Facebook and Instagram are the world’s most popular social networking websites. One of the features of these sites is the ability to ‘like’ something that has been posted there by another user. Typically, to ‘like’ something means that you find it funny, or agree with what is being said. It is a way of indicating […]
Author: bumchecks
How to Avoid a Spiritual Failure
In his final hours in Rome, awaiting an inevitable execution, a very lonely apostle Paul suffered some additional heartbreak. “Demas,” he wrote, “hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4.10). We are left to speculate as to the particulars — what dread fears or powerful allurements led this faithful friend and co-worker […]
The Evangelist in Decapolis
In the first century, a man walked to his city in Decapolis, on the eastern side of the Jordan River. It had been a long time since he had been home or been around anyone who wasn’t trying to chain him up. They had tried to bind him, but the supernatural strength lent to him […]
As the Life of a Flower
The infinite ability of man is constantly reinforced in our culture. We are convinced that there is no disease that cannot be conquered. We are sure that we can “boldly go where no man has gone before” in our search for the elusive “fountain of youth.” We wish to be the masters of our own […]
Overcoming Evil
Do you feel like the world is coming unglued? If you spend any time watching the news or browsing social media it seems like there is evil at every turn. There are terrorist attacks in the Middle East. There is war in Europe. There is sex trafficking and human smuggling across our Southern border. The […]
There is No “Alone” in Salvation
When someone begins a sentence by saying, “The only thing necessary to be saved is…” you can know that they are in error and will eventually employ double-talk. There is no “alone” in the salvation process. It takes a combination of things, on man’s part as well as God’s part, to accomplish this wonderful event. […]
Is There Free Will?
Free will has been in the news recently with a neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky, having recently published a book arguing that there is no free will. Let me set aside the scientific question for a moment and turn first to the Bible because there is a religious argument about free will. I once had a Calvinist […]
SEALING THE 144,000 the Church (God Servants on Earth)
Revelation 7:4-8 – How many of God’s servants were sealed? —12,000 of every tribe of the children of Israel for a total of 144,000. Note the symbolism: 12 represented “God’s organized religion on earth” (12 apostles, 12 thrones; 12 gates to the city of Jerusalem, etc.). The number 1,000 symbolized “all” of anything, and indeed […]
Prescription for Proper Unity
Summary: Walking worthy of our calling involves working diligently to maintain Christian unity, which involves how we interact with each other and commitment to true biblical teaching, especially concerning God, conversion, and our hope. God is the one who creates unity under his lordship, not ourselves. Text: Eph 4:1-6 Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42-47 Intro: 1. […]
Narrow Minded
I remember when we were expecting our second child. Instead of seeing our regular doctor, we were seeing a specialist known as an OB/GYN doctor, who specialized in pregnancies and childbirth. During one of our visits, the doctor saw some things that did not look right on his scans. It appeared that our baby might […]