heaven / Judgement

What Does it Mean to be Good?

Romans 4.25 describes that He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life toimage make us right with God.

Religion is the attempt to make people right with God. Performance is essential for success.

Even the agnostic plays this game by convincing themselves they are essentially good people deserving of heaven if there proves to be a god in the end. Being right with God by the agnostic and the religious is defined as doing more good in life than bad.

But what is good? (more…)

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February 2, 2016
Christian Living / heaven

What Christianity Looks Like

Acts 26.20 records Paul’s message to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.image

One of the knocks on Christianity is how easy it is to be ‘successful’ in the religion, if success is defined as going to heaven. All of the other religions require great effort and sacrifice if the adherent is going to earn their eternal reward but Christianity promotes itself as a free gift only to be received in order to become an eternal member. (more…)

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January 26, 2016
evangelism

All In for God

Nehemiah 1.11 is the prayer; O Lord, please grant me success today by making the king favorable toimage me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me. In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

Things were bad in Nehemiah’s day, real bad. The nation of Israel, the people of God, were no longer living free under their own rule but were disbursed and distributed to the nations around them to live as slaves and servants of their captors. But some still had hope in God. (more…)

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January 11, 2016
Christian Living / faith / heaven / Judgement

God has Always Preferred Certain Worship

Genesis 4.4 describes Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
The LORD accepted Abel and his gift.

The first religious service recorded was of the first two brothers born on earth bringing their offerings to God. God rejected the offerings of the first brother but accepted the offerings of the second brother. This account is immensely instructive on the nature and ways of God considering it occurs on page 5 of His story without any indication that He had previously prescribed certain requirements for worship of Him.

The clear message from this story is that there is a right way to worship God and a wrong way. (more…)

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January 5, 2016
faith / Theology

Who is This Jesus?

John 12.45 describes the one who looks at Me is seeing the One who sent Me.image

Jesus is unique among all historic figures and religious leaders for He declared Himself to be God. Here Jesus says when we look at Him we see God.

Jesus is God visible. Jesus is God tangible. Jesus is God recognizable. Jesus is God identifiable.

What do we see when we look at Jesus? (more…)

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December 22, 2015
heaven / Judgement

God’s Judgement and Getting into Heaven

Revelation 9.20-21 records the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not imagesrepent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

While most people believe if there is a God that He is loving and good, and He is, they extrapolate from this that He will not punish people for their disobedience against His will. Nothing could be further from the truth, at least the truth recorded in the Bible.

God appears to allow us to get away with our disobedience today because He desires us to ask His forgiveness and reconcile ourselves to Him before we die. It is God’s desire to restore us not condemn us but failure to seek Him for restoration in this life will result in eternal separation from Him in the life to come. (more…)

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December 18, 2015
obedience

What is the Purpose of God’s Commands

2 Chronicles 17.4 tells us he sought the God of his father and followed His commands rather than the imagepractices of Israel.

What do you do when the previous administration created chaos, hard times and a smaller economy? The opposite of that administration!

Jehoshaphat watched his father’s kingdom crumble after he turned his back on God. Jehoshaphat resolved to seek God and do what He commands turning his back on the gods and ways of his wicked father. The result was a resounding success personally and for his kingdom. (more…)

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December 16, 2015
heaven / Judgement / obedience / Suffering

What are You Depending Upon?

2 Chronicles 16.9 promises the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose thhearts are fully committed to Him.

This declaration was made by the prophet to the king of Judah who had just exhibited unfaithfulness to the Lord. How was he unfaithful? By not seeking God for help but looking to others to rescue him during his time of need.

Its normal for us to solve our own problems or seek help from others when those troubles are larger than our own resources. This kind of living is defined by God as being wise in our own eyes. (more…)

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December 14, 2015
faith / Prayer

Learning to Pray by Watching Your Children

Luke 18.42 comments your faith has healed you. God begins His teaching in this section by telling us toimage pray with perseverance.

When Jesus makes His comment it is to a man who persevered in crying out to Him despite rebuke and demands to stop, in the end, His perseverance was rewarded. What’s interesting is that God said it was the man’s faith that healed him. Jesus did not say it was his persevering prayer or the power of God but faith that caused his healing. (more…)

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December 5, 2015