It all started when Satan and his angelic followers allowed a sliver of suspicion to enter their minds. It ended in defiant rebellion against the family of God. Satan then planted the seed of suspicion that God was holding something back from Adam and Eve, leading them into disobedience. Cain became suspicious that God preferred Abel’s offering. His anger precipitated murder. Suspicion is a primal fear that someone will take what we think should be ours. And suspicious mistrust has challenged … [Read more...] about Sneaking Suspicion
Growth
A Lasting Reputation
It would be reasonable to assume that Jesus Christ, during His human life, was a man of good reputation. But this was not always the case. During Jesus Christ’s life He was considered a deceiver, a blasphemer, demonically possessed, and even Satan himself. A man of “no reputation,” no good reputation (Philippians 2:7). How can this be? How much it must have hurt to be falsely accused by the people He loved and for whom He was to give His life. Surely a good reputation is the primary goal of a … [Read more...] about A Lasting Reputation
Remember Your Creator
Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes near the end of his life. Solomon lived quite a remarkable life. According to biblical scholars, Solomon was the 10th son of King David. He was not the heir apparent to the throne. The throne could have gone to any of his older brothers, but ultimately King David chose Solomon to be the king of Israel. He reigned as king of Israel for 40 years. During his reign, the kingdom of Israel reached its peak, the golden years of the kingdom. Israel was not only … [Read more...] about Remember Your Creator
Stay Alert in Satan’s World
Many years ago, in the mid-1990s, while looking for a new church hall, I heard an interesting tale about a piano. There in South Florida, the retiree population loved to dance, so dance halls were plentiful to rent. At one location, the hall director was having trouble getting the stage arranged to his satisfaction. Specifically, the piano was in the wrong spot. When he tried to move it, the regular customers protested and demanded it be moved back. Frustrated, the director gave up. Some … [Read more...] about Stay Alert in Satan’s World
The Holy Spirit Versus “I”
How many times a day do we use the words “me,” “myself,” or “I”? I tried keeping track once and finally gave up because I lost count. Have we considered just how powerful that “I” is? Our mind’s eye, personalities, and core existence. Let’s look at exactly what we’re up against when we pit our human mind against the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ and the apostles were on a boat after He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. As they crossed the Sea of Galilee, a great windstorm blew in. The … [Read more...] about The Holy Spirit Versus “I”
Our True Defense
After WW1, the French built a seemingly impenetrable defense against German aggression, the Maginot line. A technological marvel, it nevertheless failed. With a false advance, the French were lured north while the bulk of the German forces simply went around the Maginot line and into the heart of France. The technical strength of the Maginot line gave the French a false sense of security, and they became complacent. Their enemy had changed tactics, and they were unprepared. Do we have a … [Read more...] about Our True Defense
Sabbath Sanctity
Most of the 10 commandments are reasonably accepted as part of a civil society and the concepts have been built into the rule of law of Western society. But the Sabbath is a law that gets in the way. The prophet Amos brings that attitude to our attention. “Saying: when will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat?” (Amos 8:5). The Sabbath got in the way of their all-important personal activities. The seventh day needs to be important to God’s … [Read more...] about Sabbath Sanctity