John 17.17 asks, set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.
The Christian is not to live, look, speak, or work like others who do not know the One true God. Christians are to live as Jesus did for they too are children of God. (more…)
Revelation 12.17 describes, so the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war
on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.
Spiritual warfare is a topic usually resigned to a fringe element of the Christian spectrum. While orthodox Christianity would acknowledge it’s reality most avoid the topic, fewer describe what it is or looks like and even less actually enter into such a world as least as far as men can enter into spiritual warfare. (more…)
1 Peter 4.2 observes, he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not
human desires.
The focus of the Christian is to be the same focus as Jesus Christ the Lord. That focus is upon doing the will of God regardless of result or cost.
As humans we begin our lives self-focused. Everything is about us from infancy. The child portrays this truth early and often. We never evolve from this focus if we do not lose our lives by giving them over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is why He observes that, unless we lose our lives for Him and His mission, we cannot keep them for eternal life. (more…)
Hebrews 10.36 reminds, you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
Why do we need endurance to do God’s will? Does anyone feel the need for endurance? Most people trying to do God’s will want more resources; money, people, time, strength but rarely endurance.
Endurance has the idea of persevering through difficulty. In a world of, with God all things are possible, what do we need endurance for anyway? (more…)
1 Thessalonians 2.4 observes, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,
so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.
The demise of Christian influence in western culture can be attributed in large part to the failure of Christians to consistently and Biblically, present God’s point of view of man, history and Himself. This failure has been facilitated by a desire to not offend people but rather to build bridges with people until people are willing to listen to our message. (more…)
Psalm 107.2 declares, let those delivered by the LORD speak out, those whom He delivered from the
power of the enemy.
Who is the enemy? The enemy of all humanity? Death.
Only one God promises deliverance from death to ALL who humble themselves and follow Him. Only one God proved His ability to deliver on His promise by Himself rising from the dead after men were convinced of their killing Him on a cross. (more…)
Ezekiel 22.30 records, I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the
gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.
God is watching us. God is watching us to see who is working for Him and with Him to see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the case of Israel, God looked for a man who was praying for mercy on behalf of the people and warning the people about the consequences of their disobedience in order to move increasingly more people toward obedience to God.
This work, God said, would have delayed or even thwarted His plan for punishing Jerusalem but alas, no one was found to be working on this project resulting in Jerusalem’s destruction. (more…)
2 Corinthians 4.2 encourages, by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s
conscience before God.
What do non Christians expect from Christians? Certainly a virtue or morality that is different from everyone else. This would include honesty, compassion, love, hard work, and thoughtfulness. While no one lives perfectly, thus each of us demonstrates our need for God’s forgiveness, those who claim to follow Jesus are expected and even commanded, to live like He lived. (more…)
Acts 22.14-15 describes, the God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a command from His mouth, because you will be His witness to all people of
what you have seen and heard.
Paul’s description of how he came to know the one true God summarizes how all of us come to know the one true God. We enter the world estranged from God. It is not inherent to the human species at birth to recognize or serve God. From infancy, we humans are self preserving and self seeking. (more…)
Matthew 16.23 observes, He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling
block to Me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”
What are God’s interests? Do we really believe God has interests? Do we think those interests are simply that we be good?
The size of our god will determine the belief we have in that god’s interest in our life and in the world. If our god is small, distant and aloof, then that god will have only a minor interest in the world and what is going on. If our god is small then he will only be concerned with our moral behavior, setting the standard at our doing our best to be good. (more…)
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