Can you imagine attempting to make foreign policy and ignoring the reality of these words? Oh, right. It is our policy to ignore these words. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for […]
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Biblical worship is transformational. An encounter with the Living God, whether corporately or individually, is transformational. Conformity to the world’s idea of worship carries the idea of personal enrichment and fulfillment: I am better because I worshipped. Biblical worship is nothing of the sort. If you see God for who He is you cannot help but worship. When you see God for who he is, you cannot remain the same. You are undone, yet you have hope. You are truly afraid and you truly are encouraged. You must be transformed. Our minds must be renewed so we can embrace the perfect, written will of God for our lives. You, too, must become a living sacrifice! You see, I don’t worship to […]
As parents we rightly focus on teaching our children to obey God. But, we must be more focused on teaching our children to love God first. This is where it is easy to turn away from the gospel in parenting. Whether you read Deuteronomy, Matthew or Colossians, the first thing that God desires is that he is to be loved. Too often, when it comes to raising children, loving God is tacked on as an after thought to obedience. The thought process may run like this: “I can’t force my children to love God, so I will teach them to obey, because I can require that.” Teaching obedience appears to be a more doable task than teaching the love of […]
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that regardless of whether one is rich or poor, wise or unwise, prepared or unprepared, young or old, the storms will come. Still, when they do come we are often surprised. “Why is this happening?” Comfort comes when you and your children grasp that the storms are not random. Life’s storms move at the command of Jesus Christ. He is the only source of protection and safety. With Christ your view, your emotional response to life’s storms can be one of hope, confidence, and comfort in God’s care. Even in the midst of hurt, God’s peace can prevail. We forget that we live in a sin-cursed world. We are told we can be safe. […]
Contentment is being satisfied because God is working everything together for my good and for his glory. Being content is only possible if you serve a big God. A God who is big enough to love you because of his commitment to you, a God who knows all that is wrong with you and has bought back your life from the pit. Only God can make contentment possible. Only this God can give you the peace you need to be content as you bring the gospel to your children. Pray the prayer below. Teach it to your children. Teach it to yourself! You and I need this every bit as much as our kids do! If you perceive you are […]
My Father, my God, my Savior, This night brings no certainty about the next day. I know what I would like to see, but then I think of all that could happen and all the good that might be left undone. I want to be healed, but then there are so many that need healing. There are so many that hurt. I want my family to be known and cared for by you. But there is so much more than my family that needs to be cared for. I think about tomorrow and I feel so inadequate, so incapable of knowing how to pray to you, the one who knows me better than any other. I am at a loss […]
You just became impatient with your nine-year-old. He was slow doing his part of the spring yard work. You snapped at him and told him if he didn’t work harder he would lose his computer privileges for six months. You immediately felt guilty. Here are some of the ways in which you might respond if you are not engaging in genuine repentance and renewal: You think that you shouldn’t feel guilty because he really is being slow. You know you should not have snapped, but he should have worked faster, so you say nothing. You are embarrassed about snapping but reluctant to acknowledge it to your son, so again, you say nothing. You feel guilty for snapping, so you apologize […]
Each Day Each day that passes without a vision for heaven is day lost for God’s glory. Each day that passes without gratitude for Christ’s death on your behalf is a day lost on yourself. Each day that passes without compassion for those lost is a day lost in self-indulgence. Each day that passes without passion for showing the love of Christ to those you love is a day lost exploiting those whom you love. Each day that is dominated by your sense of anger that you are not appreciated is a day lost in self-pity. Stop losing days to your desires that make you feel that life is against you. As a Christian, live each day as a precious […]
By Paul Tripp True identity is rooted in worshiping God as Creator. To have a sense of identity that will not fail you when you are buffeted by the sure-to-come storms of life, you must start at the beginning. Every part of the fabric of your personhood was carefully knit together by God’s creative hands. There was no part of you that was hidden from him. He carefully examined every aspect of your unformed body before you were born. There were no accidents, no glitches, no thoughtless moments. Just like David, you too were “fearfully and wonderfully” made. The color of your eyes, the shape of your body, your intellectual and physical gifts, your hair, your voice, your personality, the […]
A lot can be known about about people by finding out who they turn to for help. California faces a severe lack of water. Attempts at regulation and conservation have not helped. The one thing that would make a difference, more rain, is acknowledged, but the one who provides the rain is ignored. In the book of James, the author talks about the power of faith. He mentions Elijah and how God had withheld rain from a faithless Israel for three and a half years because of his prayers. Elijah understood how things work – God is in control of the rain and everything else that matters on planet earth. It is an antiquated notion that dependence upon God is […]