My Thoughts and Reflections

"It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith." Romans 4:13 (NIV1984) I know I am not alone in having times throughout my life when my faith in Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of his word has wavered. In those times of doubting and struggling to maintain my faith, I would ask myself questions like, "Am I really doing all that I can to be saved?" and "How can I really be sure that my faith in Jesus Christ alone is enough?" During those times, it's scriptures like today's passage (Rom. 4:6-13) that encourage me and bring my flickering flame of faith back to a roaring fire! One of Paul's favorite examples of faith and righteousness, that he uses multiple times in his letters, is Abraham. He tells us that God counted Abraham as righteous because of his faith in him, not because of anything that he accomplished on his ...

The Israelites took some of their supplies, but they didn't ask for any decision from the L ORD . Joshua 9:14 (CEB) How often have I gone through my day and made a lot of decisions, but didn't once go to God for direction?  Sadly, as I look back on just the last few weeks, I can see that that has been my modus operandi .  After reading this verse in Joshua, it made me reflect on how I have not been bringing my decisions to God for direction on a regular basis. The context of this passage is during the Israelites' entry into the Promised Land.  God had told them to no make treaties with any of the inhabitants of the land because they were to wipe out the whole population of the Promised Land.  To enter into a treaty would mean that they could not fulfill this task that God gave them.  However, they were tricked by the Gibeonites into entering into a treaty.  They were slightly hesitant, but instead of relying on God's judgment, they went ahead...

Let no one deceive you  with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath  comes on those who are disobedient. Ephesians 5:6 (NIV) Sadly, the world is full of people claiming to be Christians who are full of empty words, or as the Common English Bible says, "stupid ideas."  These people deceive those who are not strong in their faith in Christ and who do not know and understand the words found in the Bible. It is so important to make regular reading of the Bible a part of your daily routine, to make hearing sound biblical teaching at least once per week, and to pray and meditate on God's word so that you are protected against the empty words of the disobedient deceivers that Paul is warning us about.   Paul is clear about what happens to those who teach doctrines that are foreign to the Bible or that twist and distort what is found in the Bible.  He says that those people receive the wrath of God. Read your Bible and do not fall prey t...

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV) "Walk by the Spirit!"  What other command can we live by that guarantees that we will be doing exactly what God desires of us in life?  I cannot think of one!   If we walk by the Spirit, Paul tells us that we will not gratify the desires of our flesh.  These desires are the desires that stem from the sinful nature that we were born with and are constantly at battle with and they are completely opposite of what the Spirit desires for our lives.  So we're left with a big choice to make in our daily lives.   Will you choose to walk by the Spirit and obey God's will for your life or will you conduct your life according to your own sinful desire...

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”  – Psalm 62:1 (NIV) We live in the busiest era of human history.  It is an age where people get frustrated, stressed, and cranky when a website fails to load in under 15 seconds and when the email app on our mobile devices crashes right before our composed email is completed and sent!  We live in a time when text messages, instant messages, and video chats replace real face-to-face conversations and we think the drive through at the bank will save us time!  When is our time for rest?  Where do we find rest?  Sometimes, it seems hopeless for us to find rest in the business of our lives.  After all, who has the time to rest? In this psalm, David proclaims that it is in God where his rest is found.  When you sit down to think about it, where else does your rest come from?  Wasn't it God who created an entire day just for us to rest?  Rest is a God-given act...

“Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.  Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.””  – Matthew 28:18-20 (CEB) It has been a common misconception in the church today that evangelism is meant to be left for the “professionals,” i.e., pastors, missionaries, and professional evangelists.  What a sad misconception!  This command recorded at the end of Matthew’s gospel is Jesus’ last command to his disciples.  At that time, those who were present at Jesus' ascension were the church.  Therefore, Christ’s command wasn’t just for those who are in church ministry, but for the entire church!  Did you notice Jesus saying to, “go and make disciples?”  He isn’t just intere...