The Death Penalty….

This is why the death penalty is an effective deterrent to crime. It makes people evaluate their life. Take it away and violence and crime increase. Carry it out, and watch illegal activity plummet. The death penalty is necessary in a self-governing society.

8 But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. 9 You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in. 10 Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again. Deuteronomy 13:8-11

We Are Told To Love Our Enemies….

We are told to love our enemy, but what are we to do when our enemy promotes things that lead others away from God? We live in a society where anything goes. I mean anything goes. Why are these evil practices allowed? Maybe one reason is to test us. To prove to ourselves where our true loyalties lie. If we were living in OT times, we would’ve been instructed to put to death these people, these false prophets. Why? To purge the evil from among them. How do we respond to them today? Speak truth, expose their evil ways, and somehow use it to present the Gospel. If someone is blatantly opposing God, and trying to promote it to others, all the while attempting to punish those that oppose them, then that only leaves us with one option, fight back, or walk away leaving the truth intact. Defend the faith, but do it under the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we try to do it our way, we will crash and burn. Love people, but oppose evil... if those people get offended by the truth, so be it, offering them sloppy grace is not the answer. The truth either convicts or condemns, and that’s God’s doing, not ours.

1 “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, 2 and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’–gods you have not known before–3 do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love Him with all your heart and soul. 4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him. 5 The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the Lord your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the Lord your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 13:1-5

Never Have To Worry…

When you speak the truth, you never have to worry about what you said. And good sleep won’t evade you.

13 The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble. Proverbs 12:13

There Will Never Be A Time…

For the faithful follower of Jesus, there will never be a time in which the Lord doesn’t meet our needs. He will never leave us or forsake us. We will never be disgraced in the eyes of those that matter. God’s love for us will always be the overriding factor. It’s enough to last us all of eternity. Tattoo this truth on your heart as a reminder when your feelings tell you otherwise.

19 They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. Psalms 37:19

Choose Him Or Reject Him…

God gives every single person on earth a choice. Choose Him or reject Him. If we choose Him, and follow Him faithfully, we will experience His blessing. That can come in many forms, but the key is that we will experience Him. That means being able to see them (blessings), and know it’s from Him. For those that reject Him, they may still receive blessings but they won’t recognize them, nor will they know they are even receiving them. An example would be rain. A farmer values the rain because his crop depends on it, but someone who works outside may not have work that day if it rains. Saying “yes” to God allows us to see spiritually. And that means we get to experience God while still living in this sin-filled world. That is truly a blessing. What will you choose today, a blessing or a curse?

26 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. 28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from Him and worship gods you have not known before. Deuteronomy 11:26-28

For Your (Our) Own Good….

If I told you you had to do something a certain way, or it would not work, would you listen? Or would you try to do it your way? God created the Heavens and the earth. He has written the rules. He has established its boundaries. Why is it that we feel we can do it “our way”? If God wrote the rules, and as it states here, are “for your (our) own good”, why do we fight them so much? The answer is because it’s in our nature. And the only way of managing that nature is through Him, why wouldn’t we listen?

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Relevancy Of God’s Word…

God’s word is relevant. It’s applicable yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. When God gave Moses the 10 commandments, Moses smashed them to pieces because of his anger at his people’s rebellion. Then God gave him another set. Notice God didn’t change any of the commands. He could’ve added things that would’ve addressed specific things due to the Israelites idolatry. Maybe an extra command for doing stupid things. Or maybe one emphasizing if they made another golden calf, but He didn’t. That means His commands, His words, are relevant for all time, no matter if people change. They apply to all people, all the time, in all situations. God’s words are to lead us to Jesus, the Savior of the world. His plan is for everyone to hear the Good News and respond accordingly. This is just one example of the everlasting relevancy of God’s word. Don’t take them lightly, for they hold to power to save lost souls. Never forget this.

1 “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark–a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to Me on the mountain, 2 and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.’3 “So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand. 4 Once again the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words the Lord had spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain. 5 Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as the Lord commanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark.” Deuteronomy 10:1-5

The Attitude Of Entitlement…

One of the biggest problems in America today is the attitude of entitlement. So many people think they are owed something because they are American. This attitude only feeds our pride. And you know where that leads (a fall). True faith in God helps curb the tendency to think “we are entitled”, because it’s God who sends rain on the evil and the good. And it was Jesus who said to the rich young ruler, “who are you calling good, only God is good”. We are all sinners. We have a sin nature that always wants to oppose God. Why would we deserve anything with a predisposition like that? Our attitude should be one of humility and gratitude. Entitlement and having an “I’m more special than you” attitude shouldn’t be part of a believer’s life. Put it to rest today, and get over yourself with this type of mentality. Ask God to forgive you for thinking you are better than you really are.

4 “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that He is pushing them out of your way. 5 It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath He swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not–you are a stubborn people. Deuteronomy 9:4-6

One Of The most Neglected Aspects….

I think one of the most neglected aspects of the Christian walk is our lack of gratitude when we are full. I think it’s an omissive sin, but it’s still something we tend to do without realizing it. It’s probably one the Holy Spirit prays for us about. When Paul talks about the Holy Spirit groaning for us, in ways we can’t comprehend, it may include this kind of omissive sin. How often after a good meal, when we’ve eaten our fill, do we thank God for providing it? I know I don’t. How about when we return from a great vacation, and we are exhausted and want to crash, do we thank God for it, for the chance to get away from the “daily grind”, getting to experience new things, being refreshed? How about every single time our teenager comes home late at night from a weekend day escapade, do we thank God? Gratitude is an attitude that needs to be conditioned in our lives. Without it, it robs us of the joy we could be experiencing. Praise God when you are full, you owe it to Him for being so good to you.

10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that He led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the One who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:10-20

God’s Blessing Of Fertility….

Do you ever wonder why people marry and then find out they cannot have children? I’m certain there are many reasons that explain this. But here in Deuteronomy we read of God’s promise to the Israelites that if they obey God when they enter and live in the Promised Land, not one single person will be childless. The inability to have children was seen as a curse. Sarah, Rachel, Elizabeth, and many others are mentioned in the Bible as having a barren womb. But God changed all that. God’s blessing of fertility is one we never fully appreciate unless we’ve had adversity trying to conceive. We all should see our ability to have children as a blessing. The sun rises on the evil as well as the good. God allows people to procreate, good and bad. Life is precious, we should alwaYs see it that way. For those of us that honor God, and see procreation as a reward for being faithful, continue to pursue God and point others to Him. Love your children, for they grow up faster than you think. Today, thank God for all of His blessings, especially your ability for being a pathway that the truth can travel into the future when you’re no longer here.

12 “If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep His covenant of unfailing love with you, as He promised with an oath to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you, and He will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land He swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. 14 You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young. 15 And the Lord will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all your enemies! Deuteronomy 7:12-15

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

The Greatest Injustice…

Have you ever thought about what crime Jesus committed that He was crucified for? None. The Jews claimed He was guilty of blasphemy, but if what He said was true, then it wasn’t blasphemy. The government of Rome didn’t have an accusation. Pilate asked the question to the Jewish leaders, “What crime has He committed”? They never answered Pilate; they just kept on shouting “Crucify Him”. In Mark’s gospel he called the Jewish crowd a mob. If you think about it, it’s exactly what a mob does. They were emotionally charged, had no legitimate reason to crucify Jesus, but kept shouting louder and louder to Pilate. A modern day example of this would be the riots going on under the name of peaceful protests (as the media calls them). Mob rules. The saddest part of this is that Pilate gave into them. The spineless coward catered to this “mob rules” mentality. He had no conviction because Jesus hadn’t violated any Roman law. Yet in all of this, in the midst of all the wrong doing, God had a plan. And it was His plan to punish Jesus, and innocent man, the lamb with no defects, by placing all the sins of the world on Him as if He was guilty of committing every single one. The wrath of God was released on Jesus. And He took it. If you ever want to see an example of injustice, here it is. The injustice laid upon Jesus turned out to be the greatest gift of grace the world has ever known. It connected, and fulfilled the promises of the OT and the NT. And most importantly, it saved all that believe and place their trust in Jesus. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed us white as snow. The biggest travesty in life took place on a cross on a hill in Israel over 2,000 years ago. But it was also the greatest event in human history as well. And even though the Jewish leaders and the Roman government didn’t recognize it, the world owes Jesus everything for being the willing sacrifice, taking the punishment we all deserve, unjustly accused of things He didn’t do, all because God loves us. The next time you watch an injustice happen, may it be a small reminder of the greatest injustice to ever take place on this earth. And may it remind you that God allowed it to happen to rescue you from Hell. Now that’s real love, without any excuses.

9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has He committed?”But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify Him!”15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Mark 15:9-15

There Are No Regrets When It Comes To….

To live a disciplined life one must humble oneself in order to submit to this lifestyle. In order to learn one must set aside his pride, which allows self-evaluation. Pride keeps us from admitting wrong doing, and thus prevents us from fully learning from our mistakes. We all know someone who is prideful, look in the mirror. Anytime you see someone or yourself hating to be corrected, there’s a good chance that person’s priorities don’t involve humility. As I’ve always said, “discipline yourself, so others won’t have to”. Are you a life-long learner? Are you humble at heart? Do you live a disciplined life? Pride keeps us from humility. Why not put it to rest today, take up your cross, and start following our Savior. There are no regrets when it comes to being sold out to Jesus, well maybe one, not doing it soon enough.

1 To learn, you must love discipline;it is stupid to hate correction. Proverbs 12:1

Unless, Of Course, You Don’t Care About Yourself?

Here’s one fact about God that makes a huge difference in the life of a believer: God knows us better than we know ourselves... and still loves us anyway. Let that truth sink in. If He knows us better than we know ourselves, and still loves us, warts and all, it would be crazy not to trust Him. Unless, of course, you don’t care about yourself?

27 On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert Me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd,and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”29 Peter said to Him, “Even if everyone else deserts You, I never will.”30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter–this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know Me.”31 “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And all the others vowed the same. Mark 14:27-31