I find myself away from the church where I normally serve this weekend. I am teaching a Bible study at another church in another part of the state. So, I can identify with the Apostle Paul, who would often find himself seperated from churches he loved. He writes to the Christians in Colossae, “For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong” (Colossians 2:5, NLT).
It is an awesome thing to know that God is everywhere. He is not limited by the laws of space and time. He can be with me in one place, and at the same time, be with other believers somewhere else. He is not dependent on me in order to work. That’s a comforting thought. Especially when I am a couple hundred miles away.
From time to time, safety agencies run campaigns to encourage people to fasten their seatbelts. As a result, phrases like “what’s holding you back” and ”click it or ticket” become part of the public consciousness. One of the more simple slogans was “buckle up.” Simple, but effective. Right to the point. You are safer when you buckle up. We see that in our Christian life, we too are to buckle up. Only, our primary concern is found beyond the confines of our automobiles.
A few days ago, we asked and answered the question “Who Are You Fighting?” (click the link to read). Once we identify who the enemy is, we must begin to implement biblical principles in order to be effective in combating him. Returning to Ephesians, we read, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth”(Ephesians 6:13-14, ESV).
Paul writes this letter while he was in prison. He may very well have been chained to a Roman soldier as he talks about a Christian’s need to put on armor. It’s not hard to imagine Paul looking at the soldier and thinking about how the various pieces correlate to the Christian life. He begins an examination of those pieces by encouraging us to buckle the belt of truth.
A Roman soldier’s belt was the piece that held everything together. Other pieces of armor fastened to it. Swords hung from it. It was essential to the whole. As the Roman belt held everything together, truth is essential for the Christian’s ability to stand and prevail. Jesus said He was, “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When He prayed for His disciples, He asked God to, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (John 17:17, NLT).
One of Satan’s great weapons is deception. As far back as the Garden of Eden, Satan has been using lies to distort God’s word and to deceive God’s people. If we are to stand effectively against him, we need to buckle on truth. We need to know Jesus. We need to know His Word. Until we do, we will constantly be tossed back and forth by the things of this life (Ephesians 4:14). We will walk tentatively and fearfully through the trials of our lives. We will be easily tempted and deceived by the evil one who seeks to derail us (Psalm 119:9). Be strong. Be safe. Buckle up.
Dollars and policy initiatives are flying out of Washington like crazy. People are growing frustrated as they hear about what all is in the recently passed stimulus package. Companies are laying off in big numbers because of how horrible the economy is projected to be. Constitutional questions are being raised by members of the president’s own party. Everyone is in a state of panic. In my opinion, it’s exactly where the nation’s leadership, and the national media want us to be.
Why do our leaders and our news media want us in a state of fear? Because people make horrible decisions when they are panicked. The constant proclamation of crisis preys on the real fears and anxieties of people. Thus, we tend to look the other way and just mutter, “something has to be done.” No one stops to think about what that something really is. No one ponders what it will cost (in dollars or in anything else).
About seventy years ago, Franklin Roosevelt told our grandparents that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” We were in a real crisis then. In 1933, we were sandwiched between the Great Depression and the coming second World War. Things today are tough on a number of people. People have lost, or are losing, their jobs and their homes. I realize it’s not an easy time, but we have faced tough times before. Recessions, wars, and internal strife have all come and gone. Everyone forgets that because we are in a crisis mode. And in a climate of crisis, people tend to be easily manipulated. Perhaps the biggest crisis we face today is the one being perpetrated by the crisis-mongers. As long as we’re paralyzed, we’ll gladly let them do whatever they want. Now, that’s something to panic about.
No more Superman. Spider-Man hangs up the webs. Back to the Batcave with Batman. Could it be that comic books are going extinct? Some analysts are suggesting that the new wave of electronic reading devices may do in all the guys and gals running around in spandex. Comics were an enormous part of my childhood (young adulthood and middle age too). While I don’t buy them as much as I once did, it would be a shame to see comics go away. Technology is great, but this is a bummer.
A while ago, we listed the five best Bible translations (you can read them here). It seemed like a logical outgrowth of that list to look at what I think are the five best study Bibles on the market today. So, here are the five you should know:
The ESV Study Bible – This is perhaps the most comprehensive study Bible I have ever seen. It’s biggest drawback is that fact that it’s about two and a half inches thick and weighs about ninety pounds. Great notes and full color illustrations. Solid translation (English Standard Version) to boot. I am still reading through it, but until I see a major red flag, this is probably the one I would recommend first today. It also has a great on-line resource that you can access for free.
The NIV/NASB Study Bible – These are today’s standards for study Bibles. The NIV Study Bible has been around for decades. A few years ago, the notes were folded into the New American Standard text. You really can’t go wrong with either of these. Obviously, if you read my post on translations, you know I would opt for the NASB. This is probably the most cost effective choice on the list as well.
The MacArthur Study Bible – John MacArthur has been a favorite of mine for over twenty years. Very solid in his teaching and application. This study Bible is based on his notes. Very consistent and very conservative. It is available in the NASB and the New King James.
The NLT Study Bible – I have really begun to enjoy reading the New Living Translation. It does have some flaws, but it is a great read. The new NLT Study Bible is a great resource. The study notes are not as conservative as I would like (particularly in regard to prophetic books), but they aren’t horrible. You just need to be wise, and not swallow everything you see in the notes (to be fair, this is true of all study Bibles). Like the ESVSB, it too has a great on-line feature.
The Ryrie Study Bible – Of all of the Bibles on the list, this one has been around the longest. Very systematic and uniform in its theology. Also is available in a number of translations. You can’t go wrong here.
No one likes the word wrath. It sounds mean and scary. It’s something Darth Vader would utter as he used the force to choke the life out of you. To us, wrath is a vindictive thing. That’s why we dismiss it when it comes to God. We don’t like to use God and wrath in the same sentence. That’s Old Testament stuff. That’s fire and brimstone stuff. Come on man, it’s the New Testament God we want. The one that’s all about love. What we need to realize is this: when we remove God’s wrath and judgment, we minimize God’s love.
How so you ask? We begin by realizing that God is perfect and holy. The Bible says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3, ESV). Since God is perfect and holy, He must deal with sin and unrighteousness. It must be judged. God’s wrath, therefore, must come to bear. In His great love for us, God provided for us a way to avert His wrath. He sent Jesus to die for our sin. The Apostle John writes, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, ESV). [You can read more about this here.]
If there is no wrath from which to save us, then we have diminished the depth of God’s love. Do you remember Maverick? No, not the Tom Cruise character in Top Gun. The cowboy movie with Mel Gibson. You know, the one based on the old t.v. show. In that movie, Maverick volunteers to “sacrifice” himself to a group of seemingly hostile Indians. He is seen as noble by all of those he has saved. The truth is that it’s all a charade. There was no danger. The Indians were really his friends. His sacrifice was a big con. No danger means no real sacrifice. No wrath means no real love.
The Bible reminds us of God’s love and His wrath. One magnifies the other. We are all subject to the wrath of a holy God. We have earned it. We deserve it. But, God in His love gave us a substitute. Jesus died in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21). He took our wrath. When we surrender to Him, we have forgiveness and restoration. We receive grace and mercy. It’s God’s wrath that reminds us of just how great God’s love truly is.
I have just begun a new site you might find interesting. It is called ReKindled Living. It is based on 2 Timothy 1:6. There, Paul writes to Timothy that he should “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6, ESV). In other words, he should kindle anew the gift of God in his life. This new site really grew out this one. Here, I post various helps and observations. Most of them are about Christianity, but there are several about politics, sports, and whatever else crosses my mind. My desire is to keep this site diverse to draw a variety of readers, both believers and unbelievers. The more I posted articles here, the more I realized I needed another site where I could really go into more depth on the aspects of the Christian walk. Hence, the new site. It’s a little more in depth. A lot more biblical content. I think you’ll like it. You can check it out here. I will keep posting the same content here with the same frequency I have been in the past. Feel free to keep visiting here and there.
I used to really love baseball. We would come home from school, and play until you could no longer see the ball. We would form Strat-O-Matic leagues (sort of a precursor to fantasy baseball), and have a great time replaying a season. I still like baseball, but it’s not the same. When I was a kid, I rooted for the Cincinnati Reds. Once they broke up the Big Red Machine, I moved on and began to root for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I have rooted for the Pirates for years. The economic realities of a small market broke the Pirates up more than once. I’m really discouraged about where they are as an organization. It’s almost like they don’t even try to field a winning team anymore. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember the last time they won more than they lost. I now live in Cleveland, and I try to keep an eye on the Indians.
As Spring Training gets underway, every fan of every team is filled with hope. Maybe this is our year. Hope floods the hearts of the fans that sit in the confines of Wrigley field singing during the seventh inning stretch. It touches those arriving late and leaving early at Chavez Ravine. It even finds its way to the handful that sit in empty stadiums in Kansas City and Miami. Hope springs eternal. Or so the saying goes.
Unfortunately, for most of us, our hope comes crashing to earth. Some will crash in the fall during the heat of the pennant chase. Some will wilt in the heat of the mid-summer. Some, like my Pirates, will fall before Mother’s Day. Hope may spring eternal, but it doesn’t last long. At least not the way baseball marks time.
In life, we have to have hope. There simply has to be something more than the present. There has to be a future that’s filled with potential and promise. It’s not found in money or material things. Those all shrivel up and disappear. It’s not found in power and politics. Those all let you down in the end (unless of course it’s an election year). Where do we find hope that will not fade in the bright sunshine and high heat of life’s difficulties? Only one place. The Bible says, “our hope is in the living God” (1 Timothy 4:10, NLT).
That’s what makes Spring Training so great. Everyone has hope. As the snow melts and the last of the winter chill leaves the air, hope sprouts. What ’til next year is suddenly this year. While players stretch in the Florida sun and the Arizona desert, their chances are high. After all, it’s Spring Training. Every team is tied for first. Eventually, their hopes will fade. The hope placed in God, however, will never disappoint. No late season collapses. No early season catastrophes. Hope in Him is eternal. Speaking of hope, maybe the Tribe can pull it off this year.
Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Feel like you’re watching a tennis match? Unfortunately, it’s not a game that is causing whiplash in so many. It’s their lives. One minute, we are going one way. The next, we’ve pivoted and are running in the other. To God. Away from God. To God. Away from God.
In the Old Testament, there is a book named Zephaniah. It’s named after its author, and is tucked into the section of the Bible with all the little books with the big names. Zephaniah is writing to a group of people who ignored all the warnings around them. Despite the fact God had dealt with the sin of others, they continued to live life the way they wanted. As a matter of fact, in the early verses of the book, Zephaniah writes concerning, “those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him” (Zephaniah 1:6, ESV).
Many of us have been there from time to time. Maybe you are there now. We’re busy marching to the beat of our own drummer. We’re following our own rules. We are living how we want just because we can. Zephaniah would remind us that there is a coming day when God will deal with us. He challenges those in his country to change their ways, and look to their God. He writes, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;seek righteousness; seek humility” (Zephaniah 2:3, ESV). In other words, we need to be humble enough to know that we need to change. We must recognize that God’s ways are the best ways. We need to quit the playing around. We need to turn and live for Him.
How can we? Especially when we’ve been doing our own thing for so long. The Bible reminds us that we don’t have the power, but God does. As Zephaniah describes his people’s restoration, he writes, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save” (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV). At our church, we sing a song called “Mighty to Save.” The chorus of that song includes an awesome phrase. It says, “My Saviour, He can move the mountains, My God is Mighty to save, He is Mighty to save. (you can see a clip of the song here).”
God can do anything. He can overcome our greatest fears and failures. His power is not limited by our weakness. Be willing to turn and trust Him. Let Him have control of your life. Be real about it. He indeed is mighty to save. Let Him touch and change your life today. It’s your serve.
In case you haven’t heard, the 81st annual Academy Awards were this past Sunday. If you hadn’t noticed, don’t feel bad. Most of America didn’t either. The Oscars are becoming just a blip on the entertainment radar anymore. Bloated broadcasts, pontificating acceptance speeches, and over the top arrogance and excess seem to finally be weighing down the award industry’s big dog. We still love the movies. This past summer was a box-office bonanza for Hollywood. The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and Indiana Jones headlined a group of films that made a gazillion dollars. While we still like movies, we seem not to care so much for Hollywood’s celebration of itself. I’m sure the awards mean something to the winners. I’m just not so sure that the rest of us really care anymore.
Tyndale Publishing was kind enough to send me a review copy of George Barna’s Master Leaders. George Barna has earned the reputation as a respected voice regarding trends and developments in American spirituality. He lends his pen and expertise to his new work, Master Leaders. The book is a collection of insights gathered from thirty [...]
Posted by Darrell Deer 
From time to time, safety agencies run campaigns to encourage people to fasten their seatbelts. As a result, phrases like “what’s holding you back” and ”click it or ticket” become part of the public consciousness. One of the more simple slogans was “buckle up.” Simple, but effective. Right to the point. You are safer when you buckle up. We see that in our Christian life, we too are to buckle up. Only, our primary concern is found beyond the confines of our automobiles. 
Posted by Darrell Deer 
Posted by Darrell Deer 
No more Superman. Spider-Man hangs up the webs. Back to the Batcave with Batman. Could it be that comic books are going extinct? Some analysts are suggesting that the new wave of electronic reading devices may do in all the guys and gals running around in spandex. Comics were an enormous part of my childhood (young adulthood and middle age too). While I don’t buy them as much as I once did, it would be a shame to see comics go away. Technology is great, but this is a bummer.
recommend first today. It also has a great on-line resource that you can access for free. 
the list as well.
have some flaws, but it is a great read. The new NLT Study Bible is a great resource. The study notes are not as conservative as I would like (particularly in regard to prophetic books), but they aren’t horrible. You just need to be wise, and not swallow everything you see in the notes (to be fair, this is true of all study Bibles). Like the ESVSB, it too has a great on-line feature.
I used to really love baseball. We would come home from school, and play until you could no longer see the ball. We would form Strat-O-Matic leagues (sort of a precursor to fantasy baseball), and have a great time replaying a season. I still like baseball, but it’s not the same. When I was a kid, I rooted for the Cincinnati Reds. Once they broke up the Big Red Machine, I moved on and began to root for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I have rooted for the Pirates for years. The economic realities of a small market broke the Pirates up more than once. I’m really discouraged about where they are as an organization. It’s almost like they don’t even try to field a winning team anymore. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember the last time they won more than they lost. I now live in Cleveland, and I try to keep an eye on the Indians.
In case you haven’t heard, the 81st annual Academy Awards were this past Sunday. If you hadn’t noticed, don’t feel bad. Most of America didn’t either. The Oscars are becoming just a blip on the entertainment radar anymore. Bloated broadcasts, pontificating acceptance speeches, and over the top arrogance and excess seem to finally be weighing down the award industry’s big dog. We still love the movies. This past summer was a box-office bonanza for Hollywood. The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and Indiana Jones headlined a group of films that made a gazillion dollars. While we still like movies, we seem not to care so much for Hollywood’s celebration of itself. I’m sure the awards mean something to the winners. I’m just not so sure that the rest of us really care anymore.
Husband, Father, Pastor, and Christ-follower. Thankful for the life, family, and ministry that God has given to me.
