Hope in God (1/6)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 10-13.

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him” (Job 13:15).

Job was in a miserable state, unsure why he was suffering as he was. His friends had been telling him this was God’s doing, a divine punishment for some sin Job refused to acknowledge. With nowhere else to turn, Job wanted a chance to appeal directly to God.

But even with the suffering that God was allowing, though Job may not have understood it, he was determined to put his full faith and trust in God. He knew this was the only place of security. Any hope he had for the future rested in the Lord.
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A Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith

It is not uncommon to hear one talk about taking a leap of faith. Often this phrase is used to refer to some aspect of our response to God – believing in His existence, acknowledging His work in Creation, accepting the Bible, meeting His terms of salvation, or trusting that His way is best.

What is a leap of faith? While it may be true that people use this phrase in different ways, it seems that there is one way in which it is generally used. For many, a “leap of faith” is a willingness to believe something even if they have their doubts about it. If something cannot be proven, a “leap of faith” is required to accept it. Again, not everyone will use this phrase in this way, but this is generally the way in which it is used. Therefore, this is the definition we will consider in this article.
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Rejoice in the Lord Always

Rejoice

Writing from prison, Paul told the brethren in Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). This instruction was so important that Paul repeated it. He also gave a similar command to the church in Thessalonica when he wrote, “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Whenever we see a command like this, we ought to take note of it. We do not have the option to either rejoice or not rejoice depending on our circumstances. We are to “rejoice always.” The reason why this command must be given is because it is sometimes difficult or unnatural to rejoice in certain circumstances. Our lives here are filled with trials. Job lamented, “Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil” (Job 14:1). The wise man noted the difficult nature of our existence here: “Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest” (Ecclesiastes 2:23). It is sometimes difficult to rejoice. But as Christians we must do so.
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How to Handle a Recession

Recession

Many people in the United States are anxious about the country’s economy. This is understandable with all of the job losses, home foreclosures, and falling value of investments. These things do not just face this country, but many places in the world are also facing economic turmoil.

The book of Revelation warned of the fall of the Roman empire that was to come. Naturally, when the empire fell, the global economy suffered. Under Roman rule “the merchants of the earth [had] become rich” (Revelation 18:3). When Rome fell, the merchants would “weep and mourn over her, because no one [would buy] their cargoes anymore” (Revelation 18:11). “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning” (Revelation 18:19). But the Christians in that day were to have a different perspective: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” (Revelation 18:20). While the merchants were mourning, Christians were rejoicing.

We should understand that the collapse of the American economy is not exactly parallel with the fall of Rome. Rome was punished by God for sin (Revelation 18:4-8). The United States suffers because of irresponsibility and other factors. But like the Christians in the early church, our perspective about these things should naturally be different from that of the people of the world. So let us look and see what principles we find in the Bible to help us handle our current economic hardships.
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Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:4-6

Paul instructed the church in Ephesus to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). He then went on to explain the reason for unity and the basis of it.

Our unity must be based upon the following:
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The Inauguration of a New President

Tuesday, January 20, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

I know there are many Christians who are not happy about this. Given some of his positions and beliefs, this is understandable. However, I won’t take time to discuss the grievances now.

The New Testament does not teach that we must be happy with our leaders. It does not teach that we must agree with them either. We do not even have to follow and support them above and beyond what the law requires of us.

What does the New Testament teach we must do in regards to our leaders?
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A Better Country

Following an election like we have had in this country, it is expected that some will be pleased with the outcome and some will not. As Christians, whatever side on which we fall, in this and every election, it is important to keep things in perspective.

Those of us who live in the United States of America have the blessing of being able to live in what is arguably the greatest country on earth. We have the freedom to worship God and teach the gospel. We have the opportunity to work and provide for our families. We live without fear of persecution or harassment from the government. Many around the world cannot ever expect to experience these blessings in their lifetime.

However, as great as this country is, we seek a better country. This better country is not contained in campaign promises and political rhetoric. It is not obtained through congressional legislation or presidential policy. It is not preserved and maintained by law enforcement and military might. The better country we desire is one we will never see here on earth.

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