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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 2
We have a staggering lack of spiritual discernment here in the United States. In my last post, I introduced some of the reasons why false teaching is influencing the Church here in the United States so strongly in our time, namely, the over-reliance on extrabiblical study aids marketed in the Christian publishing industry and a growing attack on the verity of the Bible. My heart in this post is to help those who are being misled by false teachers or influenced by false teaching.
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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 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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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?
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Thy Will Be Done
Have you ever wondered why there is such a poor witness in many a church these days? Scandals seem to be more common, and sadly, are even expected by a jaded world. Whether it be a lack of moral purity, greed, or the false idol of personal popularity, the world is watching and saying that religion is poison. And you know what? This type is!
![[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)
