heaven / Judgement / obedience / Suffering

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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December 14, 2015
heaven / Judgement / Suffering

Why Evil Persists in the World

Jonah 4.2 describes,  I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger andimage abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

No other god in any holy book is described as loving and compassionate, gracious and slow to anger. The One True God stands alone in this characterization of Who God really is and what He is really like. (more…)

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November 25, 2015
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…)

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November 20, 2015
Judgement / obedience

Remaining in God’s Love Part 2

John 15.9-10 warns us to remain in Jesus’ love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love,image just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

If I must remain in God’s love am I not working my way to heaven, the antithesis of orthodox Christianity? Of course not for we cannot even know God until He reveals Himself to us. God must draw us to Himself for us to have a relationship with Him. In addition, He must supply the power and Person we need to remain in that relationship. (more…)

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November 10, 2015
Judgement / obedience

Remaining in God’s Love Part 1

John 15.9-10 warns us to remain in Jesus’ love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, imagejust as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

It seems odd to hear God command us to remain in His love. We presume that we just always remain in His love without effort or thought on our part. After all, God so loved the world He gave Himself in His Son to reconcile us to Himself.

Why then would I need to remain in His love since He already loves me? Indeed God loves everyone but the experience of His love occurs only in a relationship with Him through Jesus. (more…)

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November 9, 2015
heaven / Judgement / money

Building Heavenly Treasure Part 2

1 Timothy 6.19 promises, in this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for imagesthe coming age. God encourages us to create and store treasure for ourselves in heaven. Think of it as the ultimate retirement savings account.

To earn heavenly treasure we have to think in the economics of heaven. We also have to choose which priority we will live for: short term this life existence or long term eternal life existence.

God warns us we cannot love money and God: we will focus on accumulating either the treasure of this world or the treasure of the world to come. In the passage today God lists additional means for us to accumulate heavenly treasure besides working at reconciling people to Jesus as Savior of the world. (more…)

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October 28, 2015
heaven / Judgement / obedience / Theology

Truth Hurts

2 Thessalonians 2:10 observes, they perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.image

Truth hurts. Most of us don’t really like the truth because it has a nasty way of disagreeing with the way we want things to be.

Truth is not swayed by our will or wishes; it doesn’t change because we cry or scream. We become deceitful and lie in order to create an illusion of truth so that we get what we want.

God says He is truth. (more…)

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October 21, 2015
evangelism

Earning Eternal Wages

John 4.36 promises the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life.image

God warned us, while living among us, as one of us, not too place our life pursuit upon things that didn’t last like houses, clothes and money. God might have added cars to this mix had they been invented while He lived among us.

These are the very things most of us pursue for defining our success and significance in the world. God is not opposed to working for reward. (more…)

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October 20, 2015
evangelism / obedience

End Times or Bad Times?

Matthew 16.4 describes a wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given itimage except the sign of Jonah.

There are many in the Christian camp who believe we are close to the ‘end times.’

This belief has been prevalent in Christianity since its inception almost, the Apostle Paul discusses this issue in his letter to the Thessalonians who seemed to have quit working so they could stand around and watch for Jesus to return. Paul rebuked such behavior. (more…)

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October 16, 2015