Perseverance Keeps Us On God’s Side

Exodus 6.9 observes, they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor.

God had great plans in store for Israel but they couldn’t receive them because their life was hard. They wanted what God was offering but when the process became more difficult than they expected they didn’t believe God was really going to deliver on His Word.

This is how most of us respond to God. (more…)

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What is Your Source of Truth?

Mark 12.24 records, Jesus said to them, aren’t you deceived for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the

power of God?

When God lived among us as one of us He said the reason we live confused, deceived lives that ultimately result in our own pain and suffering is because we don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. God has given us His instruction manual for living our lives so that we will live a better, healthier more wholesome existence. (more…)

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Participating in Jesus’ Baptism

Mark 10.39 records, they said to Him, we are able. Then Jesus said to them, you will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience.

Jesus’ key men wanted to live their best life now. These guys were interested in becoming Jesus’ chief lieutenants helping Him to manage the world as He became King of kings and Lord of lords. What James and John failed to realize was that Jesus was not living His best life now but rather His worst life now. This is what it meant for Him to drink the cup and be baptized.

The Apostles were interested in the cup and baptism but they misinterpreted its meaning. So too many who claim to be Christians misinterpret the cup and baptism. (more…)

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God isn’t the Problem, We Are!

Nehemiah 9.33 proclaims, You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for You have acted faithfully. It is we who have been in the wrong!

When things go badly for us our propensity is to blame God. Our thinking goes something like, ‘if He loved me He would do good to me.’ “Since He is all powerful He can keep the bad from happening.” “Since I am a good person God should want good for me.” “Since bad is happening to me anyway either God is not good or God is not all powerful.” (more…)

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Where is Jesus?

John 12.26 states, anyone who wants to serve Me must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.

God feels like an option. We do what we want to do with apparently little to no consequence for our behavior; at least in the short term. I am not speaking about breaking the laws of society but about doing the will of God in society.

If there really is a God, it seems like He could and even should demand our loyalty and allegiance and that we would willingly give Him both. (more…)

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The Fools Will Win the Culture War

1 Corinthians 3.18 commands we stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’simage standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.

The cultural war around us is a war of ideas. The battle lines have been drawn between God and science and between the Bible and public opinion.

The war analogy is meaningful because there is much hostility brewing among those who oppose God and the Bible toward those who believe in God and the Bible. (more…)

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God Too Waits For A Sign

Jeremiah 4.4 records, O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.image

America is increasingly becoming more chaotic. Things are obviously out of control.  Many people look for God to fix them.

Our thinking is that since He is all-powerful and loving He should want to end the trouble and has the power to do so. Yet it is not God causing the trouble. It is man against man that is creating our chaos. (more…)

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Living Our Best Life Now

Deuteronomy 11.26-28 offers, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you take to heart the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and the curse if you pay no attention to his commandments and turn from the way I am setting before you today to pursueimage other gods you have not known.

God gets blamed for most of the bad things that happen in the world but if we thought about it very long we would recognize that most of the evil occurs because one human chooses to harm another human. (more…)

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Faith is Working With God through Difficult Circumstances

Esther 4.16 comments, If I must die, I must die.image

One of the heroes of the Bible is the young woman Esther. An oft quoted statement from the book in her memory is ‘perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this.’

The story of Esther is one of tragedy and triumph, of faith and courage, of God’s faithful work behind the scenes when people risk all for His purposes. (more…)

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What are You Depending Upon?

2 Chronicles 16.9 promises the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose thhearts are fully committed to Him.

This declaration was made by the prophet to the king of Judah who had just exhibited unfaithfulness to the Lord. How was he unfaithful? By not seeking God for help but looking to others to rescue him during his time of need.

Its normal for us to solve our own problems or seek help from others when those troubles are larger than our own resources. This kind of living is defined by God as being wise in our own eyes. (more…)

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