Things were falling apart in Israel, the northern kingdom that followed the ways of Jeroboam. The worship of God had been exchanged for the worship of convenience. The truth of God was exchanged for the pleasures of the flesh. The prophets of the Lord were exchanged for the prophets of Baal. The practice of purity was exchanged for debauchery and lewdness. The word of God was exchanged for human desires. Sound familiar? God’s message to Israel 2,800 years ago is the same for you today. As Psalm 2 says, The Lord laughs at those who think they are in control. The corrupt rule of man has been replaced with the Prince of Peace. In a world falling apart, Christ is […]
Culture
252 posts
Much planning goes into preparing for a successful Black Friday. Cash flow is carefully monitored. Credit limits are pushed to the max. Intricate strategies for timing and storage of products are worked and reworked. The stress levels are high. Did you think I am referring to the business plans of retailers? Ah, no. Actually, I am talking about the plans of the average American shopper. The Thanksgiving Dinner becomes a fading mirage as the execution of a successful Black Friday shopping trip takes center stage. Black Friday is about spending the least amount of money to gain the most amount of gifts. This is the strategy of “smart” shoppers. Just one question. How much is God involved in your planning? […]
497 years ago one man driven by his passion for the gospel wrote some things down on paper. Then he nailed the paper to a church door. The sound of the nail driven into that door still reverberates to this day. Social media has been around longer than we think! If you have a passion for God’s gospel truth there are no limitations. No, your name may not be remembered as Martin Luther’s is, but your voice will resonate in history. You may not have a church door in Wittenburg to post your thoughts. But you do have a voice, you may have a Facebook page, an email account, a phone to send texts, a friend to talk with, a […]
Dr. Charles Hodges, author of Good Mood Bad Mood gives clear, straight forward answers to questions like what is depression, bipolar disorder in the interview link below. This is a helpful interview that gets directly to important questions on these and other related topics. Here is the link.
Shepherd Press has just released Everyday Talk about Sex & Marriage, a biblical handbook for parents. Here is an excerpt. When helping your children address the temptation of sexual arousal before marriage, the first consideration is encouraging your children to focus on bringing honor to God instead of following the path of self-pleasure. Parents and church leaders must teach our teens, by precept and example, not to yield to temptations to think sexual thoughts about someone to whom they are not married. The Bible does not condone a “try before you buy” policy with regard to sexual relations. According to Matthew 5:28, lust in the heart is as wrong as sexual sin in the flesh; sex is part of the marriage covenant […]
The narratives of the Old Testament are a rich resource for God’s people. We have been looking at Deborah in the book of Judges. Even though the events of Deborah’s life took place over 3,000 years ago, God has things for us to learn from her story. Here are some of the qualities that all of us, and women in particular, can learn from the narrative concerning Deborah. Trust in God’s Word Deborah trusted in the word of God. She understood that God alone is able to do what he says he will do. So when God said that Barak and Israel would defeat the Canaanite army, Deborah believed God. She did not need to have her trust in God […]
It is true. God gives many commands. As parents, you must not be selective about what you choose to bring to your children. The apostle Paul is a trusted guide to help you see just how to present God’s commands to your children. By faithfully following what he teaches you can be confident to know how to present all of God’s commands in a way that is consistent with the direction of the Holy Spirit. That being said, we must not be selective about which commands to present. Ephesians 5 provides an example for you to follow. The Holy Spirit is concerned that Christians avoid sexual sin! I will not go into all the specifics at this point. There […]
Relationships based on the fear of the Lord bring safety and security. Men who fear God will honor, cherish and understand their wives. Women who fear God will be able to recognize men who do not fear the Lord. This awareness offers women protection from relationships that may lead to exploitation, insecurity and abuse. Your daughters must know this. Weak men find their security in having women fear them. This is indeed ironic. These men put themselves in the place of God. They demand to be held in awe and reverence. Exploitive, abusive men will often at first appear to be caring, even to a fault. But their motives are far from pure. As the relationship progresses the […]
Sin is making headlines these days. However, the media does not use the word sin to describe what is being reported. That might offend someone. And, of course, the list of wrong behaviors being reported is quite limited. Certain acts of violence, both nationally and internationally, provide opportunities for sound bites and attract viewers, listeners, and readers. But there are other acts, other sins which are ignored. Abortion is a brutally violent act, but there is no media outrage over the thousands of unborn children who are legally murdered each year. Sexual sin is tearing apart the fabric of our culture and country. Yet, immorality is reported as progress, tolerance and freedom of expression. The sin of praying to any […]
The headlines from the sports world have forced themselves into the national headlines. Men are violently attacking women. Owners and players alike are using recreational drugs, performance enhancing drugs and engaging in sexually immoral behavior. The NFL has enacted new policies and punishment protocols. The NFL is heavily involved in educational programs to prevent these problems. Yet they persist. There is one politically incorrect initiative that the NFL has not embraced. The league would receive harsh, scathing criticism if they chose to follow this strategy. Yet, it is the only option available to the NFL, to colleges and other sports organizations that will bring genuine change to the hearts of those involved. If the NFL were to urge […]