Things in our culture are changing rapidly. Many believe the attacks on biblical principles, the marginalization of our beliefs, the loss of our freedoms, and the persecution toward us as believers will continue to increase. How will we respond to the challenges? Will we stay true to what we say we believe? Will we continue to stand up for biblical truth when it’s unpopular? What if it were outlawed? What can we do to prepare ourselves for what could happen?
Music has the power to do good and evil. The songs we sing can be powerful tools for teaching, persuading, and helping us remember things. They can trigger the imagination and stir our hearts.
Have you ever heard a song and been quickly taken back to a different time? And how many childhood songs do you remember 20, 30, or 40 years later? Why is music so powerful?
What kind of music do you listen to? Does it help you walk closer to God? Or does it draw you into the world? What kind of worship music do you sing? Does it make much of God or much of man? Why are the songs we sing so important?
Probably few of us could have foreseen the damage an invisible virus would do to our economy, sense of security, and national attitudes before 2019. And while we all know there are aggressive, hostile nations in the world, few expected Russia to brazenly invade her neighbor Ukraine. Even fewer would have expected that war to go on for over two years. Add to that rising inflation, concerns about our border, contentious politics, and growing hostility toward people of faith and there is much that could tempt us to worry.
Yet, none of this was a surprise to God. And if we understand His sovereignty, we must admit that He not only knew each situation was coming, He allowed, possibly even ordained, all these circumstances. And all that has happened as a result, including our responses, has happened in the presence of God, coram Deo, literally before His face.
As we contemplate that fact, we should also remember that what God allows and ordains in our lives serves His purposes. He has general purposes for us all, but He also has specific plans and purposes for each of us. Those purposes are always for our good and His glory. And those two are never opposed to one another. They work in perfect harmony. So, how can understanding these things help us respond better in times of adversity?
God allows us to make our own choices, but we should not think we can disobey Him and somehow be in control of where it ends. Today’s reading in Deuteronomy gives us a stark picture of total depravity and where the downward spiral of sin can lead, including things that could be taken right out of today’s headlines.
As someone said and has been quoted many times:
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay!”
Could you be on a path that could start the slide into that downward spiral?
Today is April Fool’s Day, a day to have fun and play practical jokes. I’ve carried out a few and been the recipient of even more … all in fun. But being a true fool is no laughing matter. Biblically, a fool is a man who fails to heed God’s warnings or refuses to live according to God’s wise principles.
Ironically, some who don’t know the Lord believe the opposite. They call us foolish for forgiving those who have hurt us, keeping God’s moral laws, and refusing to lie, cheat, or steal. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be called a fool for God than foolishly live in ways that will be displeasing to God and bring about His discipline.
Could you be judging God? Too often we read certain portions of Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, and we’re tempted to judge God by our human standards. What do we need to remember about God when we’re tempted to doubt His goodness, love, or mercy? Or when we doubt Him altogether because His ways don’t make sense to us?
We live in a world where the Bible and religious liberty are under siege. Many people point to the Old Testament, in particular, and say it’s outdated and irrelevant. Others want to discredit the Bible all together as something devised by men. They call those of us who hold to it everything from ignorant to mean-spirited.
Is the Bible and the Old Testament, in particular, still relevant? Does it have something to say to New Testament believers? If so, why are some Old Testament laws still valid and others are not?
No matter what the battle or who the enemy is, we are not to look at the size of the enemy, but at the size of our God! So, if you’re struggling with anxiety about everything going on in our nation and the world or with the circumstances of your life, there is a better way to process it all. Today we’ll look at how we can refocus on the bigness of God and respond biblically.
Everything we do, we do before the Lord. Everything. But, too often, while we may be doctrinally sound in our theology, we don’t let our theology overlay everything in our lives. We may know much of the Bible and claim to accept it as truth. But are there times when we allow what amounts to opinions have more of an effect on our behavior and the things we stand for than the truth?
It happens to us all. Maybe it’s someone standing on the street corner with a cardboard sign, maybe it’s a friend or a co-worker or maybe it’s a grown son or daughter. They need a loan. Or another loan. Or just a little help. Maybe it doesn’t seem right, but there’s the guilt. You wonder … what is the right thing to do?
