Sometimes the obvious is so clear that its meaning is obscured. We live in a world that worships statues! There is an irony in the attitudes of Hollywood and the entertainment media about the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. Bible morality is viewed with scorn and hatred. Both on the screen and in daily life, biblical purity is something to be mocked as a personality disorder. Here is the irony. Over 2,800 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah described the idol worshippers of his day with language that also perfectly describes the moral mess of Hollywood. People today also worship elaborate statues. Those in the film industry live and die for a statue, an idol called Oscar. The name on the […]
Earthly Treasure
42 posts
Thanksgiving is a distant memory. Christmas and New Years Day have come and gone. The Superbowl is over. What’s next? The TV commercials and the displays at the stores and supermarkets say that Valentine’s Day is next. Then chocolate hearts give way to chocolate bunnies. All we have to do is follow the important dates on the calendar, add in birthdays and anniversaries, and a few special events. This is what life is all about. Really? Is this how we are supposed to mark our lives, living from one date on the calendar to the next? Is this what Paul means when he says to take hold of life that is truly life? You can get your children’s attention by […]
Something mysterious happens to items in colorfully wrapped boxes and then placed under a tree full of lights. After a short incubation period these items, called presents, become possessions when they are removed. Suddenly, all of the challenging things your remember from last Christmas, but over the course of 364 days have somehow managed to forget, are back. Presents have become possessions. Christ had an encounter with a brother who was also concerned that his sibling was not being fair. He wanted Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute. No doubt, this issue was critically important to the offended brother. He must have been taken aback to see his desire for fairness and justice be exposed for what it really was […]
Gold and precious stones are easy to acquire. All you need is money. Thus, when the rich, the Hollywood stars, the sports elite gather gold and glittering jewelry are everywhere to be seen. In the midst of the dazzling display of wealth you can hear the words of self-praise and the worship of created things. But what is rarely heard is knowledge that makes sense of life. The wonders of man are easily obtained. Look at our culture, look at what is offered on commercials. All that is needed is a credit card to get what is wanted. But wisdom and knowledge that brings life and true wealth are indeed rare. As Jesus teaches us in the gospels, […]
Winning the lottery offers an immediate cure for all of our worries. Or for those of us not into gambling, a close friend or relative winning the lottery and giving us a nice piece of the lottery pie would work just as well. These thoughts are subtle temptations to doubt the value of God’s word. The truth is you already have a gift that is literally worth more than millions dollars! That gift is the Bible. I know this sounds idealistic, spiritual, but not practical. However, it is vital not to miss the obvious illustrations that the Bible provides to show how practical it is. For example look at Psalm 119:72: “The law from your mouth is more […]
The major investment firms are frequent visitors in your home. No, they aren’t invited guests. They attach themselves to the popular television shows and sporting events. So, just after your team scores, the President of one of these companies shows up on the screen encouraging you to make wise investments using his brokerage firm. Just after he says goodbye, the owner of another firm flies by in his helicopter to let you know how his firm makes investing affordable. These visits are then followed by a commercial for a luxury sports sedan. The message is clear: security and peace of mind come from making wise investments and making your money grow. These things provide access to comfort and stability. While […]
The parable in Luke 12 tells of a rich man who had been so successful in his farming endeavors that he had run out of room to store his crops. That was good, right? He was financially secure. As he considered his options, one became attractive. Luke 12:18-19 says he would tear down his barns and build bigger ones. The New Living Translation captures the spirit of our rich farmer: Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! […]
The clock is ticking. We are running out of time. It is time for work, school, practice, and even church. Time is a big deal in modern life. Yet for all of the energy spent on managing time, Jesus says there is nothing we can do to shorten or lengthen the time given to us on earth, not even by a millisecond. Time is to be exhausted on God’s glory not our own personal agendas. Time as we know it is not eternal, it is created. There will be no clocks in heaven. Before there was time there was God. This is one reason God refers to himself as I Am. God is infinite, he cannot […]
Many things qualify as “good” for you and your children. As parents we want to show love and kindness to our kids. We tend to invest heavily with our time and or money in the “good” things. Which of these good things would survive if life was suddenly turned upside down by a catastrophic event? The question is, have we invested the most in the good things that will endure the sudden, violent storms of life? But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works. Psalm 73:28
Let’s evaluate the strategies of enlisting recruits of the two opposing forces involved in spiritual warfare. We will start with the plan of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a straightforward approach and could be stated like this: Life is to be lived for the glory and honor of God. Man has rebelled against that reality and is in need of rescue. Strictly on his own initiative, through the sacrificial death of his son, God rescues people from darkness and brings them into the kingdom of light for all eternity. That is the strategy of one side. Here is the strategy of the other side, the kingdom of this world. It is also straightforward. Satan hates mankind […]