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  • The Consequences of Decisions

    The Consequences of Decisions
    2024/10/07
    Decisions have consequences, some good some bad. Our text is the story of Abraham. God tells Abram to depart from his family and that he will be the seed of a great nation. Abram obeys and goes to the land of Canaan. There, God repeats the promise, and Abram builds an altar. For some reason, Abram moves again and builds a second altar between Bethel and Ai. Our text ends with the statement that Abram continued moving south. Dr. Hughes explained that we do not know the location of the first altar or why Abram had decided to move from there. We do know that this continued to move south. The altar location between Bethel and Ai is significant. Bethel means the house of God. Ai is translated as "a heap of ruin." The Bible tells us that Abraham built the altar on a mountain overlooking Bethel and close to Ai. The choice to build here was comfortable. It was close to the house of God but not too close, and it was far enough away from the pile of ruin. The pile of ruin too easily influenced Abraham, and the house of God did not have enough influence. If our altars are in the wrong place, we risk allowing the evil of the world to creep into the church. Our decisions on where to build our altar can affect us, our families, and generations to come.
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    56 分
  • What Is Limiting Your View?

    What Is Limiting Your View?
    2024/10/06
    In our text, God urgently tells Abraham to come outside and look at the heavens, and his offspring will be as numerous as the stars above. God had made this promise to Abraham before. However, at this point, Abraham was close to 100 years old and had no children. Had Abraham looked at the sky inside the tent, he would not have seen the stars. God had to get Abraham outside so he could see the plan. Another translation of the passage says Abraham had to move into the starlight to see what God was showing him. Sometimes, God has to move us to a place where we can see beyond limitations and see what He has for us. God didn't move Abraham halfway around the world; he only had to go outside the flap door of his tent. For others, it is not a physical location but leaving behind past failures to see the future. We look at our past and assume that God cannot possibly want to bless us. Our assumptions on God limit what He can do in our lives. Abraham assumed that he had missed the blessing because of his age, but the Bible says he believed when he stepped outside the tent. What do we assume that is not true? What is limiting our view?
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    46 分
  • On The Other Hand

    On The Other Hand
    2024/09/29
    Decisions are a part of life. Most of us will make a list, weigh the pros and cons, and decide how to proceed. For some, however, decision-making is paralyzing. They may go through the same pro and con analysis, but then they worry about making the wrong decision or disappointing themselves, someone else, or even God. Often, people who find it challenging to make a decision will make no decision, which can result in an even bigger mess. Too often, we see our relationship with God as too fragile to withstand disappointing Him. In some situations, our decisions can alter the course of our lives; however, our relationship with God is not a pass/fail. If we make a wrong choice, the path back to God is one simple step. That one step toward an alter can change the direction, but making that step can be difficult. The enemy wants us to believe everyone is watching and picking out our flaws. In our text, Jesus enters the synagogue. The Pharisees knew why Jesus was there and attempted to entrap Him by asking if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus refutes their trap and asks the man to stretch out his hand. All there knew of his condition. This man may have been active in the church and doing his best with his good hand. Many of us in this situation may have extended the good hand because we are ashamed of the withered one, but Jesus wanted to heal the withered one. We may be doing good work with what we have. We may serve in many capacities, but Jesus wants to make us whole so we can do good works with both hands. We are all caught between the urge to hide our brokenness and the call to be healed. Will we keep holding back or respond to the master when He calls?
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    49 分
  • It is Time To Put Your Foot Down

    It is Time To Put Your Foot Down
    2024/09/15
    Life can come at us from many directions, and often all at the same time. The combination of things life throws at us can cause some to question their faith. In these times, we must remember that God wants us to live a victorious and overcoming life. It is easy to look at our current situation and conclude that it has never been as bad as it is now. Looking back over our lives, we can see multiple times when God has provided a way in the darkness, and we cand find comfort in if He did it then, He will do it now. God is concerned about who and where we are, and what we are going through. The phrase "I Shall Not" appears multiple times in the book of Psalms. It is a declaration of determination that no matter the trouble or challenge the writer was facing, they would not be beaten, stressed, or intimidated because they knew God was with them. God always provides a way out. God will not lead us into something He cannot get us out of. We must put our foot down and stay determined. The Shepard is with us, and we shall not want. The writers of Psalms faced struggles but found encouragement and confidence in knowing God was with them.
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    48 分
  • Grandpa, Tell me 'bout the God of Days

    Grandpa, Tell me 'bout the God of Days
    2024/09/08
    In 1986, country music duo The Judds had a hit with the song Grandpa ( Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days). It is a nostalgic country song in which the singer feels overwhelmed by the rapid changes in modern life. The phrase Good Old Days is often used to evoke an unfavorable comparison of how it is now to some idyllic remembrance of times gone by. The truth is that while things may have seemed much simpler then, there were still difficulties and struggles to endure. Our forefathers endured economic hardships, active world wars, and unsanitary conditions, and very often had to engage in arduous labor to make a living. Living through and surviving these difficult times can produce an overcomer's testimony of God's provision and faithfulness. Our elders have experience and wisdom to share. If we only listened, we might avoid the mistakes and mishaps they endured. Rather than longing for the good old days, we should focus on how God kept and blessed our elders and continues to do so today. We need to hear about the victories, even those that happen after making poor decisions. Grandpa has not always been grandpa; along the way, he made mistakes. It is essential to learn that God kept and delivered him through those difficult times. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If He saved and protected then, He will do it again. Our children need to hear about when Grandpa almost quit but stayed the course and how that turned out. We must not speak of God's goodness and saving grace in the past tense. Look not to the God of the good old days but to the God of all days. We must describe and show how wonderful God is so that current and future generations will see it.
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    47 分
  • God Names the Night

    God Names the Night
    2024/09/01
    The first words of God establish Him in His position of power and authority. We do not need to look to the parting of the Red Sea or any other miraculous event; in the opening words of the Bible, God steps to the edge of existence and speaks all that we know into existence. When God speaks, anything is possible. God establishes principles in Genesis chapter 1 that are still in existence today. He said let each produce after their kind. If you plant corn, you will get corn. If you raise cattle, you will get cattle. God established rules and truths that are in effect today. God established light and separated it from the darkness. He said the light will be called day. He defines the light as day, and the darkness as night. By naming the darkness, he gave it significance and placed it under his dominion. There are days in our lives when everything will be perfect. There will also be times when we suffer in the darkness. Even in the darkness of night, God owns it. God made it clear from the beginning that he has dominion in the day and the dark. The purpose of our night is not to destroy us; The purpose of the dark is to reveal who God is. Most people sleep at night. Scientists have researched sleep and discovered that sleep is a regenerative, cleaning process. While we sleep at night, our brain renovates and restores. The night is a time to restore. Darkness has a purpose in our lives. God uses these dark times to prepare, restore, and reveal Himself to us.
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    40 分
  • The Key To Our Consequences

    The Key To Our Consequences
    2024/08/18
    The message in the book of Revelation is relevant to far more than the seven churches in Asia. Though written for that time, the message is relevant all the time. The letters focused on trials, failures, and shortcomings, but they ultimately are messages of encouragement. To each church, God says, "I Know." He knows their situation. He knows their struggles. He knows their failures, wants, and desires. And He will provide that need, that want, that desire, and a way through that situation. To each of these churches, and indeed to each of us, God knows what we need and will be that for us. The church in Philadelphia had a problem. The Bible says they had little strength. We do not know why they were weary; only that they were tired. God came to them with a message that was key to their problem. Our limited strength does not disqualify us from God's purpose or blessing. Our text says, "He that hath the key of David." The key symbolizes control over who has access. It grants or denies access. God has the key to unlock His purpose in our lives. No matter the size or scope of the problem, God has the key to resolving it. God holds the key to every circumstance.
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    41 分
  • Promises To Stand On

    Promises To Stand On
    2024/07/28
    In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He did this with us in mind. At creation, He made sure that He created everything we would need. He did this before we were formed in our mother's womb. God has a plan for each of us and made provision for each and every one of us to fulfill that plan. God provided for Adam and Eve in the garden, and even then, knew they would sin and made a provision for that. What may seem like a punishment is actually the greatest act of mercy we can conceive. The Bible is full of stories of God's promise and provision. Most of the people we learn about in the bible had a singular promise, which was enough for them. In Jesus, we have a multifaceted promise. Like the characters in the old estimate, we have to act in faith on the promise we have. It is not enough to speak the promise; we must live it. It is not enough to quote it; we must step out in faith and live in obedience. Our text says the promises of God are yea and amen. Yea is eternal and from God. Amen has to come from us. Our amen must be some sort of action. We must stand on the promise God has given us. If we do, we will see God to the miraculous.
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    52 分