“All Truth is God’s Truth”, Admits the Devil
Sometimes the slogan “All truth is God’s truth” is used to justify dealing in any sphere of knowledge as an act of worship or stewardship. The impression is given that just knowing God’s truth and recognizing it as such is a good thing, even a worthy end. But the problem with this is that the devil does it.
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Freedom in Grace
One of the books I have been reading lately has tremendously changed my outlook and view on a doctrine that I had previously thought I understood. So much so that I can actually see how it is effectively changing my life and I truly believe and wish that each person would understand this doctrine to its fullest. It is the doctrine of Grace. You see, I thought that it was enough to simply know that grace is getting something you don’t deserve but there is so much more to it than that. Grace is a way of life. I don’t necessarily consider myself a legalistic person or use the term grace-killer in reference to myself but I have learned that some of the ways I act, think, and live that seems to be how it is.
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Connect With Roots
Just last night we held our annual church picnic with our “mother church,” namely Parkers Lake Baptist Church. The purpose of this annual event is really multifaceted. In a small sense, we attempt to say thank you for launching us out of sacrifice and obedience. In a different sense, we try to simply keep both churches familiar with each other and the respective ministries that each carry on. In addition, we want to just enjoy each other’s company, fellowship, and fun (softball). Greatest of all, however, we intend to rejoice in and celebrate the greatest common factor among us – our remarkable and great God. We want to celebrate Him and make much of His gracious and merciful dealings with us!
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Be Grateful for Liberty
We are getting ready to celebrate a seminal moment in our country’s history, namely the day of Independence, often simply referred to “July 4th.” For the most part, we have lost sight of the sacrifice and danger that our patriotic forefathers faced to declare independence. The holiday has morphed into a great excuse to have family and friends over and to fire up the grill. Hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and fireworks are the centerpiece of our celebration.
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ME, ME, ME, ME, ME…
A popular buzzword that has come into vogue lately is narcissism. It derives its name from Narcissus, of Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own image. Merriam- Webster defines it as, “undue dwelling on one’s own self or attainments.” I will define it as an overabundance of selfishness and/or self-centeredness. This narcissistic mindset is rampantly pandemic in our culture and has even crept into the church.
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I’m so Tired, I want to Quit
Life wears us down. On top of the “normal” stresses of life that are universal to all people, such as sickness, aging, financial struggles, family conflicts, work related problems, and more, there are significant pressures associated with being a Christian. As a Christian, we have additional struggles to cope with such as maintaining a high moral standard, serving others with joy, striving for excellence instead of settling for mediocrity, expanding our evangelistic influence, and the like. These additional pressures are not to be taken lightly. Truly, they are a joy to carry and yet, they are also a burden as well. The result for many, if not most, is a mindset of simply just not wanting to carry these burdens when we grow weary.
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Who Controls the Red?
As I write this article, thousands of volunteers are flooding (no pun intended) into the Fargo/ Moorehead area to help fill and place sandbags, literally by the millions. Officials are calling for 2 million plus sandbags to be distributed to build a temporary levy system that will keep the water from the Red River from spilling over the banks and into homes, businesses, roads, schools, etc… This morning, some experts were predicting an all-time high river crest of over 41 feet. By the time you read this article, the event of the river crest for this season will have past and you will already know the outcome. Will the sandbags do the trick? – - well, you already know by now.
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Make Us Grow
As our church grows numerically as well as in other ways such as financially, and most importantly spiritually . . . we are going to face some increasing challenges.
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Stop Dating the Church
The title of this month’s article is also the title of a small but powerful little book. It is written by Joshua Harris. In fact, I wholeheartedly admit, that one of my purposes in writing this article to stir up interest so that some of you will actually go out and buy the book, read it, and implement some of its content into your life. It impacted me in such a positive way. I don’t know that I learned even one new thing from reading it, but it framed some of the Biblical data on the subject in such a way as to make it blatantly obvious what I was to do in my own personal life. Hopefully, it will have the same impact on YOU!!
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New Year’s Workout
“For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NASB)
Many of us have found ourselves guilty of overindulgence when it comes to holiday treats and goodies. The season intrinsically lends itself to tremendous fare of all sorts.
Well, with the gluttonous tendencies of the holidays, come the obvious consequences such as clothes that fit a bit tighter, feeling a bit sluggish, lack of energy, etc…
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