The correct response to anti-God influencers is to exclude them from your life. Don’t listen to them; don’t consent to them. Don’t allow access to them; don’t allow them to be an influence. And if you want to be more pro-active, fight against them. Argue against them; demonstrate the error of their ways. We can’t destroy them physically, but we can destroy their arguments and their bad ideas. We can try to degrade/reduce their influence. We can keep them away from us. Read More ...
The main question in worship is not, “Do I like it?” The main question is, “Does God like it?” If God finds it acceptable and if it’s faithful to biblical expectations, then it should be acceptable to us. If we are worshiping God “in spirit and in truth,” decently and in order, then it does not matter how we feel about it. We are obligated to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, and do it in a way that is biblical and right. Read More ...
Any nation can become prosperous if it submits to God’s moral standards. Prosperity naturally comes to communities where they don’t steal, lie, or covet. Prosperity naturally results when we respect property rights and contracts. Prosperity comes to those who work hard, are honest, and who love their neighbors. The so-called Protestant work ethic stems directly from biblical obligations. Read More ...
Moses exhorted the people to remember what God had done in the past. God had done great, miraculous, monumental things for them over the last 40 years, and now they have to trust that God would continue to do great things for them as they enter the PL and start the conquest. Read More ...
Although this passage focuses on Israel’s sin and lack of merit, it also reveals God’s grace. In spite of their sin, God did not destroy Israel. God extended mercy and grace to these ill-deserving, self-righteous, rebellious, stubborn, idolatrous people. That’s how God relates to us—through grace and mercy. Instead of being self-righteous, we ought to be thankful and humble. We should be glad that we have an intercessor before God—we have a better mediator than Moses, Jesus. Read More ...
Whatever our lot in life, whether poverty or prosperity, we must retain our dependence on God. We must rely on God for every word that comes forth from his mouth. And we must rely on God to provide everything we need. We must rely on God to give us the ability to gain wealth and prosperity. And if we gain some measure of prosperity, we are obligated to be thankful and humble, not to be proud and self-satisfied. We don’t glory in what we’ve achieved; we glory in what the Lord has provided. Read More ...
We can trust in God. In light of what God has done for us previously, we can trust God to take care of us in the future. And, of course, the ultimate blessing is heaven itself. Our lives will come to an end at some point, but even then, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Read More ...
Like the ancient Israelites, success for us requires faithful obedience and avoiding compromise with the ungodly people of our world. We must not learn the ways of the heathen. Like the ancient Israelites, Christians are a special treasure to God. We must be wholly dedicated to God and avoid compromising with the world. Read More ...
The fact that our society tolerates and even promotes abortion reveals how far we have fallen as a culture. The fact that our nation allows abortion reveals the moral degeneracy and bankruptcy of our people. Read More ...
We all wish that we could live without conflict. But in our sinful world, conflict is virtually inevitable. Even in the church, conflict happens. Someone offends you; he says something unkind; she snubs you or insults you. How do you respond? Either forgive and put it behind you or start this process—go to your brother and tell him his fault. And if you are the offender, respond appropriately to such confrontation. That’s the proper way to deal with interpersonal conflict within the church. Read More ...