Loving neither the world or the things of the world is not a suggestion or merely good advice. It is a command. But why? We read further, For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the […]
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We Christians often talk about God’s unconditional love. However, using a word search tool in the ESV, KJV, NKJV, NASB, and NRSV translations reveals “unconditional” never appears once in scripture. “Love”, in contrast, appears 773 times in its various forms in the ESV. So does God love us unconditionally? Yes – and No. God absolutely
February turns the thoughts of many to Valentine’s Day, with See’s chocolates, Sweethearts candies, and Hallmark cards dripping with prose professing true and enduring love. But there is only One who truly loves us forever and will never leave nor forsake us. No one can love us like our heavenly Father. And we should love
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Have you considered we serve the God of the new? Every week starts with a fresh Sunday. Every month is marked by a new moon. New spring growth follows a seasonal cycle of summer, autumn, and winter. At the end of each year, a new year begins. When we receive Christ we are made into
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Probably the first verse memorized by every Christian is For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son… –John 3:16. God gave a gift beyond all gifts, a gift we could never earn or repay: life, forgiveness, joy, peace, and hope. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of this gift from
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Jesus used salt and light several times as metaphors referring to His followers. Salt was used for two things in the 1st Century Middle East. First, salt preserved food, especially quick-spoiling meat. Similarly, believers preserve the lives of those in the world from inherent evil working within a society of unredeemed, ungodly men whose natures
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Just as the ways of God are far above the ways of man, so are His paths vastly superior. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 remind us the ways that seem right to mankind lead only to death. This was evidently an important enough concept that the author was inspired to include it not once but twice.
When we read the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:5-13, the only seemingly material request we are instructed to pray is for is God to give us our daily bread. But should this be taken as literal bread to eat? 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
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I shower daily. Most days twice. And although I may have occasionally missed a day now and then, I’ve balanced it out by some days even showering thrice. Though it’s never been mentioned, people around me probably appreciate my effort, since without daily showers the accumulated sweat and grime tends to make me more than
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As a small child, Christmas held a special magic I’ve often wished I could experience once again. Mesmerized by the tinseled tree whose outstretched arms protected rewards for a good little boy’s year-long behavior, I anticipated for two weeks what marvelous treasures lay concealed by colored wrapping paper bound with glittering ribbons and bows. I
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