Christian Living

How do you Identify Yourself?

Acts 27:23 proclaims the God to whom I belong and whom I serve…How do you recognize yourself?images

Everyone we meet for the first time asks, ‘what do you do?’ What do you say?

It would be odd for any one of us to say I belong to God and serve Him. This was how the Apostle Paul identified himself when speaking to his captors and other prisoners just before their shipwreck.

Were we to identify ourselves as Paul it would feel weird, besides we know that people are just making small talk by being polite in asking about our work. However I think the real issue is deeper for us. (more…)

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January 28, 2015
evangelism / Judgement / obedience

Drawing a Line in the Sand

Matthew 12:30 observes whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Meimage scatters.

On occasion in the gospels, Jesus, God Who has become man, throws down the gauntlet and demands we choose sides. This passage is one of those times when Jesus invites us to separate ourselves into wheat or chaff.

What does it mean for us when God demands we choose but we refuse to even engage the discussion? (more…)

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January 12, 2015
Christian Living / evangelism / obedience

God’s goal for 2015

Malachi 2:6 describes he passed on to the people all the truth he got from me. He did not lie or cheat; he walked with me, living a good and righteous life, and turned many from their lives of sin.images

In this description of one of God’s favorite people, Levi, He is describing the role of the priest. At least among the Protestants, the belief is held that all Christians are now priests. The tribe of Levi has been replaced with the Spirit filled people of God who walk by faith and obedience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (more…)

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December 29, 2014
Christian Living / Free Bible Reading Plan / obedience

Seeing More of God

John 14:23 reveals I will only reveal Myself to those who love Me and obey Me.th

God loves everyone but God does not treat everyone the same.

God loves everyone as He demonstrated by coming to earth as a man to die as a sacrifice so that all humanity might be pardoned for all their evil done against God and one another. Yet not all of humanity will receive God’s pardon nor will all recognize Jesus as God the Savior while they continue in this life living selfishly and ignoring the commands of God.

It is only those who love God as demonstrated by obedience to God that see God and experience His presence in their lives. (more…)

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December 24, 2014
Christian Living / evangelism

Praising God on Monday

Hebrews 13:15 commands to continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of His name.image

Most people think of praising God in terms of singing songs or giving Him thanks. God describes praise as declaring to others the glory of His Name. It is easy to give thanks and sing songs in church but much harder to declare the need all people have to love God and obey His commands in the marketplace. This is true for a myriad of reasons.

First, we lose focus on Monday from the God Whom we worshiped on Sunday. Like those who don’t follow Jesus we become consumed with the pursuit of success or overwhelmed by the responsibilities to produce at work. We forget the Christian command to work as though Jesus were the boss, because He is for the Christian, which means keeping our focus on honoring Him all day while we do the tasks we are assigned by people. We mustn’t let our desire for success and acceptance overwhelm our neighbor’s need for a Savior. (more…)

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November 18, 2014
Christian Living

Undefiled by Sinners

Hebrews 7:26 records God in Jesus is holy and blameless, unstained by sin, undefiled by sinners, and to Him has been givenimage the place of honor in heaven.

In a pluralistic world Christianity is maligned because it denies any means to heaven besides Jesus. This is because if the Christian story is true, that God sacrificed Himself as payment for the disobedience of humanity, then no amount of good works by humanity can be sufficient otherwise God wasted His effort.

While Islam also makes exclusive their religion for obtaining heaven, theirs is based upon obedience to their way rather than the love of God demonstrated in His personal sacrifice. Another similarity between these two religions which also demonstrates their marked contrast is the idea that God remains undefiled by sinners. (more…)

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November 12, 2014
Christian Living

Listening to God

Hebrews 2:1 warns us to listen very carefully to the truths we have heard, or we may drift away from them.image

We have a powerful propensity to forget. Its not just us, it’s an age old malady that has been part of human history.

The things we forget are those things that are good and true, the great works God has done for us, the kindnesses we have experienced.

Each new crisis seems to shut off our memory of past deliverances causing us to cry out anew for God to help and to heal. Likewise in the moment of our temptation we forget what God has commanded and instead begin to rationalize our actions based upon our own wants and desires.

This is why God often says to His people, ‘remember,’ or in this case, ‘don’t forget.’

The key to memory is repetition. (more…)

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November 7, 2014
Christian Living / obedience / Titus

The Importance of Good Works

Titus 2:1 teaches that there is right living that goes along with true Christianity.image

One of the problems with Christians defining themselves as ‘believers’ is the disconnect that occurs with the responsibility to live ‘rightly’ as a result of right belief. This disconnect is furthered when we discuss our acceptance by God through grace by faith and not by our good works.

While true, it wasn’t that no good works occurred giving humanity the opportunity to be forgiven, Jesus Himself earned our pardon through His perfect obedience to all the will of God. Without His good works we would have none appropriated to us for us to be forgiven. (more…)

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November 3, 2014
Christian Living / Judgement

Being a Good Person

Psalm 146:8 proclaims the Lord loves good men.image

If you’ve ever watched the movie Saving Private Ryan you are no doubt moved by his powerful question to his wife, ‘was their sacrifice worth it.’

Nearly every man wants to know that he is good, that he has done good with his life. It is only after repeated bad decisions as a husband or father or business man does our conscience become seared, we lose hope, and surrender to the despair of failure.

The Good News from God is that He loves good men and every day is a new opportunity to be redeemed and begin anew. God forgives the past of the repentant and invites us into an eternal future of hope and glory.

But here’s the deal. God is the definer of good. (more…)

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October 14, 2014
faith

Growing our Faith

Luke 17:5 asks, “We need more faith; tell us how to get it.” A pretty simple question posed by the Apostles to the God of the universe that provides God…

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August 22, 2014