Along the Way w/ Bro. Ryan

" In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king.  Now I had not been sad in his presence.  And the king said to me, 'Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick?  This is nothing but sadness of the heart.'  Then I was very much afraid.  I said to the king, 'Let the king live forever!  Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?'  Then the king said to me, 'What are you requesting?'  So I prayed to the God of heaven ." - Nehemiah 2:1-4 If you're familiar with the Old Testament books of Ezra, Nehemiah and several of the prophets, you will know that these record the time after God's prophesied judgment on the Israelites had been fulfilled through the factions of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.  Ezra, just before Nehemiah, records the first wave of Israelite ca...

"Who has believed what he has heard from us?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?  For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no for or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not...... He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed...... because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." -Isaiah 53:2, 5, 12 It has become popular teaching in today's "church" culture to break from the Old Testament and deem it as irrelevant, old and out-of-step with the Gospel of the New Testament.  This...

"The book of the  genealogy of Jesus Christ,  the Son of David,  the Son of Abraham..." - Matthew 1:1-16 Its Christmastime yet again.  This Christmas season, as with others before it, will no doubt be teeming with family, food, gifts, movies, hot cocoa, letters to Santa, decor (endless decor!), festive music and the list goes on.  This is truly a joyous time of year, for many anyway. I'm not sure what your family's Christmas traditions are, but if you are a Christian, hopefully the reading of the Christmas story or something from Scripture is a part of your celebration - after all, as Christians, Jesus is the entire reason for celebration!  One thing that is often overlooked and skipped altogether in the reading of the Christmas story, both in homes and in Christmas services in churches, is the genealogy presented before everything takes place with King Herod, and the wise men, and the shepherds, and the manger scene.  When it comes to lists ...

The following is the complete form of Chapter 11 of the current book I'm working on, entitled "Walking Through Trials Together: And How God is STILL Good" This particular chapter is titled: "Insights into Philippians 4:13" I grew up playing sports, primarily baseball and basketball.  Practically from birth, I either had a ball or a bat in my hand.  Sports were and still are a major part of my life.  I mention sports because they, particularly baseball, tie into the passage I would like to comment on in this chapter.  When I was in high school, I was a relief pitcher and backup outfielder.  We had an amazing group of athletes on that team, three of which played Division I baseball and two of those three went pro.  Baseball had been a part of my life the longest when it came to sports and it is still a sport I enjoy and miss playing to this day.  During my freshman year of high school, I wrote a Bible verse in my glove, that verse being the abo...

Thanksgiving is here and I don't know about you, but it feels like it arrives quicker and quicker with each passing year.  Time waits for no one and it certainly never stops. As I started to reflect on the Thanksgiving holiday, the general scene that came to mind was one of family, food and football.  God is very rarely included in this time of thanks, even in the Christian home.  This is a sad reality. The question must be posed as we approach another opportunity to be intentionally thankful: Are you thankful for God? If you're a Christian reading this question, it may take you aback.  'What do you mean, am I thankful for God?  Of course I am.  I'm a Christian.'  That's great, we should all be thankful for God.  But really ponder this question: Are we truly thankful for all of who God is? We love Him for the blessings and of course for Jesus, but do we love ALL of Him?  Are we thankful for ALL of Him? Let's go to Psalm 90 . “L...

" Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God ..."  - 1 Cor. 10:31-32 The debate among Christians over whether one should celebrate or observe Halloween seems to be increasing in regularity.  There are blog posts, videos, even sermons making the rounds about why a Christian should or should not take part in this day; one cites tradition, another cites other historical accounts, still others simply partake of the festivities without giving it a second thought.  The typical argument is one between supposed pagan history versus one of ties to the reformation, remembering past fallen saints in the faith. There are a few avenues a person can explore as Halloween rolls around every year : 1) Observe it with pagan intentions: use it to worship Satan, dress like the dead or demonic, and let loose. 2) Observe it with reformed intentions: use it to remem...

" I know your works: that you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth ." - Revelation 3:15-16 Of all the letters written to the churches in Asia Minor in Revelation, this letter to Laodicea Church is the most scathing.  There was no greater indictment against any local church than to be called "lukewarm" because this type of congregation absolutely disgusts Christ. The city of Laodicea was situated at the crossroads of an important trade route connecting commerce between North/South and East/West.  The key mail route of the region found it's stopping point here.  Laodicea was a vibrant, prosperous city boasting feats in medicinal eye salve, an abundance of gold deposits, a hub for regional banking, and the production of luxurious black wool.  As a matter of fact, when the great earthquake of that time occurred, while other cities were for...

"I know your works.  Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.  I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name." - Revelation 3:8 Philadelphia in Asia Minor (now Alasehir, Turkey), was situated 30 miles SE of Sardis on a hillside on an important commercial and mailing route.  It was founded to foster Greek culture, with the purpose of ultimately 'converting' the Lydians and Phrygians into Greeks.  In a little over a century, the strategy worked as it has been noted by historians, "the Lydians had even forgotten their own language." Philadelphia got its name, 'the City of Brotherly Love,' after King Attalus II who founded it; he was noted for his "unusual devotion to his brother."  It was widely known as a relatively peaceful and accepting city up until the mid-14th century after the spread and influence of Islam.  In particular, freedom for Christians prac...

I’m in the middle of reading a highly fascinating book entitled “Preaching in Hitler’s Shadow: Sermons from the Third Reich.” I could already write a myriad of posts sharing what I’ve learned up to this point (and I’m only 1/4 of the way through it), but one thing that stood out to me today, from all the historical background given pertaining to the rise of the Nazi party is this: The Nazi party, as outlandish and insane as its policies were, didn’t get their people to buy in  by physical force or the concentration camps. It all started and was fueled by changing the language. They simply hijacked words and phrases and fed the new meanings to the populace through use of different media. They even got a large portion of the Christian population, named “the new German Christians”, to reinterpret Scripture to insert Germany as the kingdom of God on earth and the German bloodline as God’s true chosen people. Hitler, of course, eventually became the Messiah. It all started with ...

" You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not four your works complete in the sight of my God. "  - Rev. 3:1b-2 Sardis was a city in Asia Minor settled in the oval of cities mentioned in the Revelation church letters.  Just 30 miles SE of Thyatira, it was a city located 1500 ft. in the foothills of a mountain range, surrounded by steep inclines with only one major roadway that led in and out of the city.  It was practically impenetrable.  Sardis also boasted advances in gold and silver minting as well as in the textile industry, specializing in dyeing wool products. As if this wasn't enough to boast about, Sardis was located near a river with large gold deposits, making it one of the richest cities in the ancient world.  Essentially, Sardis had it all: Protection, security, economy, and wealth. Sardis was also very much pagan.  It's primary goddess of worship was ...

"... I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing My servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. " - Revelation 2:20 Thyatira was a city located about 40 miles East of Pergamum, the "crown jewel of Asia."  It was used as a military outpost and, at the time of John's writing to Thyatira Church in Revelation 2, it had been under Roman rule for over 300 years.  Unlike Pergamum and other locations around it, Thyatira was not necessarily a desired location but it was merely a town for passing on the way to Pergamum or somewhere else.  Thyatira was simply known as a town of commerce, being home to trade guilds for dying fabric, wool goods, leather and metal working, and pottery.  It didn't have as much noticeable religious affiliations as did surrounding cities, especially during that time period, but it was known for its fortune telling ring known as ...

" And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write......I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.  So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Therefore repent ."  - Revelation 2:12a, 14-16a Pergamum was widely recognized by historians as "the most famous city in all of Asia by far."  It was a grand city that sat atop a coniferous hill in the midst of the plains, leaving it a city that was literally high and lifted up above its surroundings.  It became a capital city during the reign of Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire and remained a capital for well around 400 years.   Pergamum was a cultural center of Asia, boasting it's feats in academia as well as being an administrative center.  The proconsul's headquarters were in Pergam...

"These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 'I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.'"   - Revelation 2:8-9 The Church at Smyrna.  This church has an interesting story.  In each of the seven church letters Jesus wanted John to send out, Smyrna was the one that Jesus found no fault in.  The letter to the Church at Smyrna was a letter of encouragement and motivation to keep going.  Keep going for what?  They endured intense persecution for their faith. What kinds of things did they endure?  The text itself is broad, as you see above, they apparently had " tribulation and poverty ."  Let's camp there for a minute. When we look into what was going on in their day, Christianity had been outlawed at that point.  The Roman government had become increasingly aggressive toward Christianity as it...

September 11, 2001 - the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt rang true at that moment just as they did in their original context on December 8, 1941, a day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor: "It was a day which will live in infamy."   I was in my high school art class when the towers were struck.  It was just another Tuesday, and as we all know, Tuesdays are normally the more mundane, boring days of the average work/school week.  My classmates and I were working on an assignment, I believe it was something involving painting, however the activity of the class period is a blur due to what would happen in the middle of it all.   Most classes in my high school had tv monitors from years past; I'm not even sure if they all still worked.  But it was on that Tuesday in September that that old tv monitor brought to life the true darkness and depravity that mankind is capable of.  I'm a late 80s/early 90s kid.  Never had our generat...