Category Archives: Bible

Whatever God Says

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Numbers 23-25

Balaam made some mistakes. He should never had been in Balak’s presence in the first place. He disobeyed God, and as a result had to endure three tests he wouldn’t have had to face had he stayed put. But, dear ones, there is a precious lesson here I don’t want us to miss.

Remember Balak was dangling great wealth in front of Balaam if he’d only put a curse on Israel for him. I think some people might wonder why Balaam didn’t just throw out a meaningless string of words that sounded like a curse. That could have made him a rich man, and it would have appeased Barak.

Plus, Barak was a king. If he didn’t like what Balaam said, or if Balaam refused to say the words it could have meant Balaam’s death. So there’s that.

Balaam put himself in a difficult position. But here’s what spoke to me today:

Earlier Balaam had tweaked God’s Words. (see chapter 22). He edited what God told him to say to Balak’s representatives which opened the door for trouble. Then, after meeting the angel of God on the road, Balaam faced Barak with a renewed determination to surrender to the Words of God no matter the outcome.

Balak said: Curse Israel
God said: Bless Israel

So when Barak heard a blessing instead of a curse, he was livid. Balaam’s reply to the king was:

“Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?” (23:12) Then again, “Didn’t I tell you, whatever the Lord says I must do?” (23:26) And, “I will say whatever the Lord says.” (24:13)

Side note: I love how God gently restored Balaam kind of like he did Peter after Peter denied even knowing Jesus. Both men sinned by what they said or didn’t say. So God gave them repeated opportunities to speak the truth. God is so good!

What changed Balaam from being someone who could misquote Gods Words, into a man totally surrendered to the integrity of God’s Words? I believe it was that personal encounter with the angel of the Lord, AKA the pre-incarnate Jesus.

Let me ask all of us: How seriously do we consider the Words of God, those written in the precious Book we hold in our hands? I think we need to ask ourselves if we tend to omit certain verses that offend us. Do any of us change the meaning of the text in order for it to fit our skewed world-view, or the popular opinions of the day?

Or do we consider whose Words these are. Balaam asked, “Shouldn’t I say exactly the words the Lord puts in my mouth?” Shouldn’t we echo that and say, “Shouldn’t I say exactly the words the Lord has put into print in the pages of the Bible?” Those ARE God’s Words!

Another side note: I knew a woman who told me “God told me I was going to live in this apartment complex.” Years later and never having lived there she said, “God told me I was going to live in this high-rise.” Friend, beware of anything that starts out with “God told me” if what follows is not Scripture. Just beware.

I believe if we have an encounter with the living Lord, the way Balaam encountered Him on the road, we will also have a renewed respect for God’s Word, and a determination to let God’s Words speak for themselves.

Consider Psalm 19:14:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

May the words of our mouths be God’s Words, used exactly the way God said them. May we meditate on the Words of God as found in Scripture and not on someone’s opinions on the meaning of those words.

If we, like Balaam determine to “say whatever the Lord says,” according to Scripture, our words will be acceptable to God, and His Word will never return void.

Bitter Water

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Numbers 5

Modern feminism has made us hyper-sensitive to the roles of men and women. “Equality!” they cry. They see misogyny in the eyes of every male. So I imagine if your sympathies lie with the feminists, you went ballistic as you read this chapter.

“You mean if some jerk gets jealous of his wife – even without reason – he could take her before the church and force her to drink dirty water that could cause her to blow up like a balloon, in great pain, and maybe leave her unable to ever have children? He’s jealous… and she pays?”

I know. It’s awful if that’s what you get out of reading these verses. But is that really what we see here?

Notice this is a ceremony of a husband who recognizes HIS sin of jealousy. He brings a sacrifice to the priest to atone for HIS sin. Hearing his wife’s public declaration of her innocence, then watching her drink the cursed liquid without having all those horrible things happening to her, was proof that his jealousy was unwarranted, and he is right to confess his sin in order to be forgiven.

Do I think even one innocent woman suffered those physical ailments as a result of drinking the disgusting water? No.

Do you know why I’m 100% sure of that? Because God commanded a jealous husband to confess his sin in this way. And God doesn’t make mistakes.

Yes, more than likely there were women who had affairs, and maybe they did suffer the harmful effects of the bitter water. Scripture doesn’t say one way or the other. But I am looking at the innocent woman and the seemingly unfair treatment of her.

God is not a misogynist. In fact, I see a God who gave dignity to a women unjustly accuse You don’t treat women like that and expect God to be ok with it. This jealous husband who may have wanted to humiliate his wife, was publicly humiliated himself. His jealously was a sin everyone could see. He needed to repent of that sin.

If you were upset by what you read in Numbers 5, go back and read it again. This time remember the character of God, and see if you don’t recognize his love and mercy for both the man who needed to repent, and his wife who needed to be exonerated.

It’s in there.

The Facts of the Presence

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Exodus 39-40

The tangible, unmistakable Presence of God stayed with the Jews by way of a cloud by day, and pillar of fire at night. They had only to look toward the tabernacle, and there He was! How amazing is that? They saw with their own eyes the evidence that God was right there, leading and protecting them every step of the way.

I find myself wishing I could see God’s Presence with my eyes, too. Yet I happily exchange the physical signs of His Presence over the tabernacle, for the privilege of having His Presence in me, guiding and protecting me.

Yes, I have to use eyes of faith. But it doesn’t make His Presence less real.

I think one thing we Christians get wrong is the idea that we can and should feel the Presence. I’m not sure there are any verses that say that exactly. I could be wrong and would love if you would set me straight if that’s the case.

I think we’re wrong to pray for the Presence when God says He never leaves us. How insulting is that for us to say, “Holy Spirit come into our midst” when He’s saying, “Hello! Didn’t I promise I’d be here?” What makes us think the Holy Spirit needs our invitation when He’s the one inviting us to come to Him?

One thing I see in these verses is the fact that the Jews didn’t feel the Presence. We place so much emphasis on our emotions, I think we miss something precious. The Jews recognized the Presence even if they didn’t get that fuzzy feeling. Their assurance of the Presence didn’t depend on their feelings, but rather the fact that God was there regardless of how they felt. The cloud was there. The fire was there. The Presence was a fact.

It still is, if you are a Christian. Didn’t Jesus say He will be with us to the end of the age? Didn’t He say, “never will I leave or forsake you?”

Those are the facts. When we accept the grace of God, the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence. He doesn’t go on vacation. He doesn’t leave for a minute to run an errand. His Presence is in us even when we find it hard to smile, even when we’re facing the biggest challenge of our life. The Presence is with us 24/7.

That’s the precious truth I think we sometimes miss. You might argue, “But I don’t feel Him.” And I will give you the good news: You don’t have to! You don’t have to manufacture a euphoric feeling to know the Presence. In fact, that feeling is not the litmus test. The litmus test is the character of God. Either He is true to His word, or He isn’t. Either His Spirit is in you as a Christian, or He’s not.

Even if you can’t “feel” Him, the precious reality is you can know He’s there anyway, leading, protecting, loving on you every minute. Hold on to the truth of it. Use those eyes of faith and rest in the reality. His Presence is with you!

That’s a fact.

God Speaks

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Exodus 36-39

I could have saved Moses a lot of ink if I had been writing these chapters:

“And Bezalel did everything God commanded.”

We read the detailed instructions God gave for the making of the Tabernacle, then we read the details of how Bezalel and his men followed the detailed instructions. Piece by piece. Stitch by stitch. Yawn!

But wait. These are God’s words. He didn’t just get wordy here. There’s a reason for every syllable.

So I sat here wondering what God wants me to know about Bazelel’s careful adherence to God’s blueprint.

Every morning I begin my quiet time reading an excerpt from an AW Tozer sermon. (Mornings with Tozer, complied by Gerald B. Smith; Moody Publishers; 1991, 2008). Today, January 30, he shared an experience he had with a well-meaning brother who tried to correct Tozer’s interpretation of something Paul said. I’ll let Tozer tell it in his own words:

“One gentleman has written saying that I have it all wrong, and that Paul did not mean what I had said he meant as I applied Paul’s statement to everyday life.
I took time to write a reply: ‘When it comes to saying what he meant, Paul’s batting average has been pretty good up to now. So I will string along with what Paul plainly, clearly said.'”

He goes on to say he figured he really didn’t need someone who has decided the Bible doesn’t mean what it says to “straighten him out” about what the Bible says.

So when I read how Bezalel followed God’s instructions without wondering what they meant, I am challenged to do the same. I think God is a pretty good communicator. If He says something – He means it.

I think the Church is in trouble because we waste so much time trying to interpret what God meant instead of hearing what He said. We think we have to interpret His words through the lens of culture, or tradition, or perceived enlightenment, so we tweak the words God spoke to mean what we want them to mean. That’s a recipe for the disaster I think we are seeing.

I love reading commentaries and other blogs, listening to sermons, being part of Bible studies and talking about Scripture with friends. I write this blog full of my interpretation of Scripture. But I would encourage us all to put all of those in the “opinion category.” And, if I or anyone tweaks God words to fit an agenda or to claim we know what was “meant” other than what it says… place it in the “deleted category.”

I believe there is a time to put away our commentaries, turn off our TV’s, close down our Google Apps, stop reading blogs, and open God’s Word.

Do you think you can’t understand Scripture without the help of Kay Arthur, John MacArthur, Dr. Jeremiah, your pastor or Sunday School teacher? Then you aren’t giving the Holy Spirit the credit He deserves. I agree you can’t understand your denominational theology, or the trend of the day without looking to the interpretations of others. But don’t tell me God can’t give you understanding of His Word.

Let’s fashion our lives and opinions like Bezalel fashioned the Tabernacle – on the Word of God. Read the Bible for yourself. Pray and ask God for understanding. Read it again. Find other verses that speak about what you are reading in the Bible. Let the Bible speak for itself. Let God speak for Himself.

Right there, in those precious pages, is where God speaks. The question is, are you listening?

Choose Light

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Genesis 4-7

I love that when God inspired the written Word He brought receipts. Here listed are names of real people who lived on earth in real time. Here are the details of a world-wide flood the fact of which is still being discovered by scientists today. Here is revealed the heart of God who loves and blesses His creation, but who will not let the guilty go unpunished. Here is the God who will have the last word.

And here is the God who promised the Savior, who provides the ark, who shelters His children, and defeats death.

We don’t like to talk about absolutes these days, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There is good and there is evil. There is blessing and there is judgment. There is life and there is death. There is black and there is white.

Some people don’t want to believe in the Biblical account of the flood. They say things like it’s a parable, fiction, a nice story to teach a moral lesson. Others of us believe every word to be true, down to the smallest detail, that Noah was a real man with real sons who built a real ark that saved them from a really BIG flood.

I’ve heard it said that atheists believe Christianity is a fable made up by people who are afraid of the dark. Christians know that atheism is a fable made up by people afraid of the light.

There is dark and there is light.

I’m going to be reading through the Bible again this year. Our church is going cover to cover together, and I hope you’ll join us. Let’s read every word, learn every lesson, grow in grace and knowledge as we look at this precious Book every single day of 2026.

Whether or not you are a believer, I challenge you to open up a Bible and let God reveal the light. Then, I pray we will all…

choose the light!

The “Why?”

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Luke 1-24

Since the beginning of December I’ve been reading one of the twenty-four chapters in Luke’s Gospel each day. Yesterday I read about the empty tomb, the proof of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the fact He visibly went back to heaven. I’ve loved being reminded that, although His birth is something to celebrate, Jesus didn’t stay in that manger. He grew up and lived a very real – and extraordinary – life with purpose. All of it from the manger to the cross happened so Jesus could take care of our sin problem.

And we’ve all got a sin problem. The bottom line is your sin and mine separate us from a God who loves us and longs to have us near Him. We can’t declare ourselves sin-less, and death is the just payment for sin. If we die in our sin, we are separated from God forever. It took God becoming a man and dying in our place.

Debt paid.

So this year, as you look at the Baby in the manger, as you say, “Merry CHRISTmas,” and sing “Silent Night,” I hope you’ll see past the presents and lights and laughter and family dinners, and stop and consider the ‘why” of it all.

Friend, YOU are the “Why.”

I hope you receive many gifts today from people you love, gifts that will warm your heart and bring you joy. But if you haven’t received the gift of God’s grace, the full payment for your sin, please do it today.

Jesus, in John 3:16 tells us God loved you so much He sent Jesus so that if you believe, you will have eternal life with God – the gift Jesus died to give you. If you pray, “God I believe that Jesus was born, lived a perfect life so He could be the perfect payment for my sin when He died on the cross, and that He rose from the dead”…you will be saved. Take your sin, lay them at the foot of the cross, let God exchange your sin for His righteousness, and I promise you will receive the most extraordinary gift of your lifetime.

Yes, dear one. YOU are the “Why” of Christmas.

Protecting Integrity

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Luke 19

Jesus protected the integrity of the Temple. And He did it forcefully. There wasn’t the need to understand where the merchants were coming from, or an attempt to come to a compromise so both sides felt heard. What the merchants were DOING was wrong. Their actions condemned them. So Jesus showed them the door.

To take that kind of stand today would be considered “legalistic,” “traditional,” “judgmental,” “bigoted,” “unloving,” perhaps “homophobic” or any such label the world uses to make Christians cowards.

It’s not just non-believers who throw those names around, either. Christians are eating their own.

Why? I believe it’s because for decades we haven’t protected the integrity of the Church. AW Tozer said, “Each generation of Christians is the seed of the next, and degenerate seed is sure to produce degenerate harvest – not a little better than, but worse than the seed from which it sprang. Then the direction will be down until vigorous, effective means are taken to improve the seed.”

What are the vigorous, effective means we need to take? We pray for revival but we don’t really want revival. We want non-believers to find Jesus. That’s not reviving anything, it’s dying and being born again. Yet the vigorous, effective means we need to take IS revival of lazy, ineffective believers. We are the ones who need to be revived.

The Church is to be a house of the holy. Yes – holy!

I think back to Daniel 12:7 when the man in Daniel’s vision asked when the end will come. He was told, “when the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

We balk at the thought of being holy. We’re only human, right? Yet God commanded we be holy as He is holy, so we ought to obey. Not by our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. His holiness ought to be seen in and through each of us. Holiness is not an option if the Holy Spirit has taken up residence through the blood of Jesus.

So going back to the idea of protecting the integrity of the Church. We must demand holiness of ourselves and other Christians because God demands it. But I’m afraid the Church (that’s you and me) doesn’t even want to be holy. We want to be popular. We want to fill our chairs. We want to a be coddled and loved, seen and heard. We want to feel excited and joyful, and lulled into a sense of acceptance. I don’t think being holy is on our radar.

That degenerate seed will bear degenerate fruit which will eventually break the power of the holy people who lived before us.

Christian, let’s pray for revival first in ourselves, then our believing family and friends, our local church, and in the worldwide Church. Let’s protect, and ignite the integrity of our hearts and our churches. Let’s expel the money-changers who make the church a den of thieves.

Revive Thy Church, O Lord! Begin with me.

If Not You

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1 Timothy 1:3-11

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and gave him the responsibility of guarding the truth against false doctrine and those who were teaching it. Makes me wonder who is guarding the truth today. Or are the things Paul warned Timothy about not applicable in 2025?

The thing is, I don’t think false doctrine is a result of evil men sitting around a table in a dark, smoke-filled room with Satan, coming up with strategies to derail the Gospel. I think it generally comes from good men wanting the Gospel to be inviting, fun, attractive, and accepted by all. What could be wrong in that, right?

I think these are probably praying men, but not listening men. They may tell God what they’re going to do for Him, without hearing what He wants from them. They use Scripture, but they don’t understand it.

The Church has used “church-speak” for so long the words have taken on false meaning without us realizing it.

“God is love,” has come to mean God accepts everyone.

“Don’t judge,” means what is right for me doesn’t have to be right for you.

“Enter his court with praise,” means worship ought to be fun, our demonstration equal to that of a football fan at the Super Bowl, an experience that leaves us with a euphoric, spiritual high.

Do you recognize the subtle falseness that renders such doctrine fruitless? How can we recognize the counterfeit? By studying the real thing. Our time in the Bible ought to exceed our time listening to sermons, reading commentaries and religious literature.

Bank tellers learn to recognize counterfeit bills, not by studying the counterfeit, but by studying the real thing so that they can recognize ANY deviation.

Do you want to guard the truth? Read your Bible. Read it again. Read it often. Memorize it. Think on it. Let it become so real to you that you can recognize ANY deviation.

Then what? Is it enough for you to know the truth? If we are to guard the truth we need to speak up. Question. Point out errors. Hold each other accountable for what we believe and say.

If not you – who?

Living in Poverty

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Ruth 2:1-7

What does it say that Ruth was so willing to go to work upon arriving in Bethlehem? She was an undocumented immigrant, penniless, homeless except for any property still in Naomi’s family name. But it doesn’t seem like she waited to see if the neighbors would provide, or if there was government assistance. She knew that if she was going to eat, she would have to go to work.

We could make this about financial poverty, food stamps and free healthcare. But I think there might be a more important lesson here.

Too many Christians are living in systemic spiritual poverty. They are taught to pray like their parents prayed, “Bless me, God. Heal me. Provide for my needs, God,” and expect spiritual hand-outs. But are they willing to do the work?

Do they spend quality time in God’s Word? Do they pray for more than themselves? Do they give, go, grow, obey. Are they the hands and feet of Jesus? Do they surrender their wills and have the mind of Christ?

James tells us that we might have faith, but if we don’t do something about it, our faith is worthless. I think that’s what spiritual poverty looks like.

The thing about living in financial poverty is it can become the norm after a generation or two. It can become a mind-set and an expectation.

The same is true for spiritual poverty. I guess what I see here in the book of Ruth is, God has a better plan. It’s a plan to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (from Jeremiah 19:11)

Are you living in spiritual poverty? Do you feel God isn’t hearing your prayers, not meeting your needs? Then, like Ruth, get to work. The blessings are just around the corner.

Proceed With Caution

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Ruth 1

Naomi was broken. There was nothing for her in Moab, and life for a widow with no sons in Israel promised only poverty and disgrace. Maybe she hoped someone would have pity and provide for her. But there was no guarantee. My heart breaks for her.

Not knowing what was ahead, how could she bring the daughters-in-law she loved into such dire circumstances? They had homes and families and means to flourish in Moab. It seems Naomi thought they would be better off going home.

Liz Curtis Higgs (“The Girl’s Still Got It,” WaterBrook Press, 2012) is way too hard on Naomi, and without reason. I see Naomi as a woman beaten down, drowning in sorrow, afraid and lost. I actually think Ruth saw her that way, too.

I think Ruth also saw that, for all her brokenness, Naomi was determined to go back to God. It was Naomi’s faith – as weak as it may have been at the moment – that drew Ruth to believing in Naomi’s God. Her beautiful vow of love for Naomi and her pledge to embrace God for herself sealed the deal. Ruth was all in – a believer leaving behind her past and forging ahead toward the One True God.

Scripture tells us after Ruth’s vow, Naomi stopped talking to her. It doesn’t say why. It doesn’t say for how long. If we are going to read something into that, I’m going to read that Naomi was overcome, speechless in that moment. She had no more argument, no more reason to keep pleading with Ruth to return home.

Once again, I take issue with what Mrs. HIggs (The Girl’s Still Got It; WaterBrook Press; 2012) reads into this. She seems to think Naomi was giving Ruth “the silent treatment.”

“Is she angry, fearful, exhausted? All of the above, judging by her body language.” (p 52)

Are you scratching your head after reading that? What about it do you question? Is it the fact that Scripture says nothing about Naomi’e body language? How can we judge what we don’t know?

After citing this book yesterday, I have to say I’m not sure I can recommend it as a reliable commentary on the book of Ruth. I see it as more fiction with some spiritual truth thrown in. It’s an enjoyable read, but not something to base your theology on. (My opinion).

However, a book like this can test your understanding of Scripture. Can you separate opinion from fact? Can you tell where assumptions are presented as truth? Please don’t read this book, or any book or blog or listen to podcasts and sermons, and simply accept it as truth without sifting it through Scripture yourself. I’m including this blog in that list of reading materials you need to test before accepting what is said.

So, I’m going to ask you to go back to the beginning of this post and read it again. This time look for my opinions stated as fact. What do you see? I may be right about my opinions. I may be wrong. Scripture doesn’t say specifically what Naomi was thinking or why she quit talking. Can you identify what I said that came straight from the mouth of God, and what came out of my own interpretation?

This is what I want you to get from this: If you choose to read books about the Bible, read the Bible. If you like to get different viewpoints on Scripture, read the Scripture for yourself. There are some great books out there. But there are some questionable, and some downright heretical books out there, too.

Proceed with caution. Don’t let someone think for you. Don’t let someone fashion your theology with assumptions and opinions.. Read the Bible. Read it again. Memorize it. Love it.

We call the Bible God’s Word because these are the words He wants you to read and learn from. I’m thankful for scholars who have studied the Bible and can explain context and meaning in ways I can understand. But they are not the final word.

God was very clear to say we are not to add to or subtract from what He inspired men to write. The Scriptures are closed. And they are enough exactly as they were penned thousands of years ago.

So go ahead, read those books. Take those classes. Listen to those teachers. But proceed with caution.