Living With God Requires Obedience

1 Chronicles 28.7 requires, if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdomimage last forever.

The Jews understood and still believe, that they are God’s chosen people. Indeed, He did choose them thousands of years ago when God selected one man from all those living on the earth to be the one through whom He will build a nation culminating in His arrival as one of us, Jesus the Messiah.

God’s choice was His own, it wasn’t based upon the merits of the man nor of the people to come from the children born through that man and his wife. Today, the protestant church believes it too is the chosen people of God. (more…)

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What Does God Hate?

Hosea 9.15 observes, The LORD says, All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels.image

Gilgal was a holy place. It was where Joshua landed with the people of Israel when he miraculously crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. It was the place where Samuel the prophet would make the will of God known to those who needed His judgement.

Gilgal was where God changed His mind about Saul being king as a result of Saul disobeying God by offering the sacrifice only the priest was to perform. Perhaps it is this last act that Hosea refers to when describing the leaders history of rebellion. (more…)

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Hope For The World

Psalm 107.2 asks, has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed youimage from your enemies.

The need of the hour is for the Church to speak out about God’s redemption. The obviousness of this truth was on full display during the presidential debates. Character, truth, honesty and humility are the result of fearing God and recognizing our accountability to Him. Those who live without regard for their Maker do and say whatever they believe to be best in their own minds. (more…)

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Measuring our Work

Romans 12.11 commands us to never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.image

Most men over 40 are pretty committed to working hard. We were raised that way. We remember buying our own school clothes, buying our first car and paying for college. Our parents didn’t have a lot and even if they did they required us to work for what we wanted as well.

Overall I would say we are the better for it. (more…)

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What God Wants From Us

Acts 26.20 simplifies the gospel to the Gentiles: that they should repent and turn to God, performingimage deeds consistent with repentance. So what does God want from us?

The Apostle Paul says three things are expected: repent, turn to God and perform good deeds. This is a much better message than we have heard from the televangelist or the people who knock on our doors with religious information.

The message from the Church to the Gentile over the past 50 or so years has been that God wants people to believe in Him and by believing in Him they will be saved. (more…)

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Our Focus Must Change

Mark 4.19 observes, all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure ofimage wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

The problem in America isn’t God but His people not obeying God. The will of God is for the people of God to love Him first and most resulting in their working for Him to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. (more…)

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