Posts with the tag: Dirk Warren
What Did Paul Mean by “According to the Scriptures”?
Speaking of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, Paul made this statement by the Holy Spirit: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4… Read More
What Are the Sources of TRUTH (Reality)?
Christ said that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). The Greek word for ‘truth’ is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah), which means “the way it really is,” aka reality. Since the devil is “the father of lies” and is temporarily the “god of this world” (John 8:44 & 2 Corinthians 4:4),… Read More
Was There a “Talking Snake” in Genesis 3?
Unbelievers, and especially militant atheists, are known to ask this question for the purpose of mocking the Bible’s depiction of events in the Garden of Eden just before the fall of humanity. The scenario takes place in Genesis 3, but the creature wasn’t a snake in the sense that… Read More
Beauty, Objectification and Lust
The Bible plainly acknowledges the beauty or handsomeness of certain people on several occasions. For instance, the following verses reveal that Sarai (aka Sarah), Rebekah, Rachel and Esther were women of exceptional beauty: When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. Genesis… Read More
Simile, Metaphor, Analogy, Contrast
In the Bible you’ll observe examples of similes, metaphors, analogies and contrasts. Let’s look at each of these to distinguish them: Similes A simile (SIM-uh-lee) is a comparison of one thing with another of a different kind using the words “as” or “like.” In this verse, for instance, you’ll… Read More
Human FREEWILL and God’s SOVEREIGNTY
In one of my articles I made the point: Could God make a stone so big He couldn’t lift it? The answer is, yes, the human will. Someone responded by insisting that this rejects God’s sovereignty. No, it doesn’t. Allow me to explain… The LORD is Almighty and indeed reigns… Read More
Are Believers “Sheep”?
A man who was an absolute pacifist wrote me arguing: ‘Jesus called his followers sheep. A Christian is a sheep. Sheep don’t fight. Never!’ This is an example of going to unbalanced extremes. He took the biblical symbolism of believers being sheep and carried it to extremes, ignoring other… Read More
Is Oral Sex Okay?
I’m addressing this tricky question because someone wrote me wanting an honest answer based on Scriptural truth. If one person is asking this question, others are too (they just prefer to remain silent because it’s a TMI sort of topic). The Bible doesn’t specifically mention oral sex, but arguably… Read More
The Basics of Christianity
The Bible is voluminous and so it’s easy to go into detail on many subjects, which can get complicated, especially for those who are new to Christianity or those seeking to see if Christianity provides legitimate answers to the questions of life. As such, it’s important to stress the basics… Read More
What Is CONSCIENCE?
Conscience is the God-given sense in people that distinguishes right and wrong. In other words, it’s an inner signal of universal morality. You could call it an intrinsic moral compass. Our Creator gave humanity conscience to steer us away from what’s morally wrong and toward what’s right. When a… Read More
FORMS OF ART IN THE BIBLE, Including Music, Visual and Performance Art
God’s imaginative creation of the Universe & Earth and all living things (chronicled in Genesis 1-2) can be described as art; after all, a lot of our art appreciation involves marveling at awesome displays of nature, amazing animals or attractive, charismatic people. This shows that art began with the LORD,… Read More
Why You Shouldn’t Put Men or Women in a Box (Marriages too)
Please be careful to not put people in a box, either gender; marriages too. For instance, Jacob was renamed Israel and became the progenitor of God’s nation on Earth, but he was a Momma’s boy who favored hanging around the tents while his half-brother, Esau, was a hairy manly… Read More
Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry
The reason this article combines the topics of women of the Bible and women in ministry is because the noble women of the Bible also functioned in God’s service in one capacity or another. In short, the two subjects go hand-in-hand. Of course the main question we want to tackle… Read More
Is the Holy Spirit God or a Divine Force?
Scripture reveals that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4 & Isaiah 45:5-6,18) but also that there’s a tri-unity within that Oneness, as proven by several plain-as-day passages shown here. The most popular verse in the Bible clearly shows the distinction of God and the Son (John 3:16) with Philippians 2:11 more plainly… Read More
(Pseudo) Science Is the “New God” and Dubious Scientists Are the “New Gods”
Whenever there’s a debate, each side will base their position on (1) their reasoning and (2) the authority or authoritative knowledge they accept, whoever or whatever either may be. For instance, when Christians debate a topic they’ll utilize the Holy Scriptures as their authority for doctrine & practice (1 Corinthians… Read More
DRUG OBSESSION (Idolatry) Is of the Flesh
Like any other earthly obsession, drug obsession becomes a form of idolatry wherein the person essentially worships drugs, illegal or legal. I personally experienced this curious practice growing up as a lost boy in the drug culture of the late ’70s. Before we get into that, let’s start by… Read More
If Believers Have an Anointing to Teach Themselves, Why Do They Need Teachers? (1 John 2:27)
This question arises from something John instructed in his first epistle to the believers from the circuit of assemblies he oversaw near Ephesus in what is today western Turkey: As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you…. Read More
Should You Get the Surgery or BELIEVE FOR HEALING?
Whether a person should seek physicians for a healing or go to the LORD is an ancient conundrum, as King Asa dealt with the issue 2900 years ago (2 Chronicles 16:12). So, if you’re facing this dilemma, it’s nothing new. The answer is entirely dependent upon the individual. Healing is… Read More
What Is the “AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY”?
All people born into this world since Adam & Eve were born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:17), which explains why David said “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). The “age of accountability” addresses the age that God begins holding… Read More
What Is the “Romans Road” to Salvation?
The “Romans road” to salvation is an easy-to-remember tool for sharing the message of Christ with people. It involves a smattering of verses from the book of Romans (with maybe another optional verse added to the mix, like John 3:16). What’s great about the Romans road is you don’t have… Read More
What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?
The Bible lists the nine gifts of the Spirit in this passage: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at… Read More
What Is CESSATIONISM and Is It Biblical?
Cessationism (seh-SAY-shun-izm) is the erroneous belief that gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) ceased by the end of the 1st Century when the last of the original apostles passed away and the biblical canon was completed. While most adherents of cessationism believe God still performs miracles, they don’t believe… Read More
What’s the Difference Between TEACHING and PREACHING?
The New Testament speaks of both teaching and preaching God’s Word, whatever the topic might be: Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35 (NKJV) And… Read More
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
When people hear the term ‘minister’ they naturally think of a pastor, a minister who oversees a local assembly, but pastoring is only one of the five ministerial gifts in the body of Christ. This can be observed in this passage: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets,… Read More
What if You KNOW a Confrontation Will Turn UGLY?
When people offend you, confrontation & correction is a biblical solution to the problem (Matthew 18:15-17), but there are seven common sense guidelines for rebuke, especially if you want the correction to be successful. Yet what if the individual that needs confronted is known for being difficult (with you, if… Read More
Can the Power/Anointing of God Rest on an Object?
During the days of the early Church, articles that Paul touched, like handkerchiefs and aprons, “were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19:11-12). It was the same thing with Peter’s shadow (Acts 5:15-16). These things had the anointing of God on… Read More
Relating to God from Different Angles — Father, Friend, Helper, Creator, King, Almighty, Master, Savior, etc.
What is the difference between healthy fear of the LORD and unhealthy fear? Is it possible to “feel at ease” with God while, at the same time, having reverence for God? These are good questions. Think of it in terms of a wise father and his boy on Earth: The… Read More
Is There Such a Thing as RIGHTEOUS HATRED or RIGHTEOUS ENMITY?
Yes, there is such a thing as righteous hatred or righteous enmity. Believers are instructed to “be imitators of God” and “follow God’s example” in Ephesians 5:1 and the Scriptures clearly show that the LORD hates certain things: 16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:… Read More
What Is ONENESS Theology—aka “JESUS ONLY”—and Is It Biblical?
There are variations of Oneness theology, but it comes down to the idea that the LORD is one singular person and thus manifests as Father, Son or Holy Spirit. This belief is unitarian and opposes the tri-unity of God. More specifically, Oneness theology advocates that Jesus is the one true… Read More
“Be Merciful, Just as Your Father Is Merciful”
What did Christ mean when he said “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful? Let’s read the full quote: “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons… Read More