The Coronavirus is on everyone's mind and in the bodies of no less than 536,374 people. This morning I have at least 6079 reasons to grieve the loss of life in Italy. Coronavirus Statistics As of the writing of this article, there are 536,374 confirmed Coronavirus cases, worldwide. Of those, 80,589 are in Italy. Sadly, 8,215 Italians have died. That's 1/3 of all the current … [Read more...]
God’s Word: More Precious than Gold and Sweeter than Honey
King David, the psalmist, loved God's Word. He likened Scripture to fine gold and sweet honey. In Psalm 19, he uses six terms, descriptions, and effects to make his point. In doing so, David produced one of the most beautiful stanzas ever written about the inerrant, infallible, God-breathed Scriptures. The Text "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the … [Read more...]
Wisdom of Dead Guys: Biting and Devouring One Another
My hope is that "Wisdom of Dead Guys" will be a reoccurring feature on this blog. This article represents the launch of this blog feature. The Theology of Dead Guys Doesn't Change Jeff Pollard is the pastor of Mount Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, FL. In addition to overseeing the various ministries of the church, Pastor Jeff also oversees Chapel Library. I was introduced … [Read more...]
Crosswalking: How Lawn Mowing Helped Gabriel Understand the Gospel
While on the University of Iowa campus, Gabriel approached me and said, "I'll stop and talk." The Lord would use the Lawn Mowing Analogy to impact Gabriel's thinking. New Semester at the University of Iowa Evangelist Ray Comfort has often said, regarding evangelism, "I leave the house dragging my feet, but I come home clicking my heels." Anyone regularly engaged in public or … [Read more...]
Enoch the Prophet and the Patience of the Wrath-Filled God
This article was inspired (for lack of a better word), by a recent sermon that was preached by my pastor--Mike Reid. In the sermon, he touched upon the prophetic nature of the name Enoch gave his son, Methuselah. I learned something that was new to me, but not actually new (it has always been in the Bible). My eyes open wider to the perfect tapestry of God's progressive … [Read more...]
Word Study: “Life” in the Gospel of John
The word "life" appears 47 times in the ESV translation of the Gospel of John. "Life" is translated from three primary Greek words--"Zoe," "Psuche," and "Bios." One appears in the Gospel of John more than any other. One appears only a few times. And one doesn't appear at all. The Reason for This Study I recently returned home from my second trip to Kenya. God has graciously … [Read more...]
Wisdom from Above: How to Recognize it in Your Life
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). This verse was the foundation for a letter of encouragement I recently wrote to a young man. What follows is not a verbatim reproduction of the letter I wrote to the young man. Rather, it is an expansion of the thoughts I … [Read more...]