Too many times, we excuse a failure to completely obey God by saying that “it’s the best we can do.” In other words, “good enough.” But “good enough” is never good enough when it comes to God’s way! Scripture: Judges, chapters 1-3; 1 Corinthians, chapter 12 Joshua 2:1-5 (NLT): The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give to... Read more
“Is ‘Born Again’ Still a Good Term in Today’s World?” Yesterday, I reflected on the term “born again” – where it came from and what it means. Today, I want to focus on whether “born again” is still an effective and meaningful term in today’s world. Religious Jargon Unfortunately, for many people the term “born again” is simply dismissed as “religious jargon.” That presents two problems. First, the understanding of the term changes as we move from one... Read more
What Does It Mean to Be “Born Again?” I grew up in the 1960s and 70s, and I remember hearing people talk about being “born again.” I attended a Nazarene church, and while we understood the phrase “born again” to be biblical, we probably used the phrase “saved” more often. I also remember bumper stickers which simply said, “Born Again.” Because there is always a response to anything “trendy,” other bumpers stickers which read “Born... Read more
God’s people should always be careful about “going on autopilot.” Bad things tend to happen when we don’t consult with Him! Scripture: Joshua, chapters 9-11; 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 Joshua 9:3-15 (NLT): But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the... Read more
God expects his people and his church to be holy. What does it mean for us to “remove the evil?” Scripture: Joshua, chapters 7-8; Psalm 69; 1 Corinthians, chapter 5 Joshua 7:13 (NLT): “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from... Read more
God encourages us to seek to know him more – but he also reminds us that he has his secrets! Scripture: Deuteronomy, chapters 28-29; Galatians, chapter 6 Deuteronomy 29:24-29 (NLT): And all the surrounding nations will ask, “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why was he so angry?” And the answer will be: “This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he... Read more
The supposed conflict between “law” and “grace” is based on a misunderstanding. Grace does not only set us free “from” regulations; it sets us free “to” worship and honor God with all our hearts. Scripture: Deuteronomy, chapters 25-27; Galatians, chapter 5 Galatians 5:1, 13-15 (NLT): So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law… For you have been called to live in freedom, my... Read more
God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and in this passage, he remind us: “Don’t Hide Yourself!” Scripture: Deuteronomy, chapters 22-24; Galatians, chapter 4 Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (NLT): If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner. If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for... Read more
Many people today believe that we can worship God on our own terms, but God’s Word gives us direction with regard to his plans for our worship. Scripture: Deuteronomy, chapters 10-12; Mark, chapter 16 Deuteronomy 12:1-11 (NLT): These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live. When you drive out the... Read more
The “privilege of holiness” is not some special benefit that we earn for “good behavior”; instead, holiness is the privilege! Scripture: Deuteronomy, chapters 7-9; Mark, chapter 15 Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 25-26 (NLT): When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. When the Lord your God... Read more
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