The Election is Over, Now What?

Hosea 12.6 begs, so now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on Him.image

The election is over so now what do we do? Will Donald Trump solve all of our ills as a country? The resounding answer needs to be, ‘no’ if we are going to move ahead as a country and ‘make America great again.’ The quagmire we find ourselves isn’t the result of government action or inaction primarily. The situation we find ourselves in as a nation is the result of the way we as a nation have chosen to live and behave.

So what should we do now? Exactly what God says to do as summarized by Hosea. Act with love and justice and always depend upon Him. How do we do this? (more…)

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What Does God Hate?

Hosea 9.15 observes, The LORD says, All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels.image

Gilgal was a holy place. It was where Joshua landed with the people of Israel when he miraculously crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. It was the place where Samuel the prophet would make the will of God known to those who needed His judgement.

Gilgal was where God changed His mind about Saul being king as a result of Saul disobeying God by offering the sacrifice only the priest was to perform. Perhaps it is this last act that Hosea refers to when describing the leaders history of rebellion. (more…)

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Integrity Building is Church Work

Daniel 6.4 observes, he was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.

Integrity Torn Paper Concept

Daniel was a trusted official in the Babylonian government. Often he was made the second highest official in the land after the king. He obtained this lofty position because of the three defining character qualities listed in today’s verse.

These qualities were not uncommon at our founding. They were the norm among most of our founding fathers. They were values held in high honor among most people of this country until fairly recently. (more…)

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The Process For Increasing Our Faith

Matthew 17.20 observes, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here toimage there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.

Mustard seeds are really small; really, really small. I don’t know if any of us have faith the size of a mustard seed. Why not? (more…)

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The Secret to Happiness in the Christian Life

Colossians 2.7 commands, let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will growimage strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

The secret to happiness in the Christian life is knowing Jesus better and serving Jesus more. This is the summary of Paul’s command to the church as he reminded them of Who Jesus is, God made visible, and what we are to do, spread the message of God’s reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus the Savior. (more…)

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Keeping God’s Reputation

Ezekiel 39.25 observes that God jealously guards His holy reputation!image

All of us want to guard our reputation. This desire reflects our being made in the image of God.

Like God, we care what people think about us and why they think the way they do. Frankly, God’s marketing isn’t very good. God has chosen to limit His brand to the purveyors of His product. (more…)

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What Is True Christianity?

Galatians 5.24 observes, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their imagesinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.

What do Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump all have in common? They would all claim to be Christians. Do they look like Christians? Do we look like Christians? What is a Christian supposed to look like? (more…)

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Different is Better

2 Corinthians 12.21 laments, I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. imageYou have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

Seeing is believing and those who believe should be causing others to see a difference in their life as a result of Jesus entering into it as Lord and Savior. (more…)

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Without God, Why Should We Be Good?

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 provokingimage 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…)

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