Christian Living / obedience

Christians Need More of a Military Mindset

2 Timothy 2.4 observes, soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.image

We should see joining the Church more like joining the military. That’s how the Muslims see it. I’m not advocating for Christianity to become more like Islam, our God is nothing like their god.

The Bible does record God expecting, dare I say requiring, His people to be absolutely surrendered to His will and committed to His cause. (more…)

2 Comments
April 21, 2016
evangelism

The Work We Are Destined To Do

Colossians 1.28 explains, we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.image

This verse most succinctly defines the occupation or purpose of every Christian: to bring people to Jesus and help them know His will.

When God lived on earth He began His work by inviting men to follow Him so that they could become fishers of men. When God left the earth entrusting His work to the care of men He commanded them to go and make disciples. (more…)

0 Comments
April 1, 2016
faith / heaven / Judgement

Working Hard is the Result of Our Faith, Not the Reason

Philippians 2.12 commands, work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep imagesreverence and fear.

Easter has just passed for most Christians: it is the time for celebration of the life, death and resurrection of God in Jesus the Savior. It is a celebration because humanity no longer is required to be perfect in order to get to heaven. It is a celebration because humanity is no longer measured by their own performance for earning heaven. It is a celebration because God is offering a pardon for all disobedience against Him by every person who has ever lived who will simply ask God for His pardon through Jesus the Savior. (more…)

0 Comments
March 28, 2016
evangelism / faith

Speaking of Jesus

John 7.13 observes no one had the courage to speak favorably about Him in public, for they were afraidimage of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

While watching a popular sports talk show yesterday I noticed the interviewee easily referenced his commitment to God but not to Jesus. As he was wearing a cross around his neck I am assuming he would identify with Christianity as his religion.

This comfort with God and discomfort with Jesus is age-old and helps explain why we are so broken in our current culture. (more…)

0 Comments
March 17, 2016
Christian Living / faith / Judgement

Who Defines Wisdom?

1 Corinthians 3.18-19 commands, if you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to imagebecome a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”

Recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia put it this way, ‘God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools…and He has not been disappointed. Devout Christians are destined to be regarded as fools in modern society. We are fools for Christ’s sake. We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.’

Justice Scalia’s challenge is immensely timely for this generation of Christians. (more…)

0 Comments
February 16, 2016
evangelism / Judgement / obedience

God’s Workers or God Robbers?

Mark 11.17 describes, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations . But you have turned it imageinto a den of robbers!

What is the purpose of Church?

If the Church is the world wide ‘body’ of Christ, the faithful followers of Jesus, then it’s mission is the Great Commission. If the Church is the local building where the followers of Jesus gather then…..it gets a bit more nebulous, at least to the followers. (more…)

0 Comments
February 8, 2016
heaven / Judgement

Who Desires to be Great?

Matthew 20.23 says, I have no right to say who will sit on My right or My left. My Father has preparedimage those places for the ones He has chosen.

Men want to be great, and recognized as such, for as long as possible. Imagine being the number two or three person in an eternal kingdom.

Forever recognition of personal greatness. Its sort of what we have in a hall of fame except we can enjoy the recognition without ever dying! (more…)

0 Comments
January 20, 2016
Judgement / obedience

How to Get to Heaven

James 2.12 commands we speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that givesimages freedom.

God plans to judge everyone. We inherently know this to be true yet suppress it as much as possible from our conscience. When we do think about God holding us accountable we normally give ourselves a passing grade as to our adherence to His commands.

The answer to what God will judge us on and how He will judge us has all been revealed by God so that we can pass the test. (more…)

0 Comments
November 20, 2015
Judgement / obedience / Titus

Why We Need to Read the Bible

Titus 1.16 observes they claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, A Call to Worship and Obediencedisobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

How can anyone know God? Conversely, if there really is a God doesn’t it makes sense He would want us to know Him?

Assuming God would want us to know Him then the answer to how can we know God is simple: read the book He has given to us describing Himself and His requirements for us. Simple enough, but which one? (more…)

0 Comments
November 2, 2015
Christian Living / heaven / Judgement / obedience / Theology

Believe, Receive and Cleave to Get to Heaven

Colossians 2:6 commands, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in imagesHim. What makes a person a Christian?

The debate has long raged because unlike all of the other religions, there are no ‘3 steps’ to making oneself a Christian. There are however 3 principles that if not evident in our lives should cause us much concern about our belief that we truly are Christians. (more…)

0 Comments
October 14, 2015