Tag Archives: Apostle Paul

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

God Versus Evil: Part One

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Just as the word ‘God’ can conjure different ideas from a benevolent cosmic dude to a celestial judge, ‘evil’ may mean various things—usually because of different cultures and worldviews. The truth is that ‘evil’ probably doesn’t mean what you think, and its use By YHVH (God) has produced good. Let’s dig in by defining it first.

Evil defined. The word usually evokes responses like ‘scary’ or ‘spooky’ and images of fiery demons or people with spinning heads. However, these aren’t biblical representations of evil but imaginations working overtime. The truth is worse because evil is more subtle and can sneak up on you! Original biblical language and contexts suggest that it more or less represents something bad, adversarial, distressful, or disagreeable. Not spooky or frightening, but trouble often clothed in beauty that can be disguised as good despite the distress it brings.

Who’s evil, anyway? The disobedient Elohim (spiritual beings from God’s Divine Counsel) were evil. The devil we call Satan is evil. So were the ancients who opposed God’s instructions. And so is anyone behaving in wicked ways that oppose God whether they call their actions ‘good.’ Church leaders and teachers allowing distressful, adversarial, and disagreeable-to-God doctrine and people into the assembly of believers are evil. The apostle Paul called them out 2,000 years ago while also reminding Christ-followers that evil and its deceit can be beautiful: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Guarding against evil. It’s easy to be deceived by evil or call bad good if you don’t know what good looks like! This is why a solid Christian foundation is critical to discerning good from bad and righteousness from evil. Learn well and surround yourself with godly people, practicing what you see and hear. Deal with temptation in the mind before thoughts produce bad speech or behavior. Don’t give the adversary—the ‘evil one’ of Matthew 6:13 —a foothold! And always determine how your thinking or actions will affect your relationships with God or people.

Can evil be used for good? God doesn’t test or tempt people, trip them up, or do evil to them. However, He has used distress or adversity (often termed ‘evil’) and evil people to accomplish His plans. From Joseph’s brothers and Abimelech and Saul to the prophets of King Ahab, God has turned evil into good. I’ll explain more about this in Part Two.

In summary, evil can be anything opposed to good (e.g., God’s instructions). Next time, we’ll examine how God has used evil (adversarial things) for good in Part Two.  Meanwhile, behave, be kind, and beware of evil—inside the church and out!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

The Kingdom and Culture: Part One

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When teaching in Africa recently, I was reminded that much of the Bible describes cultural problems and solutions while not prescribing global behavior. In other words, they may be instructions given to a particular group to address specific Christian challenges within a targeted community. Sometimes, they describe how the early Church needed to interact in their communities and cultures—not dictate behavior for all people for all time. Examples here and in the following article include hair, authority, and fidelity. Definitions first!

Descriptive versus prescriptive. Most of the Bible describes helpful thoughts, experiences, events, or sequences. The Genesis account, genealogies, poetry, wisdom, and history are examples. Much of the New Testament (e.g., Paul’s letters) describes events and culture-based Christian living without prescribing behavior for everyone. A good example is the book of Philemon. There, Paul writes a letter to slave owner Philemon to convince him to release his runaway slave to him without punishment. Read carefully, and you’ll find that Paul uses some slick guilt-mongering to accomplish his goal. He probably never imagined this personal letter becoming part of a global prescription!

On the other hand, God’s commandments and Christ’s instructions prescribe behavior (e.g., “Don’t murder, steal, or be sexually immoral”). The trick is understanding how to honor them in cultural or personal contexts. Trying to apply ‘descriptive’ stuff as global ‘prescriptive’ behavior can be destructive. I’ll give more details in Part Two, but here are a few examples.

Long hair for heaven. A Ugandan pastor asked me if his female congregants would go to hell because of their bald heads or short hair. Why? Because missionaries mistaught that Paul’s description of a Greek cultural hair issue and its resolution prescribed long hair for all women everywhere for all time. More on this in the following article!

No women church leaders or preachers. This misunderstanding and unfortunate church doctrine, too, is due to forcing the description of a problem-solution in a particular culture (Greek misogynistic) into law everywhere for all people for all time. I wonder what Israelite judge Deborah, Jesus, or women leaders in the early Church would’ve said about this! More next time!

No church leaders with more than one wife. Having multiple wives is fundamental to some cultures and is often necessary for survival or family-making. Yet, some Westerners wrongly insist that men with multiple wives can’t lead their congregations. Why? Because a misinterpretation of one Elder qualification places more importance on the number of concurrent wives over marital fidelity, which is the heart of being a ‘one-woman man’ in the language and context of 1 Timothy 3:2-5. More next time!

In summary, culture and context matter when translating and interpreting biblical texts! So does differentiating between biblical descriptions and Godly prescriptions. In the following article, I’ll expound upon the three examples I’ve included here.  Meanwhile, obey God’s commands and Christ’s Law of Love.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

There’s Nothing Original About Sin: The Cure

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In my last article, I taught that sin is rebellion against God—initially by a spirit and then by humans. We continue to sin against God and people through enlightenment and choice. Before we delve into a sin cure, I need to stress that we’re talking about two categories of sin: the first that separated us from God and created a debt we couldn’t satisfy, and ongoing sins that threaten to keep us from God. Both are settled differently.

The initial human sin. Our Creator promised that One would eventually make things right and offer a way back. We call Him Jesus, and He willingly sacrificed Himself for ALL people (John 3:16 and 12:32; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Timothy 2:3-11 and 4:10; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2-6). This was God’s call and love for us. He then raised Jesus from the dead to give hope to all who would become His. How? By responding in complete devotion (e.g., 1 Peter 1:3-5). The resulting ‘cleansing’ is the ‘bathing’ in Jesus and Peter’s upper room discussion (Greek ‘louo’ in John 13:10—see my article “Been Cleaned, Being Cleaned!”(March 2022)). This and the ongoing category of sin have one thing in common: a relationship with God through devotion and perseverance. Curing persistent sin can be difficult, though, because it requires permanent change.

Ongoing sin. God gives His Spirit to those who are His for guidance and change—transformation (Romans 12:1-2). In our journey forward, we must learn what God desires and do that, what He hates, and DON’T do that! Enlightenment and growth help us to deal with temptations so they don’t turn into sin in the first place.

But when we sin (and we will!), we must repent—change our behavior to enable forgiveness. This is the ‘washing’ in John 13:5-10 (Greek nipto), and it’s necessary to ensure we don’t practice sin! Regardless of the offense, practicing it will earn a spiritual death sentence (e.g., Galatians 5:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Besides enlightenment by the Spirit, avoiding sin, and repentance, there’s another aid in sin cure: other people.

Christians are to assess other Christians’ behavior and help them remain in a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 5:6-13; James 5:19-20; Matthew 18:15-17). Unfortunately, we usually misinterpret Jesus’ “Do not judge” and “first take the log out of your own eye” of Matthew 7:1-5 and, therefore, don’t change our behavior or help others avoid or resolve sin. Yet, we are first to resolve our sinful behavior so that we can help others resolve theirs.

In summary, the debt incurred by the first human rebellion against God was covered by Jesus. He has called, so respond well! Ongoing rebellion (sin) is satisfied through repentance: a change in behavior from a new heart. What’s next? Let’s lighten things up a bit and encourage you diamonds in the making!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

That’s Heavy, Man!

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“Ron! Why do you write about such serious stuff? Just remind us that Jesus loves us no matter what and then tell a cute story or write something funny!” Indeed, my topics are often serious or deep. Why? I sometimes address a specific need or balance our lopsided Christianity that usually tells only half the story. Yes, Jesus loves us no matter what we’ve done or where we are. But we’re not meant to stay there! According to King Solomon, there’s nothing new under the sun. And the need to respond to current issues or provide guidance dates to the earliest days of the New Covenant.

New Testament (Covenant) letter writers usually addressed a particular audience to inform or solve a problem. They would often provide balance in a Christianity warped by heresies or immoralities of the day. Take Paul, for instance. He wrote to the Church in Rome to steer a predominantly Jewish congregation from focusing on religious format or works. Sure, God had predestined the nation of Israel to carry out His plan of salvation (Romans 8:18-30 – similarly, see Ephesians 1:4-6, 11). Its people—especially those who entered the Christian faith—probably felt special and believed that adherence to the Jewish religious Law was still necessary for the New Covenant. However, a focus on works negated the unmerited gift of life offered through Jesus.

The Corinthian Church was another recipient of Paul’s written guidance and correction. These believers, mostly Greek, often engaged in things like sexual immoralities (e.g., 1Corinthians 5:1-13 and 6:12-20). Many filed lawsuits against each other. Still, others practiced gluttony and self-centeredness and rebelled against customs like how women should respond in church or keep their hair. Why did he write against violating local traditions? Because the violations caused problems in the culture and could make God’s Kingdom unattractive to the locals. Paul’s letters addressed those issues (and more) to correct bad behavior and provide a clearer view of a righteous walk of faith. What about today?

We still misbehave toward one another, abuse our bodies, and neglect spiritual formation believing all the while, selfishly, that God has a unique plan for each of us and that He works all things for our personal good. The practices are unrighteous, and the beliefs are gross misunderstandings of Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 taken out of context. Yes, God Has a plan and has invited us to join Him in it, but it’s His plan for all, not personal spiritual elevation.

So, I write to you to offer balance and guidance and partner with you to practice your faith according to God’s good pleasure. I promise to lighten it up where I can! What’s next? Let’s learn how not to be aggressive—even passively aggressive—in “Vengeance is God’s, not ours—even in church!”

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Turning Bad Into Good!

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Winter is coming. When I realized that, I probably said something like, “Man! Why?? My life is over for the next several months!” But is it?

As it turns out, winter is a necessary refreshing that gives birth to springtime and then summer. Like King Solomon wrote, “There is an appointed time for everything.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Enduring the cold, sometimes dreary weather actually makes me stronger in several ways. Now, I realize that making it through winter isn’t quite like enduring life’s hardships, but the idea is similar. Here’s what James, Jesus’ half-brother, said about faith and enduring:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3).

Sometimes, our life can feel like a perpetual winter. My sister and a good friend are working through bouts of cancer. Two other friends are unemployed and faced with potential financial hardships. I’m working through my own trials as I seek to re-enter the workforce after a several-year sabbatical and heal from a recent knee replacement. Yet, some of us are persevering—enduring—with outstanding attitudes and strong responses. That kind of character supplies hope, potentially in this life and indeed in the one to come. The apostle Paul taught the Roman Christians that their endurance through trials would produce excellent character, which would, in turn, develop hope:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope (Romans 5:3-4)

Don’t worry. If you’re going through trials or struggles and you’re a child of God, you have His Spirit to comfort, teach, and guide you. As with winter, remember that whatever you’re experiencing will likely end, and ‘spring’ will come. You’ve got this! But if you feel you’re losing the struggle or need a hand, seek professional help right away! What’s next? As we approach remembrance of the Pearl Harbor destruction of December 7, 1941, we’ll explore the dangers of being unprepared—spiritually, in our case.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Faith, Hope, & Love, Part II: Hope

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Last week, we were introduced to the belief – faith – confidence – we are to have in God. It’s not meant to be blind faith, but a solid one based on things like Bible study, fellowship, discipleship, prayer, meditation, and illumination by the Spirit of God. Why is a strong faith important? So that we can stand firm in the face of trouble and persecution and know how to honor God in our thoughts, speech, and actions.

Today, we’ll also learn that a solid faith in what God has done and is doing also gives us confidence (faith) in what God will do in the future. That faith in the future is called hope, and it would be just wishful thinking and not expectation without the confidence that faith-building brings. Here’s what the writer of the Book of Hebrews says about the role of faith in hope:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  —Hebrews 11:1.

Hope is the expectation of fulfilling all that we believe will come about: salvation (rescue from coming judgment) and a new age when God will make all things new and dwell with humans. The Apostle Paul puts it this way:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. —Titus 2:11-14.

Similarly, the Apostle Peter reminds us that our hope is possible only because the Son (Jesus) died to pay for humankind’s rebellion against the Father. The Father raised the Son from the dead to become the first of all who the Father will raise for the new world to come.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. —1Peter 1:3-5.

Faith is the confidence in what God has done and is doing; hope is that same confidence in what God will do. But faith and hope are worthless unless they move us to love (faith in action). We’ll revisit that faith-born action (love) next week!

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How to Read the Bible Part I: Why??

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Each Christian can benefit from basic instruction for reading the Bible. Sure, we can read it at a high level and understand most simple messages. For instance, God’s desire to reconcile His creation through Israel and then Jesus is understandable. He loves the world, so He gave. Jesus’ mandate to respond with the same kind of love through obedient charity and personal purity is also pretty straight-forward. However, many messages can be challenging without essential guidance. Reading alone isn’t always enough, though – the texts are often meant to transform us through meditation and application. So, why should we care?

First, we need help in understanding the meanings and applications of things written thousands of years ago. Also, biblical texts in the form of poetry, histories, proverbial wisdom, and instructional letters were often written to or for particular people in a specific place for a unique reason. For instance, the apostle Paul wrote several letters to solve specific problems in particular churches. We’re not those people, and we’re far removed in language, culture, politics, and geography. We may not have been the original intended recipients, but we get a good shot of understanding the author’s intended messages if we use a few basic tools, which I’ll give you starting next week.

Second, we’re responsible for understanding biblical messages – especially if we pass on what we may think we know to others. Be careful: there’s a massive penalty for anyone who teaches anything other than God’s truths, even if out of ignorance (e.g., 2 Peter 2)!

Third, we can’t be what we don’t learn and internalize. In other words, we’re called to imitate Christ and reproduce that image in others through discipleship and godly living. We must become Christ in our communities. The process requires (1) learning truth through reading the Bible aided by tools such as commentaries, a concordance, or a theological dictionary and through illumination by God’s Spirit, (2) meditating on what we learn, (3) applying what we’ve taken in so that it becomes a part of us. Learning can also be aided by applying fundamental concepts such as using sound grammar principles to ‘follow the theological breadcrumbs,’ considering author, audience, and purpose, and thinking about the scriptures’ context.

Next week, I’ll begin giving the techniques I promised and will provide some very provocative examples of how carelessness has resulted in many rotten Christian understandings and sayings. We’ll unmask “Where two or more are gathered . . .” and “God has a special plan for my life . . .” And, you’ll learn about idioms (cultural sayings) and how not to turn them into the religious stuff.

Oh – here’s your first golden nugget of biblical truth: There’s only one meaning to a text but often multiple possible applications. Tune in next week for Part II: How??

Questions or comments? Email publisher@taylorpress.net.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

The Holy Spirit Part II: The Ultimate Equipper!

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Last week, I introduced the Spirit of God, our connection to the Kingdom of Heaven, as we await a new age when the Father and Son will dwell with all creation. Meanwhile, the Spirit instructs and convicts and gives lovely gifts. He brings comfort, knowledge, and the ability to discern between right and wrong. Here are a few glimpses into a contemporary yet ancient Spirit:

God’s Spirit was at creation (Genesis 1:1-2): In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

He filled the Jews with wisdom and craftsmanship (Exodus 31:3-5): I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.

He enabled the prophets (Numbers 11:25): Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

Even today, the Spirit’s gifts include human languages (for preaching and teaching those of other nations) and that of heaven along with interpretation, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and discerning spirits. But the Spirit gifts according to the Father’s purposes, not ours. He will do what He will do through the Spirit to suit His excellent pleasure (will). Here are gifts of the Spirit for the common good of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:7-11):

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Here are additional resources:

Acts 2:4 – 13 (other languages to preach the Gospel).

Ephesians 4:1-6 and 11-16 (use the Spirit’s gifts for God’s purpose, equipping, and unity within the Church).

Regeneration by the Spirit enables access to the Kingdom of Heaven. Spiritual growth and equipping by the Spirit through gifts, talents, and the Church keep us heading in the right direction. Next week, we’ll uncover the discernible effects of walking by the Spirit and what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World

Evangelism: Playing the Detective

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As we’ve already learned, evangelism is absolutely critical to our salvation and that of others we witness to . . . or don’t.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 10:32-33.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” —Matthew 28:19-20.

One great way (but not the only way!) to evangelize the Gospel message is to build a relationship between yourself and those you to whom you express the good news. This will build trust and present opportunities to share and teach. Building that trust and seeking those golden opportunities will require you to get to know the other person. What is their background? What are their fears – especially regarding God or Christianity? What are their perceptions around religion? What physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual needs do they have? ‘Playing the detective’ will help you learn the answers to these questions and more in your relationship-building exercise.
Playing the detective requires that you ask open-ended questions, listen carefully to the responses, and then respond with additional questions as you ‘build their story’ and then relate your experiences and the Gospel to it. For instance:
“What do you think about God?”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot of stuff and think he’s probably some higher power somewhere.”
“I know what you mean. The concept of God can be confusing – especially when so many people seem to have personal opinions about Him or be involved in different manmade religions. Tell me more about what you’ve heard.”

Well, I think you get the idea . . . Additional help in playing the detective can be found this highly-effective habit expressed by Dr. Stephen Covey: “Seek first to understand, and then to be understood”.
The following biblical advice can also help you treat your fellow man appropriately as you build evangelistic relationships:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus —Philippians 2:4-5.

Keep an eye out for “Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don’t Discuss!” scheduled for a mid-2015 publication. There, you’ll find roughly 60 topics related to daily life (such as sex, religion, finances, tattooing, and everything in between!) along with practical application of God’s guidance for navigating those difficult waters!
And, for a very comprehensive and detailed study of the very important topic of God’s judgment to come and being rescued from it, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from http://www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World

Purity & Holiness

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God desires righteousness and blamelessness from us. Therefore, purity would describe the level of attainment of that state whatever the thing we want to be pure in. Think of it this way: in nature, something nearly pure (like fine gold or diamonds for instance) has little if anything else mixed with it. The purer, the more desirable the object is.

We, in covenant with our God through the Christ, must be set apart from worldly behavior (be holy, by definition). It’s not a mere suggestion, but a mandate. Those who practice immorality and sinful behavior will perish; the righteous who pursue purity and holiness through discipleship and application will live and enjoy their reward.

Be an example through purity, which may come at least in part through understanding of the Word of God.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. —1Timothy 4:12-13.

As followers of Jesus, we should be ‘dead’ to immorality and impurity.

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. —Colossians 5:3-8 (see also Ephesians 5:19-5).

Be pure, and therefore set apart from wicked behavior.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. —2Corinthians 7:1.

So, just how do we learn and apply God’s ways in the pursuit of holiness?

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. —Philippians 4:8.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. —2Peter 1:5-7.

Speaking of self-control in application of what we learn: Just as our belief in Jesus must result in obedience to be effective, our desire for purity must be put into action through self-control of the body and its desires. When we didn’t know better, it was easy to become slaves to lusts of our body. Paul had a lot to say about this in Romans Chapter 6 (definitely worth a read!). Other excellent Scriptures that highlight the importance of self-control in the pursuit of holiness include the following.

  • Exercise self-control to avoid being disqualified from the race and prize Paul equates to righteousness and eternal life. 1Corinthians 9:25-27.
  • Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23).
  • We should always ask whether what we’ll use our body for will be pleasing to God. 1Corinthians 6:18-20.
  • We must no longer be enslaved by our body and its lusts but the other way around. Romans 6:6 & 12-13.

Purity and holiness are possible when we learn God’s ways and apply them consistently. Like the body builder in pursuit of an exceptional physique, application can be difficult and painful at first; however, the rewards far outweigh the pain of achieving them.

What’s your pursuit?

Keep an eye out for “Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don’t Discuss!” scheduled for a mid-2015 publication. There, you’ll find roughly 60 topics related to daily life (such as sex, religion, finances, tattooing, and everything in between!) along with practical application of God’s guidance for navigating those difficult waters!

And, for a very comprehensive and detailed study of the very important topic of God’s judgment to come and being rescued from it, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!