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no cherry picking
Biblical interpretation requires more than the ‘cherry picked’ quotation of isolated verses; it demands careful attention to context, literary purpose, and the unity of the canon.A text cannot be adequately understood by extracting a single statement from its surrounding argument or narrative and treating it as self-contained.Truth and proper responsible interpretation requires the reader to examine the whole passage, the…
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Lamb of God
Don’t call Him gentle like that’s the whole story.Don’t shrink Him down to something safe enough to hang on a necklace and forget.“Lamb of God”was never meant to comfort you. It was meant to confront you. Because in the world that phrase was born into, lambs didn’t live in storybooks; they died on altars.Warm bodies, Split skin, Blood catching in…
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Disrespect
It doesn’t really matter what it is or what it’s about: disrespect is definitely unwelcomed My anger, my frustration, my darkness gets pulled out of dormancy when I feel disrespected. I can be kind, humorous, easy to get along with, and genuinely peaceful, but the moment I feel that touch , everything in me shifts. My patience disappears, and the…
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in heavenly places
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love for us, did not leave mankind in a fallen and helpless condition. Even when we were spiritually dead, without strength, without hope, and unable to come to Him:God intervened.Man, dead in trespasses and sins, had no ability to restore himself, no power to change his nature, and nothing of…
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yes I’ll know, I will see them
I was asked today to make things simple rather than how I most often write or talk… so here’s a fully regular writing that touches home for me…. for 9 reasons…. I’ve thought about this a lot, probably more than I’d like to admit. You lose somebody, or you get close to losing somebody, and suddenly all those questions don’t…
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Melchisedek and Christ
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him; Called by God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 5:9-10, Webster)(Genesis14:18–20; Psalm 110:4) This is not a title Christ took for Himself in the noise of man’s acclaim, but one placed on Him, given to Him by the Father, written…
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Truth be told
It’s difficult at times for me to realize that people, even ministers don’t know what the patibulum or stipe or titulus are. It baffles my thinking to know that the truth of the crucifixion hasn’t been studied, especially now with all the easily available accesses to information ……. Without the cross, we’d all be in a much different position and…
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Old memories and grace
Satan and his minions always trying to breathe life into old memories that no longer belong to us, to whisper shame and convince us that history is the same as identity. When those familiar reflections come, lay them at the cross. Release the weight that tries to press upon your heart, and learn to laugh in the face of accusation.…
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It is well with my soul 2
The Apostle Paul teaches that when Christ was crucified, our old nature, our sinful self that once served sin, was also crucified with Him…. This truth reaches far beyond symbolic meaning; it speaks of a spiritual reality in which the believer’s former life is put to death through union with Christ.Before salvation, humanity lived under the dominion of sin, powerless…
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That example…..
God created us to live in fellowship, to love and help one another. Yet human strength is fleeting, and true security cannot rest in people alone. Jesus Christ stands as our eternal refuge; steadfast, sufficient, and faithful through every moment. Even so, we are not meant to walk alone. People still need people, for God often shows His love through…
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Rich, Poor, Heaven and Hell
The rich man and Lazarus is one of the most solemn and revealing passages Jesus ever spoke about, and taught,as seen in Luke 16:19–31It shows not only the literal, physical reality of eternity but also the heart of God’s justice and mercy. Many lessons are hidden within its seemingly simple story , yet every phrase Jesus uttered carries profound meaning…
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No condemnation….
Justification is the act where a holy, just God declares a believing sinner righteous not because of their goodness but because of Christ’s finished work on the cross.It means God cancels the guilt of your sin and credits you with Christ’s perfect righteousness so before Him you are treated as not guilty.This declaration happens the moment a person truly believes…
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Gratitude not required
If you’ve truly trusted Christ as your Savior, then going back to calendar rules, feast days, or ceremonial observances as a requirement for being right with God is a spiritual slap in His face no different than keeping them for gratitude, it still serves as a ‘work’ Keeping these or remembering these like it’s a necessity or even just to…
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No ceremonies, No Law, just the blood
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I…
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Death!
When I think about death, I don’t imagine it as a sudden end, I imagine it as something familiar such as a quiet presence that steps forward when I am ready, not when I am afraid; It will come like an old friend who knows my voice, who has walked beside me in every moment of exhaustion and courage, from…
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porcelain and a broken door knob
In the hush of holy whispers, I found myself a captive. alone in the quiet kingdom of porcelain and tiles a sanctuary too small yet so vast in my eight-year-old fear. The door, a stubborn sentry, held me hostage, the knob an enigma, a puzzle I could not solve, and with every thud of my small fists, the echoes…
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garage of dreams and love
In the garage of dreams, where time stands still-the engines hum and time with Daddy a forgotten lullaby each one a whisper from the past, metal and chrome, a chorus of nostalgia. 1974 Nova, 305 a canvas of gold and chrome, a promise of open roads, the sun glinting off its hood, memories of laughter, youth spilling out like…
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Please, just eat!
Grace is the completeness of Christ’s work at Calvary, yet church folk and others still strive to be ‘on top of things’, always seeking systems for spiritual progress, ladder climbing, one upsmanship and more.In Hebrews, Colossians, and Galatians, the Holy Spirit through the writers reminds believers that grace isn’t earned or “activated” through methods, but comes only by faith. Many…
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don’t stop knocking
If we ask for wisdom as it regards the settling of disputes, or for anything, it shall be given. This refers to God’s Goodness, and the fact that everything from the Godhead comes to us through the Person and Agency of the Holy Spirit; and all that He does for us is based upon the Cross of Christ, and our…
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Judas, Peter, and You
When you read the Gospels, Peter and Judas can seem alike at first; both were close to Jesus, both made terrible mistakes, and both failed Him in horrible, traumatic, hurtful ways. However, when one dives beneath the surface you soon see: Their hearts couldn’t have been more different.Peter’s failure was born from being human, and as my daddy used to…
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starting at the end going to the beginning
no rhyme, nor reason – just sharing differently today. I decided to share thoughts as they came in reference to the scripture listed that I heard at a breakfast meeting this morning…. from these few verses ( 3 to 9 of II Peter chapter 3) and adding Romans 1 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as…
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numbers for example?!
Biblical patterns of any kind are meaningful, but they are descriptive, not prescriptive. Many Christians have shown interest in the symbolic meaning of numbers found in Scripture. The Bible often uses numbers such as seven to represent completion, twelve to symbolize God’s order, or forty to mark periods of testing and transformation. Yet many take it to another level and…
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Talent and Truth
In God’s arithmetic, faithfulness multiplies far beyond amount or status.“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30, Webster) these individuals do not merely lose reward, but rather their souls; all of this, as should be overly obvious, completely refutes the unscriptural doctrine of unconditional eternal security. Therefore as I…
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The Quill of Samantha Grace Newcastle 