Christianity is not a dead faith. We are given new life in Christ and given the Holy Spirit to energize, teach, guide, and lead us into a fruit-filled existence. Here's a story about a couple of people who had an encounter with the risen Christ, and how it changed them!
In today's society and even in the life of the church, many people go from one thing to the other to try and escape to a different life. Solomon tried it all and realized that man should live with a spiritual mind, prioritizing that which will last for eternity. There is a way to "live better."
Never in the Scripture does it say that "God is fair." It claims only that He is just. We do not live in a fair world, because we live in a sinful world. We need to examine the Bible and the promises of God to develop the proper world view.
Even the greatest servants of God doubted Him occasionally. In this text we find John the Baptist doubting when sitting in a prison for doing right. Thankfully we learn some reassurances and reminders from our Lord to help us when we doubt.
Many people today are just trying to endure, or even escape everyday life. How then do we enjoy it? Does God really have a purpose for my life?
How we manage the "blessings", the luxuries that God sends our way outside of our normal needs, reveals where our heart is spiritually. We are blessed to be a blessing!
What made Solomon full of regret when he came to the end of his life? Here are some ways to just about guarantee that you will hate your life!
King Solomon had the resources, the wisdom and good health to try and satisfy every desire he could imagine with the things this world has to offer. At the end of it all, he had to admit that it was all vanity, emptiness. Only Jesus can give meaning and purpose to this life and pleasures forevermore!
The human heart is always searching for more - never satisfied. Solomon had the resources, time, the mind and the opportunities to search out all that life had to offer. His amazing conclusion was that life is "vanity" - empty without God and His purposes for our lives.
Life will undoubtedly hand us some bad days! Followers of Christ should always respond to those who disrespect us, discriminate against us, and give us evil for our good by bringing a little heaven to earth. His children bring Christ into reality in our world!
Is there really a difference in the way God's people gave to God and His work in the Old Testament versus the believers in the New Testament? Here are some eye-opening comparisons designed to encourage us to be "grace givers" in the day in which we live.
There are so many lessons to learn from the life of King Solomon of Israel. The man who had it all and experienced it all said, "There has got to be more to life than this!" How do we really define a successful life?
It should be the desire of every one of God's children to finish their race strong and accomplish much for the cause of Christ. Israel's first King, Saul, started well but didn't end well! What were the steps that led him away from his God and to a tragic end?
The Apostle James asked a most sobering question, "What is your life?". His divinely inspired answer? It is just like a vapor that appears for a little time and is quickly gone. How can we make the most of our short appearance on this earth?
Do you still believe that God is able, that He will do wonders for you as He has done for others? When is the last time you took a risk of faith to do something big for God? Let's learn some great lessons from Joshua and the children of Israel as they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.
The Christian life is not about regulations, resolutions or requirements. It is about a relationship - a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. His command to us is simply "follow me."
Mankind is unique among all of God's creation, but in the Garden we lost the dominion over the earth that God intended for us. Christ's coming to earth in the form of a man enables us to leave the "family of Adam" and be born again into Christ and new life!
As we examine the reasons why Jesus came to earth and why we celebrate Christmas, we learn from the Apostle John that Jesus came to take away our sins and to destroy the works of the devil. That's absolutely the best Christmas gift ever given!
Jesus came into the world at the perfect time - the time ordained of the Heavenly Father. He came to deliver us from the curse of the law and to place in our hearts a new law, a law that keeps us in love with the Savior, the Word and with fellow Christians. Don't legalize your Christianity!
A personal testimony is a powerful witness to the unbeliever. Paul shares with young Timothy how he came to Christ and what a difference it made in his life. Christmas is all about this - that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners".
No doubt, everyone desires to be happy, but we usually try to find it in the wrong things. The Psalm singer shares with us the one thing that will bring true happiness in our lives and the blessed results that follow!
Much of our Christian experience and continuing to ascend requires perseverance in the face of opposition and attack. Certainly Israel knew this! Just how do we do that?
This Psalm of Ascension is attributed to Solomon. If anyone could tell us what a life of self-dependence is like, he certainly could. He finally learned that we need God for everything in life. The second half of this Psalm may describe the most difficult part of life that requires God's help and intervention - raising our children!
This Psalm is a song of revival, of renewal, of Israel making a comeback after 70 long years in Babylonian captivity. We also become captive to our sin, to cold hearts for the Lord, and to spiritual apathy. Let's learn the process for making a spiritual comeback!
In this Psalm of Ascension, the writer is thinking back to the horrible circumstances that could have ruined the nation of Israel, but is reminded that God came through in a miraculous way! We can still trust Him with not only our souls, but with every situation in life.
Weak faith in a strong object is better than strong faith in a weak object." Our faith is in Jesus, the Son of God! Faith in Him gives us the ability to live victoriously in a faithless world.
When we have a high view of God we'll have the correct view of man. With eyes of faith we must look past the turmoil within us and the trouble all around us to the God who controls all things according to His plan for mankind. Where man rules, God overrules!
In this Psalm of Ascension the song writer describes some elements that are present in true worship. Worship that pleases God comes from a passionate, praising and prayerful heart!
Where do we look when trouble is coming from all sides? The Psalmist tells us where our help comes from, reminding us that God won't let us slip and will preserve our very souls!
From the first of the Ascension Psalms, the hymn writer lets us know that we can still worship in evil surroundings. The very things that made him cry out to God in prayer still attack our lives today. God still answers - sometimes slowly, sometimes swiftly, but always sovereignly.
