Steve's Blog
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 (NLT)
David wrote Psalm 63 out of his experience in the wilderness. The wilderness was a barren, desolate place where he was deprived of the comforts of home and exposed to bad weather and hostile enemies. He focused on the things that matter. Or should I say, he focused on God, the only thing that matters.
God is not afra...
A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. Jeremiah 50:38 (NLT)
California is once again facing drought conditions. The solution to a drought crisis is obviously water. Even in the best of times, there is not enough rainfall to supply all the needs in Southern California. We depend upon rivers and aqueducts to bring the water to us.
I doubt that many of our government leaders...
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Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 (CSB)
Our commitment to graciousness is sometimes inversely related to the importance of the situation. It is easier to be gracious when the stakes are low. That is when the issue does not matter significantly to us. However, when something that is dear to our hearts is under attack, graciousness might be the last thing that comes to mind.
In some parts of society, graciousness is considered a weakness. Synonyms f...
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So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire. Hebrews 12:28–29 (NET)
Earthquakes Everywhere
Natural earthquakes can cause significant damage with great loss, both lives, and property. You might be asking yourselves, why am I writing about earthquakes and great shaking?
Here is what Jesus said about the last days: People will be terrified at what they s...
Have you ever considered the difference between praise and worship? Is there a difference? It is not uncommon to hear the words praise and worship used in tandem and even interchangeably, but do they mean the same thing? On one level, they may seem the same, but there are significant differences.
There are numerous Hebrew and Greek words for both praise and worship as translated into English. The most prevalent Greek word for praise indicates esteem and honor, a recognition of God’s glory. The...
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My dear family, when you find yourselves tumbling into various trials and tribulations, learn to look at it with complete joy, because you know that, when your faith is put to the test, what comes out is patience. What’s more, you must let patience have its complete effect, so that you may be complete and whole, not falling short in anything. James 1:2–4 (The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation)
Very few “normal” people look forward to difficult trials and tribulations in their lives. In fa...
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Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18 (NLT)
Last week, we began to examine our options as we confront the forces of evil comprised of the world, Satan, our adversary, and our fleshly nature. In last week’s article, Resistance Is Not Futile , we learned that our choices include assimilation, that is, conforming to the ways of this world. Or do we attempt to isolate ourselves from the world? Or finally, we can choose to stand firm and resist th...
I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:14–18 (NLT)
The question of how we as followers of Christ interact and eng...
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Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV)
Jesus spoke these words just before His ascension to describe the church’s primary mission. Mark’s gospel is a little different: He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV). Finally, in both his gospel and Acts, Luke emphasized wait...
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He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. Ezekiel 47:5–6 (NIV)
Ezekiel presents us with a vision. There is a life-giving river flowing from the temple. In essence, it is the blessing of God coming from his presence. We see a river over 2 miles wide. For those with a desire to...
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 (NLT)
In 1907, Wesleyan preacher William Watkinson published a sermon, “The Invincible Strategy.” He made the point that “evil is not overcome by denunciation.” He said that although it is easier to speak against evil than to engage in good works, it is not the best strategy. At this point, Watkinson said, “yet it is far better to light the candle than to curse the darkness.”
We may be dismayed and tro...
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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Risk aversion is the term most frequently associated with finances and investing. According to the website Investopedia, “The term risk-averse describes the investor who chooses the preservation of capital over the potential for a higher-than-average return… Low-risk means stability.” [1]
People with high-risk aversion...
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Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! 2 Corinthians 6:11–13 (NLT)
The apostle Paul had a complicated relationship with the people of Corinth. They were, in many ways, free-spirited. They bristled at the discipline administered by Paul. At times they took things too far. Rea...
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“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13 (NIV)
Many Christians believe that sound doctrine or teaching is essential, but they do not always know why it is crucial. Sound doctrine is not an end in itself, but instead, it serves as guard rails to keep us on the road of faith. Following sound doctrine will lead to sound living, sound ministry, and sound hope. When we look at the results of following sound doctrine, we ca...
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!!! *“For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.”* Psalm 95:3 (NLT) The percentage of Christians who would agree with the declaration *“The Lord is a great God”* is probably pretty high, but what does it really mean to us and in what ways does it affect our outlook on life? ===  It is one thing to have an intellectual understanding that acknowledges the greatness of our God, but it is something infinitely greater when that underst...
It seems as though the word heresy sometimes gets thrown around with such ease and blatant disregard for fairness that it is almost completely lost its meaning. Something is not heresy simply because we disagree with it. Heresies and false teachings are real, but we must be careful about throwing labels around irresponsibly. There are many things that we will not completely understand until we have the opportunity to see the Lord face-to-face and in an ironic twist, there is a high probability t...
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Waiting patiently is not high on the list of my attributes. I am much happier when things go according to my schedule. I know that I am not alone in my impatience because we live in a society that caters to instant gratification. We have fast food and microwave ovens. The cable and satellite television companies offer movies on demand. Many areas of life are tailored for convenience and hurriedness. However, patience is something that God wants to develop in each one of us. In 1 Corinthians 13 w...
My blog post is a day late this week because I was preoccupied with a more pressing issue. On Sunday around midnight, the AGIF website stopped working after an automated system upgrade. I spent several hours on the phone with various technical support people and I kept pressing the point that this situation was their fault because everything was working fine before the upgrade and now it was broken. There was no clear indication of what the problem was and it took many hours of diagnosis on my p...
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I had a conversation this week with a friend of mine who has many years of experience as a worship leader. The essence of the discussion settled on the fact that worship encompasses more than singing. We can sing songs of praise, sincerely and with the right motivation, but still not be a worshiper of God. Someone who sings and proclaims the praises of God can do so without being fundamentally changed, but a worshiper is someone whose life is devoted to the one whom they worship. A worshiper’s l...
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*Then the LORD God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone...”* Genesis 2:18 (CEB) Six times *“God saw that it was good”* is declared during creation culminating in the last verse of Genesis 1, *“God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good.”* But at last, God looks at Adam and he laments, *“It’s not good that the human is alone.”* Certainly, there are times when we desire to be left alone and even need to be alone, but under normal circumstances we need to be around other people i...
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I sing by myself quite often, in the car, in the shower and sometimes even on my bicycle. Often, a word or a thought will remind me of a song which in turn will remind me of another song and so on. A couple of days ago in the shower I began to sing, “Isn’t He Wonderful?” That in turn led to, “Wonderful, Wonderful, Jesus Is Me” and then “His Name Is Wonderful.” I began to contemplate just how wonderful the Lord has been to me. I began to think about the wonder and glory of God. The word wonderful...
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Those of us who know and love the Scriptures are aware that they contain many words of comfort and encouragement. They contain words of hope and reassurance that are appropriate for every circumstance in life that we have or will encounter. Additionally, they provide correction and direction as they point us to God. The Psalmist told us, *“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”* Psalm 119:11 (NLT) Almost certainly we can recall Paul’s words to Timothy, *“All Scri...
View all of Is a hug sometimes more effective than a verse?
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
In recent weeks we have once again been made aware that there are many confused Christians. On the one hand, they claim to be born again, yet more than two-thirds of them do not believe that the only way to God is through Jesus.
While some of it may be attributable to a lack of training in sound doctrine, it is doubtful that that is the complete picture. The...
For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT)
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is not without controversy. There have been debates over its meaning and significance for centuries. There have been various interpretations regarding the elements of Communion. Segments of the church believe them to be literal, while others see them as only symbolic.
The result is that there are churches that have deempha...
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In these days of uncertainty, when people all around us are filled with fear, anxiety and worry, we as followers of Christ have an opportunity to demonstrate that *“He who is within us, is greater than he that is in the world.”* It was Rudyard Kipling who said, *“If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too!”* We should view the present situation as an opportunity...
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