Ezekiel 16.49 describes, Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy
suffered outside her door.
For those who read the Bible regularly and know the story of Sodom, the description of that city’s sins is probably shocking. (more…)
Ezekiel 8.17 asks, have you seen this, son of man? Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at Me, and provoking
My anger?
My brother was sharing with me this past weekend about his diversity training class he attended prior to his return to teaching in an inner city school. Perhaps no greater sin currently exists in our culture than racism. (more…)
1 Samuel 15.22 asks, what is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission…
Romans 12.11 commands us to never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Most men over 40 are pretty committed to working hard. We were raised that way. We remember buying our own school clothes, buying our first car and paying for college. Our parents didn’t have a lot and even if they did they required us to work for what we wanted as well.
Overall I would say we are the better for it. (more…)
Luke 10.42 observes, there is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and
it will not be taken away from her.
Remember the movie City Slickers? The main subject was that there was just one thing that was really important. God too states that there is only one thing worth being concerned about. Seriously, if we believed that we should be dialed in like those around E.F. Hutton, because when he spoke, people listened!
While my quotes are revealing my age it is also true that God doesn’t make knowing Him or doing His will a mystery or complicated. Those who seek will find, are you looking for the one thing? (more…)
Acts 26.20 simplifies the gospel to the Gentiles: that they should repent and turn to God, performing
deeds consistent with repentance. So what does God want from us?
The Apostle Paul says three things are expected: repent, turn to God and perform good deeds. This is a much better message than we have heard from the televangelist or the people who knock on our doors with religious information.
The message from the Church to the Gentile over the past 50 or so years has been that God wants people to believe in Him and by believing in Him they will be saved. (more…)
Mark 4.19 observes, all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of
wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
The problem in America isn’t God but His people not obeying God. The will of God is for the people of God to love Him first and most resulting in their working for Him to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. (more…)
Matthew 15.11 defines, it’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.
The Muslims are wrapping up their holy week most characterized by fasting from sunup until sundown. Fasting has been used by religious people of all stripes from all time as a means to appease the gods and or garner their attention.
Christians have used fasting historically not so much for these purposes but to discipline the flesh so that we obey the Spirit. (more…)
Matthew 11.20 records, Jesus began to criticize openly the cities in which he had done many of His
miracles, because they did not repent.
When God came to earth He did much good. God fed people, thousands of people. God healed people, lots of people. God raised people from the dead returning children to brokenhearted parents.
All that God did when He lived among us as one of us in Jesus the Savior was good but He didn’t come to do good works for our temporary benefit. (more…)
Deuteronomy 11.26-28 offers, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you take to heart the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and the curse if you pay no attention to his commandments and turn from the way I am setting before you today to pursue
other gods you have not known.
God gets blamed for most of the bad things that happen in the world but if we thought about it very long we would recognize that most of the evil occurs because one human chooses to harm another human. (more…)
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