https://youtu.be/_ypBM1t8Z9s But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the…
Romans 7.19-20 observes, I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not 
want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
There are some who claim that as Christians it is possible for us to no longer sin. I do not adhere to this belief. While I have been declared dead to sin and am recognized as such by God, it is not the presence of sin that is dead in me but the consequences of sin that is no longer condemning me and the power of sin over me has been broken. (more…)
Jeremiah 2.1-3 records, GOD ’s Message came to me. It went like this: “Get out in the streets and call to
Jerusalem, ‘ GOD ’s Message! I remember your youthful loyalty, our love as newlyweds. You stayed with me through the wilderness years, stuck with me through all the hard places. Israel was GOD ’s holy choice, the pick of the crop. Anyone who laid a hand on her would soon wish he hadn’t!’” GOD ’s Decree.
We just finished celebrating the 4th of July, the birth of America, the greatest nation on the earth. Great because it allows its people the greatest freedom to be who God made them to be and to exercise the gifts and talents that God gave them. It is the greatest nation because it is the most free nation for worshiping the One True God, without constraint or control by the government – or at least it used to be. (more…)
Matthew 26.41 describes, there is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s 
another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.
No doubt all of us fall into this same description as a follower of Jesus: a part of us is eager to know God and serve Him but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire. Which part wins determines our destiny in many ways. (more…)
2 Chronicles 12.14 observes, he did evil because he was not determined to follow the LORD.
This past weekend I noticed some friends on Facebook taking a quiz that determined whether or not they would get to heaven. They all succeeded to earn their hoped for destination having their good deeds outstrip their sins by more than ten fold. No doubt this quiz was meant to be fun but it reinforces a couple of subtle but widely held beliefs. (more…)
1 John 4.17 warns, by this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of 
judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.
Recently an acquaintance of mine died. This man was well known in the community. Many loved him but a few didn’t. He was very wealthy and successful. Gave quite a bit of money away though not much as a percentage of his wealth. Attended church regularly. Once I asked him if he was going to heaven, he answered that he hoped so then proceeded to call a friend who was ill to encourage him. Another good deed to his credit to hopefully put him over the threshold of the amount needed for gaining heaven. (more…)
Deuteronomy 18.18 promises, I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I 
command.
This promise has already been literally fulfilled. It is one of more than 300 promises Jesus fulfilled making Him the unequivocal option for Messiah the Jews have always longed for. However, what this promise communicates and what Jesus communicated, is that God is committed to using people for marketing His Personal reality and His ultimate destiny for humanity. (more…)
Galatians 3.28 proclaims, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Christianity is the ONLY world religion to record in its sacred writings that all people are equal in value before the One True God. Hinduism separates humanity by caste because of the teachings of their gods. Islam separates people by gender and religion giving permission to its adherents to mistreat either according to the writings of their prophet.
Only Christianity proclaims God made all people from one man and one woman and that this same God suffered the punishment all people deserve in order to reconcile all people, male and female, black and white, Jew and Gentile to Himself through Jesus the Savior. (more…)
John 4.34 says the Man, who is God, Jesus, said to them, My food is to do the will of the one who sent Me and to complete
His work.
It is a difficult assignment but it is the one we have been given nevertheless; that we live life like God lived life when He lived life among us as one of us. How did the Man, Who is God live life? (more…)
Mark 12.34 observes, realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, You are not far from
the Kingdom of God.
Knowing and doing are not the same. We inherently know this in our dealings with people, especially family. We know our spouse loves us but sometimes their actions are hurtful. We know our children know what they are to do but they often fail to do what they have been made responsible to do.
On and on it goes in our experience of the gap between knowing and doing, both in our own lives as well as the lives of others. (more…)
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