Tuesday 3:32 PM CST
7 February 2012
If you’re searching for …
Faith rather than simply religion
Virtue rather than simply values
Relationship rather than rule-keeping
Divine help rather than self-help
Then we may be the place for you!
Tags: contrast community, welcome
As I read the Christian Chronicles article on Anabel Reid, the young 19-year-old who lost her life in a bus crash, my heart and prayers went out to her family and friends.
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People are rushing out to do last minute Christmas shopping. If you had the resources to give any gift to someone, what gift would you give? Obviously, the gift of salvation comes to mind. To give that gift, you would have to provide access to God’s word. This week’s lesson focuses upon one of the great heroes of the Old Testament. Hilkiah was a high priest who served during the reign of King Josiah. His history is one that offers Christians some of the greatest encouragement they will ever find in the Bible. He is the man who discovered the lost Book of God!
As this year quickly draws to a close, there are many blessings for which we give thanks. However, many Americans will look back on this year and be thankful that it has passed into history. We have witnessed our country move farther away from its Christian roots. We also have seen many of our fellow citizens accommodate sins and lifestyles that are in opposition to a Christian world view.
For believers, one thing remains constant, God is sovereign! Ultimately He is in control of the universe. His son is seated at His right hand and our faith remains unshakeable in His ability to deliver His people from any and all situations.
Wikipedia
Exodus 32 relates the story of the golden calf. God called Moses to Mount Sinai to give instructions for Israel that included the 10 commandments. Because Moses had been gone for a long time, the people became restless. They called on Aaron to make gods“that could lead them” . It seems that Aaron didn’t hesitate. He collected the golden earrings from the wives, sons, and daughters of Israel, melted them down and molded them into the shape of a calf.
The Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin
Pray all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! As I’ve mentioned the older I get, the more I appreciate the traditions of the Thanksgiving holiday. It is filled with memories of my childhood and being raised by faithful parents. My parents passed this precept of faith to my brothers, sisters and me; thanksgiving is about a devoted relationship with God.
“He is the model citizen, the guy you want your daughter to date, yet Tim Tebow can’t help being the most polarizing figure in all of professional sports.” Ben Maller, “The Post Game”
This statement is in reference to defensive players mocking Tim’s overt crediting of God for success during a football game by taking a prayerful stance following a successful play.
Tim Tebow, a player on the Denver Broncos American football team.
Author: Jeffrey Beall by permission, 19 September 2010.
“Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:1-5)
The writer of the book of Hebrews describes the Son of God as greater than the angels (who delivered God’s law), greater than Moses (whom the Lord knew face-to-face). He is not only the creator of our universe but its sustainer.
We are all familiar with God’s instruction to Abraham to circumcise every male child, both family and servant, Genesis 17:10. As we’ve discussed, every physical commandment had a deeper spiritual meaning. The same is true with this commandment. Circumcision, or the cutting off of the foreskin, signified the removal and wiping away of those things that impeded and defiled the type of love needed for entry into God’s Kingdom. If we thoroughly study this issue we understand that God’s ultimate purpose is the same today as it was then. God desired that those who would be his people show their commitment to Him through their faith and obedience to His instructions.
The circumcision of Jesus by Giovanni Bellini c. 1500.
While on a family trip in the Missouri Ozarks, I found a set of postcards that depicted “hill folk” as ignorant, poor, and lazy.
Last week we emphasized the idea that God doesn’t want religion; rather, He wants relationship!
As we continue our discussion of the spiritual heart it is important that we understand how God views this most precious organ.
Last Sunday morning, Rod did an excellent job of describing the reason mankind has been alienated from God and the means by which reconciliation has become possible.
Imagine a scene like this. Your doctor walks into your hospital room and utters the words “You need a heart transplant!”
Behind the family life center is a dumpster with a sign that warns: “not for public dumping!”
Often, when we speak of the Gospel or of hearing a Gospel sermon, we are thinking in terms of the means by which we become a Christian– what we do.
The two letters to the Thessalonians are thought to be among the earliest letters penned by Paul.
