October 3, 2026

Romans 8: 16 (NIV)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

If perfect biblical interpretation is the key to salvation, then we’re all doomed.*

I find this verse both confusing and reassuring. There are a few schools of thought regarding Paul’s intended meaning but we will look at only two of them.

The first interpretation is that Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children. Those who adopt this viewpoint see the Holy Spirit acting in his role of Comforter as he assures us that we really are heirs of God. One writer goes so far as to say that the Spirit provides evidence to our minds.* It is through God’s word that the Spirit testifies to our spirits and “the Spirit in the heart cannot contradict the Spirit in the word.”*

The second interpretation is that the Holy Spirit stands beside us to testify to God that we are his children. Proponents of this position admit that testifying to the Father is not necessary for his sake but it gives us “a sense of calmness and assurance.”* Imagine yourself in a courtroom, trying to convince the jury to believe your testimony. You don’t know which way they are leaning but you feel so much more confident when an expert witness appears on your behalf. When we claim God as our Father, the Holy Spirit is our expert witness, “confirming our testimony.”*

Perhaps you feel strongly about one position over the other – or you have yet another idea of what Paul meant. While I remain confused, there remains the reassurance I find in this passage: 

• I am God’s child. Though I am adopted, I am a co-heir with his Son. 
• The Holy Spirit testifies on my behalf, wherever an expert witness is needed. 

This assurance is yours, as well if, “by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body . . . because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8: 13, 14)

The Word of God is the objective side of faith, and the witness of God is the subjective side of faith. We need both if we are going to be winners.*

October 2, 2026

I Kings 18: 21 (NIV)

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Too many of us go through life like passengers on a bus.*

When my boys were little, one of them called his brother a name that I had warned them against using. I gave him his choice of punishment: spanking or washing his mouth out with soap. He spent so much time trying to decide that I finally (foolishly) told him that if he didn’t make up his mind, he would get both. He still couldn’t choose one – he actually said, “I guess I’ll take both.” One of the worst moments ever in my life as a mom!

In most circumstances, failure to choose is the same as making one of your choices. Elijah wanted the people of Israel to pick a god: Baal or God. By saying nothing, they weren’t choosing both like my son did; they couldn’t worship God and Baal. Choosing to worship neither was still the same as rejecting God. When Joshua challenged the tribes of Israel to choose whom they would serve (Joshua 24: 15), their options were God or gods. Indecision was a vote for the gods of their forefathers.

Every day we are faced with choices of faith and denial. It is not God’s way to allow himself to be the default position. If we don’t proactively choose him, we have passively rejected him. If the Lord is God, follow him. If you don’t choose to follow him, you have chosen to deny him. Choose today whom you will serve.

It is possible to deny the faith by conduct as well as by words; and that a neglect of doing our duty is as real a denial of Christianity as it would be openly to renounce it.*

October 1, 2026

I Samuel 14: 52 (NIV)

All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

No combination of natural abilities can compensate for a lack of personal holiness in the leader’s life.*

Being the boss has its good points but it can also be very frustrating. I remember saying (often) that if I could do it all by myself, I would. But I couldn’t. So I tried to surround myself with talented and trustworthy people who could do what I couldn’t do myself. Saul, too, seemed to understand that a good leader needs good followers. He was looking ahead and preparing for the days that he would need a strong army.

Saul may have displayed some good leadership skills but as time went on his actions began to reveal his character flaws. Follow his career from I Samuel chapter 9, when Samuel anointed the new king, to his suicide in chapter 31. You will see examples of his disobedience, his misuse of power, his lies, and his jealousy. Finally, we read the sad news in 16: 14 that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul.

The Kingdom of God needs dynamic leaders; we should use caution, however, in putting our faith in another human. Leadership skills can be accompanied by destructive characteristics such as arrogance, abuse of power, and narcissism. It is good to have someone wiser, stronger, and more charismatic to look up to in our Christian walk, but be careful about joining his army. Read the training manual for the Lord’s army. Only follow leaders who follow Jesus Christ. 

Humans are the only species that follows unstable pack leaders.*

September 30, 2026

John 20: 30 (NIV)

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

John 21: 25 (NIV)

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

His miracles weren’t wild, random events – mere magic tricks to impress the crowd. They were purposeful acts intentionally designed to establish his credentials as the Son of God.*

One of my all-time favorite television shows was canceled after 14 episodes. I have heard that the show’s creator had seven seasons worth of material on deck, some of which he actually got to use in a full-length feature film. Meanwhile, I bought the complete series – and the movie - on DVD and Prime Video so I can watch it over and over, writing prequels and sequels in my own mind as my imagination soars.

The life of Jesus stimulates my imagination as well. I would love to know more about his childhood and his teen years; what he looked like; who his friends were. I would like more stories about miracles and about outsmarting his enemies. I am curious about his apostles’ backstories. And above all, I would love to read it all in chronological order. But, according to John, I am going to have to make do with the few episodes that were recorded in the gospels – for a couple of reasons:

• There is just way more information than the world can contain. 
• We are given all the information God deemed necessary to fulfill his purpose.

Jesus’ teaching and his miraculous signs established his credentials. The testimony of eyewitnesses would stand up in court – and has stood the test of time. The writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record all that we need to know in order to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the source of eternal life.  As someone has said, “Their aim was not to write tightly chronological, factually exhaustive biographies.”* Their function was “to make saints, not historians.”*

If you don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believers may have life in his name, read the gospels. Read them with these thoughts in mind: Jesus’ credentials; the testimony of eyewitnesses; the inspiration of the writers. Talk to someone who can testify to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in his or her own life. Then you will have everything you need to know to make an informed decision. If we needed to know more, more would have been written.

More important, perhaps, than the witness of His friends is that of His enemies.*

September 29, 2026

Luke 24: 17-24 (NIV)

He asked them, “What are you discussing . . . as you walk along?” . . . One of them . . . asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened here in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. . . . 

So tear-filled are our eyes and so limited is our perspective that God could be the fellow walking next to us and we wouldn’t know it.*

We’ve all experienced that awkward moment – talking about someone, probably saying things you shouldn’t, and something alerts you that, “She’s right behind me, isn’t she?” Fortunately for these two men on the road to Emmaus, they were just discussing the facts about Jesus and their feelings about all that had happened in the past few days. They were too downcast to recognize that it was Jesus who had joined them on their walk. When Jesus asked what they were talking about, they must have thought, “Has he been living in a cave?”

You would be sad, too, if you didn’t know the happy ending/beginning, or that Jesus was walking beside you. If, like these two men, you don’t know the whole story, you might lose hope. The two men on the road, as well as the other followers, did not necessarily live happily-ever-after in fairy tale fashion but when their eyes were opened, their lives changed.

When you recognize that the resurrection is a fact and not a rumor; when you have your own story to share about walking with him; then your life has hope and meaning. Your faith is strengthened by your vision of the risen Savior.

Jesus’ resurrection gives new purpose to life, new meaning to suffering, and new hope in the midst of sorrow.*

September 28, 2026

Luke 22: 34 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Does Jesus need . . . to warn and disturb us by saying that before this day – or at least this week – is over some . . . will deny by word or deed that they know him?

In the Back to the Future movies, Doc Brown was always concerned about Marty disturbing the “space-time continuum.” I’m thankful that time travel isn’t a vacation option because the repercussions would be disastrous on all levels!

In the last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth, Peter had the opportunity to mess with that space-time thing a bit. When Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times in one day, Peter could have changed the course of history by stubbornly refusing to fulfill the prophecy. Of course, Jesus wouldn’t have predicted it if he wasn’t going to do it . . . see, this is why I didn’t like Back to the Future.

Would it change our behavior if Jesus looked us in the eye and predicted how many times we will deny him today? Perhaps we can’t undo a prediction but when we hear that rooster crow, shouldn't it remind us to be more faithful the next day? That’s the beauty of life in Christ – every day is a do-over. Turn your back on him today and he gives you the chance to make it right tomorrow. We should, like Peter, be horrified by what we have done to our Savior, but repentance allows us the opportunity for a future that doesn’t include betrayal. Peter did it. So can we.

The first step after a stumble must be in the direction of the cross.*

September 27, 2026

Galatians 4: 4 (NIV)

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son . . .

God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is.*

Jesus came when God determined that the time was right. What made that time (and that place) so special? We might think that it would have been better to choose a more sophisticated place in a more technologically advanced era – but we would be wrong. Can you trust anything you see or hear these days? A picture used to be worth a thousand words – now it’s probably AI.

Everything that God does is in his own good time; if he doesn’t tell us why – or when - then we don’t know why – or when. Still, it’s fun to speculate. Consider this thought-provoking quote: “He’s not only the beginning and the end; he’s also the middle – the centerpiece of history.”* My train of thought took off down the track when I read this. If Jesus is the centerpiece of history, perhaps we could take this literally. Will the number of years until his return be equal to the number of years from creation until his birth? That would place Jesus’ birth and life in the center of history. If creation occurred 6,000 years ago; and the flood was 4,000 years ago; and Jesus came 2,000 years ago, perhaps God works in 2,000 year increments.

Actually, I don’t really think that God is going to wait another 2,000 years before he destroys the world with fire. But he could – a thousand years is the same as one day to him. What we need to understand is the importance of being ready. We don’t know when the fullness of time will come again. God is patient – he wants everyone to have the chance to repent and he doesn’t want anyone to perish (II Peter 3: 9). That just might take another 2,000 years; but for you, the time may already be fully come. Are you willing to gamble eternity on it?

Live today like it wouldn’t be a shock if Jesus returned. After all, he did put it in the syllabus.*