my children and allowed me the opportunity to be out and involved with church ministry, … Continue reading →
I realize that many Bible prophecy teachers are quick to say that the United States of America isn’t in Revelation. Many of these preachers pinpoint other countries in prophecy but emphatically conclude that the United States is not even mentioned. While I hold a great deal of respect for the ministry of those who are doing all within their power … Continue reading →
The disciples had lost their confidence that their Master was going to rise to prominence in the land, and that meant their hope of being exulted with Him was fading. Jesus was talking about dying, and within a few days He would. The mood among the band of followers was turning grim. The opposition of the pharisees and the elite … Continue reading →
With the October 21, 2020 passing of my mother, I am beginning to feel what I’ve heard expressed so many times by adult children following the death of their last living parent. I am feeling the sentiment expressed by surviving children who say, “I feel like an orphan.” For me, it’s been over six-weeks of “I feel like an orphan” … Continue reading →
If you follow my Today’s Daily Promise devotionals you have likely noticed that I have recently been using the New International Version, having recently switched from using the English Standard Version. In this post I want to explain why I have been using the NIV again. This story has to begin in 1980 when I became a born again believer … Continue reading →
I don’t have any survey or research study to confirm my opinion, but I think brides tend to get bamboozled by the groom more than a groom gets bamboozled by the bride. I have some horror stories in my experience of officiating over 5000 weddings that point to the bride as intentionally deceiving the groom in order to get married, … Continue reading →