Mark Ballenger 
What does the Bible say about overcoming anger?
I recently purchased a computer program which was supposed to help make graphic design super easy. Since I am a Bible teacher and writer at heart, I thought this would be a great purchase to help me in my blogging. Boy was I wrong.
When should you hand a person over to Satan?
When you are a Bible believing Christian and someone you are trying to help is not, you then begin to understand where the terms “Bible thumping” and “Bible beating” come from. If only we could take the literal book of the Bible and conk people on the head to help them understand, life would be so much easier . . . right? Unfortunately, these methods do nothing but embitter those who stand in opposition to the Bible.
So what can be done? I was meeting with a young man who had been a member of our church, grew up in a Baptist household, married a Christian girl, but now in his early twenties was beginning to questions his Christian faith. He wanted to meet with me about the inerrancy, authority, and perfections of Scripture, doubting more and more with every secular book he read that the Bible really was an inspired book.
We talked for hours on multiple occasions. I answered his questions, explained the facts, pointed him to good Christian scholars, but over the months his position against God only strengthened.
Finally, he stated he was now fully an atheist.
It seems there should always be a natural link between Christianity and social justice. A broad definition of “social justice” is to create a society where all are treated equally and fairly. When the term is deployed it typically comes in conversations regarding a social inequality (real or perceived) that a group of people desire to fix.
So again, it seems a logical connection should transpire between Christianity and social justice movements.
How do I figure out God’s plan for me? What does God want me to do with my life? How do I know God’s purpose for me? What’s God’s calling on me? How can I know God’s will for my life? How do I know if God is leading me down this path or that? God, please help me figure out your plan for me!
It can be confusing to know what God has called us to do. One way to figure out God’s plan for you is to look at what you have a longing to do.
If you are stuck in a rut spiritually, Psalm 19 provides a blueprint for connecting with God. It provides the three staples every Christian should regularly engage in to stay spiritually awake.
There are many other devotional practices which can and should be done to connect with God, but Psalm 19 gives these specific three which will help us immensely in staying alive and sensitive in our relationship with God, protecting us from spiritual ruts.
Psalm 19 is broken into three sections. Psalm 19:1-6 explain how nature is God’s mouth piece. Psalm 19:7-11 describes how the word of God also speaks but actually instructs the human heart. Lastly, Psalm 19:12-14 is a personal prayer from the heart to God for holiness.
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.-Romans 9:14-16
The Love of God’s Election
I was just walking along when I tripped on grace,
I was doing nothing special, but suddenly I landed on my face.
There it was, just resting randomly in my path,
Praise the evangelist who chose to leave it there, and that I was lucky enough to find, to choose, and save myself from wrath . . . .
Is this really the explanation that I believe?
Do I really think God was not behind it all, making a mockery of my freewill awakening randomly?
Below are Bible verses on church discipline. While “church discipline” usually only refers to “casting the immoral brother out,” this article takes a wider lens. Church discipline in its most broad sense includes all the acts in which church leaders employ to “discipline” their church.
By “discipline,” this does not only mean correct; in its most general meaning, “discipline” translates to “disciple.” This type of discipline includes instruction, encouragement, correction, and many other actions done for the benefit of those being led.
While these Bible verses primarily relate to church discipline, these leadership qualities can be used by any leader in any sphere of influence.
Not all leadership comes in the same package. Not all situations require the same actions. Therefore, leaders should show their love through different levels of discipline. So here are 9 levels of discipline supported in the Bible through which Christian leaders can love those they lead.
Ideally, children are supposed to be a sign pointing to the health of the marriage. A strong union of love will always create life in a selfless way.
Likewise, God was perfectly happy in communion with himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He had no need within him that caused a desire to create humans. Rather, his desire to create us was because he was so full of love and joy within himself, thus he made others out of love so they too could enjoy him. It was not an emptiness that made him make us, but the fullness within himself.
God’s creation is a testament to his love. So often with humans, however, the good we produce becomes a temptation to neglect those we love, mainly God.
Bible Verse: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation . . . -1 Peter 2:2
If you’ve ever been around a newborn baby, you know that the one thing they need above everything else is there mother’s milk. My daughter came out of the womb hollering, kicking and screaming. She was completely unappreciative of all the work that the hospital staff, myself, and especially her mother had just done to get her out safely. No “thank you,” no smiles, no warm hugs upon the first time she felt her parents’ warm embrace. Just passionate screams. All the girl wanted was milk!
As soon as she latched on to her mother, she went completely silent. This is how Peter tells believers they should act towards the word of God in 1 Peter 2:2. Newborn babies instinctively know how in need they are of their mother’s milk. Besides it providing fuel to live, a mother’s breast milk provides essential vitamins and immune fighting nutrients to strengthen the infant’s weak system. Aside from the physical health factors, psychologically the baby feels warmth and loved by snuggling up to her mother skin to skin.
How does God speak to us? Does the Bible or the Holy Spirit teach us everything we need to know about God? Does the Bible or the Holy Spirit lead us to an intimate relationship with the Father? Does the Bible or the Holy Spirit fill us with the power to obey and have the knowledge to please God? According to the Bible, the answer is “the Holy Spirit” to all of these questions.
What the Bible does claim, however, is that the Holy Spirit will speak through the Scriptures to teach us about God.