What Are You Known For?

1 Corinthians 4.1 observes, people should think about us this way – as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Christianity is maligned most of the time unfairly. Haters are just gonna hate. Of all the good in the world most is done by Christians.

When tragedy strikes in the world it is the Christian Church globally that steps in through gifts and talents of supplies and workers to help those struck by nature’s worst. You never read of the Muslim mission society, or the Buddhist mission society or the Hindu mission society helping people in need. (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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What on Earth Are We Here For?

Matthew 6.33 commands, above all pursue His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

God does want more from us than mere acknowledgement of His existence. He promises us eternity and then tells us to prepare for that existence by storing up eternal treasure. Presumably that treasure will be either necessary or a determinant for our quality of life to come. This is not dissimilar from investment brokers pleading with us to invest today so that we have something to live on tomorrow when we are no longer able to work but must subsist on what we saved. (more…)

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We Need More Enthusiasm

Haggai 1.14 records, the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

The modern vernacular of, ‘God sparked enthusiasm’ is revival. We could use a revival. This movement of God followed His rebuke of Israel for doing nothing to build His temple while they spent their time and money on building their houses and fields. (more…)

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Stop Watching, Start Doing

Luke 23.49 observes, Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

A lot of people are standing from a distance watching for God to do something.

Sometimes we are waiting for Him to rain hell fire upon our enemies because we know how much they deserve it. Sometimes we are waiting for Him to heal us or our friends because we know how much He cares for us. Sometimes we are waiting for Him to bless us because we know how much He loves us. We wait, we hope but….. (more…)

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What Really Keeps Us From Serving God.

Luke 16.13 observes, no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.image

The Bible has many warnings against the pursuit and accumulation of wealth. It is interesting that God observes that our greatest competitor to Him will not be some strange idol from a weird man-made religion but a desire to be wealthy. Why do we want wealth? (more…)

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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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Loving the World vs. Loving God

James 4.4 warns, you adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it

Book page

again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

What does it mean to be a friend of the world? Being a friend to anyone means liking them, possibly imitating them and wanting to be their constant companion. So why does God warn us about being a friend of the world? (more…)

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More Post Election Thoughts

Amos 5.14 commands, do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed.

thump up and thums down

Do you feel like the results from our election were a blessing? Do you believe we dodged a worst case scenario bullet not having Hillary in the White House? If so, should we go back to normal and wait for the Donald to make everything right? Can he even do that? I don’t think even the proponents of Donald Trump believe him to be the savior of our nation’s moral and spiritual decay. (more…)

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God’s Message Awaits God’s Messengers

Amos 3.8 observes, The Sovereign LORD has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message?image

The answer to Amos’ question seems to be most of the people of God. This was true in the day of Amos and it is true today as well. Why does this appear to be true?

As in Amos’ day, so few know the message of the Lord. This would not be true if the people of God were constantly declaring God’s message even as they lived that message. What is God’s message? (more…)

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