Eternally Minded

Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” 1 Kings 6:11-13 This is a promise from the L ORD to His chosen people, Israel, while Solomon is building the temple. Intentionally, in chapter 5, we see God fulfilling a promise He made to Solomon,  "The L ORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him..." (1 Kings 5:12) But there is a contingency linked to this particular promise in chapter 6: That His people would obey His statutes, rules, and commandments, and to walk in them.  Maybe, if you're like me, this sounds like a lot of what is modernly called 'works religion'.   But the phrase 'walk in them' points to a devotion. ** D...

Most of us in Christian circles have heard something about perseverance (also referred to Biblically as endurance). We know that 2 Peter 1:6 says that perseverance brings godliness and that it's an important quality to have. We know or have heard of someone who seems to have mastered perseverance, like Paul, William Tyndale, or even the persecuted church. Sometimes we think that perseverance is this big thing that only super Christians can do. But how do we actually develop perseverance? I think the answer lies in 2 Peter 1:3: "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." Because Christ gave us life, we have a knowledge of Him that only He can reveal to us. And it's through that knowledge that He enables us to escape corruption that comes from evil desires as He makes us more like Him. So, Paul tells us to strive to supplement our faith with certa...

I for one am very guilty of thinking I and my puny faith can be of no use to God. I have the feeling I'm not alone. Today the world is breeding our generation to be self-centered and introverted, yet we wonder why suicide rates and depression stats are sky high: Could it be that young people feel void of purpose? We are God's created treasures: nothing else is made in God's image the way we are. God doesn't look like us, but He has given us a will, emotions, and a mind-- the ability to create. Elephants don't have these gifts, neither do apes, plankton, or beetles. That because we are made in God's image, special-- PRECIOUS-- in His sight. "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 "Sure, I'm made in God's image. Big deal. Nothing I've never heard before." How could God ever use me? I want to propose to you the importance of individual...

" God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel-- and God knew ."  (Exodus 2:24+25) The Bible is filled with the works of God. In the New Testament, Jesus performed countless miracles: healing thousands of the sick, restoring sight and sound to the blind and deaf, casting out demons, even raising the dead. During His time on earth, His presence changed the lives of everyone He came in contact with, and it continues to do so. Not as commonly known, God Almighty was very active in the Old Testament. When I recently read Exodus, I tried to take note of all the references to something God had done or promised to do. And there were a lot . So many that I was astonished. Fact is, God's providence surrounds us every step of our journey. He is orchestrating everything that happens, even if we don't know it or acknowledge it. (See one of our previous posts: Providence) Take the ocean...