"Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set." - Prov. 22:28 (NASB) [The original post was back in July, but it bears repeating. This is one the the most read and shared that I have posted to date.  I have update a few items, but the message is the same.]    As I think about it, this verse seems especially appropriate for our world today. We do not think about it too much, but our world is filled with boundaries. Boundaries serve several important tasks. First, they keep things in. There are some pretty amazing creatures to see at a zoo, many of which are extremely dangerous to us. However, because of the barriers erected, we can observe lions and hyena from a safe location. Barriers also keep things out. Again think of the zoo. Imagine sitting down with your family in the designated picnic area, and the keepers allow the hyena to come and join in. Hyena are still dangerous, regardless of which century you live in. Just because there is new ...

To Each His Own "...the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." - Ezekiel 18:20 (NASB)     The LORD, through the prophet Ezekiel, begins this chapter with a local (OT) proverb or saying which went, "The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge." This saying was something familiar to the people of Israel. Jeremiah too references this same proverb (31:29-30). The saying implies that the sin of the father is punished in his children. It is true that if we choose to make poor choices, our families may suffer for it. Our choices do affect other people, especially those whom we love, but suffering is quite different that punishment. Make no mistake, God does not punish you for someone else's sin.    There is a principle that the LORD is teaching His people throughout this entire chapter, one of consequence and responsibility. In the United States, we like ...

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Cor. 1:18 (NASB)           When I pulled in the church parking lot yesterday, I noticed how dingy the cross over the sanctuary has become. Our church is located adjacent to several railroad tracks, one of which is used daily to haul coal, so even after a good cleaning it will quickly become dirty again.  As I am sitting in the parking lot, making a note of this new item on my "to do" list, something happened. As I viewed the dusty mess I felt as if the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about more than the cross on our roof.       There is an attempt to "clean up" the cross and its message in order to appeal to humanity. However, the cross and its message cannot be "cleaned up" without distorting or destroying its meaning. Any attempt to "clean up" the message  will rob it of its inherent power n...

"Be on the alert..."  1 Cor. 16:13 (NASB)      A few days ago I saw a bumper sticker that caught my eye: "If you are not outraged then you are not paying attention." There was an obviously political point to this sticker, especially it you noticed the other stickers attached to the car, but reading it sent my mind to the Bible. Spiritual blindness is one of the greatest resources evil has at its disposal. Paul writes,  "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - (2 Cor. 4:3-4, NASB)   Notice in this passage that Paul says it is the god of this world, Satan, who blinds the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see.      In the verse for today, Paul begins simply with, "Be on the alert." With technology, and the speed of our ...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . patience . . ." - Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)      "Don't pray for patience." I have heard that expression many times throughout the years. "If you pray for patience, God will give you something to develop patience within you." So, many believers through the years have forgone asking God for patience, thinking that will somehow bring His wrath on their lives like Job encountered. Can we dismiss this argument? All of us need patience.      Patience is fourth in the list, and is the first that appears to be directed outwardly toward those around us. The Greek word paints an interesting picture for us, " A person who has power to avenge himself, yet restrains from the exercise of this power."** We have all "lost our patience" when working on some task. However, patience is not related to task, jobs, or things; self-control might be more appropriately used. Patience is related to people. (Now yo...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace . . ." - Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)      "No God, No peace. Know God, Know peace!" Perhaps you have seen that phrase on a t-shirt, billboard, or bumper sticker. Personally, it is one of my favorites. The word "peace" is defined in a number of ways: a s tate of tranquility or quiet, f reedom from  disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions, h armony in personal relations, or a s tate or period of mutual concord between governments. These are all modern dictionary definitions. However, in Galatians though, the context is something different than a modern dictionary can (or will) address, for Biblical peace addresses our spiritual status between ourselves and the LORD.  The word “peace” in the Bible (NT), from the Greek word (eireinei), refers to a mental attitude of tranquility based on a relationship with God in the Christian way of life.”**  Peace is the third in the Galatians list, and the fi...

"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world..." - Matt. 5:13-16 (NASB)      Anyone in the youth group we served several years ago should remember this. We were studying the afore-mentioned passage of Scripture and trying to understand what Jesus was saying when I asked the question, "What does salt do?" After a few moments of interesting discussion, an unexpected answer came forth from the group: salt kills slugs! After the commotion settled down, the follow-up question, "What does light do?" generated a similar response: light causes cockroaches to scatter! Needless to say, the Sunday School lesson derailed for a while. However, the more I thought about those answers, the more I realized that there is truth in them, no matter how "icky" the illustration.  The church, living by the Word of God,  can "kill" sin and "preserve" life, "scatter" darkness and "illuminate" truth.       I...