November 16, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 18): Righteousness

The Psalm of the Word

Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.

You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
And exceeding faithfulness.

My zeal has consumed me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.

Your word is very pure,
Therefore Your servant loves it.

I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.

Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight.

Your testimonies are righteous forever;
Give me understanding that I may live.

(Psalm 119:137-144)

The focus of this lesson is on righteousness. God’s word is righteous because He is righteous. We can also be righteous if we follow His word.
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August 17, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 5): Revival

The Psalm of the Word

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.

Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways.

Establish Your word to Your servant,
As that which produces reverence for You.

Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.

Behold, I long for Your precepts;
revive me through Your righteousness.

(Psalm 119:33-40)

“Revivals” are common in the religious world – assemblies conducted for the purpose of bringing people to Christ or leading a Christian to rededicate his life to the Lord. They are similar in some ways to “Gospel Meetings” that are more common among brethren, but notably different. The difference is rooted in how we understand this revival to be happening. The verses we will consider here are helpful in understanding how we can be revived.
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January 13, 2015

Psalm 23 and the Christian

The Lord is My Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:1-6).

The twenty-third psalm is one of the most well-known and well-loved passages in the Bible. Though it was written during the time of the Old Law, there are certainly lessons contained in it that apply to us as Christians. Let us briefly consider these lessons.
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September 4, 2014

Righteous Lot

Flight of Lot

“And if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:6-9).

The inspired apostle Peter described Lot as being “righteous.” Yet this righteous man was not without his faults – he pitched his tent toward Sodom (Genesis 13:12), lived in Sodom (Genesis 14:12), and had to be taken by the hand to flee the city before it was destroyed (Genesis 19:16). In Lot we see one who was righteous; yet he too often focused on the wrong thing, tolerated too much, and compromised with the world.

There are some important lessons we can learn from Lot’s example – both good and bad. We will consider these lessons here.

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March 12, 2014

How Long Will You Hesitate Between Two Opinions?

Fork in the Road

Just before Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he issued a challenge to the people of Israel who had gathered to witness the event.

“Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people did not answer him a word” (1 Kings 18:21).

The people were presented with a choice between two options – follow God or follow Baal. Similarly, we have choices to make about our personal conduct and religion. Many people like to think that they have a multitude of options from which to choose. But when you break down every decision, there are really just two options – follow God or not.
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February 5, 2014

The Importance of Faith

FaithThe Scriptures tell us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the trust in God as the “rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the determination to obey the Lord (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Faith does not come by God miraculously giving it to us through some direct, divine action. Rather, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

We might understand from the above passages what faith is, what faith does, and what the source of faith is; but why does this matter? What is the point of believing God, trusting God, and obeying His word? Why is faith important?Continue Reading

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November 13, 2013

Six Things Pornography Users Do Not Want

XXX key

Pornography is a huge problem in our society. Many Christians have even fallen prey to it despite Jesus’ plain warning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:27-29).

Many believe pornography is harmless (or they simply refuse to admit to understanding how destructive it is). But Jesus said that lusting after someone is so destructive that one ought to be willing to go to extreme measures to remove the opportunity to lust. This is the primary problem with pornography – lust.

However, one can be guilty of lust without ever viewing pornography. While it is true that sin is committed anytime one lusts after someone, pornography is particularly dangerous. There are reasons why people choose to feed their lust in this way. It is because there are certain things that pornography users do not want. We will notice six of these in this article.
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