We are subjected to all kinds of tests throughout our lifetime. Some are routine, but others are unavoidable, deeply personal tests: peer pressure, emotional suffering, financial upheaval, and temptation. With a fear of failure, we usually don’t consider these as positive experiences. However, with good preparation we can face self-examination confidently. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is … [Read more...] about Self-Examination: Are We in the Faith
God's Plan
Is Christ Your King?
When Christ returns, every human ruler will be dethroned and every idol will be dismantled. We who have already accepted Christ’s dominion look forward to that time. But do we really see our King clearly? The first commandment prohibits idolatry and reinforces God’s primary rule over all things. But throughout the history of God’s people putting God first has been a continuous struggle. In 1446 B.C. the Israelites, having come out of Egypt witnessing God’s miracles, lost sight of Moses and … [Read more...] about Is Christ Your King?
The Kingdom of God
The world has been successively ruled by kingdoms. From a biblical perspective we see this clearly outlined by Daniel as he explains to the Babylonian king the contents of the king’s dream. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, “For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory” (Daniel 2:37). There were to be three similar kingdoms to follow the Babylonian kingdom. The progress of the dream’s revelation ends with a future fifth kingdom – the Kingdom of God. “And in the days of … [Read more...] about The Kingdom of God
The Memorial Trumpets
The Feast of Trumpets gets its name from the ordained blowing of trumpets which were blown as “a memorial of blowing of trumpets” (Leviticus 23:24). The Hebrew word for “memorial” is zikkārôn. Which – according to the Dictionary of Biblical Languages (DBL) – means “to commemorate” or “call to remembrance.” The Feast of Trumpets symbolizes a future event. How can we memorialize something that has not happened yet? Zikkārôn also means memorializing our right or claim to an inheritance based on … [Read more...] about The Memorial Trumpets
Our Job
We all have a job. At some stage in life, day after day, we work. Yet sometimes the daily repetition can turn into a blur of years in or outside the home. For 18 long years, I sat in the basement of a hospital, all alone, and programmed a computer to run the air conditioning. I wondered, how did my repetitious work fit into our calling? "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of … [Read more...] about Our Job
Being Tenderhearted
Having served in the army during the Vietnam era, each time I see that poignant image of Vietnamese children screaming in panic as they flee from a napalm attack, it transports me back to my own experience in a very visceral way. I feel their anguish and their pain. A few years ago, when I saw a photograph of a little boy named Aylan, killed trying to escape the mayhem that tore apart Syria and looking so similar to my own grandson of the same age, again, I felt that same sense of loss and … [Read more...] about Being Tenderhearted
The Impact of the Passover
We can know from careful Bible study the actual Passover is an annual event, not weekly. It’s a much more serious occasion. It is the beginning of God’s plan. Without it, we could go no further. For ancient Israel, the Passover made possible their release from bondage. Later, when God delivered the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, after a tremendous audio-visual show, He reminded Israel that it was He who brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 19:17-19, 20:1-2). This event was just a physical … [Read more...] about The Impact of the Passover