Holy Spirit
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Sin Never Stays Buried
Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in… Continue reading
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Who’s Your Daddy?
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.– Ephesians 1:17 I’m often reminded of a slogan I heard years ago. Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be… Continue reading
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There Can Be No Ceasing of Hostilities Where Sin is Concerned
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. – 1 John 3:6 John gets straight to the point, doesn’t he?! He doesn’t say anything about a true Christian being sinless. Every believer still battles the presence of sin and often grieves… Continue reading
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Peace is Purchased Only Through the Currency of Humility
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1 There’s perhaps no clearer mark of true Christian maturity than controlling the tongue. Many can speak boldly, many can master a room. But few can speak gently and with self-control. Let us consider our Lord Jesus Christ. He was… Continue reading
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We All Enter Through the Same Gate
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 I was reading 1 Thessalonians 1 this morning, and I found myself lingering over these words: “For… Continue reading
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The Wisdom to Say Nothing
I’ve noticed over the years that one of the hardest things is stay quiet when we feel misunderstood. Or when someone questions our motives, or we’re criticized unfairly. When part of the story gets told, but not the whole thing. Something in us rises up and says, I need to fix this. I need to… Continue reading
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Thoughts on Hebrews 10:14
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:14 When a child is adopted, there is a moment – usually marked by a court decision – when everything becomes legally and permanently true. From that day on, the child belongs to the family. The last name… Continue reading
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God is Never Limited By Our Preferences
Let’s be honest… most of us like what we like. Maybe it’s the songs we grew up singing in church, or the way a certain pastor preaches. Maybe technology in worship makes us uncomfortable. Maybe we wouldn’t dream of leaving our Bible at home and using a phone app. Or perhaps the energy of a… Continue reading
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The Serious Matter of Speech
John Wesley once was approached by an opinionated woman in his congregation who told him that she knew what her God-given talent was. “I think my talent from God is to speak my mind,” she said. Wesley replied, “Lady, I don’t think God would mind one bit if you buried that talent.” Some days, that… Continue reading
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Everybody Wants to Rule Their World
Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. His constant assertion of self, as far as he thinks of it at all, appears to him a perfectly normal thing. He is willing to share himself, sometimes even to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. No… Continue reading
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An Unusual Sunday at Not-So Happy Valley Church
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. – Revelation 3:15 Not-So Happy Valley was a real place. At least, it felt real to the pastor… Continue reading
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Competing Thoughts
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:1-2 When Paul writes these words, he’s reminding us of a profound reality: in Christ, you have already been raised. Your… Continue reading
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A Spirit of Belonging
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. – Romans 8:9 Cultivating a Spirit-filled heart and mind takes some intentional… Continue reading
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Encouragement For the Weary, Clumsy Traveler
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. – Psalm 37:23-24 These verses remind me of that night in the Upper Room when Jesus prayed what we call “The High Priestly Prayer.” Hours before… Continue reading
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The Warning Signs of Spiritual Disease
A man once took his car to a mechanic and said, “The ‘check engine’ light on my dashboard is on, and I need you to see what the problem is.” The mechanic connected his diagnostic equipment, ran a few tests, and returned with confidence. “It’s nothing serious,” he said. “This model is notorious for giving… Continue reading
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God’s Global Positioning System
Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. – Acts 9:43 My wife is currently traveling abroad on a women’s ministry trip. And to be upfront about it, when she first mentioned this to me and where she would be going several months ago, I wasn’t too keen on the idea.… Continue reading
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Grace Reverses Our Stories
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:19b-20 “Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.” It would be easy for us to read that and think nothing of it. But those few words say… Continue reading
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Jesus Didn’t Suffer the Cross Just to Make You Nicer
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17 We live in a world that celebrates self-improvement. Bookstores are lined with shelves of “how-to” guides that promise a better marriage, a better attitude, or even a better you. And the truth… Continue reading
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God’s Work, Done God’s Way, Requires God’s Spirit
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.– Zechariah 4:6 There have been many times in my life when I thought, “I can handle this. I’ve got the skills, the experience, and the determination.” And sometimes, I did manage to get things done – at least to a point.… Continue reading
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God Doesn’t Offer a Half-Hearted Salvation
I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6 What point would there be if scientists found a cure for cancer, in which the cancer itself was removed, but the symptoms of the cancer were not… Continue reading
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Kudos to Those Who Didn’t Rob a Bank Today
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Cor. 10:13 Temptation is like sailing into a… Continue reading
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They Didn’t Get Wet
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” – Joshua 3:5 Imagine someone coming up to you today and saying to you, “Get ready and be prepared! Tomorrow the Lord is going to do amazing things right in front of your very eyes!” Well, that’s precisely what… Continue reading
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The Divine Intersection Where Our Stories Meet
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. – Ephesians 3:7 Logging over 10,000 miles of missionary journeys, authoring 13 New Testament letters, planting 15-20 churches, enduring imprisonments, shipwrecks, and relentless persecution and suffering – the apostle Paul’s ministry shaped the foundation… Continue reading
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How Often Do You Think About It?
If the resurrection of Christ were to rest on reason, then only the highly reasonable people could be converted. If the resurrection of Christ were to rest on man’s ability to gather and weigh evidence, then the man trained in the gathering and evaluating of evidence might believe, but the simple-hearted man could never believe.… Continue reading
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The Old Man Had to Go
Many years ago before giving my life to Christ, I went fishing with an old army buddy. It was a Saturday (I think) and as we sat on his boat on the lake, the conversation turned to his plans for the next day. He mentioned going to church with his wife, then invited me to… Continue reading
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A Heart Broken by Sin
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:3 A life surrendered fully to God is one that faces sin head-on, not with excuses but with a heart broken by its offense against a holy and righteous God. Here in Psalm 51, we see King David, a man after God’s… Continue reading
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God’s Spiritual Conditioning Program
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. – Luke 4:13 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8 As we come to Luke 4:13, we find a sobering moment in the life of… Continue reading
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Giant Slaying 101: Clinging to the Cross
“David defeated Goliath, but lost to Bathsheba. Our real giants are the sinful desires that we have yet to kill.” – Anonymous The life of David stands as a sobering testament to the dual realities of divine enablement and human frailty. By God’s power, David struck down Goliath, a nine-foot Philistine, with nothing more than… Continue reading
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Riding the Storm with God’s Faithful
“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” – Acts 27:10 In Acts 27, Paul, a prisoner on his way to Rome, is aboard a ship facing a perilous journey. As an experienced traveler, he senses an… Continue reading
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More Than Religion
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of… Continue reading
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Seeking the Father’s Will
I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me. – John 5:30 (NKJV) Jesus lived his life fully surrendered to the will of His Father. He didn’t act on His own desires or ambitions, but aligned every decision with God’s purpose. What an impossible standard that is for… Continue reading
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A Light in the Darkness
Mr. Edwards, an elderly Sunday School teacher, sat in his usual chair with his Bible open on his lap. The children gathered around him, listening intently as he told stories about Jesus – His miracles, His kindness, and His love for sinners. As he spoke, a boy named Charlie hesitantly raised his hand. “Mr. Edwards,… Continue reading
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Purify My Heart, Lord
For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.” – Exodus 12:19-20 God commanded the Israelites to… Continue reading
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When Hope Feels Lost
“But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” – Luke 24:21a You ever have those moments where your hope feels crushed? Where the thing you were so sure God was going to do just… doesn’t happen? That’s where these two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. They’d… Continue reading
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“But God.”
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” – Acts 9:15-16 God’s plan for Saul (later Paul) was nothing short of extraordinary.… Continue reading
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What We Think About Matters
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8 A few weeks ago a friend called me, frustrated and overwhelmed. There were some situations going on at home that were stressing… Continue reading
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A Word About Anger
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. – 1 Peter 2:23 Growing up I loved watching The Incredible Hulk series. The main character, Dr. David Banner, was generally an easygoing fella. But when someone pushed… Continue reading
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Simple Faith, Powerful Witness
My message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 Paul’s ministry was not built on flashy speeches or… Continue reading
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Greater Things Through Him
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12 Jesus wasn’t threatened by the idea of His followers doing greater works than He had done. In fact, He… Continue reading
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An Awesome, Humbling Business, Indeed…
I can hide my heart, and my past, and my future plans, from those around me, but I cannot hide anything from God. I can talk in a way that deceives my fellow creatures as to what I really am, but nothing I say or do can deceive God. He sees through all my reserve… Continue reading
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Be Careful, Or The Lord Might Undress You Too!
So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw… Continue reading
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A Lasting Impact
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10 Today marks the 95th anniversary of the death of Elisha Hoffman. Very few would recognize his name, but many Christians today still enjoy the fruit of his work all these… Continue reading
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Upward and Onward
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is… Continue reading
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Bringing Back The Wanderer
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.– James 5:19-20 It’s not uncommon for people to drift from the… Continue reading
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The Ultimate GPS: God’s Positioning System
There is a way that appears to be right,but in the end it leads to death. – Proverbs 14:12 Have you ever made a decision that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time, only to later discover it led you down the wrong path? Proverbs 14:12 warns us about this very thing – a way that… Continue reading
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An Unshakable Peace
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 (ESV) Facing hardship, rejection, or loss can be overwhelming, but these difficult moments are also opportunities to encounter God’s power and love in a deeply personal way. In our struggles, we can discover that the peace that… Continue reading
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Have You Been With Jesus?
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13 When we make time to be in the presence of Jesus, it leaves a mark. Not just on our hearts, but… Continue reading
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Desperate Faith to Deliberate Faith
The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.– John 4:49-50 “God, if you’ll do this for me, I promise that I’ll (fill in the blank).” Sound familiar? It does for me. Before I came to saving… Continue reading
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Jesus Commands Us to Stop Worrying
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. –… Continue reading
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The Wind of the Holy Spirit
In the spiritual life, not to advance is to retreat. Those who have the wind of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the ship of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake the Lord, who sleeps in it, and He will quickly calm the sea. The Fifth… Continue reading
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Compared to Who?
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. – Gal. 6:3-5 (ESV) Few things hinder relationships… Continue reading
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What’s the “Dirt” on our Soil?
“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” Luke 8:15 I love Jesus’ Parable of the Sower. In fact, I find it to be one of the greatest of all his teachings. And the rare bonus of… Continue reading
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What Does it Mean to Grieve the Holy Spirit?
Did you know that the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, has a personality? He has the ability to feel joy, sorrow, and anger just like we do. Given that God sees each Christian as His holy temple and has given them His Spirit to dwell inside them, we believers are to live… Continue reading
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The Fruit of Self-Control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 Over the past few weeks we’ve reflected on the fruit that Paul says the Holy Spirit can produce inside of us as we grow and mature as followers… Continue reading
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The Fruit of Joy
“The ultimate ground of our rejoicing can never be our circumstances, even though we as Christians recognize that our circumstances are providentially arranged. If our joy derives primarily from our circumstances, then when our circumstances change, we will be miserable. Our delight must be in the Lord himself. That is what enables us to live… Continue reading
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A Thirst Forever Quenched
“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” – John 4:28-29 Something remarkable happens when Jesus enters a person’s heart and they become filled with the Holy Spirit. Their attitudes… Continue reading
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The Word is a Weapon
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 A few weeks ago while I was waiting in the doctor’s office, I was reading an article in one of the health magazines from… Continue reading
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A New Relationship
“The whole spirit of Old Testament religion was determined by the thought of God’s holiness. The constant emphasis was that human beings, because of their weakness as creatures and their defilement as sinful creatures, must learn to humble themselves and be reverent before God. Religion was “the fear of the Lord” – a matter of… Continue reading
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If the Bible Could Take Selfies
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully… Continue reading
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Avoiding the Drift to Enmity Toward God
Just as a boat without an anchor becomes subjected to the laws of the sea, so too is the unanchored soul who subjects himself to the whims of the world. And yet as Christians we are called to live and serve God in a fallen world where corruption and sin abounds. The apostle James issued… Continue reading
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Reruns and Breadcrumbs
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now… Continue reading
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Removing That Which Does Not Belong
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. –… Continue reading
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There Will Be Opposition
When Satan sees the advancement of God’s plans, he responds by immediately going on the offensive. He actively searches for willing instruments to discourage, distract, and disrupt God’s will from being carried out. If we’re not careful, we can fall right into the enemy’s trap. After the Exile, Nehemiah had tasked the remaining Jews in… Continue reading
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Thinking Our Way Out of Temptation
“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13… Continue reading
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Love Always Wins
“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you… Continue reading
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The “Cheat Code” for Answered Prayers
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Luke… Continue reading
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Why Forgiveness Isn’t Optional
“The moment I start hating a man, I become his slave. He even controls my thoughts. I can’t escape his tyrannical grasp on my mind. When the waiter serves me steak, it might as well be stale bread and water. The man I hate will not permit me to enjoy it.” – S.I. McMillen, None… Continue reading
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To Thine Own Self Be Leery
Psalm 139: 23-24 –“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. David was aware that he couldn’t recognize all of his own sin. Some of it went much deeper than he… Continue reading
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When We Don’t Like What God Wants Us To Do
“But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord…” Jonah 1:3 If you were God and were searching for a potential candidate to become one of your prophets, you would probably have a list of good qualities that you would require for the position. You’d want someone who… Continue reading
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God can use our setbacks to set us up for something bigger
“For I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Philippians 1:19 Paul reminds us of the power of prayer and the provision of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we face difficult situations, we can take… Continue reading
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God-Grown is Better Than Home-Grown
“So that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:10-11 (ESV) Paul knew that wisdom and discernment can only come from a deep reverence and love… Continue reading
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Reprogramming Our Minds
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Phil. 4:8 I knew I had really stepped in it big time. I said something to my wife… Continue reading
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Discovering God’s Purpose: Be Different!
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers…” – Psalm 1:1 He was faced with only two options: abandon his ministry and take an oath of allegiance to Hitler, or surely be thrown into prison.… Continue reading
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An Unoccupied Moment
You just might miss the pointTrying to win the raceLife’s not the breathes you takeBut the moments that take your breath away. ~ George Strait Jesus was on his way to a village with his disciples, and as they arrived a woman named Martha invited him into her home. Martha apparently shared her home with… Continue reading
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Do I Truly Hate My Sin?
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ~ Romans 12:9 There are few things more frustrating to me than watching a highly competitive sporting event between two teams that ultimately ends in a tie. Perhaps this is why I’ve found it impossible to develop more than a mere casual… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I’m Scott (aka Former Blackout Artist), and I’m so happy you decided to drop in! I hope you find the content here spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Most of all, I hope that my love of Christ is revealed through my writing and that it encourages you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!
Former Blackout Artist 