“The alternation between God and Christ does not signal confusion on Paul’s part. Instead it demonstrates the very close relationship between them. Christ functions as God’s representative in the judgment, hence judgment in Paul can be ascribed either to Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) or to God (Rom. 14:10)” -Thomas R. Schreiner

This current age is broken and it’s obvious to those liberal and conservative despite the valley between us. There is someone coming to make all things new. Where those who are merciful will receive mercy and those who are persecuted for His righteousness will inherit His Kingdom. -TJB Sewob

"The blessed hope" for all Christians is Jesus' visible appearing in glory, not an invisible rapture that happens seven years beforehand. -Joel Richardson

Excommunication (1 Corinthians 5) is the temporal judgment that is meant to awaken people to the eternal judgment associated with the day of the Lord—“deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (5:5). Likewise, eschatological judgment should relativize temporal judgments in this age: “Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” (6:3).  -John P. Harrigan 

For Paul, as for most first-century Jews, the day of YHWH, the judgment of the wicked, and the kingdom of God were inextricably bound together eschatologically. 

Thus, discipleship is contingent upon spiritual focus and sobriety: “Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil” (vv. 15–16, CSB). Because this age is inherently corrupt and evil (cf. Rom. 8:20; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:2), it demands a militant attitude (cf. Eph. 6:10–20), so as “to stand against the schemes of the devil” (6:11). Believers ultimately wrestle against “the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (v. 12; emphasis added), which assumes the coming age of light. -John P. Harrigan

"God never gives us a burden to break our backs but to bow our knees." -Corrie ten Boom

"Reading the whole Bible is how you become a whole Christian." -J.C. Ryle 

 "If a man doesn't treat his wife right, I don't want to hear him talk about Christianity." -D.L. Moody

My teaching on Galatians 6. Notes. Audio 1. Audio 2. 

If we do not understand that God is committed first to helping us grow in love, we can be confused about His leadership in our life. -Mike Bickle

My teaching on Psalm 110 in a more informal Bible study format. Notes. Audio 1, Audio 2. 

For Jesus and the apostles, the soon and coming day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of all by the Jewish Messiah, and the establishing of his worldwide kingdom of justice is what drove them to fervent obedience and self-denial.  - Josh Hawkins

Somebody once said to John Wesley, “Your church won’t prosper. It won’t go on.” He said, “Why?” The man said, “You don’t have a single doctorate in the whole range of your preachers.” Wesley replied, “Our theology isn’t sick enough to need a doctor.”

-Leonard Ravenhill

Theology 101:

Resurrection, not death, is the finish line. 

And the starting line.

-Dr. Michael Svigel

The most convincing evidence of love is that love makes sacrifices for others. -Mike Bickle

The sinful people [of Israel] do not exhaust the kindness of Yahweh...and he gives them hope to watch for the one who will be enthroned in Zion on his holy hill. - Dr. Jim Hamiliton

Followers of Jesus are to do good through all the purging judgments they face until the kingdom for which they strive comes, and in their persevering and receiving of the kingdom God’s glory will shine. -Dr. Jim Hamiliton

The most important appointment that any of us will ever have is in our future—when we stand before Jesus. Each will stand before Jesus at His judgment seat to give an account of what we did with what God gave us. - Mike Bickle

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’” John 1:47 No sham. No posing. No duplicity. No spin. No dodging. No evasion. No fear. Oh, how refreshing is such a friend. - John Piper

A great mystery of the spiritual life is that it’s possible to feel free when you are actually in bondage and possible to feel constricted and confined when you are actually free. This is why we can’t rely on our feelings to tell us what we are, but only on the Word of God. - Travis Snow

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul likewise introduces with his goal of discipleship: “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” (1:6). Here we see Paul explicitly communicating his terminus of discipleship. Life and faith have one goal and one end (that ultimately matters): the day of the Lord. And he concludes his introduction with a reprise in the form of a prayer, 

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 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. (vv. 9–11; emphasis added)    

-John P. Harrigan

Romans 13:8 - 14:18

Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue will give praise to God.

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.

Since the age to come consists of love and godliness, Paul reasons, we should conform our lives in this age according to our destiny. -John P. Harrigan

The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 

- Isaiah 52

 Learn to trust to Christ’s word, whatever sight may say. We live in dark times. - Robert M. McCheyne

That new heavenly nature which is formed in believers, as the first vital act of that union which is between Christ and them by the inhabitation of the same Spirit, is peculiarly his nature.  -John Owen

Paul defined the wisdom of God as including the message of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18-27). God’s wisdom that was modeled by Jesus was seen at the cross. This wisdom will also be demonstrated through the corporate Church at the end of this age.

-Mike Bickle

"Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, The one who is majestic in his apparel..." Isaiah 63:1 The Second Exodus will be literal, and it will be glorious. 

-Travis Snow 

If the Babylonian destruction of the temple was any precedent, and the message of the prophet Ezekiel at that time is still to be believed, then the God of Israel continues to dwell among his people, and the city and land remain the proper objects of their hope. - Mark Kinzer

As in Jewish apocalyptic thought, the day of YHWH lies at the center of Paul’s understanding of the future. He references the eschatological “day” twenty-two times in his letters. Varying in occasion and purpose, these references represent Paul’s assumption that history is moving toward a singular and cataclysmic end. Moreover, Paul makes passing references to the two age framework of history throughout his letters—“this age” (1 Cor. 1:20; 2:6, 8; 3:18; Eph. 1:21), “this world” (Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2), “this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10), “this present time” (Rom. 8:18), “the present age” (1 Tim. 6:17; Titus 2:12), and “the present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) all assume an eschatological reference point. -John P. Harrigan

In effect, Paul seeks to combat Gentile arrogance by reaffirming that the Jewish apocalyptic plan of history has not changed. God’s mission to the Gentiles is a subsidiary plan rather than a supersessionist program. Once the full number of the Gentiles comes in, then the presupposed expectations of the day of wrath, resurrection of the dead, and judgment of the wicked will commence, “as it is written, ‘The deliverer will come from Zion…’” (v. 26b; cf. Isa. 59:20). Paul thus seems to theologize about God’s merciful mission to the Gentiles (cf. vv. 30–32) within an unaltered Jewish apocalyptic framework of redemptive history. -John P. Harrigan