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Kowtowing to the Crowds: Injustice and the Fear of Man
Our political leaders in the US are either spawning slander or perpetuating silence. What is a Christian to do? What does the Bible say? For one: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." [Eph 5:11] Let's talk about some of the most divisive issues on the political table today.
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False Gospels: Are You Following One?–Part 1
New-fangled digital devices help detect an out-of-tune note and perfect it. Most of these have some sort of readout that appears as a needle wavering too much to the left, or flat side, or too much to the right, or sharp side as an instrument is tuned, with the goal of getting the needle dead center of the two, making the note "in tune." This reminds me of an anology that could be made in the spiritual world between two extremes of error that can fall somewhere on the flat side of the sharp side, with truth being dead center.
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Faith & Trust: Living It Out
In the United States we have the motto, “In God We Trust,” printed on all our money. Most Christians are likely to point out the utter hypocrisy or at least the irony of this statement given our present society’s idolization of wealth. But beloved, can we all take a moment to look at our own lives and attitudes and ponder whether or not we ourselves are walking in light of God’s truth and promises?
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Faith Working Through Love
Perhaps it is serendipitous, maybe a little ironic, for me to be writing about work and rest on our Labor Day holiday weekend here in the United States. This federal holiday was enacted as a response to the action of labor activists who wanted to recognize our workers as making significant contributions to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being. It is a nationwide day off granted as a rest from our great labors. There is a somewhat similar idea in the Bible called the Sabbath day, which was the seventh day in the Jewish week on which no work was to be performed. It was to be a picture of God's…
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The Mercy at the Heart of the Golden Rule
Reciprocity. It is a basic human desire, even an expectation, to be treated fairly and with respect. There are norms in every society that influence a person's behavior, many unspoken, expectations for the return of a kindness done to another. Sometimes the kindness done is motivated by a selfish desire to receive some favor back, the "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" philosophy. Sometimes. less obviously or even hidden from our own conscious recognition, a kindness is done in the hopes of fulfilling a deep need, such as love or friendship, the "if I do this thing, what will I gain and what will it cost?" type of mathematical…
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God’s Honest Truth
Have you ever asked this yourself? What IS truth? We live in a society nowadays, especially here in the United States, where "fake news" is a buzzword and people's mouths are filled with words that are chosen to sell us a product or persuade us to act. They spin a story. They spin the truth...So, what is truth, just as this Roman governor asked two millennia ago, and where can we turn to find it?
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Prophets or Profits: My Two Cents
Prophets or profits: making sense of it all is our theme today. With many mega-churches and ministries in the U.S. holding millions in assets, how is it that we have poor members in our midst? What message are we sending the world? Jesus said that the world would recognize His own by the love we have for each other. Where is this love? Have our capitalistic values in this country doused the light we are to be? How can we be missions-minded with money-driven goals? Are we so focused on doing big ministry that we forget those right next to us who struggle in the local church body? Here is…
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Repentance: Work of Man or Grace of God?
Is repentance a work of man or a work of God? Some claim that we add to the gospel or Word of God when repentance is preached. Well, what was the teaching of Jesus? What was the practice of the apostles? Why is repentance such an important theme in the Bible?
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On Your Honor
Honor and respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Aretha Franklin belted it out. We desire to get it, but do we give it?
![[Eph 1:16-17, 19 ESV]](https://i0.wp.com/lampstanddevotions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Train3.jpg?resize=1140%2C784&ssl=1)
![For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. [Isa 57:15 ESV]](https://i0.wp.com/lampstanddevotions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SunRays.jpg?resize=1140%2C758&ssl=1)