All posts filed under: Bible

Core Declarations 2017

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Who are you listening to? What are you reading? Or, might I ask – what are you watching? Whoever, or whatever has your attention is shaping your life and your destiny. You say, “brother, I am not listening to anyone but myself.” Well, what are you telling yourself? If we are ever going to experience and enjoy the fullness of life, we must shame the naysayers and haters by living out the gospel in this hostile world, and win the war on negativity and pessimism, we must regularly remind ourselves by speaking the word of our confession. It is essential that we look into the word of God and allow it to shape our core values and principles. We must study, Meditate, confess and commit to radical obedience. Take 10: I’m known by God.  Even if the world never hears of me or never get to know me, I am persuaded that He knows me and It brings me satisfaction. I love my wife.  “All of her” – like someone said – “her perfect imperfections.” Just …

Micah’s Declarations

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Don’t spend your day singing the blues? My oldest daughter stepped into the car on her way to school the other day, singing her blues: “I am having a bad day.” I had to tell her that sometimes we have to remind ourselves; speak to those negative FEELINGS that are shouting at us in ALL CAPS the things God says about us. I promise, it won’t be long until things come into alignment with the Word of God. Let Micah’s declarations become your confession: I’m filled with power, I’m filled with the Spirit of the Lord, I’m filled with justice I’m filled with might I’m filled with boldness Micah 3:8

The Greatest Chapter in All of Scripture is the greatest chapter of my life

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It was the summer of 1991. I was young and had discovered the joy of salvation, the hope of eternal life. There was a fire burning in my heart. I felt like I had been made new. I was born of God. His seed had budded within and I would never be the same. We had completed our baptismal classes. We were baptized. My spiritual father insisted that we memorize Romans 8. Everyone of us had committed the chapter to memory. We stood before the congregation, just before our first communion, and with one voice, one proud, loud and joyful voice, we recited the greatest chapter in the entire bible – Romans 8: The Spirit of Life There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of …

What’s in God’s Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth?

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What’s there in the Bible? It is a dangerous question. We might do better not to come too near this burning bush. For we are sure to betray what is—behind us! The Bible gives to every man and every era such answers to your questions as they deserve. We shall always find in it as much as we seek and no more: high and divine content if it is high and divine content that we seek transitory and “historical” content, if transitory and “historical” content that we seek Nothing whatever, if it is nothing whatever that we seek. The hungry are satisfied by it, and to the satisfied it is surfeiting before they have opened it. The question, “What is in the Bible?” has a mortifying way of converting itself into the opposing question, “Well, what are you looking for, and who are you, pray, who make bold to look?” (Karl Barth, “The strange new world in the Bible.” Cited from Gregory Alan Thornburry) So, what’s in God’s Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth? What might …

Jesus and Children: 10 Bible Verses into His thinking

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Children have access “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.” Matthew 19:13-15 Childlike faith and kingdom access “And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 Revelation is not too deep for Children “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” Luke 10:21 Children deserve good gifts “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, …

Context is Everything

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Context is everything. I heard a story about a guy who had a very unique way of reading the Bible. In his effort to hear what God would say to him for that day, he would hold a closed Bible in his hands, close his eyes, than open the Bible with his eyes still shut, drop a pointing finger on the page of the bible, open his eyes, than read the verse on which his finger landed. Well, one morning, his first attempt landed him on a verse that said,”and Judas hang himself.” Feeling unsatisfied, he dove in for something else and his finger landed on another verse that said, “go do likewise.” Well you can imagine that was the last day he played Russian Roulette with the Bible. Come to think about it, most Christians I know approach the word of God Just like that. They reach in for something, than pull it right out of its context. But it’s important that we read and interpret the word of God by taking into consideration …

Bible App for kids

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YouVersion and OneHope released a free Bible App for kids last year, and it would be a great resource to get your kids into the word of God this year. iOS and Android users can get the app on their devices. Download the Bible App for Kids Checkout the behind the scenes making of the app Start a Bible reading plan for you and your family The bible commands us to “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” What an incredible promise! If we would do the hard work of educating our children in the ways of God, we can rest assured that God will do the rest. Isaiah 54:13 says, “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” I pray that you would take these promises to heart and begin your year by investing everything you got in your kids.

20 Questions that show the Absurdity of living by the Law

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After coming into being as a result of God’s Spirit at work in Paul’s proclamation of the gospel (3:1–5; 4:13–15), the Galatian church gradually began to descend into a place of bondage and darkness. A group of false teachers whom Paul calls those “who trouble you” (1:7) or “those who unsettle you” (5:12) had infiltrated the church and was trying to convince the Galatians of a false gospel which required them to be circumcised. Although the Galatians seem to have come under the spell of these teachers and have become convinced of their teaching (1:6), Paul does not regard the situation as completely hopeless (3:4). Through a series of pertinent questions, Paul provides numerous reasons why the Galatians should return to grace and reject the absurdity of living by the law. 1. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? 2. Am I trying to please man? 3. If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews? 4. Is Christ then a servant of sin? 5. …

The test of love is obedience, and the reward of obedience is a self-manifestation of Christ

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Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21). How do we prove our love for Jesus? Is there a reward for loving obedience? In the passage above we learn that the only way to prove we love Christ is by our obedience. We can give ourselves up to be burned, but, it wouldn’t mean that we love him. We could give all our possessions to the poor, but it still wouldn’t prove that we love him at all. The only way to prove we love Christ is by our obedience. This is one of those commands that come with a promise. If we love him, he will love us and will show himself to us. That is an amazing promise. I hear about Christians who still doubt that they are saved. They have no assurance at all about their relationship with the Lord. They …

Discover the Seven-fold activity of God in Psalm 23

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God is perfect and everything he does is perfect. Take a fresh look a this timeless psalm again today… It’s the seven-fold perfection of God in our imperfect lives. he satisfies our hunger… There is a promised reward for all those who hunger after God and His righteousness – They shall be filled. he leads us by the still waters; There is a promised reward for those who would allow God to take them to still waters – They shall find rest he restores us when we have fallen away There is a promised reward for those who repent and turn from their wicked ways – They shall be restored. he guides us in the way of righteousness There is a promised reward for those who would look to God and His word for what they want to do – They shall find guidance. he abides `with us’ even through death There is a promised reward for who do not fear when life is hard, dangerous and even tragic – They will never be alone in …