heaven / obedience

Who is Going to Heaven?

Matthew 22.14 reports, many are called, but few are chosen.

Who God is and Who we think He is are often in-congruent. What we expect God to do or be like often conflicts with how He acts or describes Himself in the Bible.

Bible reading and study is the critical discipline necessary for aligning our opinion of God most closely to the true nature, character and ways of God. Today’s verse is a case in point over Who God really is and what we normally think God is like. (more…)

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July 12, 2017
Christian Living / Judgement / obedience

What Is A Christian?

Jeremiah 3.13 commands, you must confess that you have done wrong, and that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You must confess that you have given yourself to foreign gods under every green tree, and have not obeyed my commands,’ says the LORD.

Somehow the definition of Christian has become those people who live perfect lives and attend Church. Of course no one lives a perfect life. The impossibility of living perfectly is why Christians are called hypocrites and what is often used by non Christians to justify their continued lifestyle of defiance against God. The premise however is all wrong. (more…)

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July 8, 2017
Christian Living / evangelism / obedience / Uncategorized

Are We Focused on God’s Interests?

Matthew 16.23 observes, He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”

What are God’s interests? Do we really believe God has interests? Do we think those interests are simply that we be good?

The size of our god will determine the belief we have in that god’s interest in our life and in the world. If our god is small, distant and aloof, then that god will have only a minor interest in the world and what is going on. If our god is small then he will only be concerned with our moral behavior, setting the standard at our doing our best to be good. (more…)

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July 6, 2017
Christian Living / obedience

Is Christian Parenting in Decline?

Matthew 10.37 warns, whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

This is one of God’s requirements we read about and dismiss quickly. It’s easily understood but hard to comprehend it’s application. Two thousand and more years ago, parents proved their love for a god more than their children by sacrificing their children to the god. A deplorable practice the one true God never required and always forbid from His people. (more…)

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June 30, 2017
Judgement / obedience

What We Do Proves What We Believe

Matthew 3.8 commands. produce fruit that proves your repentance.

To the religious, to those who think they are approved by God, to those who know they are ‘right’ theologically; God says, ‘produce fruit that proves your repentance.’ This command is offensive because we like to be measured on our knowledge and intentions rather than the result of our actions.

Indeed, this command was offensive to the religious leaders who first heard it. (more…)

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June 23, 2017
heaven / Judgement / obedience

If God Is Real Then Shouldn’t We Listen To Him?

Revelation 22.19 records, if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

If there really is a God doesn’t it make sense that He gets to make the rules for how we should live? This is important if our concept of God includes a day of accountability before this God. This accountability would seem to be a review of our life’s deeds compared to the rules or commands this God made for people to follow. (more…)

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June 20, 2017
Christian Living / money / obedience

Striving to be Successful

Isaiah 48.15 I have spoken – yes, I have summoned him; I lead him and he will succeed.

Everyone wants to be successful. It comes from our being created in the image of God, Who described His pleasure in making the universe and all it contains as being very good. After every thing God made He would step back and say to Himself, ‘that is good.’ When He made humanity He was even more pleased, stating, ‘this is very good.’ (more…)

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June 16, 2017
evangelism / obedience

God’s Marketing Department

Deuteronomy 18.18 promises, I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command.

This promise has already been literally fulfilled. It is one of more than 300 promises Jesus fulfilled making Him the unequivocal option for Messiah the Jews have always longed for. However, what this promise communicates and what Jesus communicated, is that God is committed to using people for marketing His Personal reality and His ultimate destiny for humanity. (more…)

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June 13, 2017
heaven / Judgement / obedience

What Does God Want? LOVE

Deuteronomy 10.12 declares, what does the LORD your God require of you except to revere Him, to obey all His commandments, to love Him, to serve Him with all your mind and being.

Repeatedly the Bible makes clear what we must do if we are to pass successfully the judgement to come. So many assume they will argue with God about His standards upon meeting Him face to face in order to justify their behavior while they lived upon the earth. How ludicrous. God holds all of the cards. Why should He change His standards upon meeting us? (more…)

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June 6, 2017