faith

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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May 17, 2017
Christian Living / evangelism / money

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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May 15, 2017
Judgement / obedience / Prayer / Suffering

Christianity is a Marathon and not a Sprint

Hebrews 10.36 encourages, you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.

Endurance is one of those qualities we admire in others but struggle to manifest in ourselves. We see the marathon runner and we marvel at their endurance then say they are crazy to train then run that kind of distance. We hear the testimony from the mountain climber and wonder what it would be like to stand on the top of the world only to hear of the cost and dismiss it as too hard.

Endurance is modeled by the few but desired by the many. (more…)

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May 6, 2017
Prayer

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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May 4, 2017
obedience

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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April 25, 2017
Judgement / obedience

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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April 19, 2017
faith / obedience

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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April 13, 2017
Christian Living / Suffering

Toughen Up, You Got This

Proverbs 24.10 If you faint in the day of trouble, your strength is small!

God has recorded for all posterity that He created humanity in His image, in the image of God, He made both male and female. Christianity and Judaism are the only religions with such an opinion of both men and women, but I digress.

God’s view of humanity is that we are made in His image. Therefore, we are great thinkers, awesome problem solvers, and working together capable of almost anything (Genesis 11.6). (more…)

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April 7, 2017
Christian Living / Theology

Giving and Receiving To and From God

John 17.10 records, Everything I have belongs to You, and everything You have belongs to Me.

In this passage of Scripture Jesus is wrapping up His ministry on earth with a prayer that He has allowed to be recorded for posterity that we might better understand the heart, mind and will of God. In this prayer Jesus reminds the Father that everything He has belongs to Him..pause. What does Jesus possess at this time in His prayer? (more…)

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March 27, 2017
evangelism / faith / Theology

Are the Bible and the koran the Same?

Joshua 8.18 records hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city over to you.

I was listening to two men discuss religion today. The first commented that the Muslims are a real world problem, their book commands them to kill everyone who isn’t one. The second guy commented that the Bible says the same thing so it and its adherents are just as bad.

The first guy rebutted his friend by stating now we live by the teachings of Jesus so Christians are better. This didn’t convince the second guy that there is any difference between ISIS and Baptists. Do both of these books record God telling His people to kill everyone? (more…)

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March 21, 2017