Eternally Minded

We have heard of the pride of Moab —  he is very proud— of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance,  and the haughtiness of his heart.  I know his insolence, declares the Lord ;  his boasts are false,  his deeds are false. Jeremiah 48:29 & 30 In the rest of the chapter, we see the L ORD  dishing out destruction for Moab. He is angry with them - they sinned and would be thoroughly punished for it.  On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the L ORD . How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him.  (Jeremiah 48:39 & 39) But what was their sin?  PRIDE.  Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he magnified himself against the L ORD .   (Jeremiah 48:42) ...

...His wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the L ORD his God... For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the L ORD and did not wholly follow the L ORD , as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.  And the L ORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the L ORD , the God of Israel...   1 Kings 11:3-9 Take careful note of this passage. What did Solomon do to make God angry? What was his great sin? Idolatry.  I didn't totally realize the concept of this sin until recently. Sure, I ...

                                                   Recently our family drove from Nova Scotia to Ontario to visit family and friends whom we had not seen in a while. Before I went, I sent a message to a relative. It said, "Can I ask a favour of you?" The reply was "Of course!" I replied, "I was wondering if you could please read the following pamphlet at least twice before [we arrive in ON], and then we can we get together and talk about it."  I included 6 pictures: one for every page of John Piper's Gospel tract entitled Quest for Joy . Thankfully the reply I received was, "Ok. Looking forward to that." I was prepared for a different answer. I wish I could convey in words how encouraged I was to hear that the light was green. This would turn out to be the second (and hopefully not the last) conversation with this person about the Gospel. ...

Hey! Thanks for taking the time to read this week's post! I've been studying the book of Ecclesiastes, and have finally made it to the application phase of hermeneutics. I thought I would share with you what God revealed to me. I hope it also draws you to worship our sovereign Lord! "A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. For he has come out of prison to become king , even though he was born poor in his kingdom. I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him. There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is  vanity  and striving after wind." Ecclessiastes 4:13-16 Here we read a story of a poor, criminal, youth who supersedes an old foolish king, with nothing but wisdom on his side. But we know it wasn't just wisdom, but God, because all wis...

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...