Step Out In Faith…

The secret to living the Christian life is no real secret, it’s making a whole-hearted commitment to trust God. It’s that simple, yet we struggle to do it. Consistency matters. That’s the key to living out the Gospel life. When you fully know and trust someone, you’re willing to step out in faith.

4 Take delight in the Lord,and He will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.Trust Him, and He will help you.6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Psalms 37:4-6

Drink Deeply From Him…

God is the source of life. He is our shelter. He is our fountain. He is the light by which we see. He is our judge. If God is all of these things I have one piece of advice, “know Him intimately, and drink deeply from Him”.

7 How precious is Your unfailing love, O God!All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.8 You feed them from the abundance of Your own house,letting them drink from Your river of delights.9 For You are the fountain of life,the light by which we see. 10 Pour out Your unfailing love on those who love You;give justice to those with honest hearts.11 Don’t let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around.12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down, never to rise again. Psalms 36:7-12

Humanity Has A Flaw….

Humanity has a flaw that is unconquerable when left to themselves to remedy it. That flaw is a short memory. How often do we get caught up in the desire to have or do something, regardless if necessary, and we forget God. We fail to ask Him. We fail to consult the Almighty. It’s because we allow the “now” to be more necessary than the past. We forget because we want, so we rationalize away “what’s right”. Over time it affects our memory, and slowly but surely, we lose the value on the past. God isn’t as important as before, and we fail to pass on this paramount truth. We fail to teach our children about God, to fear God, and to pursue God. When a culture forgets God, or even takes Him for granted, it loses its way. Idolatry, pain and suffering, and waywardness follows. Sin becomes a daily ritual and it’s not until we come to the realization that we brought it upon ourselves that we admit we need God to be first in our lives (need His help). Fortunately, God is forgiving. When we seek Him with all of our heart, we find Him, not because of our doing, but because of His mercy and willingness to forgive. The key to this cycle is not repeating it. When God gave the Ten Commandments, it came with a promise. Those that follow honoring our parents will be blessed to the third and fourth generation. Those that don’t will be cursed to a thousand generations (meaning forever). Our parents represent God to a child, so teaching them to be respectful has a huge benefit. It’s our job to love God with all of our hearts. Then pass that love on to our children. We do that by remembering all that God has done for us. We teach our children about God, and we do it not only by our words but by our actions. If your not an authentic follower of Jesus, you’ll never be able to convince your children that His ways are best. You’ll just be setting them up for a great fall when they realize your authenticity is as fake as a politician’s promise. They will question and doubt God because of you. And they will be cursed just as you are. Real believers point others to Jesus, not because they think it will earn them “brownie points” with God, but because they know it’s the only real thing they can count on to live real life, extending it beyond the grave. Teach your children to remember, honor, and respect God. It’s what He wants.

7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on Him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where He told me, ‘Summon the people before Me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear Me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear Me also.’ Deuteronomy 4:7-10

29 But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29

39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. 40 If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4:39-40

Save Lives…..

Why do we follow God and preach the gospel? Because it frees enslaved souls and saves lives. We speak from firsthand experience.

6 The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. Proverbs 12:6

Our Supreme Court System…

If you’ve ever wondered where the idea of our Supreme Court system came from, here it is. In the Bible. Deuteronomy (and Exodus - same story) chapter 1, to be specific. Notice it was established by God, an idea given to Moses by his father-in-law (Exodus 18), and God made it work. If we incorporate our action and procedures God’s way, they will be effective and establish consistency. God is a God of order, structure, and peace. Notice the original reason this came about, too many people, too much bickering. Sound familiar?

9 Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! 11 And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as He promised! 12 But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 13 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’14 “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ 15 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’18 “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. Deuteronomy 1:9-18

Wickedness Breeds Instability….

With the world striving for comfort, peace, and stability, our behavior plays a large role determining if we receive it or not. When we think only of ourselves and perform wicked acts, peace, comfort, and stability will never be attained. Wickedness breeds instability. Why? Because wickedness opposes God. There is no peace for the wicked. How can peace, which comes from God, enter into your life when you are rebelling against Him? It’s like robbing a store, and expecting the owner to welcome you back to shop there anytime you want. If you steal from God, don’t expect Him to grant you the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit’s job is to convict us, to get us back into the right relationship with God. Practicing evil only drives us further from God. There is no peace or stability for the wicked, just chaos waiting to explode.

3 Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots. Proverbs 12:3

Murder Isn’t Accidental….

Murder pollutes a land. Murder is when a person kills another person for selfish reasons. Murder isn’t accidental, it’s either purposely selfish or it’s not. That leads me to abortion. Abortion is purposely killing a child for selfish reasons. Economics, lack of confidence in oneself, most health issues, or relational issues are all selfish reasons, and thus dictate murder. America has over 62 million murdered babies since legalizing abortion in 1973. Our land is polluted, and it’s defiled. How can we expect blessings from God when we continue to pollute our land with murder? We can’t. Until we reconcile this one habitual sin, and start honoring life, America will never have peace.

33 This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder. 34 You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.” Numbers 35:33-34