As I was reading a book by Jim McGuiggan called The Book of Isaiah, I noticed a sentence describing the religious climate of Judah during the reign of King Manasseh (2 Kings 21).  He said, "Religion was at an all-time high and morality and spirituality were at an all-time low."  It's true.  Manasseh was involved in all kinds of religious activity.  He erected altars for Ball and Asherah.  He worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.  He built altars to the host of heaven in the house of the LORD.  He sacrificed his son by burning him with fire.  He practiced witchcraft and divination and dealt with mediums and spiritists.  All of these things you can read for yourself in 2 Kings 21:3-9.

What a horrible time!  Wouldn't it be terrible to live in a time when people worship whatever the ...

I'm tired.  I had a long week last week and a long day yesterday.  I know, I know - quit complaining!  I only bring this up because I of something I read in Isaiah 40:27-31.

27: Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?

It's easy to feel this way.  It's easy to think God doesn't notice us when we sin.  We are so small.  There are so many people in the world.  Surely we don't stand out.  Surely God doesn't notice our insignificant lives.  Maybe I'll just get away with everything...

28: Do you not know?  Have you not heard?&nb ...

In Isaiah 1, after God slammed the Israelites for their insincere worship, God told them what He REALLY wanted: repentance.

Isaiah 1:16-20
 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
 19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land;
 20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Those who put ...

Did you know that God hates some worship.  I guess we could question whether or not it's really worship if God hates it, but we must understand there is worship which God absolutely despises.

Read with me Isaiah 1:10-15:

 10 Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.
 11 "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
 12 "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?
 13 "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incen ...

The Old Testament is rich with themes, which have now become types of New Testament realities.  One such theme is that of owning a special land.

When Abram was separated from his nephew, Lot chose to pitch his tent towards the good, fertile lands of Sodom.  In Gen. 13:14-15, "The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, 'Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.'"  Again, God told Abram in Gen. 15:7, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur ...

Somehow my thinking has been warped.  I don't know how I got it into my head that I could just teach someone a series of five or ten lessons and they would be a strong NT Christian.  If there was a series of lessons, a ready formula for making a NT Christian, don't you think Peter or Paul or Jesus would have loaned us the material?  Instead, we have the Bible.  Yes, the entire Bible.  Here's a person we want to teach - where do we start?  Do we always start in the same place with every person?  If we do, it sounds like we think we have a formula.  We may have missed something integral in the teaching process.

1) Get to know the person.  Often we don't do this because it's just so hard.  It takes time to learn what a person needs.  It takes effort to wade through their issues and problems.  It takes (ulp!) love to discover what their likes ...

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain, so says Mark 9:2-8.  There Jesus was transfigured before them, His clothing becoming so radiant and white that no earthly launderer could match.  As the three apostles watched, Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus and the three were talking together.  Peter, bless his heart, didn't know what to say (and of course he had to say SOMETHING), so he said the first thing that came to mind. "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Mark 9:5).  All of a sudden, they heard a voice from heaven, This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" (Mark 9:7).  When they looked around, Moses and Elijah had vanished and only Jesus stood before them.

Moses was the grea ...

Peter tells us how to initially obtain a good conscience in 1 Peter 3:21: "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  What a wonderful day it was to be raised from the waters of baptism knowing God had washed our sins away completely!  We truly did stand before God with a good conscience.  We understood we no longer had guilt weighing us down.  God pronounced us clean!

But as we moved forward in our lives, we continued to find it impossible to stay clean.  We kept running into temptations we were too weak to overcome.  Our faith just wasn't what it should be.  Did we have to jump back into the water for another baptism?  No, Jesus was sacrificed once for all time, and His blood is so powerful it continues to ...

I was impressed today as I read through Stephen's sermon in Acts 7.  We understand we must be like Christ.  Stephen is a great example of this Christ-likeness.

1.  Stephen's accusers brought the same issues against him as they had against Jesus. (Acts 6:11 - "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."  Acts 6:13-14 - "They put forward false witnesses who said, 'This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.'")

2.  Stephen preached the truth to them in the face of death (Acts 7).

3.  As they stoned Stephen to death, he &a ...

Lazarus died.  Lazarus was a friend of Jesus', brother of Mary and Martha.  After his death, Jesus went to Bethany (just outside of Jerusalem) to see the family.  Martha choked out, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21).  Jesus said, "Your brother will rise again" (11:23), knowing full well He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Martha expressed faith in Lazarus rising on the last day, but Jesus wanted her to understand and believe HE was the resurrection and the life. 

Then came Mary.  Mary said exactly the same thing as Martha, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (11:32).  She must have been grieving harder than Martha, because it is ...