Category Archives: Bible

One Serious Job Description

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Matthew 10

Would you, after reading the job description for a disciple, sign up? God describes what he’s looking for in a disciple here in Matthew 10.

A disciple:
1. will be taken to court
2. will be beat up
3. will be dragged before governors and kings
4. may be turned into the authorities by their brother, father, or child
5. may be executed
6. will be hated
7. will be persecuted
8. will be saved in the end because no one can kill the soul.

Well, at least number 8 sounds good. Anyone who says being a child of God translates into good health and hefty bank accounts is lying.

The Gospel of Jesus is offensive, and if you proclaim it there will be people who hate you. The Gospel reveals our sin, our depravity, and our hopelessness. The Gospel tells us we aren’t enough, that we will never be enough. And friend, no one likes to hear that.

“But hang on,” Jesus says. “Endure to the end!”

The Gospel is worth it. Jesus is worth it. Jesus promises that when we believe in Him we are saved. Scripture says when we confess our sins we are forgiven. We’re promised that when we are weak HE is strong. When we don’t have the words, HE gives us the words. When we are helpless, HE is able.

These disciples signed up, went on a mission trip, performed miracles, told the Truth, and came back excited about being disciples. They no doubt faced opposition, but it prepared them, strengthened their faith, and in the end eleven of them went to their deaths proclaiming Jesus as the Savior of the world.

So, Christian, are you ready to put feet to your faith? Read the job description carefully. Then sign on the dotted line. You’re signing up for war. It won’t be easy. But it will be blessed beyond what you imagine. In the end, you will face Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done, my faithful servant, my warrior. Come home!”

Woe To Us All

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Luke 11

I know I probably comment on this every year when I get to this passage in God’s Word. But Jesus’ response to the lawyers’ hurt feelings is something we ought to emulate.

The lawyers didn’t object to Jesus hammering the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. But the truth of what Jesus was saying was hitting a bit too close to home for the lawyers. The lawyers, at least in their own minds, weren’t as bad as the Pharisees and they wanted to be sure Jesus made that distinction.

“Jesus, you’re starting to hurt our feelings with your ‘Woe to’s’ toward the Pharisees. We’re beginning to feel a bit threatened, unsafe, disrespected, misidentified.”

Jesus answers, “Oh, I’m sorry. Woe to you, lawyers…” and just so there would be no confusion Jesus began hammering them for their own sins. He didn’t coddle them, didn’t find them a safe place, or encourage them to stand strong, be proud, be who they were meant to be. “YOU ARE SINNERS,” He told them.

Do you honestly think Jesus would say to a man pretending to be a woman and upset because Jesus “misgendered” him, “Oh, I’m sorry, Ma’am. Sit here and let me do your nails?” No! He would say to that man, “YOU. ARE. NOT. A. WOMAN.”

The lawyers thought they weren’t as bad as the Pharisees. Today some men think they are women, some women think they are men, some people think they are cats. It doesn’t matter what you think!

Hear God say, “Woe to you.” And you know what? I think it’s time Christians did the same. So here goes. Sorry, not sorry.

XX will always be XX. XY will always be XY.
No one can change the binary gender God created: male OR female.
A male is a “he.” A female is a “she.: “They” is plural.
Woman are designed by God to carry a developing human in their wombs. Woman (not birthing persons) have babies. Men do not. Cannot.
Abortion is murder. Life begins at conception. God knew that person BEFORE he or she was planted in the mother’s womb. To end that life is murder.
There is objective truth.. There is right and wrong, good and bad, black and white.
There is truth, and there is opinion. They are not the same. And I will not pretend “your truth” is anything other than your opinion.

Call me what you want. Call me bigoted, hateful, intolerant, deplorable. I don’t care. Show me in the Bible where I’m wrong. Woe to all of us who deny what God has revealed in His Word.

Now, before you think I’m condemning anyone to hell, let me remind you what else God’s Word has to say.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Jesus died on the cross to buy your freedom from sin and mine, to break the chains of sin, to forgive us for our sins, to make us the righteousness of God. There isn’t anyone reading this post who cannot be saved. Show me in the Bible where I’m wrong.

What I’ve said here is not hate. In fact, I can honestly say I love you enough to be truthful with you. Jesus loved those lawyers enough to confront their sin. It would be hateful to go along with anyone’s sin, because sin separates us from God now, and in eternity. My friend, my heart’s desire is that you experience the Truth of God’s Word today; whether for the first time, or with a revived energy for proclaiming the Truth. Woe to us if we don’t.

Truly Free

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Malachi

There is so much in this wonderful book. But if we take only one thing away from it, we’ve got to understand God will be honored, respected, obeyed, and worshiped alone. He’s not fooled by good works or fancy words. He recognizes the pure and the contaminated. He will not accept anything less than what He demands – no exceptions.

That fact should cause us to fear Him. It’s His way or hell.

But He is not a tyrant. He’s not a slave-driver. He is love. He is just. He is a friend and a father. What we seem to have trouble grasping is that His way is what is best for us. It’s better than anything we can come up with on our own. Your best plans, your most favorite dreams, are nothing compared to what God offers.

It’s like a prisoner chained to a wall saying, “I don’t want freedom on God’s terms. I’d have to give up my chains. I’d have to move out of my cozy cell. I’d rather paint a picture of the sky on my wall than step out and see it for myself. I’d rather hug a mannequin than be embraced by God.”

You’d think that prisoner has lost his mind. Especially since you’ve seen the sky and know how beautiful it is.

Well, my friend. I have seen the sky. I have been embraced by God through the blood of His Son, Jesus. I am free from the chains of sin because I have repented of those sins, and I am forgiven. Why wouldn’t I want that for you, too?

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will lead them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:1-2)

That’s what God, through the prophet Malachi, wants us to take away from his book. There are only two sides to this coin called life. Choose wisely. There is only one way to be truly free.

HIs name is Jesus.

Don’t Bow

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Daniel 3

So, King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge statue built, as high as the lighthouse on Saint Simons Island. You couldn’t miss it! Then, the decree went out – you WILL bow down to this idol, or die.

You probably know the story. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow. When everyone else hit the ground when the music played, those three young men stood tall. They must have stood out like those brave athletes who refuse to bend a knee during the National Anthem. Kind of hard to miss.

Got me to thinking about other formidable idols being erected today: transgenderism, homosexual marriage, pronouns, abortion, climate change, COVID, socialism, progressive Christianity, wokeness…

Lots of idols there!

In fact, there are so many it seems people are walking on their knees, bowing here, bowing there. They exist in a constant state of surrender to this idol, and to that. Less and less people are standing tall.

The threat of punishment is real. And getting more real every day. So what’s a person to do?

Look at this portion of Scripture. You’ll find the answer. Those brave young men were able to stand strong because they truly trusted God. They trusted God whether they lived or died. They trusted God whether they were heading for hardship, or whether God would deliver them. They trusted God.

The result was, they were thrown into the fire with the intent it would kill them. But the fire didn’t kill them, did it? In fact, the fire didn’t even touch them even though they were walking right in it. And… the most amazing part of it… Jesus was right there walking in the fire with them. The king and his men actually saw Jesus in the fire with them. They saw Jesus.

So many of us don’t let Jesus do that for us. And sadly, we don’t allow Jesus to be seen by those who want us to surrender to their idols.

We surrender to the idol of transgenderism when we call a woman “him” because she mutilates her body and pretends to be male. We bow to the idol of progressive Christianity when we sing the songs that glorify our own feelings, when we accept the downplaying of sin in favor of “love.” We bow at the feet of government when we allow ourselves to be manipulated into closing the doors of our churches, keeping ourselves quarantined and isolated, wearing masks that do nothing but make us fall into line, and putting untested chemicals in our bodies because someone erects the idol of “science.”

We’ve all done it. We bow, and keep bowing to idols unseen, yet as real as Nebuchadnezzar’s giant idol in ancient Babylon where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow. Can we join together, support one another, and change that?

Let’s stand on the Truth God has revealed in His Word, exactly as He has revealed it in His Word. Let’s not fear those who would have us bow to the prince of this world, because…

greater is He who is in you than the one who is in the world! (1 John 4:4)

Just You

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Ezekiel 13-16

Some of us need to hear the bad news. Are you ready?

You are going to be judged.

I’m not talking about the judgments of trolls in social media, or people you know who think differently than you. I’m not talking about that mean girl at work, or the neighbor who complains because your lawn isn’t manicured to his standards. You, my friend, are going to be judged by Holy God.

You will stand before Him, totally exposed, totally vulnerable, totally guilty, and know His verdict will be totally what you deserve.

It won’t matter if you went to church, gave to charity, had a godly mother who prayed for you. It won’t matter if you hung out with Christians and never cheated on your spouse. God won’t compare you to other people. He will compare you to Himself.

God told Ezekiel to tell His people that His judgment was coming, and that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were right there among them when judgment came, only Noah, Daniel, and Job would be saved. Every person would be judged according to his own righteousness. Every. Single. One.

What did the righteousness of Noah, Daniel, and Job look like? It looked like the righteousness of God! You see, those three had put their faith in God. They weren’t perfect in and of themselves. Read their stories for yourself. But because they had submitted to God, God saw His own righteousness in them, and they were saved.

Same with us. If we think we can stand before God and compare our righteousness to His, we are fooling ourselves. If any of us think we will stand before God and have anything to say in our defense, we are fools.

Your salvation and mine depend solely on the righteousness of God. The Apostle Paul put it this way:

For our sake he (God) made him to be sin who knew no sin (Jesus), so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I don’t know about you, but when I stand before Holy God, I don’t want Him to judge me based on anything I’ve done. Nothing! It would be like me standing before Simone Biles and asking her to compare my gymnastic ability to hers because I did a cartwheel in the backyard once, or putting myself in the same league as Albert Einstein because I got an A on my math quiz in second grade. Ridiculous!

When I stand before God, I want Him to judge me based on what Jesus did when He took my sins upon Himself hanging on the cross. And you know what? That’s exactly what is going to happen, because I have submitted myself to God, accepted Jesus as my Savior. I am saved, not by what I have done, but what Jesus has done on my behalf. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Noah, Daniel, Job, and I will stand before our Judge with no fear. We each have put our faith in God, and He will declare the guilty, NOT GUILTY! I pray you can add your name to the list.

It’s Not Just History

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Jeremiah 26-29

It’s so important to read and re-read the whole Bible. God speaks on every page! If we don’t learn from history, we will repeat the mistakes that were made in the past. So what can we learn from Jeremiah?

The Jews didn’t like what Jeremiah was saying so they decided to cancel him. Well actually, it was a bit worse than shutting down his Twitter account. They decided to kill him to silence him.

Now some of the elders stood up and spoke truth. Taking from their history, they reminded their fellow Jews that in the past when God pronounced judgment on disobedient Israel, He relented when they repented and obediently served and worshiped Him again. But when others prophesied about God’s judgment, and their forefathers rejected the warning, judgment came as it had been prophesied.

This time they let Jeremiah live, and he continued to warn them. He didn’t back down due to fear for his life.

So many lessons here in these chapters! Here are a couple God has pointed out to me this morning:

  1. God is talking to His children. That’s you and I who call ourselves Christians. It’s the Church in 2023. And I believe God is telling us it’s our responsibility for what happens in this world. Obedience=Blessing. Disobedience=Judgment. It was that way in the past, and God has not changed.
  2. But here’s the beauty: God has a plan. And it’s a good one!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Yes, I am aware God is specifically speaking about the seventy year Jewish exile. But in that bit of history is a theme that is repeated throughout Scripture, and a lesson that is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

Obey and be blessed. Disobey and suffer the consequences.

Do you want things to change in your personal life, in your church, our nation, the world? Then here’s the answer:

Seek God with all your heart.

Yeah. It’s that simple. If we, the Church, God’s chosen people in this time in history would actually do that, really be like Christ in love and in truth, I believe God would hear us. I believe the trajectory of this world would change dramatically. And I believe people who are searching for truth would find it in the Savior we serve and worship.

If you don’t believe me, read God’s Word for yourself. Ask God to reveal the Truth. He will! This Book is not just history. It’s alive and active and powerful enough to change you and change our world, if we would just learn and live what it says.

Not Without You

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Isaiah 33-37

The King of Assyria’s representative stood before the people of Israel and threatened them using half-truths, mocking them for their faith in God. Assyria was a strong nation, a very real threat with the power to destroy nations. In fact, they had destroyed many cities and nations, now had set their sights on Jerusalem. The Assyrians believed they were unstoppable. In a sense, they were.

No other nation had been able to stand against them. On the other hand, no other nation had God on their side, either.

We, the Church, have what many think is an unstoppable enemy. So far this enemy has conquered academia, medicine, governments, banking, morality, churches, the media, parents and families. Our enemy’s representatives threaten us with half-truths and mock us for our faith in God. They believe they are unstoppable. And in a sense they are.

But their god of self will never defeat a people whose God is the Lord.

Hezekiah heard the threats and didn’t ignore them. He didn’t hide in the safety of his comfortable home. He took it to God, with humility and trust.

If my people, who are called by name, (that’s you who wear the Name of Christ by calling yourself a Christian) will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (1 Chronicles 7:14)

When you look at the state of our world, are you ready to cash it in? You’ve got your ticket to heaven. Are you praying God will just come back and end it all?

Or are you willing to humble yourself, repent of your sin, turn from your wickedness, and obey God by standing firm on the Truth that is Scripture, by voting, shopping, supporting causes that align with God’s Word? Will you quit being silent and start being His voice, His hands and feet, making disciples of people who need Him, in a world that is lost without Him?

God will save our land. But not without you.

Worse Case Scenario

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1 Kings 18

Obadiah cracked me up today. Elijah had told him to go to King Ahab and tell the king that Elijah was in town. Now, Obadiah knew Ahab was determined to kill God’s prophets. He knew Elijah had just made the prophets of Baal look ridiculous. Elijah’s presence wouldn’t be welcomed by Ahab.

Then Obadiah began to ramble, thinking of the worse case scenario.

“If I do this, what if God decides to transport you away? I tell Ahab you are here, he comes to kill you and you’re gone. He’s going to be furious. He’ll look at me and think I lied. Then he’ll kill me instead. I’ve loved you, Elijah. I love God. I saved 100 prophets Ahab wanted dead. Now you ask me to go and tell him you are here. He’ll kill me.”

I laugh because I can imagine Obadiah’s panic and I relate. Many times my first reaction is to think of all the things that could go wrong. But here’s the difference:

Obadiah went to Ahab with Elijah’s message. Obadiah obeyed.

I have been known on more than one occasion to lie in bed at night and go over every worse case scenario concerning something God is asking me to do. I can see the failure in front of my eyes, rehearse the lines, and know for sure the sorry outcome in my mind. Then in the morning, I can go on my merry way, ignoring God’s call.

Obadiah obeyed. His fears didn’t come true. And that’s the lesson I believe God would have me learn today.

We Can Do Better

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Proverbs 7-12

Reading these proverbs today served to remind me how far removed our present society is from wisdom and righteousness. Whether it’s the false gospel being preached in some churches, the liberal left’s platform, the anti-Christ “woke” agenda, the LGBTQ abomination, the evil transgenderism attack on innocent children, we live in a world controlled by Satan.

I know some will say God’s in control. But I’m not sure we understand what that means.

Often in Scripture we see where God, in His sovereignty, gave up His control when men’s heart turned to evil. Make no mistake about it, it’s NOT God’s will that any child or adult, mutilate his or her body to pretend to change genders. It is NOT God’s will that there is rioting, murder, hatred, in our government, in our streets, and in our homes. Those things happen when we step OUTSIDE of God’s will.

That is the sovereignty of God. It offends me, and I believe it offends God when well-meaning Christians say God’s will will always be done in the world. Look around. Is this the God you know?

If God’s will is always done, then it was kind of ridiculous for Jesus to teach us to pray: “Thy will be done.” How unnecessary for Him to pray in the garden, “Thy will be done.” If for no other reason, Jesus’ prayers help me understand that God’s will isn’t a given.

Do we want God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? Then we need to CHOOSE to obey Him. It’s our disobedience that results in Him giving us over to our sinful nature. That is a repeated truth in His Word.

Read Proverbs. Hear God explain over and over what wisdom is and where it comes from. Let Him tell you about righteousness and the consequences of rejecting righteousness. Choose wisdom. Choose obedience. Choose God’s will, and lovingly yet firmly stand up against sin that is so obviously controlling our society.

Your voice matters. Do you still think abortion is a matter of a woman’s control over her body? Do you still shop at Target? Do you still pay for Disney+, vacation at Disney World? Do you drink Bud Lite and buy Ford? Why?

Why participate in their blatant sin against God? Does that sound wise according to Scripture?

Come on, Church. We can do better. THAT’S God’s will.

A Blank Check

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Psalm 119; 1 Kings 2-3

I’m glad these chapters were bundled together in my reading plan today. We hear God give Solomon a blank check. He could ask for anything, and God would give it. Anything!

How would you fill out that blank check? What would you ask for? Most of our minds would probably go to that ocean-front home, the presidency of the US, that Ferrari we’ve dreamt about, or that bank account that rivals Elon Musk’s. Others might ask for a long healthy life, or the love of that elusive high school crush. If you could have anything at all, what would it be?

How many said, “wisdom?” Anybody?

We know that is exactly what Solomon asked God for. Discernment. The ability to be a wise leader. Sorry, but I doubt that would have made my top five things I’d ask for if I had the chance to fill in that blank check with anything I wanted.

That is, until I stopped to think about it. Because the truth is I DO want wisdom and discernment. I do want to know Truth and be able to share that with those who have distorted it. I do want to lead by example. I want these things more and more as our society continues to crumble right in front of me, and the eternal souls of the children in my life are being ambushed.

I believe, if I ask God, He will give me the wisdom I seek. But how will I receive that wisdom? Will He just zap me like He did Solomon? Maybe.

Or maybe He has already provided His wisdom, and all I have to do is cash it in.

Turn to Psalm 119. There is the answer. The key to having the wisdom of God is to love His Word like the psalmist did. Every one of the 176 verses that make up this psalm speaks to God’s Word, His law, His decrees, precepts and testimony. The psalmist loves God Word, longs for it, and lives it. That speaks to me today

Is my daily time reading the Bible just something I do, or is it my lifeline? Do I read it, then forget it? Or do I ingest it and allow it to feed and grow me? Do I spend more time reading things people have written ABOUT Scripture than I do reading Scripture for myself and allowing God to reveal His wisdom directly to me?

Do I love God’s Word and base my life on its Truth?

If I want the wisdom of God, I need only to open the pages that contain His own Words, and let God bless me with everything I need to know. I don’t need a blank check. I want to cash in the one that God already offers, payable to Connie in the amount of unlimited wisdom, signed by my Heavenly Father.