“Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.” (Psalm 25:12 NIV) Fear and Wisdom by Chuck Bentley Wise decisions lead to blessings; foolish decisions lead to suffering. The cornerstone of wise decision-making is the fear of the Lord. Fools despise wisdom and discipline and turn […]
“Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” (Nehemiah 6:11 NIV) Preconditioned Response by Larry Burkett As Christians, we learn a great deal about discipline and dedication from the secular world. It is interesting that those in the secular […]
“Become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Philippians 2:15-16 NIV) God’s Way: Optional or Mandatory? by Larry Burkett It seems abundantly clear from God’s Word that when we accept Christ […]
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9 NIV) Is Greed Acceptable? by Larry Burkett Greed has become such an accepted attitude that most major advertisements for luxury products are built around it. Many […]
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1 NIV) Are You Impressed? by Chuck Bentley The thing that impresses you is the clearest indication of the direction you’re taking in life. Jesus was impressed by a widow who gave two coins, […]
“Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . The one who does the will of God abides forever.’” (1 John 2:15-17) Compromise by Larry Burkett Few Christians willfully violate the Ten Commandments. Most appear to […]
“I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.’ And behold it too was futility.’” (Ecclesiastes 2:1) Selfishness by Larry Burkett The theology of selfishness is an easy one to promote because most of us were raised with it, and today it virtually dominates our society. It’s the philosophy called […]
“Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” (Matthew 16:6) Aid the Enemy? by Larry Burkett Loving your enemies (anyone who does you harm) is different from aiding them. Christ loved the Pharisees (He loved everyone), but He certainly did not help them. To the contrary, as we […]
“The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10) What is Strength? by Larry Burkett Even a cursory review of Scripture reveals that strength does not always mean the exercise of power. More often, it means the relinquishing of personal […]
“I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Respond or React? by Larry Burkett When we are hurt or betrayed by friends or business associates, our initial impressions are purely emotional ones, and unless we are controlled primarily by God’s Word the first impressions are rarely correct. […]
