There are troubled hearts in Charleston, South Carolina, not to mention the troubled hearts all across the country. Once again, what appeared to be safe, was not. The time of the Fall can only disguise it’s ugliness for a season. The enemy of our souls is engaged in non-stop attempts to make us think that this world is good and has all that we really need. Then this myth is shattered by an event like Charleston. Not even churches are safe. This reminds us that the world is not all it is promised to be. However, Satan’s deception does not end when tragic events occur. He is also a master of offering solutions based on human philosophy and traditions. He […]
Godward Orientation
188 posts
Who is your king? Jesus says that you can only have one. No man can serve two masters. About mid-day on the first Good Friday, Pilate pled with the Jews for the life of Jesus. In John 19:15 we read this interchange: But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Blinded by rage and anger at Jesus, the Jewish leaders spoke from their hearts. Jesus was not their king! What about you? Who is the king of your heart? Before you answer, remember that your heart has already revealed the answer to your children, your spouse, to those who are […]
Some challenging questions: What do you eagerly desire? Do you desire, above all else, to acquire God’s wisdom, so that you will clearly see the path of obedience set before you? Does living for the glory and honor God consume you? When you see that following Christ will be result in difficulty and pain, do you still desire identification with Christ above all else? What do your children believe that you eagerly desire above all else? On a Thursday evening, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ had come to the end of his time on earth. After 33 years of perfect obedience, doing all that his Father had given him to do, eighteen hours of crushing temptation and agony yet […]
Normally, we don’t associate young children and calmness. But in Psalm 131 David compares the condition of his heart with that of a young weaned child being comforted by his mother’s presence. Think about how amazing this is. David is the king. He has all of the pressures of life and leadership. Yet he uses the image a weaned child being comforted by the presence of his mother to show his trust in God. O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within […]
This is probably a question you seldom consider. And at first bounce the answer you might be tempted to give is cancer. But let’s think this through. Cancer can take nothing from you that will damage your relationship with God and with those close to you. Sin can do this and much more. Cancer cannot keep you from God, but sin certainly can. Cancer is something most people take seriously. Sin – not so much. Spending time and money to find the right treatment schedule is done without question. You ask people to pray for you and your condition. You give money to cancer research. You might even put more money in the offering plate! Upon receiving a cancer diagnosis […]
What Your Children Need Most by Tedd Tripp If you want your children to have a reason to sing on Sunday, give them a glorious God. If you want your children to have a reason not to sin on Monday, give them a glorious God. If you want them to think of nobler things than the latest, mind-numbing video fantasy game, give them a glorious God. If you want them to dream grander dreams than illicit sex or more money or more stuff, give them a glorious God. If you want them to have a reason for confidence when life seems to spin out of control, give them a glorious God. When friends are offering the pleasures of sin for […]
Time as we know it is not eternal, it is created. Before there was time there was God. After time ends there will be God. This is one reason God refers to himself as I Am. God is infinite, he cannot be measured by time. He simply and profoundly is. Time is temporal, having to do with what is temporary. As Paul says, don’t focus on what is temporary, but focus on eternity. Faith has to do with eternity. This means that faith is rooted not in time but in the person and character of God! For example, when we say, “I have faith everything will work out,” our understanding of faith is misplaced. Faith is not primarily about everything […]
A judgmental spirit towards people is a dangerous thing. It leads to doubt, mistrust and broken relationships. But there is another form of judgment that is far more destructive: the practice of judging God. When you begin to question God’s faithfulness when circumstances are not what you wanted, you are actually judging God. When your general response to life is that life is a bummer or that life stinks, you are judging God. Why? Because the Holy Spirit says that God is causing all the events in your life to be a good thing for you. So, when you look at life and fail to see God’s goodness, even in the painful things, you are judging God. You are critiquing […]
Whatever, it doesn’t matter. You have heard these words before, perhaps even from your own lips. These words are not words of encouragement or optimism. They are said when we feel let down, betrayed, discouraged. The irony is that often these words really mean that something matters very much. We continue to be surprised at being disappointed. People have this problem called sin. Sin comes from rebellion to God. At its root, rebellion starts with believing a lie. We believe we can be happy apart from dying to ourselves. We believe that the people we love will not hurt us. We believe that we deserve what we desire. We believe things will be better next time. We believe that we will […]
God is good because of who he is. He is not good because we like our circumstances. He is not good because we deserve his goodness. He is not good because we have good health. He is not good because we may live in apparent safety compared to others. He is not good because it is a beautiful day. God is good simply and profoundly because his own being and character defines goodness. God is good even when our lives are torn by despair. God is good when a storm brings destruction. God is good when those we love become sick and we see the awful plague of death. God is good in ravages of war. God is […]