A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For centuries, this one verse has held women back from ministry. Often it is coupled with 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 for support,...

“Women should remain silent in the churches” For many, this phrase has been used to domineer over women and put them in their place (presumably in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant). These people think the saying means, “Know your role and shut your pie hole!” Now, I am a...

I received this message regarding my blog “Forgive and Forget About It” so I thought I should post it along with my response to help clarify things. Enjoy. Hi Jon:  Hope you are doing well.  I have read the above blog several times, and I do understand that only...

More than conquerors Often I have heard people try to encourage me as I endure the storms that inevitably come my way in life. They’ll say with fist high in the air, “We are more than conquerors!” This phrase has never encouraged me because it begs the question: “if...

Lift Jesus higher,  Lift Jesus higher. Lift Him up for the world to see. He said “If I be lifted up from the Earth. I will draw all men unto Me.” This is a song I used to sing in youth group. Perhaps you sang it loud and proud...

“His Word will not return void”  If I had nickel for every time I heard this phrase, I would have at least ten dollars. (Guess I should ask for more than a nickel.) Here’s my two cents on this topic. This phrase is a paraphrase of Isaiah 55:10-11. “As...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.  Whoever translated The New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses either do not know or are not telling) was not incorrect. The phrase can be translated “the word was a god.” Aside from...

Forgive and forget.  Someone asked me if this was in the Bible. After a pause, I shouted, “I think I know what my next blog will be about!” Truth be told, I thought it was a principle found in the Bible. I mean, shouldn’t we forgive as God forgives...

God will never give us more than we can bear. I heard this one a lot – especially as a chaplain. Sometimes it was uttered in a desperate search to find comfort in the midst of overwhelming tragedy. Sometimes people use it to console others. Most believe they are...

Everything happens for a reason or so the saying goes. But in a world filled with meaningless violence and natural disasters, can this saying really be true? And is there Scriptural basis for this claim? Before we determine whether this statement is true or not, we must determine what...