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Obey God or Please People
In Daniel Chapter 3 we find three Hebrew captives who refused to fall down and worship the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The Babylonians practiced polytheism. They didn’t believe in just one god, nor did they require others to follow only their gods. King Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t asking them to renounce Yahweh by bowing down to his statue. So what was the big deal, then? This is exactly what my relatives ask me when I refuse to participate in Hindu rituals. They believe in a pluralism of sorts, and purport that Hinduism is more of a philosophy than a religion, where one can adhere to tenets that appeal to them, and disregard…
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Imagine There’s No Lennon
“Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky…” I find the above one of the saddest thoughts ever put to music. Unfortunately this song has become the Humanist theme song. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and shutdown, a bunch of celebrities decided to sing this song acapella and share it with the world… for some reason. Why? It is a melancholy, hopeless song… at least on the surface. And John Lennon is dead. Imagine there is no heaven, no place where people finally find rest from a life of toil and struggle, pain and sorrow. Imagine there is nothing…
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Moses, used by God to intervene on behalf of His apostate people
Title: Moses, used by God to intervene on behalf of His apostate people Aim: To assess how to respond to the temptations we face each day. Scripture: Exodus 32:1–14 Apostasy conceived and enacted, Exodus 32:1-6 Exodus has two principal sections. The first (chaps. 1–18) portrays God as the Savior and Provider of His people. The second (chaps. 19–40) depicts the Lord as being holy and righteous. Through God’s revelation of Himself, He instructed the Israelites in His sovereignty and majesty, goodness and holiness, grace and mercy. They discovered that the Creator is the one and only Lord of heaven and earth. Crucial to the narrative is…
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The Null Opportunity
The preceding blogs on the Ten Commandments (1) have precisely articulated how God expects us to live; nevertheless, we have as individuals and as a nation have primarily chosen to say “no thanks” to God’s offer of rescue from the bondage of sin, its destruction in our lives while on Earth, and its promise of eternal death after we die thus identifying with the Biblical definition of a fool (Psalms 14:1). Nevertheless, God so loved the world, even in its deplorable fallen state, so much that He sent His unique son to provide a way back to Himself (John 3:16,17. Romans 5:8. 1 Corinthians 15:3,4. Ezekiel 18:31,32. Ezekiel 11:19,20). However,…
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The First Opportunity
The First Commandment states that we are not to have any God other than the one true God (Exodus 20:3). You may say that you have not violated this commandment for you believe that Jesus Christ is God. Well, so do the demons, and they tremble in fear of Him (James 2:19. Acts 19:15).
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The Second Opportunity
The Second Commandment states that we are not to make, bow to or serve images created to represent God (i.e., an idol) (Exodus 20:4-6). You may say that you did not violate this commandment, for you have no images that you worship.
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The Third Opportunity
The Third Commandment states that we are not to use the name of the Lord in vain (Exodus 20:7). To use the Lord’s name in vain is to use it flippantly (i.e., to take it lightly without thinking), profanely (i.e., to treat God whose name is holy with irreverence), or deceitfully (i.e., to be dishonest in invoking the name of God).
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The Fourth Opportunity
The Fourth Commandment states that we are to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11). To keep something holy simply means to set it apart (Leviticus 20:26). That is, on the Sabbath we are to cease from the things that we do the other six days of the week and rather do things that bring glory and honor to God (Ezekiel 20:12). So, have you set apart one day of the week where you cease doing your normal routines and rather spend time honoring God? If you cannot say “Amen”, Say “Oh, Me!”
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The Fifth Opportunity
The Fifth Commandment states that we honor our father and mother so that our days may live long in the land that God has given us (Exodus 20:12). This is the first of God’s commandments to contain a promise (Ephesians 6:2,3). To “honor” in the original Hebrew language includes the qualities of love, affection, gratitude, obedience, and respect. Through honoring our parents, we first learn to honor all that are in authority over us. If children do not learn to honor their parents, then they will likely not honor any in authority. Are you ensuring that your children honor their parents so that they will grow up honoring the law of…
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The Sixth Opportunity
The Sixth Commandment states that we are not to murder (Exodus 20:13). To murder is the intentional killing of a human being under the wrong motives and circumstances, which includes taking your own life (i.e., suicide) or that of a baby while in the mother (i.e., abortion anytime after conception (1)). This does not include the killing of humans in self-defense, national defense (e.g., war), capital punishment (Genesis 9:6), or unintentional killing of a human (Numbers 35:11). Furthermore, it does not include the killing of animals for food or clothing, etc. While many of us would say that we have never committed murder, nevertheless, the Bible states that if you…
