Jeremiah 32.19 proclaims Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; You reward each person
according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.
Working for our salvation and working out our salvation are totally different but look entirely the same. (more…)
Mark 4.19 explains the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things
come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
The lack of Christian vitality in the United States can be traced to the ineffective work of Christians to obey God’s command to make disciples. The Christian’s lack of effort can be traced to the three things that God warns will make us unfruitful if we pursue those things rather than the things of God.
If we are to recapture the hearts and minds of people for the things of God we must recommit ourselves to the work of God which is the implementation of His will on earth as it is in heaven. The command to make disciples, the objective of the Church, is evidenced by obedience to all the Words of God in Jesus Christ. (more…)
Psalm 91:14 promises, because he loves Me, says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he
acknowledges My Name.
While we live our lives most of the time without interest in God’s interference, frequently enough we experience life outside our control and want God’s help. Some have denied the existence of God or His goodness because during these times He did not show up in the way they wanted or felt they needed.
Like the small child who has a tantrum when told no are those who curse God when He fails to behave according to their desire. So what does it take to move God favorably upon our behalf? (more…)
Revelation 11.15 declares the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.
The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, it just doesn’t recognize this reality.
The Christian story is a story of three worlds. (more…)
John 3.30 summarizes the Christian life: He must become greater; I must become less.
John the Baptist makes simple both the process and the goal of the Christian life: Jesus must become increasingly clearer to us, in us and through us and we must become increasingly less proud, selfish and self-serving. John arrived at this conclusion because he saw himself as a servant of God.
Our occupation is the redemption of the world to God through Jesus Christ regardless of our vocation. Our vocation funds our occupation but the Christian life is simply being occupied with the work of seeing God’s kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven. (more…)
Numbers 22.32 observes I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before
Me.
When God’s not happy ain’t nobody happy!
The problem with the One True God is that He cares as much about how and why we do something as He does with what we do. This makes sense actually if there really is a God.
All the other religions, including Islam, place all of their emphasis upon outward behavior without regard for the motive of that behavior. In reality, we all have this propensity. (more…)
Psalm 68.19 declares, praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, Who daily bears our burdens. God
bears our burdens.
Does that really make any sense? No other religion other than Christianity makes such a claim.
Surely allah doesn’t bear anyone’s burdens. Most gods place burdens on humanity forcing us to get better by their impossible demands.
Our idols have the same burdensome propensity. We beat ourselves because we are not strong enough, smart enough, rich enough or pretty enough so we keep working trying to pacify that voice in our head that is never satisfied. (more…)
Hebrews 10.17 proclaims their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
What if seeing God for the first time really was a welcome home party, sort of like when your parents welcome you home after having not seen you for months? What if God really did treat us like He knew nothing of our faults or failures?
How would truly believing these things transform our behavior now? Wouldn’t we begin to treat God like we do that person in our life who just loves us for who we are and cares nothing about our performance?
That is the kind of promise God makes to us; to welcome us into heaven as though we had lived a perfect life having never ever done anything wrong. (more…)
Titus 2.10 commands we make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
The purpose of this command is so that God’s people can participate in God’s work of making Him known throughout the world. The goal is not just that He would be known but that He would be loved by every person on the earth.
God wants His people to live such attractive lives that people around them feel compelled to know God so they too can love Him.
How are we doing? (more…)
Acts 17.31 declares He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has
appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.
The crucifixion marked the end of heaven being earned by good deeds. In the crucifixion of the Perfect One God made clear that all the good deeds of all people were insufficient for getting them to heaven.
All religions and all people from all time have always tried to measure themselves by their good deeds hoping those outweighed their bad deeds by just enough to get them to heaven. God says all of our good deeds are as menstrual cloths to Him, that no one is good not even one. (more…)
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