https://bible.hightower.space/Recent content on Bible ResearchHugo -- gohugo.ioenThu, 18 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/structure-deuteronomy/Thu, 18 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/structure-deuteronomy/Introduction This blog post presents the argument that Deuteronomy is an exposition of the Ten Commandments. I present the central argument followed by supporting evidence. Deuteronomy as an Exposition of the Ten Commandments For most of Christian history, there has been discussion and debate about how Christians ought to make sense of the books of the Law. The central section of Deuteronomy (chapters 12 - 26), for example, has raised questions like: “Is there any order to these rules?https://bible.hightower.space/posts/how-can-man-be-saved/Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/how-can-man-be-saved/This blog post contains what I consider to be big, weighty questions (with very few answers). If you choose to keep reading, please skim this post first: https://bible.hightower.space/posts/2020-warning/. What must I do to be saved? Seriously, what must I do to be saved? I’m so confused and overwhelmed by a whirl-wind of comments and responses on this question (both from inside and outside the Bible) that I honestly don’t know what the answer is right now.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/titus_ch3_outline/Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/titus_ch3_outline/Here is my outline for chapter 3 of the book of Titus: Reminders about… (3:1-7) Present commands (3:1-2) Past salvation (3:3-7) Instruction for Titus (3:8-11) Conclusion (3:12-15)https://bible.hightower.space/posts/titus_ch2_outline/Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/titus_ch2_outline/Here is my outline for chapter 2 of the book of Titus: Behaviour fitting sound doctrine (2:1-10) Older men (2:2) Older women (2:3-5) Older women, themselves (2:3) Younger women (2:4-5) Younger men (2:6-8) Younger men broadly (2:6) Titus, himself (2:7-8) Slaves (2:9-10) Motive for/cause of right living (2:11-14) God’s grace (2:11-13) Brings salvation (2:11) Instructs us (2:12-13) To deny ungodliness (2:12) To live godly (2:12) While looking for Christ’s return (2:13) Christ’s sacrifice (2:14) Redeems (2:14) Purifies (2:14)https://bible.hightower.space/posts/jesus-on-forgiveness-matthew/Sat, 08 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/jesus-on-forgiveness-matthew/Preface I have two goals for you, my reader, in this post: I would like to challenge you with Jesus' words on forgiveness. Jesus is not flippant or trivial on the topic of forgiveness and he attributes a weight and significance to forgiveness that is, I think, often lessened. I hope you will consider the practical implications of Jesus' words for your own life. In the words of Paul: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/false-grounds-for-assurance-1/Tue, 28 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/false-grounds-for-assurance-1/“Oh listen, do you love the Word of God? There’s no greater proof that you have really passed from death unto life than if you have an insatiable love for the Word of God."1 Preface A Warning Before continuing, I encourage you to read the warning here. If you are looking for the grounds of assurance of salvation (the means by which we can know that we are saved), I don’t have any to offer you right now and sincerely ask that you stop reading.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/2020-warning/Sat, 11 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/2020-warning/The following points have been adapted from my post seeking to prove that Martin Luther taught a false paradigm of salvation. A Warning If you read any articles on my blog, you should know a number of things. First, I’m confused. If you’re looking for what the Bible says about how sinful man can be reconciled to a Holy God, this is not a blog that will answer that question (at least not right now) and I sincerely ask you to stop reading.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/do-something/Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/do-something/A new year begins and my life is busier than ever before. I now have less time to study Scripture and have more responsibilities outside of the realm of scriptural and theological studies. I used to be able to study Scripture and wrestle with theological questions for hours and hours, but now have half the time, at best, that I used to have. When I studied for long hours, I enjoyed learning about God from His word and felt closer to God, even though my studies raised a number of profound theological and philosophical questions.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/deadly-lifestyle-part-2/Tue, 19 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/deadly-lifestyle-part-2/This is a follow up to the first “Deadly Lifestyle” post. The Situation It is very difficult for me to read/study the Bible right now. Here is what happens almost every time I open the Bible: I pray As you will see below, I really need help! I start reading for example, I recently read Acts 8 I notice something fascinating/interesting In Acts 8, it is interesting that Simon the Magician is said to have “believed” and “being baptized, he continued on with Philip…” (Acts 8:13) and yet Peter harshly rebukes him for trying to buy the free gift of God and calls him to repent (Acts 8:21-23).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-makes-an-action-glorifying-to-god/Mon, 18 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-makes-an-action-glorifying-to-god/“The modern Western church tends to be overly pietistic. This often manifests in an attitude that says “if you really want to do God’s work, then be a missionary or a pastor.” Pursuant to this view, everyone else is a sort of second-class spiritual citizen, not really doing things that matter all that much for the Kingdom. The implicit message that comes through many times even in evangelical preaching is that if you are one of these second-class spiritual citizens, i.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/deadly-lifestyle/Thu, 03 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/deadly-lifestyle/For the past year, going to church and reading the bible has felt like this: I am shackled in a prison. I am periodically given enough ‘food’ to live (I say ‘food’ because some of it is inedible or undesirable (raw, rotting meat, bones, lard, etc.))… but getting the food is difficult because the shackle on my neck has small protrusions or hooks on the inside designed to create small lacerations on my neck if I strain against the shackle too much.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/gods-attributes-and-prayer/Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/gods-attributes-and-prayer/Many definitions of prayer boil down to something like: “Talking to God”. I love this definition. The focus and emphasis, however, is often placed on the “talking” (i.e. our action in prayer). Certainly, this is important, but we must also recognize that it is the God to whom we are praying that separates our prayers from the prayers of Muslims, Hindus, and Mormons. People of many religions pray. What fundamentally differentiates Christian prayer from prayer in other religions is the character and nature of the God of the Bible.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/temptation-of-jesus-matthew/Tue, 27 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/temptation-of-jesus-matthew/I recently heard a sermon on the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) in which the pastor said something that caught my attention, got me thinking, and led me to what I think is a deeper, richer understanding of this passage. While the pastor did not say what I am about to say explicitly, he hinted in its general direction and I am very grateful not just for this sermon, but also for his faithful ministry of the word of God.https://bible.hightower.space/church-history/covenant/Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/church-history/covenant/I, _____________________________, will strive with my utmost effort to listen, participate, read, and study to the utmost of my God-given abilities for the purpose of learning about the sovereign acts and works of God throughout the early centuries of the Church through the writings of and descriptions about men and women who claimed Christ as their Savior during the extent of the ISM Summer Study Series on Church History. As part of the work for this study series, I covenant to read for a minimum of one (1) hour per day for the extent of this series.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/words-only-one-meaning/Sat, 02 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/words-only-one-meaning/“A fundamental principle in grammatico-historical exposition is that words and sentences can have but one signification in one and the same connection. The moment we neglect this principle we drift out upon a sea of uncertainty and conjecture. It is commonly assumed by the universal sense of mankind that unless one designedly put forth a riddle, he will so speak as to convey his meaning as clearly as possible to others.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/judge-not-the-lord-by-feeble-sense/Wed, 20 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/judge-not-the-lord-by-feeble-sense/God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill He treasures up His bright designs, And works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/questions-about-exegetical-preaching/Sat, 16 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/questions-about-exegetical-preaching/The subsequent blog post captures a few of my questions about exegetical preaching; at the time of writing, these are open questions and I do not have answers to them. I articulate these questions with the intention of getting them answered. If/when I get them answered, I will write another post providing the answers and will post it here. I write this with the utmost respect for all, gospel-preaching pastors. I am in no way attempting to insult or undermine their work.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/valuing-people/Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/valuing-people/The following was originally written on December 10, 2014: People are so important! 1 Peter has been one of the defining books in my life recently. I have gleaned so many treasures from this little book and, although I am constantly unearthing new and beautiful truths, it is hard for me to think of any book as being more applicable to believers today than 1 Peter. I especially love the end of chapter 1 where Peter encourages us to fervently love one another (1 Peter 1:22) because we are of imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:23-25) and, just like the imperishable word of God (1 Peter 1:24-25), believers are also of this imperishable nature.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/fighting-sin/Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/fighting-sin/The following was originally written on April 23, 2015: Today. What a sweet word! Even on the worst days, it is such a sweet reminder that I have been granted this day, these hours as a stewardship and a blessing. It has been one of those tough days. I have really been struggling against sin and, while I have not given in, the grind and struggle is really exhausting. The resistance seems to take more of a toll than the sin itself.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/assurance-and-affections/Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/assurance-and-affections/In recent days, it has become common-place in conservative evangelicalism to provide assurance of salvation to people if they have “a desire to know”, “affections for”, or a “love for” Jesus1. Is this a solid ground for assurance of salvation? Below, I present the argument that it is not solid ground for assurance because it lacks biblical support, contradicts what is written in scripture, and is not the way that the divinely inspired authors answered the question of assurance.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/languages/Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/languages/Originally written February 22, 2014. What a shame that a Christian college recently had to shut down its foreign languages department due to a lack of interest. At this college, learning Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew is highly honored, as it should be; yet Spanish, French, Chinese, and German classes are a thing of the past due to lack of demand. I find it tragic that in our haste to understand the bible we often forget that part of our calling is to communicate the truth we discover.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/bang/Sun, 10 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/bang/Originally written August, 2014. In many ways, the game of BANG! is a great example of what the Bible teaches about the world. The Bible gives four major classifications that apply to all the people in the world and each of them is based on each individual’s relationship with God Himself through the work of Christ. First, the Bible makes it clear that there are those who do not have a relationship with God’s Son are unsaved and perishing (Romans 3:23; John 1:4 & 1:9-13).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/article-8-chicago-hermeneutics/Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/article-8-chicago-hermeneutics/Article VIII of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics states: We affirm that the Bible contains teachings and mandates which apply to all cultural and situational contexts and other mandates which the Bible itself shows apply only to particular situations. We deny that the distinction between the universal and particular mandates of Scripture can be determined by cultural and situational factors. We further deny that universal mandates may ever be treated as culturally or situationally relative.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/pulling-yourself-up-bootstraps-1/Wed, 30 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/pulling-yourself-up-bootstraps-1/I have observed a dangerous teaching circling in conservative evangelicalism and I would like to address it. I will begin by pointing out the harmful teaching in the form of two, pervasive dichotomies. I will then identify why each of them is not biblically supported. False Dichotomies The problem I wish to point out appears in the form of false dichotomies; specifically, false dichotomies between diverse components of human constitution and the Holy Spirit.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/romans-4-23-and-24/Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/romans-4-23-and-24/I was reading the book of Romans and Romans 4:23-25 jumped out at me; it reads: “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/a-man-worth-trusting/Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/a-man-worth-trusting/I was studying John 18:1-11 with some friends and was struck by something one of my friends said. We had just discussed John 18:3 where the word “σπεῖραν”1could mean either a tenth of a legion (a legion was 6,000 men, so this would mean 600 men were coming to arrest Jesus) or used as Polybius referring to 200 men2. Either way, you likely have a good number of men coming to arrest Jesus.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/guidelines-for-using-the-old-testament-well/Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/guidelines-for-using-the-old-testament-well/Disclaimer Before reading the article below, I recommend you take a look at my post on Why I Cite Specific Examples. I address this issue humbly and with the utmost respect and love for all parties involved. None of us are perfect or perfectly consistent; it would not shock me if the whistle were blown on me for the same hermeneutic fouls I penalize below. I stand open to correction and am bold only because I believe that handling the Word of God is like donning a space-suit before going on a space walk; our very lives depend on it and it ought to be done with the greatest care and accuracy possible.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/truth-and-validity-of-hermeneutics/Thu, 10 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/truth-and-validity-of-hermeneutics/Disclaimer What I present here is a nascent concept and one that has probably already been articulated. If you have any feedback or know of someone who has already introduced a concept like the one below, please let me know. Thanks! Abstract Part of the confusion about hermeneutics, especially in the world of conservative evangelicalism, is a failure to differentiate between the truth of a statement (whether the statement corresponds with objective reality) and the validity of a statement (whether the statement is actually found in the text).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/consequentialist-hermeneutic/Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/consequentialist-hermeneutic/“Consequentialism, as its name suggests, is the view that normative properties depend only on consequences. This general approach can be applied at different levels to different normative properties of different kinds of things…"1 A Consequentialist Hermeneutic Defining A Consequentialist Hermeneutic I believe that many conservative, evangelical churches today are comfortable with bad hermeneutics because because they suffer from “A Consequentialist Hermeneutic”. This disease is the attitude that any hermeneutic which leads to a true conclusion must be correct.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/defining-gospel/Sun, 30 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/defining-gospel/The Danger When defining the Gospel, I often hear people conflate a correct response to the Gospel or the effects of the Gospel with the content of the Gospel itself. This is dangerous and inaccurate for (at least) two reasons: It confuses pragmatism and function with ontology (there is more on the danger of Pragmaticism here). It includes consequences in the definition rather than just the grounds. This breaks a basic principle of creating definitions, namely “that the attributes included in the definition should be always such as are the ground of the others rather than the consequences”1.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/disclaimer-for-citing-specific-examples/Wed, 26 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/disclaimer-for-citing-specific-examples/Update (Summer 2020) In the past, I have cited specific examples (usually youtube clips) of issues and concerns I have with evangelicalism. I am no longer going to do this and have taken down mosts of my posts containing links to statements made by pastors. I do not object to the reasons for citing specific examples as detailed below and I see the merits of doing so, but I am unable to maintain a humble, gentle, peaceful heart when I cite specific examples, so I will no longer be doing so (at least not on a regular basis).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/pragmaticism/Mon, 24 Dec 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/pragmaticism/Pragmaticism What is Pragmaticism? Pragmaticism1is a methodology for “reaching a clearness of thought of a far higher grade than the ‘distinctness’ of the logicians”2. It makes a number of ontological claims such as: “Our idea of anything is our idea of its sensible effects; and if we fancy that we have any other we deceive ourselves, and mistake a mere sensation accompanying the thought for a part of the thought itself.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/first-pope-message/Thu, 22 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/first-pope-message/Here is an excerpt from Pope Clement I in his First Epistle to the Corinthian Church: “All these [referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], therefore, were highly honoured, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-stop-watching-pornography/Tue, 30 Oct 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-stop-watching-pornography/Let’s cut to the chase… pornography has been cited as an epidemic of our age.1It is ubiquitous and easily accessible. There is a lot which can be said on the subject from many different angles and different perspectives, but for now, I’m going to present four motives that should animate every Christian to fight and flee pornography. I hope to discuss how to fight and flee pornography at some point, but for now, we’ll deal with why.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/psychosomatic-unity/Fri, 05 Oct 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/psychosomatic-unity/“Instead of a transcendent excursion into an altered consciousness, sensory deprivation had hilariously underscored the primacy of my body; it was almost a purely physical experience from start to finish. It was like being at a meditation retreat with a runny nose. My brain was simply incapable of escaping the signals my body was sending it… Don’t get me wrong. I’m a neuroscience junkie. But we are not just a brain in a jar; we are also bodies, and what we do with those bodies can influence the brain.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-is-a-human-being/Tue, 02 Oct 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-is-a-human-being/“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."1 “What is man that You magnify him, and the You set Your heart on him…"2 “To properly understand man, one must do so from a God-centered perspective.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-literal-gramatical-hermenuetic/Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-literal-gramatical-hermenuetic/Definitions I believe that definitions and the meaning of words are important.1In the future, I intend to more thoroughly define and defend my hermeneutic (and define what I mean by ‘normal, literal, and grammatical’), but for now, I am just going to take for granted that my audience understands what I mean when I say “normal, literal, and grammatical hermeneutic”. For the rest of this blog post, I will use the acronym NLG to represent a normal, literal, and grammatical hermeneutic.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/starting-point-hermenuetics/Wed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/starting-point-hermenuetics/Definitions and Objectives Before jumping into the post, let me first define a couple of the phrases in the abstract. “common-sense starting point” To clarify the objective of this blog post, I am not seeking to establish a complete and robust foundation for a hermeneutic. This is why I’m calling it a “common-sense starting point”; this blog post takes for granted many philosophical assumptions. While I do not deny defending my presuppositions would be a useful endeavor, I am not going to undertake it here.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-pray-the-bible/Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-pray-the-bible/As I describe here, my prayer life used to be pitiful. My prayers where repetitive, virtually meaningless and unguided ramblings that God would “be with” someone (whatever that means). It wasn’t until I heard a sermon on using the Bible to guide our prayers that I was able to significantly change the way I pray. In this sermon, the pastor argued that we should use a passage of scripture to guide our prayers.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/dealing-with-doubts/Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/dealing-with-doubts/Here are some practical principles I have come up with: Don’t wallow in doubt Don’t stay isolated (and don’t isolate yourself) With respect to God’s word, be (James 1): quick to listen slow to speak slow to become angry Pray like crazy! - Follow the example of David, James 1, Jesus, and the Apostles (see also some thoughts on prayerlessness) Trust God’s sovereignty Address the issues head-on When in doubt, trust the boundaries and means of Grace God has given No friendly-fire!https://bible.hightower.space/posts/three-aspects-of-faith/Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/three-aspects-of-faith/Introduction The three aspects of saving faith identified by the reformers are notitia, assensus, and fiducia.1For the reformers, saving faith was made up of each of these aspects. Possessing one or two of them does not mean you are saved. All three are necessary and are together sufficient for salvation. Let’s take a look at each of these aspects in more detail. Three Aspects of Saving Faith Notitia Notitia refers to the comprehension of data or content that is to be believed.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/assurance-of-salvation-dialogue/Sat, 30 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/assurance-of-salvation-dialogue/May: I was raised in the church and I understand that Bible teaches that believers can know that they are saved with certainty. I know 1 John discusses what is looks like to be a Christian and how we can know we are saved (for example, 1 John 5:13). I want to “know that [I] have eternal life”, but I’m having a hard time reconciling the claims of assurance in 1 John with some other truths from scripture.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/fight-sin-by-serving/Sat, 30 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/fight-sin-by-serving/I was reading Galatians 5:13 recently and this jumped out at me: For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. In our efforts to glorify God and fight sin, one helpful strategy that I pull from this verse is to be busy serving one another. This has the dual benefits of keeping you busy and focusing your efforts on serving Christ and His church.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-read-ot/Mon, 25 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-read-ot/For the time being, I’m going to answer this question by looking at what the New Testament says about the Old Testament. So what does the New Testament have to say about the Old Testament? The Old Testament… Predicts/points to Christ (Luke 24:44-47) Is sufficient to bring about salvation (Luke 16:19-31 (especially 29-31), 2 Timothy 3:15) Was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:11, Luke 17:32) Was written for our encouragement (Romans 15:4) (as part of scripture) Is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Is fulfilled in/by Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20)https://bible.hightower.space/posts/excuses-for-prayerlessness/Sat, 23 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/excuses-for-prayerlessness/My Excuses When it comes to my excuses for not praying, I have three, solid pleas which I regret to admit have often freed me from the bond of love and intimacy with God: “I’m too busy.” “I’m working on things which are more important than prayer.” “I don’t need to pray right now.” (i.e. “My relationship with God is ok right now and I don’t need to spend time with Him.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/baptism-and-salvation/Sat, 23 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/baptism-and-salvation/There are some passages in scripture which appear, at first glance, to be saying that baptism is necessary for salvation (for example Mark 16:16, Acts 2:37-38, Galatians 3:27). In reformed, protestant circles, there are counter-arguments given for all of these passages (which I think are convincing and have sound Biblical grounds). I here present, however, three evidences from scripture that salvation does not require baptism. I would be curious how someone who believes that baptism is required for salvation would respond (you can contact me if you are such a person).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/thoughts-on-prayer/Wed, 20 Jun 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/thoughts-on-prayer/In studying prayer recently, I have a few more thoughts that did not find a home among the other writings on prayer. I have captured them below in no particular order other than the sequence in which they were brought to mind. Pray for Your Enemies Let us not forget that we are called to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Notice a couple of things here.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-pray/Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/why-pray/Reasons to Pray Scripture gives numerous reasons why we should pray. In this post, we’ll look at a few examples. I’m going to split the reasons why we should pray into two categories: We should pray in order to: Glorify God Enjoy Him forever This way of breaking these reasons down is based on the first question and answer of the Westminster Confession of Faith. “to glorify God…” We should pray because prayer glorifies God.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-is-prayer/Sat, 16 Jun 2018 05:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/what-is-prayer/[P]rayer is a retirement from earth and a retreat from our fellow creatures to fix our attention on God and communicate with Him who dwells in heaven. ~ Isaac Watts - A Guide to Prayer What is Prayer? The most basic and robust definition I can think of is: Prayer is talking to God.1 I would like to break this phrase down to better explain myself. Let’s start with the phrase “talking to”.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/prayer-plan/Sun, 13 May 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/prayer-plan/Why? Let me begin by explaining why I developed this plan. If I’m honest, my prayer time was embarrassing. I told people I would pray for them only to pray for them once and promptly forget about them entirely. When I was praying, I was constantly fighting a wandering mind and sleep-inducing boredom as I would use the same phrases over-and-over: “God, please be with Martha in her life.”https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-prayer/Sat, 12 May 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-prayer/This is part of a series called Practical Spiritual Disciplines in which I will be discussing how to practice the spiritual disciplines. Since [prayer] is a duty of such absolute necessity for all and of such universal use, it is fitting we should all know how to perform it aright, that it may be accepted by the great God, and become a delightful and profitable exercise to our own souls and to those that join with us.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-what/Sun, 06 May 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-what/This is part of a series called Practical Spiritual Disciplines which is designed to show you what tools and activities God has given us to grow and how we can practices these disciplines in our daily lives. “We are far too easily pleased.” ~ C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory Definition A spiritual discipline is an activity, which ought to be a habit, that the Bible prescribes for Christians to help them grow spiritually.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-why/Fri, 04 May 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/practical-spiritual-disciplines-why/Motivation In Western, conservative Churches, our knowledge often far exceeds our living. That is, we usually know far more about theology than we live out in our lives. When it comes down to it, most of us know what we are supposed to do (for example: pray, read your Bible, evangelize, etc.) and why we are supposed to do those things, but we still are not doing the things we should.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/performative-wisdom-lit/Sun, 11 Mar 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/performative-wisdom-lit/Performative Wisdom Literature In linguistics, performativity describes of the ability of communication (in any form) to do something.1This is a break from the way we normally view language as a means of describing something or asking someone to do something. Language itself can do things. For example, saying “I now pronounce you husband and wife” in the proper context is not just a declarative statement about what I happen to be doing at the moment.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/psalm-62/Sat, 20 Jan 2018 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/psalm-62/Background According to the superscription, Psalm 62 is a psalm of David. While there is no explicit, historical context for the psalm, it refers to those who “assail a man that you may murder him” (Psalm 62:3). There were multiple points in David’s life when people were seeking to kill him, so this psalm could have been inspired by many of the events in David’s life. Structure The psalm breaks down into five sections:https://bible.hightower.space/posts/thank-your-teachers/Thu, 23 Nov 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/thank-your-teachers/All it takes is a quick email, phone call, or even a text. Or better yet… next time you see them, take some time to let them know how much you appreciate what they do for you. It is really hard to be a teacher and is often a thank-less endeavour which can get depressing over time. Even a short word of thanks can go great lengths to encourage your teacher.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/cain-and-abel/Mon, 23 Oct 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/cain-and-abel/Genesis 4:1-15 describes the infamous story of Cain and Abel. In this story, two brothers, Cain (a “tiller of the ground”) and Abel (a “keeper of flocks”), bring a sacrifice before God (see Genesis 4:2-3). Verses three and four tell us that Cain brings “an offering of the fruit of the ground” and Abel brings “the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions”. The end of verse four and beginning of verse five reads: “And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/sovereign-and-immanent-god/Mon, 23 Oct 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/sovereign-and-immanent-god/Before we begin, let’s define some of the terms with which we may not be familiar: Sovereignty of God: God’s absolute control and rule over everything. Immanence of God: The tendency of God to relate with His creation and interact in human history. If both of these attributes, as well as Holiness and Omniscience, are accurate descriptions of God’s character (and they are according to the testimony of Psalm 90 and scripture as a whole), then humans have a big problem; A God who is sovereign (in control), omniscient (knows everything a man does, thinks and feels), holy (separated and opposed to evil), and immanent (He relates with His creation) will produce a conundrum where God interacts and relates with His creation (due to His immanence) while killing them for their sin (because of His omniscience, sovereignty, and holiness).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/spies-bad-report/Sat, 14 Oct 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/spies-bad-report/What is described below is, in my estimation, a well-supported conjecture, but a conjecture nonetheless. Consider it thoughtfully and critically. I believe that Numbers 13:25-33 can be broken down as follows: Numbers 13:25-26 - General summary of events. Spies return and give their report. Numbers 13:27-29 - This is said by the spies (particularly the ten spies who did not believe God) privately to Moses (at least not in the hearing of the people before Moses).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/the-audacity-of-manmade-religion/Mon, 02 Oct 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/the-audacity-of-manmade-religion/One of the clear themes throughout the Bible is that it is God who defines how His creation must/should interact with Him. We are in no position (that is, we have no authority) to come to God on our own terms. If there is a God that is anything like the one described in the Bible, He has the inherit right, authority, and power to demand how we should relate to Him.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/leviticus/Fri, 29 Sep 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/leviticus/Mistakes We often make two, critical mistakes when we read the book of Leviticus. First, we are to busy looking for imperatives and applications that we miss the meaning (and, therefore, the real applications). Second, we isolate Leviticus and don’t read it as part of a larger story. Let us begin with the first issue. We, Christians who hold the Bible as the sole authority for life and Godliness, must stop reading the Bible selfishly.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/five-solae/Sat, 23 Sep 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/five-solae/The principles behind the reformation are often summarized in five exclusive statements deemed ‘Solae’ or ‘Solas’: Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”) Sola Fide (“faith alone”) Sola Gratia (“grace alone”) Solus Christus (“Christ alone”) Soli Deo gloria (“glory to God alone”) These statements have been used both to describe what Luther and the other reformers believed as well as to discern what the Bible does and does not teach. Because we often see the five solas listed out in bullet points, we often do not consider the relationships between them.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/israel-in-egypt/Sat, 16 Sep 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/israel-in-egypt/When we think about Israel’s time in Egypt, the plagues, and Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, there are a few passages that are important to keep in mind. Genesis 15:13-16 - Israel’s slavery in Egypt is promised as well as God’s judgement on Egypt and Israel’s subsequent possessions. Genesis 50:25-26 (and Exodus 23:19) - Joseph asks, with faith in God’s promise, that his bones be taken out of Egypt and buried in the land promised to Israel by God.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/canaan-and-ham/Thu, 14 Sep 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/canaan-and-ham/The text does not give us enough details to know exactly why, but I think there are a few things we can conclude from the passage: Part of the reason some readers take issue with this passage is that they think Ham is getting off without punishment for his offense. The punishment that fell to Canaan, however, would have felt like a punishment to Ham as well. His line was not blessed and one of his sons was cursed.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/watch-your-lingo/Mon, 04 Sep 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/watch-your-lingo/Language is critically important as it is the medium through which ideas are communicated. Unfortunately, I am noticing that many Christians are alienating themselves from secular culture simply because they are using Christian jargon which has little to no meaning outside of a Christian community. In this blog post, I highlight a few examples and suggest some of the dangers that can arise if we are not aware and cautious about our jargon.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/defending-protevangelium/Fri, 25 Aug 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/defending-protevangelium/I was recently reading through Genesis and paused when I got to Genesis 3:14-15. I have always been taught that Genesis 3:15 was directed not at the physical serpent (that is, the creature itself), but the spiritual ‘serpent’ (who is Satan). But in my recent reading, I asked myself: Are we right to interpret Genesis 3:15 in this way? This post contains my conclusion on the subject after thought and investigation.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/understanding-sin-from-genesis3/Wed, 16 Aug 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/understanding-sin-from-genesis3/“The Devil Made Me Do It”? First, consider who or what was involved in making Eve sin. One of the answers is clearly Satan in the form of the serpent (see Genesis 3:1). It is Satan who asks the infamous question “Hath God said…” and causes Eve to doubt the words of God. It is important to recognize, however, that Satan is not the only thing that drives Eve to sin.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/blog-objectives/Sat, 12 Aug 2017 06:21:22 -0300https://bible.hightower.space/posts/blog-objectives/The basic objective of this blog is to give me a platform to communicate some of the thoughts and observations I have that don’t fit well into the Bible Notes project. My goal in voicing some of these thoughts is to provide more resources that will strengthen the Church and produce mature, thoughtful followers of Christ. It also gives me the chance to hone my writing and communication skills (which I then hope to use to strengthen the Church).https://bible.hightower.space/posts/elder-qualifications/Fri, 16 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/elder-qualifications/Titus 1:5-16 reads: For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.https://bible.hightower.space/posts/was-satan-suprised/Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://bible.hightower.space/posts/was-satan-suprised/Was Satan surprised… too busy looking at Job to see Jesus? too busy deceiving the eves to notice the ave… maria who, through no merit of her own and though a sinner such as I, was blessed to bring into the fallen, dirty world one who, in ages past, had made the oceans whirl and rivers swirl? Was Satan surprised… too busy roaming about on the earth? too busy building Babel to notice a babe in Bethlehem… who, by submission to His Father’s will and because of His great love with which He loved us, would bless sinners with reconciliation and an inheritance?