Our struggling economy took another hit when the United States’ credit rating was downgraded for the first time in history. This sent the stock market tumbling and made many people even more anxious about the future. Whether this is just a bump in the road or the trigger to the economic downfall of the United States remains to be seen. But even during uncertain times like these, we should be reminded of some important reasons why we ought to praise God.
Continue Reading
August 11, 2011
Finding Reasons to Praise God in the Midst of an Economic Crisis
June 30, 2011
Sins of the Rich Man
Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is fairly well-known to most Bible students. One man lived a life of luxury but found himself in torments after he died. The other was a poor beggar in this life yet was comforted after death in a place of paradise.
Once in torments, the rich man appealed to Abraham to allow Lazarus to go to his brothers and warn them of the punishment that awaited them (Luke 16:27-28). Since the rich man ended up in this undesirable place, it would be good for us to notice this man’s sins that Jesus mentioned in this passage. These are a few of the things we need to avoid if we want to escape the terrible fate that belonged to this man.
Continue Reading
May 20, 2011
Putting Our Trust in Gold
When the economy is weak and the future is uncertain, gold is a wise investment. You have probably heard something to this effect in advertisements from companies trying to sell you gold. We have seen the price of gold skyrocket over the past few years. With conditions the way they are, that trend may very well continue. If so, then one buying gold could simply be acting as a good steward of the blessings he has received. But we must be careful that we do not cross the line between stewardship and trusting in gold or anything else. Notice what Job said about this:
“If I have put my confidence in gold, and called fine gold my trust, if I have gloated because my wealth was great, and because my hand had secured so much; if I have looked at the sun when it shone or the moon going in splendor, and my heart became secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, that too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, for I would have denied God above” (Job 31:24-28).
The question of whether or not gold is a wise investment is better answered elsewhere and by someone who is more qualified than I am to give financial advice. But I do know what the Scriptures teach about gold, riches, and wealth and how we are to perceive them.
Continue Reading
March 23, 2011
The Faith of Daniel’s Friends
While the Jews were in Babylonian captivity, King Nebuchadnezzar made a huge, golden statue and commanded the people of every nation and language to fall down and worship the image when they would hear the sound of the music. Those who refused would be cast into a furnace of fire (Daniel 3:1-6).
Most of the people complied with the king’s order and worshiped the image at the prescribed times (Daniel 3:7). However, three young men – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego – did not (Daniel 3:12). These men were among the Jews who had been taken captive and were companions of Daniel (Daniel 1:6-7). They now found themselves before an angry king:
Continue Reading
March 11, 2011
How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?
Many people struggle with the above question. We know that God, by His very nature, is love (1 John 4:8), and that hell is a place of eternal torments (Matthew 25:41, 46). How then could God condemn anyone to such a place? This does not fit with the concept many people have of a loving God. Therefore, many start to doubt the existence of hell or even the existence of God.
The Scriptures teach that God will send certain individuals to eternal punishment in hell. Not only that, but His doing so will not be inconsistent with His nature, but instead will be consistent with the way He is described in the Bible.
Continue Reading
February 3, 2011
God’s Killing of Children in Old Testament Judgments
King Saul received instructions from the Lord regarding the destruction of the Amalekites. “Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3).
This is not the only time we read of children being killed in the execution of divine judgment. The skeptic sees this as an opportunity to attack God, the Bible, and the faith of those who believe in God. Why would God kill, or instruct others to kill, infants and children?
Tim Haile has put together a good study on this question. If you have wondered how a just God could allow these children to be killed along with the wicked, or you want to better equip yourself to answer the skeptic on this point, I encourage you to read his material.
You can find the article at the following link: God’s Killing of Children in Old Testament Judgments (PDF)
October 3, 2010
The Value of the Old Testament
At the first of the year, I started a Bible reading plan that would take me through the Bible in one year. There are several different reading plans people use to read through the Bible. Some sort the books by chronological order. Others arrange the schedule so that one reads a portion of both the Old and New Testaments each day. The plan I followed this year went through the books of the Bible in the order they appear. I have been able to keep up with the schedule (though there were times I was playing catch-up) and am currently up to date with the readings.
On October 1, I finished the book of Malachi. That means it took just over nine months to finish the Old Testament.
This served as a simple reminder that we cannot ignore the Old Testament Scriptures. Yes, we are under a new law (Hebrews 8:8-10) and the old law was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). But that does not mean the Old Testament is worthless to us today.
Continue Reading
