ROCK SOLID!

 

Friday, February 21, 2025

 

ROCK SOLID!

 

Matt 7:25

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

 

We live in an increasingly troubled and troublesome world. Like the disciples of old, our thoughts naturally gravitate to their question regarding the eventual collapse of society. The heavy burden of sin has turned God’s creation into a groaning and grotesque monster unsure of its gender.

 

Politically, “the wicked bears rule” and so the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2) Religiously, churches have been overrun by carnal theatrics. Socially, the family unit is under tremendous strain. Cohabitation and illegitimacy are the result of a general lack of commitment. Productivity is down because entitlement now rules the day. There is a growing unrest as culture begins to dissolve.

 

Jesus urged his followers to remain calm but to be prepared. We will feel the pressure along with others, but we will know that our ultimate redemption is drawing closer and closer. We must remain true to godly principles, resist the culture, and win the lost. Then shall the end come.

 

Dear Lord, help me to remain calm and faithful in the face of growing unrest. AMEN

 

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

 

Thursday, February 20, 2025

 

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

 

Heb 13:12-13

12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

 

Matt 16:24-26

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 

          All three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) records Jesus saying: “If any man will come after (or follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross.” Luke adds the word “daily.” Following Jesus is not for wimps but risk takers.

 

1. The Cross is PERSONAL!

 

It is YOUR cross. The cross of discipleship and service is not some naturally occurring inconvenience. It is more than a rainy day that spoils a picnic. My cross is so personal that nobody else can carry it.

 

2. The Cross is REDEMPTIVE!

 

I believe that ministry does not happen unless the minister suffers some kind of loss so that the recipient can enjoy some kind of gain. Jesus’ cross redeemed the sinner, but Jesus was without sin. The one hanging on the cross suffered loss so that we might gain.

 

2 Cor 8:9

9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

 

3. The Cross is an INVESTMENT!

 

Mark 8:35-36

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

 

Those who are overly protective of this earthly life will ultimately lose it anyway. Those who recklessly invest their earthly life to do ministry will not lack life. Those who hoard earthly stuff will ultimately lose it but those who lay up treasure in heaven will never lose their investment.

 

Matt 6:19-21

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

Dear Lord, I don’t have much, but it all belongs to you. Use both me and my stuff to make gains for your kingdom. AMEN

 

BIG PHARMA AND THE BIBLE

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

 

BIG PHARMA AND THE BIBLE

 

Rev 9:20-21

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

 

Rev 18:23

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; [in spiritual Babylon] and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

 

          Interestingly, the Greek word for “sorceries” here is pharmakeia or pharmacy. Our usual understanding of a sorcerer is a Harry Potter character or perhaps a woodland witch but perhaps it belongs more to the local drugstore. Does the Bible indicate a widespread drug use in the last days? Maybe so.

 

          “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. (U.S Drug Enforcement Administration)

 

          Pharmaceutical companies and advertising agencies are constantly tantalizing us with the possibility of a quick chemical fix for a host of problems. What would happen if we actually did ask our doctor if this or that drug is right for us?

 

          The Bible does not directly address drug use, but it provides principles that indicate drunkenness, addiction, and substance abuse are dangerous and should be avoided. The Bible emphasizes self-control, sobriety, and taking care of our bodies. While the term “drug” may not have been used in biblical times, these principles can still be applied.

 

Prov 23:29-30

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

 

Lord, we live in a we live in a drug-buzzed world. Help us to be clear-eyed and purposeful in our dealings. AMEN