Saturday, November 27, 2021
A foot in light, a foot in darkness
Thursday, November 25, 2021
The Real Story of Thanksgiving
The real story of Thanksgiving actually begins long before the first Thanksgiving. For me, I feel like Rush Limbaugh's telling of the first Thanksgiving should start back earlier in the chapter before he talks about the actual first Thanksgiving. For me, it should all begin with Christopher Columbus about 130 years earlier. As Rush points out, the politically correct view of Christopher Columbus today is that the Italian explorer did not actually discover America because people were already living here. According to the revisionist history that we are taught in schools today, Christopher Columbus brought nothing to the “peaceful New World paradise” but oppression, disease, brutality, and genocide. But this is not an accurate picture of Christopher Columbus, as I have also pointed out in some of my own Wisdom On Wheels blogs and podcasts, especially around Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus really did discover America. That does not mean that no human being had set foot on the continent before 1492 when Columbus discovered it. But just because there were people already here doesn't mean he didn't discover anything. I discovered a very small amount of money I didn’t know I had recently, but that doesn’t mean I’m denying its presence before I discovered it. But that doesn’t make me any less of a discoverer either. Maybe my middle name should be Columbus! Anyway, it was Christopher Columbus that brought this continent to the attention of the technologically advanced, civilized world and paved the way for the expansion of Western Civilization. In 2021 (and really long before that), Western Civilization has been wrongly equated to white supremacy. Nothing could be further from the truth. But that is the nature of the newspeak society in which we live today.
When Christopher Columbus discovered this land in 1492, what kind of a place did he discover? Did he find blissful natives living in perfect harmony with one another and communing with nature, as the politically correct history of today would have us believe? No. Nobody was painting with all the colors of the wind as sang in the Disney movie by Elizabeth Warren--I mean Pocahontas. What Columbus found was a land sparsely inhabited by nomadic hunting tribes. Many were constantly on the verge of starvation. They had not yet discovered the wheel and had no written language. They lived a violent, tribe against tribe, brutal existence. One of the Caribbean Indian tribes that Columbus came into contact with was the Arawaks. The Arawaks attacked and enslaved the Siboney. Another tribe, the Caribs, literally feasted on both tribes because they were cannibals. One of Columbus' search parties found large cuts of human flesh. Arawak boy captives were being fattened for the griddle. Girl captives were mainly used to produce babies for the Caribs to dine on. Did I mention you probably shouldn’t read this until after you have had Thanksgiving dinner today? Oops. Oh well, better a late warning than none at all, right? In today's history books, Native American life is often romanticized. But even a cursory examination of the historical record shows that life was far from utopian for these people long before Columbus. That's not to say that there were no atrocities against Indians by white people. But there were just as many committed against them by other Indians and with a greater degree of savagery. It is also worth pointing out there are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. If Columbus was trying to commit genocide, he sucked at it.
The education establishment and the media have also twisted history when it comes to the contributions of America's earliest permanent settlers, the pilgrims. The story of the pilgrims begins in the early part of the 1600s. The Church of England under King James I was persecuting anyone and everyone who did not recognize its absolute civil and spiritual authority. Those who challenged ecclesiastical authority and those who believed strongly in freedom of worship were hunted down, imprisoned, and sometimes executed for their beliefs. A group of separatists first fled to Holland and established a community. After 11 years, about 40 of them agreed to make a perilous journey to what they called the New World. They knew in advance they would face hardships, but they also knew they would finally be able to live and worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including 40 pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of their new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. The ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact came from the Bible. The pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And because of the biblical precedent set forth in the scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work. But this was no pleasure cruise. The journey to the new world was a long and arduous one. When the pilgrims landed in New England in November of 1620, they found a cold, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just the beginning. During the first winter, half the pilgrims, including William Bradford’s wife, died of either starvation, sickness, or exposure. When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod, and skin beavers fur coats. Life improved for the pilgrims, but they did not prosper yet.
Rush points out in his book that this is where American history lessons often end. Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives rather than as a devout expression of gratitude with biblical roots. Here is the part that has been omitted: The original contract the pilgrims had entered into with their merchant sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store. Each member of the community was entitled to one common share. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well. William Branford recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the pilgrims as the first harsh winter was, which had taken so many lives. So as governor of the colony, Bradford decided to take bold action. He assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace. What we learn from this story in Rush’s book is that before Karl Marx was even born, the pilgrims had experimented with socialism and it didn't work! What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation. The pilgrims decided early on to scrap socialism permanently. Bradford wrote that by taking away private property and trying to force the community to split their wealth evenly amongst themselves, they were trying to act wiser than God. For the community, this bred much confusion and discontent. The young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did not believe that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense. They thought it was an injustice to expect such a thing. The pilgrims found that people cannot be expected to do their best work without incentive. So instead, they harnessed the power of free enterprise through the capitalistic principle of private property. Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and was permitted to market its own crops and products. They saw immediate, successful results, as it made all hands industrious. Much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been. It is here that Rush points out that supply-side economics existed before the 1980s and Ronald Reagan. All you have to do is read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41. Following Joseph’s suggestion in Genesis 41 34, Pharaoh reduced the tax on Egyptians to 20% during the seven years of plenty and the earth brought forth in heaps. In no time, the pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat by themselves. So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with Indians. In other words, their prosperity enabled them to be more generous. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London and the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans. This began what came to be known as The Great Puritan Migration.
One of those attracted to the new world by the success of Plymouth was Thomas Hooker, who established his own community in Connecticut, the first full-fledged constitutional community and perhaps the freest society the world has ever known. Hooker’s Community was governed by the Fundamental Order of Connecticut, which established strict limits on the powers of government. So successful was this idea that Massachusetts was inspired to adopt its Body of Liberties, which included 98 separate protections of individual rights. These ideas and concepts are tied directly to the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution.
Nevertheless, the pilgrims and Puritans of early New England are often vilified today as witch burners and portrayed as simpletons. On the contrary, it was their commitment to pluralism and free worship that led to these ideas being incorporated into American life. Our history books purposely conceal the fact that these notions were developed by communities of devout Christians who studied the Bible and found that it prescribed limited, representative government and free enterprise as the best political and economic systems. There was a time when every schoolchild learned these basic lessons of the American culture. But now thanks to censorship, these truths are being systematically expunged from the history books in a favor of leftist claptrap.
That’s not where Rush’s chapter ends, but that is the end of the part that I found most relevant to us on Thanksgiving today. There is a part I want to focus on here at the very end that Rush points out. The first Thanksgiving was not primarily about the pilgrims thanking the Indians, although I am sure they were thankful for the help they received from them. But they recognized that their ultimate help came from the Lord. It is to him that they expressed thanks for. That is what Thanksgiving was about and continued to be about for a long, long time. What about today? What about you and your family? Is this just Turkey Day (or in my case Ham Day since that’s what I ate for Thanksgiving dinner)? Or is today for you about being thankful to God for what he has done in your life? Even if your life is pretty rough right now, you still can’t say he hasn’t done anything for you. He did the greatest thing he could ever do when Jesus came to Earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died on the cross. He paid a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. All we have to do to avail ourselves of that is to follow Romans 10:9-10. If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved (NLT). With an offer like that, we all have something to be thankful for this and every Thanksgiving.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
God's holiness and mercy
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Jethro visits Moses
As the most famous leader of God’s chosen people, Moses had a strong influence on the people he led. But he also had a strong influence on his father-in-law, Jethro. At the beginning of Exodus 18,, we see that Jethro had heard about all that God had done for Israel and that Moses had done for his people. Moses was gaining quite the reputation with Jethro and so was the God that Moses served. What kind of reputation does God have among the people you know?
The relationship between Jethro and Moses was obviously based on respect and personal care. We know that because Moses bowed down and kissed Jethro upon seeing him. then they spend some time asking each other how they were doing. It would appear from the details that they were more than just cordial with each other. They actually cared about one another. When they went into the tent, Moses spent a good deal of time telling Jethro of all the miraculous things God had done on behalf of Israel. I can imagine the enthusiasm with which Moses explained all of this to Jethro and Jethro’s facial expressions as he heard for the first time Moses’ firsthand accounts of what we have recorded for us in our Bibles today. What a great time it had to be for both of them. Jethro rejoiced because of all the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. “The Lord be blessed, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, for, in the matter in which they treated the people insolently, He was above them.” Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. Jethro was a priest of Midian of the Kenite clan. The Kenites were coppersmiths and metalworkers. They played an important role in the history of ancient Israel. Jethro’s statement that now he knows that the Lord is greater than all gods shows the power one’s testimony can have on those around them. Don’t discount or doubt that you have something to say that can lead others to Christ. Moses doubted God on this subject for a time, but the life of Moses is also a testimony of what God can do through a willing vessel.
More evidence of the relationship between Moses and Jethro is Jethro’s concern for Moses when he saw how much Moses was working. Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning until the evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” Jethro was concerned that Moses was taking on too much. Although the Mosaic Law had yet to be given by God to Moses, God had already established the 6-to-1 day ratio of work to rest. On the seventh day, God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it He had rested from all His work which He had created and made (Genesis 2:2-3).
Then Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you, and these people who are with you, for this thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself. Now listen to me, I will advise you, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God so that you may bring their disputes to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and laws and shall show them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. Moreover, you shall choose out of all the people capable men who fear God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and place these men over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. Let them judge the people at all times, and let it be that every difficult matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge, so that it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you shall do this thing and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.” God commands us to choose leaders that fear him. When governments are corrupt in places where voters elect their public officials and anyone can run for office, it is because those governments are reflections of their people. For Americans reading this, an interesting side note is that Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution says that the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government. This is a reflection of Exodus 18:21 and Jethro’s idea to provide out of all the people leaders who were rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
So how can we apply this to our lives? I don’t know if I could improve on the note in the Life Application Study Bible for Exodus 18:13-26. They say that Moses was spending so much time and energy hearing the Hebrews’ complaints that he could not get to other important work. Jethro suggested that Moses delegate most of this work to others and focus his efforts on jobs only he could do. People in positions of responsibility sometimes feel like they are the only ones who can do necessary tasks, but in actuality, others are often capable of handling part of the load. Delegation relieved Moses’ stress and improved the quality of governance. It helped prepare the Israelites for the system of government that would later be set up in Canaan. Proper delegation can multiply your effectiveness while giving others a chance to grow.
Friday, November 12, 2021
God isn't Barney
The last few posts have started off with Exodus 17:1-7. And now for the fourth time--haha, just kidding. We’re actually moving forward this time to the rest of the chapter, which means we are going to be looking at Exodus 17:8-16. I posted it earlier but didn’t talk about it much if at all. So we are going to do that a little bit now.
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:8-16 NIV).
There are several people mentioned in this chapter:
The Amalekites- They attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, but were defeated.
The Israelites- They were attacked by the Amalekites at Rephidim, but won the battle.
Moses- He told Joshua to go fight the Amalekites with some Israelite men while he obeyed God on top of a hill with his staff in his hands. When his hands were raised, the Israelites were winning. When they were lowered, they were losing. He also obeyed God in making sure there was a written record of these and many other events. He built an altar to the Lord and named it, “The Lord is my Banner.” As with many other times, the Lord supernaturally worked through Moses to achieve victory for his people.
Joshua- He was a “General” of the Israelite men who fought back and overcame the Amalekites with swords.
God- He displays his supernatural power here by granting the Israelites victory when Moses cooperated in obedience to the Lord by raising his hands with his staff in them.
Aaron- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory. The Lord then told Moses to keep a record of the events, as he did with the rest of the Torah. God also said he would blot out the name of Amalek from under Heaven.
Hur- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory.
EXODUS 4-17
The word “staff” is used 71 times in the NIV Bible and 22 times here in Exodus. The very first time we see it, God asks Moses when he sees it, “What is that in your hand?” And, of course, Moses answers (Exodus 4:2). I’m pretty sure God does not have a vision problem. I’m also certain that is not the first time he had ever seen a staff. When God asks questions like that, he is not seeking information because he is omniscient. He has other reasons for doing so depending on the context of the question at any given time. When Holy Spirit asks you questions, it would be helpful to remember that as well.
Immediately we see either the supernatural properties of Moses’ staff or, more likely, what God directly does with a normal staff in order to demonstrate his power. According to the Midrash Yelammedenu, the staff with which Jacob crossed the Jordan is identical with that which Judah gave to his daughter-in-law, Tamar. It is likewise the holy rod with which Moses worked, with which Aaron performed wonders before Pharaoh, and with which, finally, David slew the giant Goliath. David left it to his descendants, and the Davidic kings used it as a scepter until the destruction of the Temple when it miraculously disappeared. When the Messiah comes it will be given to him for a scepter in token of his authority over the heathen (Jewish Encyclopedia). In reading that, the first thing I thought of was Revelation 2:27. He will rule them with a staff of iron and dash them to pieces like pottery (CJB).
The story of Moses’ staff in Exodus continues with Moses throwing it down and it became a snake on the ground. Then he picked it back up and it turned back into a staff (Exodus 4:4; 7:9-12). With this staff, Moses was able to perform many other signs (Exodus 4:17). With it, he turned the water of the Nile River into blood for a time (Exodus 7:15-20), brought a plague of frogs (Exodus 8:5), gnats (Exodus 8:16-17), brought thunder, hail, and lightning (Exodus 9:23), and brought a plague of locusts (Exodus 10:13). Moses brought it with him everywhere he went (Exodus 12:11; 17:5), including using it to part the Red Sea for he and the Israelites to walk through as the Egyptians pursued them (Exodus 14:16). It was used to supernaturally aid the Israelites in defeating the Amalekites as I have already mentioned here (Exodus 17:9). And we will see one more mention of the word “staff” of the book of Exodus a little later when God gives the Mosaic Law in Exodus 21:19.
DEUTERONOMY 25:17-19
Remember earlier when we read that the Lord said he would be at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation? You never want to be at war with God. Here’s a hint: In the end, God always wins one way or the other. Look at what the Lord will command Moses to tell the Israelites later in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” Some Bible critics have made false claims of racism (some things never change) against God because he ordered the Amalekites to be totally wiped out. This command had nothing to do with their “race”--although, in reality, we are all a part of only one race (Acts 17:26)--but with the character of the people. Some have even falsely claimed that the God of the Old and New Testaments must be different because the God of the Old Testament is angry, hateful, and genocidal while the God of the New Testament is full of love and compassion. I suggest anyone who thinks anything even close to that to read their New Testament again from beginning to end. Here’s another hint: When Jesus returns, he’s not going to be turning the other cheek at his enemies, but returning as a conquering king to bring about an everlasting righteous government. God is full of mercy, love, grace, and extraordinary patience. However, he is also holy, just, righteous, jealous, and sometimes angry. The Lord is a man of war (Exodus 15:3) and the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). These are not mutually exclusive or contradictory. They work together to form the total character of God. If we are going to worship God as he truly is and all that he reveals about himself, we must accept all aspects of who he is, not just the ones that we like, are most comfortable with, or give us the most warm and fuzzy feelings. God isn’t Barney, but he is love (1 John 4:8, 16). God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). But the choice of whether or not you will accept the gift of pardon that Jesus died and rose from the dead to purchase for you because of your sin debt you can never pay on your own--that’s up to you. Will you accept his loving, merciful gift and have a relationship with him that will last forever and grant you eternal life? Or will you die in your sins and experience his eternal wrath that will never end? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (John 3:36 NIV).
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Jesus: Our rock and living water
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Leadership lessons from Moses
- Moses was not a distant, far-off leader, but he was with the people in all they endured. He was not above the "team," but a part of it. When the Israelite foremen went before Pharaoh, he awaited them to hear all that had occurred.
- Moses was a mediator to the Lord for the people he led. In the New Covenant, Jesus is our mediator to the Father, but we can still intercede for those we lead. Hey look, I'm a poet and didn't know it.
- Moses shared with the people what the Lord had spoken to them. God will give guidance to leaders who have ears to hear. Then they can pass that along as needed.
- Moses was an encourager. When the people wanted to give up in fear and go back to Egypt, Moses encouraged them to stay calm and trust the Lord. Leadership is not without challenges. When his people wanted to buckle under the pressure, Moses supported them in their time of need. Good leaders today do the same.
- Moses took divinely-directed action. God told Moses to raise his staff in his hand over the Red Sea and it would divide for them. Moses obeyed the Lord and took action. He did not use continued prayer as an excuse for lack of obedience. The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you carrying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" So he did. A leader's words are important, but so are their actions.
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Unconventional means of provision and victory
By the time the people got to Rephidim, Moses felt as if the people were ready to stone him because of the poor shape they were in. We might be tempted to pile on the Israelites here, but put yourself in their shoes. They didn't have shoes, but let's pretend they did since I already typed the word and don't feel like changing the phrase to make it historically accurate. You've been walking for days in a desert. You're free, yes, but this is the first time you've ever been free. You were slaves before, but you had everything you needed even though your quality of life in other ways was terrible. You've been on this cycle of desperate need, miraculous provision, desperate need, miraculous provision. Intellectually, it may be easy to think, "Well, God is just going to provide again because he has already shown us that he will so many times already in a short time frame." But humans aren't Vulcans. For all of you reading this who aren't Star Trek fans, that means we tend to wholeheartedly embrace emotion alongside logic as part of the human experience rather than trying to suppress emotion, thinking that logic is superior like the Vulcans. It's not like the whole nation of people had collective short-term memory loss and couldn't recall what God had already done for them. But that was then. This is now. "What if...?" Who among us hasn't had those "what if...?" thoughts before. "What if, this time, it's different? What if, this time, God doesn't come through? What if...?" So Moses went before the LORD, who told him to strike a particular rock. When Moses did, water came out of the rock for people to drink. Thus, the place was called Massah (Testing) and Meribah (Quarreling) because the Israelites quarreled with Moses and tested the LORD there (Exodus 17:1-7).
Friday, November 5, 2021
What's your reason?
- "The decreasing attendance members. These were your members who, at one time, attended church almost four times a month. Before the pandemic, their frequency of attendance declined to twice a month or even once a month. COVID accelerated their trends. They are now attending zero times a month."
- "The disconnected church members. If a church member is in a small group, his or her likelihood of returning is high. If they attend worship only, their likelihood of attendance is much lower. Please let this reality be a strong motivation to emphasize in-person small groups once everyone feels safe to return." There are some things I could say about "feeling safe to return," but that would turn this post into something that would best be left to times when I am actually aiming to talk about COVID-19 and the response to it since March 2020. What I can directly testify to is the importance of small groups or Life Groups as my church calls them. One of the things that has made Life Church feel like home to me is the personal connections I have made there. Let me qualify that a little by saying that the first thing I pay attention to with any church is not how they make me feel, but what their doctrinal statement is. If I don't agree with the beliefs of a church, they could be the nicest people in the world, but I don't belong there. That being said, how a person is treated once they begin attending can be just as important to keeping someone there as the doctrinal statement should be about whether or not a person begins attending in the first place. We call each other brothers and sisters in Christ for a reason. It's not just a nice sentiment. We are united as one under the blood of Jesus. When we are genuinely connected with other believers, we are more likely to stay at a church than if they are not.
- "The church-is-another-activity church members. These church members see gathered attendance as yet another activity on par, or lower, than other activities. They were the church members who let inclement weather keep them from church but not their children’s Sunday soccer games. Commitment to the church was a low priority before the pandemic. They have no commitment in the post-quarantine era."
- "The constant-critic church members. These church members always had some complaints for the pastor. In fact, your pastor may be dying a death by a thousand cuts. They are likely still complaining even though they have not returned to in-person services. Many of them will not return at all."
- "The cultural Christian church members. They were part of a declining group well before the pandemic. They were those church members who likely were not Christians but came to church to be accepted culturally. Today, there are few cultural expectations for people to attend church. These cultural Christians learned during the pandemic that it was no big deal to miss church. It will be no big deal for them never to return."
Appreciating God's amazing grace
Monday, November 1, 2021
Convincing and convicting
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Family: God's first institution
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The roles, responsibilities, and structure of the family are laid out in several places in Scripture. Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged (Colossians 3:18-21 NIV). Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 5:21-6:4 NIV). Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:1-7 NIV).
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