In an age of propaganda, lies, and distorted truth, determine to be men and women of the Bible:
Hearing the Word (Jer 3:15)
Reading the Word (Deut 17:19)
Studying the Word (Prov 2:1-5)
Memorizing the Word (Ps 119:11)
Meditating on the Word (Josh 1:8)
Obeying the Word (Jam 1:22)
Moses: “I can’t speak.”
Job: “I have no peace.”
David: “I am a worm.”
Isaiah: “I am a man of unclean lips.”
Elijah: “I have had enough, Lord.”
Paul: “I am the chief of sinners.”
In our inadequacy, God is always adequate!
The cross simultaneously shows us that God loves us and that sin is truly deserving of punishment. It’s that second part that makes the first part make sense. If we fall for the crowd pleasing “gospel” of “God loves you and sin isn’t a big deal” then we have rejected the cross.
Young Christian: if you’ve been told that loving Christ & being thankful for your country can’t coexist, you’ve been misled.
Loving your country is a form of neighbor-love (Matt 22). Many American Christians know the US is far from perfect & isn’t our true home—yet we love it.
A challenge worthy to pursue. It is not the "work" of one's reading that changes, but the work of God through His word that tears the heart open. (Nehemiah 9:2)
The Word read over people is powerful. It brings sinners to repentance. It is a two-edged sword that can tear you apart, and come to realize your rebellion against a Holy God. This very thing happened has Ezra read to the people, nearly 50,000 of them.
Some, if not most, had lived in exhile and never had heard the Word read. Some had to be unbelievers in some sense. What if unbelievers had the Word read over them. What if unbelievers read the Word themselves?
Receiving God's knowledge and wisdom will result in CHANGED LIVES. If your life does not show outward change, or if you are not daily fighting for that change, you have NOT received God's knowledge and wisdom. You're still operating on the world's knowledge and wisdom. Col 1:9-10
We’re called to stand firm on the truth, absolutely. But we must do so in love: which means from a loving motive and in a loving way.
Without this, all our truth-proclaiming is like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
"Now the Bible has always taught that, and it is put perfectly by our Lord when He says, 'Ye are the salt of the earth.' What does that imply? It clearly implies rottenness in the earth;it implies a tendency to pollution and to becoming foul and offensive.
I thank God for Steven J. Lawson. He is a peacher that I've been listening to more and more lately. He has been doing a live morning devotional every morning on FB Live and YouTube live called Steadfast Hope, from One Passion Ministries.
I also thank God for Ruth Brown. It's her