1 Timothy 1.4 describes, God’s plan, which operates by faith.
God’s plan operates by faith. This means there will always be a tension in doing God’s will with the certainty that the exact thing we are doing, or the specific results we are achieving, are those we should be doing or receiving. (more…)
1 Chronicles 22.12-13 promises, that’s what will make you successful, following the directions and 
doing the things that GOD commanded Moses for Israel. Courage! Take charge! Don’t be timid; don’t hold back.
Everyone wants success, or at least the results of success. Fame and fortune, that’s the goal of all humanity. Success is defined by the applause of men and the material possessions we have accumulated. The greater the audience, the more likes, the greater the person. The more stuff, the more adventures, the greater the person. (more…)
Luke 16.15 warns, Jesus said to them, you are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts.
For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.
This statement by God, warning us that what we value He despises, should terrorize us. Now certainly this cant be true in everything. (more…)
1 John 5.21 ends the letter with, dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
The Apostle John ends his letter succinctly with the summary admonition to stay away from anything that might take God’s place in our hearts. This statement feels much like the Lord Jesus’ summary of what God the Father really wants from us: love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. (more…)
Romans 7.4 states because you are united with the One who was raised from the dead, we can produce
a harvest of good deeds for God.
Everyone wants to do good. Its in our nature to want to do good deeds that generates recognition of our goodness. We have this nature because we were created in the image of God Who is good.
Our original design was for us to always do good for the glory of God but now that we have been corrupted through generational disobedience to God we seek to do good to obtain esteem from one another. What we recognize is this inherent need and desire to do good. (more…)
2 Kings 17.41 observes even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
The so called, ‘greatest generation’ were the parents of the children who attended high school in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. These people became the parents of those who attended high school in the 1960’s to 1970’s.
The ‘greatest generation’ was considered such because of the selflessness by which they lived their life. They suffered much and paid much to make the life of their children better. (more…)
Mark 9.50 encourages have salt among yourselves.
The modern translation of God’s admonition to have salt in ourselves might be, ‘suck it up buttercup,’ or ‘cowboy up,’ or ‘man up,’ or any of a number of sayings that mean stop being a sissy and own the solution to whatever problem we are facing. The wussification of the current culture is over the top.
Everyone has a malady, no one is responsible for their problems, blaming others is common and looking to big brother for meeting our needs is the new norm. Our grandparents shake their heads at us as they endured the great depression, rationing of basic necessities and the effects of two world wars. (more…)
Colossians 3:24 reminds us that it is the Lord Christ Who is going to pay you, giving you your full portion of all He owns. He is
the one you are really working for.
Work is inherent to our existence. If a man will not work neither should he eat, at least not for free from the church doles – we have the government to take care of that!
In all seriousness, it is work that determines a man’s wealth in a free society. And wealth determines a person’s comfort and opportunities.
Work in itself is good and not evil though many have been taught otherwise. God made man then set him to work in His pristine environment that guaranteed success. It was through the rebellion that work suffered a curse and therefore became inherently more difficult by yielding thistles and thorns in addition to good crops instead of just good fruit as God designed.
The real problem with work is the propensity to define ourselves by the results of our work and to use the fruit of our work for our own pleasures and wants. (more…)
Isaiah 28:29 proclaims the Lord Almighty is a wonderful teacher and gives the farmer wisdom. I've often thought that if the world was dependent upon me for many of its…
2 Thessalonians 3.6 commands we stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness. The Lord Jesus, the King of the universe, the One Who will determine the…
