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The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law. They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them. – Psalms 78:9-11   One old preacher called the Ephraimite archers the "original quitters." In the midst of the battle, they ran. When the going got tough, they got out. And, as if that were not enough, they abandoned their covenant with God as well.   I once interviewed a man

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10 Did Jesus die for our sins? Yes, in that our sins were part of the cause; yet, He died not just that we would be justified (declared innocent) before the Father, but primarily that we might escape the Father's wrath. The word "propitiation" has to do with the removal of God's divine wrath . God's love is defined (comprehended or understood) b

Even human wrath will praise You; You will clothe Yourself with their remaining wrath. - Psalm 76:10 Praise is defined as the act of expressing approval or admiration, a commendation, or a laudation. When we think of praising God, images of worship, prayer, and song are usually evoked. Wrath is not usually in the list. In fact, the idea of human wrath being somehow connected with God's praise is not only foreign, it almost seems blasphemous. And yet, while it may appear to

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10 What is the "stuff" of love? I guess it depends on who you ask. Someone once said that love is war. Another that love is friendship caught on fire. Still another that love is an invisible, formidable force. One person even said that love is life. So, what is the "stuff" of love? John (the apostle who seemed to speak of it most) had his own Ho

You know how I am scorned, disgraced, and shamed; all my enemies are before You. – Psalms 69:19 If you live long enough you will know an enemy (or two). Here are three things to remember when facing an adversary: 1) The Lord will take care of you, if you remain submitted to His will and purposes. 2) God knows who your adversaries are, and He can handle them. 3) As long as you are in the Lord's camp, anyone opposed to you is opposed to Him and, therefore, ultimately a "loser."

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10 I had a pastor once who said that when he came to a word in the Bible that was difficult to pronounce he would just say "big word" rather than say it incorrectly. Funny, yes, but some words just cannot be avoided. Paul wrote that, "He (God, the Father) made the One (Jesus, the Son) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might becom

But I pray to you, Yahweh, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. – Psalms 69:13 In my experience as a Christian leader, I have had some very trying moments, tests of my skills and my authority to exercise them. By God's grace, I sometimes passed the test but frankly it didn't often feel like it. Successful spiritual leadership doesn't always equate with being popular. It is often necessary for shepherds to lead the sheep whe

God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. - 1 John 4:9 Often in this life, when someone makes a commitment, we request some sort of proof that he or she will keep it. A person's word must often be followed by an affirmative action that validates the promise. While most people would like to be known as "a person of his/her word," each of us has at one time or another been disappointed when som

The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” – Psalms 58:10-11 Have you ever been on the receiving end of a great injustice? Have you ever been "wronged" by another? One might as easily ask if you have ever lived on this earth! Whether the injustice was small (like someone breaking in line ahead of you) or large

The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8 We have all heard the old saying, "It's not what you know, but who you know." In West Africa, this is very true. Young people with degrees from a university must often "know" someone with influence in order to find a professional job. It isn't enough to be talented or gifted. A person needs connections. Another example of this adage was discovered when something needed repair (a weekly occurrenc

I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds." - Psalm 57:9-10 Do you have a "life-song?" I think King David had a lot of songs in his heart, but the verses above seem to bring them all together. They express His understanding of God's faithful love and the need for that love to be expressed before all peoples (nations, tribes). I like it. It

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7 Who are you? What is the one word that those who know you best might use to describe you or your life? Yeah, I'm not sure I want to see that list either, but have you ever known someone whose life could be defined by the word "love?" I'm not speaking of physical desire, romance, or strong affection, but rather an unconditional, sacrificia

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. - Psalm 51:8 If you have lived past 30, then you have no doubt already had plenty of opportunities to endure a trial (or two). This is not to say that a person cannot endure much more before 30, but only that the older we get, the more our chances at difficulty increase. Of course, I am not speaking of your everyday minor challenge, but rather of the bone-crushing, joy-robbing, hope-quenching events that m

We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. - 1 John 4:6 Back in 2009, when my wife an I lived in West Africa, I would be out in the city and people would ask if I was French. Perhaps it was the beret, neckerchief, and pencil thin mustache that confused them ( just kidding )! When I told them that I was in fact, an American, then one word always came

Our God is coming; He will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes Him, and a storm rages around Him. On high, He summons heaven and earth in order to judge His people. - Psalm 50:3-4 Do you ever get a little overwhelmed or depressed by the news here in the U.S., or like others, do you just ignore it? This morning as I was doing my regular morning online "check-in", I found myself wishing I could just escape and go live somewhere else. As a person who holds to a biblical faith

They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. - 1 John 4:5 Though I am (by spiritual and physical heritage) a Baptist, most of my ministry has been spent in places that would neither be considered Strongholds for that particular denomination. This has often led the "locals" to make the oft-repeated, obvious statement, "You're not from around here are you." Of course, this observation hit its zenith when we moved to Africa

This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words.(Selah) Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. - Psalm 49:13-14 In one French translation of this passage, it reads (literally), "Here is the way of those who put their trust in themselves, here is that which awaits the ones who love to hear th

You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. - 1 John 4:4 My wife and I once lived in a predominantly Muslim country. Every year, during Ramadan, most of the nearly 500,000 inhabitants of our city would fast from sunrise to sunset (and then party from sunset to sunrise). As I would drive around, it would not be unusual to see hundreds of men on their knees praying and chanting. Five

Go around Zion, encircle it; count its towers, note its ramparts; tour its citadels so that you can tell a future generation: "This God, our God forever and ever -- He will lead us eternally." - Psalm 48:12-14 "Zion" was another name for the mountain of God (Horeb) and, for the Israelite, it was a reminder of God's power and presence. The mountain served as a visible, tangible expression of a spiritual reality. I have pastored two churches that had a deep and rich histories.

But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now. - 1 John 4:3 Are we in the last days? I'm fairly certain that if I could somehow post this question in order that the cyber-world might respond, then my inbox would be maxed-out with replies. Honestly, I do not know the answer. I don't even know my own last day, though it is probably wise to live as if it cou