Christian Living / heaven

God Wants Us Smart About Him

Luke 16.8-9 observes, here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right —using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior. MSG

 

What does it mean to be kingdom street smart? For this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. A clue is found in this passage, we are to be focused on the things above and not be sucked into the things of this world. Like the man on the streets who is wary of the pimp, the drug dealer, the gang leader who might grab him for his own evil purposes, so too the man of God must be wary of the allurement of power, pleasure, and possessions from taking him off God’s purposes.

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March 15, 2021
Christian Living

If You Are Going To Follow Jesus, Then…….

Luke 9.57-62 observes, on the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said. Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.” Jesus said to another, “Follow Me.” He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.” Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!” Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.” Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.

 

Three things we must understand if we are going to follow Jesus as His disciples. His call is difficult, His call is about proclaiming His kingdom to men and His call is urgent. (more…)

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February 23, 2021
Christian Living / evangelism / faith

Evidence of Being Right With God

Romans 1.16-17 records, it’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts Him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: The person in right standing before God by trusting Him really lives. MSG

Are we right with God? If so, then acts of faith show up through our lives. What are acts of faith? (more…)

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February 10, 2021
Christian Living

The Long Road To Knowing God

Matthew 7.13-14 commands, don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. MSG

 

The way to God, to know Him, is vigorous and requires total attention! Of course it does! God is great. He deserves our best effort and deepest pursuit. We must pursue Him. We must pick up the Scriptures, the writings He has generously given to us for knowing Him and how we are to live. (more…)

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January 12, 2021
Christian Living / Uncategorized

We Need To Eat More Of God’s Food

Mathew 4.4 records, Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.

 

The first need for the men of the church is for them to be men in the word of God. We cannot know the will of God or the ways of God apart from the word of God. So much confusion exists in our society, including the church, over Who God is and what He requires. This confusion is the result of ignorance alone for God has given us clear detail of His workings in the world, the way in which He works and the works He requires men to do and for which they will be held accountable on that day they see Him face to face. (more…)

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January 5, 2021
Christian Living

What Honor Are You Pursuing?

John 12.26 describes, whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.

 

Honor, it is the recognition of significance. Men pursue honor because we are made in God’s image and He pursues honor through His creation. We were made by God to honor God. Yet sin has caused us to lose our knowledge of our Creator, our purpose for being created, and so we pursue honor among men for ourselves. (more…)

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December 22, 2020
Christian Living / obedience

Eating Well Is The Key To Spiritual Health

Hebrews 5.11,13 laments, we have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand……..Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

 

Is this not our current problem in America in a nutshell? The people of God have little interest in the things of God? Why is it so hard, for so many, to spend anytime at all in the scriptures or prayer? So few have a daily habit of reading chapters of the Bible in order to know their God better so they can do His will better.

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November 10, 2020
Christian Living

Does Our Election Reflect God’s Choice For America?

Romans 13.1 instructs, Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

 

I have seen some of my friends share this verse on their social media platforms trying to encourage people to get over their dismay and or angst over this past election. For those who feel they lost, this is a harsh word, unkind and not at all comforting. I am sure Christians in Cambodia would have felt the same when Pol Pot rose to power, the Russian Christians under Joseph Stalin, the German Christians under Adolf Hitler and current Christians in China, North Korea, parts of Africa or the Middle East. (more…)

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November 5, 2020
Christian Living

When The Good Son Is The Bad Son, and The Bad Son Is The Good Son

Matthew 21.28-31 asks, what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, son, go and work today in the vineyard. I will not, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, I will, sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? The first, they answered. Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

 

The child who does what we ask without arguing is a blessing and a rarity. The child who negotiates what he is asked to do with complaining and arguing is the norm. In the end, our ‘good’ child is the one who does what they are asked regardless of their attitude in getting it done. While their character no doubt needs some work, we usually measure behavior by what gets done.

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November 1, 2020
Christian Living

Can You Feel The Conflict?

Galatians 5.17,21 describes, the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want….and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Can you feel the conflict inside? The conflict between the flesh and the Spirit? The conflict between what we want and what God wants? We are dead to the Spirit unless we nurture the Spirit within us. How do we do that? (more…)

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September 30, 2020