Are you offended?  Does my title, stating that God is my personal assistant, sound brazen?  It should.For me to think that God is at my beckon call, that he is just waiting for my prayer with my request, and will jump to answer it to my satisfaction, is pretty crazy, don’t you think?  And yet, as you surely must agree if you stop to think about it, that’s how many people treat the God of the Unive...  Read More

Solomon built the original temple in Jerusalem. It was magnificent! The sins of a divided nation would eventually cause their downfall, the northern Kingdom taken away never to return, and the southern Kingdom (a little better) survived, but not until the temple was destroyed and they were taken into captivity in Babylon. Upon their return, under Nehemiah and Ezra, a rebuilding campaign sees a new...  Read More

There are many critics of Christianity. How it has reached this critical point so quickly in the US seems a mystery, but it has been a gradual move over my lifetime. We’ve gone from most Americans calling themselves “Christian” and many going to church regularly, at least belonging to a church, to the current circumstances where there is still a dedicated minority involved with Christian things, b...  Read More

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most-High dwells” (Psalm 46:1, 2, 4).When you are reading this, mid-June 2023, we may be just returning from a “bucket list” trip on the Rhine Ri...  Read More

Happiness is desired by everyone. I want it. You want it. Our kids and grandkids want it. There are no exceptions. This is why it becomes such a lethal tool of the devil.And it is also why my Cross Point title this week is antithetical. No one who believes in hell believes you can be happy there. The words happiness and hell are at polar opposites. Now if you don’t believe in hell, that’s a topic ...  Read More

“The mountains shake before him, The demons run and flee, At the mention of the name, King of Majesty, There is no power in Hell or any who can stand, Before the power and the presence of the Great I Am. Hallelujah, Holy, Holy, God Almighty, the Great I Am, Who is worthy, None beside Thee!”Those words from the song Great I Am by Jared Anderson always move me when Ryan leads it in worship. Life on ...  Read More

“How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14)God has ordained that people come to faith in Christ through hearing the Word of God proclaimed. Either through a preacher, a teacher, or self-study with the Bible telling them about Jesus and his salvation. P...  Read More

How should we interpret Revelation? I agree with Mark Moore (author of Quest 52) who says we ask the wrong questions. Some try to take the symbolism, match it up with the symbols in the Old Testament, and try to figure out the end times. I believe we’ve been in the end times since Jesus was resurrected, and the symbolism primarily references the spiritual battle between God and Satan. What is the ...  Read More

The summer is right around the corner!!! We wanted to get some dates to you asap so your family can attend some fun activities with us.  All of these activities are open for your entire family to attend.  Click on the links to let us know if you can make it. 5/30 GPS Family Meetup Night @ Harke Park in Lebanon.  This event will be from 6:30-7:30.  Bring your kids and enjoy the company of other GPS...  Read More

Last week we looked at Part I of Revelation (chapters 1-4) as we seek to make it more about persevering in tough times, and less about figuring out mysterious symbols to predict the future. This week we look at Part 2, which involves chapters 5-18, as the apostle John looks at the tribulation. Again, I’m including thoughts by Mark Moore from his book Quest 52, along with my own thoughts. “One of t...  Read More

Many people find the book of Revelation confusing. I’ve personally been helped a lot by the teaching of men from Ozark Christian College on this topic, such as Shane Wood, Matt Proctor, and Mark Moore. Mark Moore now is with Christ Church of the Valley in Arizona, and has written a book entitled: Quest 52, with weekly devotions about the life of Jesus that cover a year. Toward the end he covers a ...  Read More

In the previous Cross Point, I looked at how we cannot separate the teaching of Jesus from the teaching of his apostles in the New Testament. Jesus authorized them as his spokesmen once he ascended to heaven, and they (with a few apprentices) provide all the New Testament writing, even what we know about Jesus himself. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit to remember accurately and record Jesus’ ...  Read More