As believers in Jesus Christ, we’re to abstain from anything that harms our body or makes us ineffective for Christ (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Food, drink, tobacco, or just plain laziness — nothing is to control us except the Spirit of God
Worship at our church is usually powerful! The instruments, the voices, our worship leader’s direction under the Holy Spirit — wow, what mornings as we stand and lift our hearts to God in praise and adoration; indeed, we are celebrating the goodness of our loving God. The dictionary would call us celebrants — folks who participate in a celebration.
What is God calling you to do, to become? Unsure? In Mark 1:17 we read of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew: “Come, follow Me.” Not only is He direct, notice the important implication: To say “follow Me” assumes He’ll show the way! The application for us today is simply this: The serious seeker will not be left in the dark. Wait upon the Lord if you are uncertain. When God is clear, go for it!
So, of Jesus’ identity there can be no mistake: He was/is the Lord Christ, our Savior and our only hope in this life — and in the one to come. This is critically important to know and be assured of in our day, for every attempt imaginable is being employed to erode, dilute, to syncretize Christianity, to make Jesus one of any number of paths to God and ways to make sense of life.
Welcome to Ecclesiastes, perhaps one of the most misunderstood books found in the Bible! I just completed a reading of this “mysterious” chronicle of life’s perplexities as penned by the son of King David. Ecclesiastes is part of what theologians call wisdom literature. This fascinating book helps us look at the repetitiveness of life from the standpoint of eternity: Apart from God, life is fleeting and futile.
Proverbs comes under the Biblical category of wisdom literature and emphasizes practical living before the face of God. The book is filled with distinctive maxims and adages — general principles that are usually (but not always) fulfilled this side of heaven. For instance: The righteous suffer while the wicked seem to prosper and enjoy great blessing. But, ultimately, rewards and punishment will be fulfilled in the new heaven and earth.
This side of heaven, Christians suffer the same losses unbelievers suffer: We lose loved ones unexpectedly; we battle then lose to disease; our marriages become distressed — and sometimes dissolve; we lose our job, our home; sometimes our closest friends betray us; etc., etc.