ISIS and Planned Parenthood demonstrate the darkness of the human heart. These two examples of evil have become familiar headlines. The problem with headlines is that they become political issues to be solved by elections. The truth is that laws, social norms, military force, education, elections, and 24/7 news coverage will not rid the earth of deeply entrenched evil. This kind of evil cannot be talked out of existence. There is only one way to defeat evil. Jesus said that the gates, or strongholds of Hell, cannot stand against his church. That’s right, the church that is so easily dismissed is the only force capable of defeating evil. Only a praying church, committed to being salt and light can throw […]
Worship
159 posts
Hebrews 4:12 describes the Bible as being living and active. Is this merely a fact to you? Or does this phrase in Hebrews speak about you? Do you read the Bible simply to increase your knowledge—or to be spiritually fed and enlivened as you read? We know that our children must trust the Bible and live it. But do our children see that these words of God are living and working in us? Do our children know that the Bible defines who we are and how we live? The prophet Isaiah warned against following words learned by rote: And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Isaiah 29:13 Surely, you want more than rote knowledge […]
A Christian must not live as though time is all that matters. As the hymn says, the sands of time are numbered. They are contained in an hourglass crafted by God for his glory. One day the last grain of sand will sink to the bottom of the glass. When this happens God will not turn the hourglass over. When the last grain falls, life on earth will also fall. Don’t live your life for sinking grains of sand. Live it for the glory of the King. The Sands of Time are Sinking The sands of time are sinking, the dawn of Heaven breaks; The summer morn I’ve sighed for—the fair, sweet morn awakes: Dark, dark hath been the midnight, […]
The things in life that Job held dear were gone in a moment. Job was a man of great faith and he had a deep love for God. He was in daily prayer for the spiritual well-being of his children. Because he feared God with a holy, reverent fear, his emotional response to evil was to turn from it rather than consider it or embrace it. Job’s emotions worked for him rather than against him. When Job was crushed by devastating losses of property and life he turned to the worship of his God. Worship is not a common response to searing pain in life. But Job’s love and awe of God was deeply engraved upon his heart. The very […]
When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. These are words from the hymn, “When I survey the wondrous cross.” No doubt you have sung them before. If you have been a Christian for a while, perhaps you can even sing these words from memory. However, think carefully about what you are singing. For example in the words above, a declaration is made before man and God that nothing you have accomplished, no possession you have attained, no human success can compare to what Christ purchased for you on the cross. Really? Do you live this way? Do those who know […]
Hebrews 4:12 describes the Bible as being living and active. Is this merely a fact you teach your kids? Or does this phrase in Hebrews speak of you? Do you read the Bible simply to increase your knowledge—or to be spiritually fed and enlivened as you read? You know that your children must trust the Bible and live it. But do your children see that these words of God are living and working in you? Do your children know that the Bible defines who you are and how you live? The danger that all of us face is the Bible something that is just followed by rote and routine. The prophet Isaiah warned against following words learned by rote: And […]
The possibility of terror has the potential to be a distraction in your worship of God. Whether on foreign soil or domestic there are those who are dedicated to seeing Americans struck down. Their objective is to create terror in the hearts of Americans. To some extent this objective is being reached. There was another sad, tragic reminder of the evil of terror in Chattanooga, just days ago. There is every indication that the desire of jihadists is to create as much fear as possible in our land. How can we, as Christians, be an encouragement to those overwhelmed by credible terror threats? We can start with Christ’s words to his disciples, whom he knew would have their lives threatened […]
The most impressive aspects of reality are those that are unseen. If your view of reality is limited to what you can see, your worship will be ill-informed. As you read pubic opinion polls, as you see election results, as you experience the actions of congress and the courts, as you see sexual purity mocked, it is tempting to think you are in the minority. However, such thinking is unsound. As Elisha said over 2,500 years ago, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha’s young servant was afraid. He was afraid because his understanding of reality was limited. Elisha prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened […]
The law of God is a thing of beauty. For the Christian it is the only perfect guide to faith and practice. When you attend church tomorrow you will do so knowing that the government of the United States has taken another step towards the obliteration of this law you hold so dear. This is not a time to doubt the sufficiency of God’s provision. It is a time to recommit yourself to honoring and obeying God. By going to church you are aligning yourself against the law of the land. You and your family will be on the side of bigotry and intolerance, or at least that is what the Supreme Court believes. The solution is not to focus […]
If God did not command us to worship him we would not worship him. But it goes deeper than that. Mankind was designed to worship. From the beginning man was to subdue the earth and occupy it for God’s glory. Worship is built into us as creatures. We can’t help but worship. So, there really is no way worship can be credited to us. Since the fall, we must be careful what we worship. Sin deceives us and entices us to worship anyone or anything but God. Worship is all around us. People worship false gods, idols, praise of other people, musicians, sports starts, prized possessions, even themselves. Some go so far as to worship the way they worship. Note […]