Christian Living / Judgement

What Are You Pursuing in Life?

James 4.3-4 claims, you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the imagesworld, you make yourself an enemy of God.

What do you think, is what we really want only what gives us pleasure? I’m thinking that God is correct, what I want most and most often is what will bring me pleasure.

God’s description of this malady? Adultery! (more…)

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May 14, 2016
faith

What Faith Really Is.

Isaiah 7.9 warns, unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.images

When God says He cant, He means He wont. God cant do something because it violates either His character or His commands.

Without faith God warns, it is impossible to please Him therefore those who come to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  Our faith is integral to God’s work and presence in and through our lives. (more…)

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May 9, 2016
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…)

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April 21, 2016
evangelism

The Reason for God’s Empowerment

2 Timothy 1.7-8 explains, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, andimage self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

A lot of Christians know the first verse but don’t understand its connected to the second verse. The purpose of the promise is to equip Christians for their mission.

The work of God is the bringing of His Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. Step one is for every knee to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Savior and Lord of all. (more…)

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April 19, 2016
heaven / Judgement / obedience

Closing the Gap to God

Mark 12.34 observes, realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, You are not far fromimage the Kingdom of God.

Knowing and doing are not the same. We inherently know this in our dealings with people, especially family. We know our spouse loves us but sometimes their actions are hurtful. We know our children know what they are to do but they often fail to do what they have been made responsible to do.

On and on it goes in our experience of the gap between knowing and doing, both in our own lives as well as the lives of others. (more…)

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April 12, 2016
heaven / Judgement

Passing Judgement

1 Thessalonians 1.10 promises, Jesus is the one Who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming imagesjudgment.

Recently I was listening to a man describe why he rejected his Christian upbringing. He served as a soldier in Vietnam and couldn’t understand how a good God could allow so much suffering. He has since become a Muslim. I didn’t understand how switching ‘gods’ helped him especially to one who doesn’t describe himself as love. (more…)

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April 4, 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…)

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April 1, 2016
Christian Living / evangelism

Living Like Jesus

John 20.21 defines the Christian destiny, as the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.images

Jesus, God, left His message and work of reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus the resurrected Savior, in the hands of His followers.

What are Christians supposed to give their lives to? Making disciples. How are Christians supposed to do this work? As Jesus did. What does this look like? We are to live as Jesus lived while He lived with us on the earth. How did Jesus live? Simply, humbly and purposefully. (more…)

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March 30, 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…)

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March 28, 2016