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Showing posts from April, 2016

Christian Living - Oh No! How To Overcome Trials & Temptations

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it — I Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) It is part of life in this fallen world. Anyone who lives long enough will experience trials, temptations, and other pressures. While some people seem to prosper in an atmosphere of crisis, others feel crushed by the weight of it all. Solid believers in Christ are not exempted from temptation and trials. In some cases, they seem to be more of a target, because the ‘ prince of this world, ’ Satan, wants to attack and take them off track. The entire epistle of I Peter is devoted to the suffering church and how it can ‘survive and thrive.’ If we want to be ‘future-ready,’ we need a Biblical perspective on how to handle pressures and trials. First, God allows temptations into our life for redemptive purposes.

The Only Access to God: Why Study Leviticus

At first glance, it is tempting to skip Leviticus when reading the Bible. It does not have riveting narrative like Genesis or Joshua, nor does it give lofty inspiration like the Psalms or Ephesians. Skip Leviticus? Don’t do it! The third book of Moses is an indispensable part of the Bible: for starters, it is God’s inspired Word and profitable (II Timothy 3:16). It is a revered book of the Scriptures, known as the Pentateuch (Greek) or Torah (Hebrew), the five books of Moses. Furthermore, it gives some outstanding typology of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, it shows us the only way to have access to God. Therefore, it behooves us to make it part of our study of Scripture. NAME The original Hebrew calls this book va-yeech-krah, meaning ‘ And he called. ’ These happen to be the first three words of Leviticus in the Hebrew Bible. The Talmud refers to this book as the ‘Law of the Priests and Offerings.’ The ancient Greek translation of Scripture, the Sep

Problem-Solving: A Biblical Perspective

Problems. Humanely speaking, they are as inevitable as ‘death and taxes.’ Amazingly, some people thrive in an atmosphere of challenge and conflict while others feel crushed by it all. Today, however, problems take on a new dimension: deeper, more frequent, more complex, crisis-riddled and chaos-laden. Leaders today, though often possessing above-average intelligence, are scratching their heads about what to do with the issues of the day. Even wise Solomon would be stumped at some of the global, economic, social and spiritual challenges we face today. While some problems seem ‘unsolvable’ and ‘impossible,’ let us never forget that with God, all things are solvable and possible. If we are going to exercise sound judgement and leadership, we need to take our cue from the Word of God. The early church, which initially was Jerusalem-based and 100% Jewish, began to spread into areas inhabited by the Samaritans and Gentiles. This was God’s will all along (Genesis 12:3; Matth

Getting It Wrong While Looking For ‘Mr. (or Miss) Right’ PART 01

For any thinking, caring, concerned individual, we should all be interested in the welfare of marriage and family. Famously called ‘the building bloc of society,’ when marriage and family prosper, everyone prospers, including those unmarried and never-married. The reason is that marriage and family provide stability, nurture, identity, and training for present and future citizens, who go on to make a contribution to society. When marriage fails, it is not just a tragedy for the couple and their children, but we all have to carry the can with increased welfare payments, court costs, societal dysfunctionality, higher crime, and more. Recently I received some sad news from a long-time acquaintance: their 3 year marriage is over. This person is a solid, dedicated Christian, accomplished in their career, a faithful member of their local church. Having been married before conversion, they looked forward to having a ‘Christian spouse.’ Eventually, they did marry a ‘Christian’ but with