What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

John 5.14 records, after this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, lest anything worse happen to you.”

What could be worse than being paralyzed for 38 years? What could be worse than living in a prison while watching everyone else around you enjoy freedom? Jesus found this prisoner and asked him if he wanted to get well. (more…)

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What Faith Really Looks Like

Numbers 26.64 observes, there was not a man among these who had been among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.

Why did the group of adult Israelites whom God had miraculously freed from slavery in Egypt fail to enter the Promised Land? The reason for God’s deliverance was to bring them into the land He had promised their forefathers as an inheritance for His people. So why did they fail to receive God’s promise, the purpose of His activity in their lives? (more…)

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Making America Great Again

Numbers 24.13 records the prophet saying, If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD to do either good or evil of my own will, but whatever the LORD tells me I must speak’?

While the prophet in this story turns bad his attitude at this point in the story is one current Christians desperately need. Culture is a reflection of the attitudes and desires of the people. Culture reflects the thinking, the doing and the wanting of the people within its boundaries. What kind of people is our current culture reflecting? (more…)

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Sharing God’s Word With Others

Isaiah 6.10 commands, make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.

In an age when we espouse, God wants all people saved, it is interesting to hear Him say, keep people from repenting. While some will ask, saved from what? Saved from the punishment that follows the judgement to come when all people stand before God and are weighed and measured according to His will and ways as recorded in His word, the Scriptures. (more…)

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2017 National Day of Prayer

Isaiah 1.15 observes, when you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Historically, it is the time when we as a nation turn to God to repent from our sins against Him and to seek His help for our many struggles. President Washington instituted such a day both to beg God’s help for our nation and to thank Him for the help He had already given.

It was president Truman however who signed the bill into law that officially gave us this day of remembrance. Again, it was both a somber day remembering the world and its rebellion against God as evidenced by its most recent world war and a celebration that God had delivered us, this nation, from our enemies. (more…)

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The Purpose of our Suffering

Hebrews 2.10 describes it was fitting for God, for Whom and through Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

How do we test our strength? We test our strength by lifting as much weight as we can or running as far as we can or enduring whatever we attempt as long as we can. Strength is measured against resistance. While it takes resistance to build strength, endurance and perseverance we usually avoid those things in life because they are hard and they hurt. (more…)

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The Purpose of Our Lives

Ecclesiastes 12.13 concludes, having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

The Bible’s version of the wisest man in the world summarizes his study of the human condition with these words from Ecclesiastes. To summarize Solomon, the chief purpose of humanity is to fear God and obey His commands. Not very sexy. Not very exciting. Not really about me and my wants, needs or desires. Why might this be true regardless of how it makes me feel? (more…)

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The Importance of Obedience

Leviticus 22.31-32 demands, you must be sure to do My commandments. I am the LORD. You must not profane my holy name, and I will be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Sanctification is a twenty-five cent word that means to make holy. It means to make us like God. It means to restore us to our true nature, the original intent of the Master Who made us.

The Bible’s story of humanity begins with male and female being made in the image of God. This is why humans are of more value than the animals. This is why murder, including abortion, is so wrong; an image bearer of God is being forcibly removed from this earth. It is why we are commanded to love one another as God has loved us. (more…)

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Faith and Belief are NOT Synonymous

Mark 11.22 reports, Jesus said to them, have faith in God.

Belief and faith are not synonymous. Regrettably these words have been used interchangeably within the Church to the detriment of the Church.

Belief is a thought that may or may not bring us to action. Sort of like most of us believe we should get more exercise and diet better but we don’t…Belief’s may or may not be true. We ‘believe’ they are true but we don’t always confirm those beliefs, and even if they are not really true, they are oftentimes true to us. Like when we believe our alma mater is the best. It may or may not technically be the best at anything and who defines best? (more…)

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