I’ve learned this about obeying God:  You do what’s right even when you don’t feel like it.

You keep standing when you want to sit.

You keep fighting when you feel like surrendering.

You go by what you know, not what you feel.

You walk by faith and not by sight.

You trust God when your emotions lie to you and tell you that He’s the one to blame.

You hang onto Him even when you feel like letting go.

You believe what He says when you have zero evidence backing it up.

Tags: Bible, fighting, giving up, God, God's Word, letting go, obey God, surrendering

So much of religion is guilt- and shame-based.  And somehow, in reacting to error, an entire movement has cropped up to try to validate people’s emotions — to let them know that they’re ok and that they’re understood and that it’s ok to feel a certain way.  And of course there’s nothing wrong with being understood and being validated.  But first of all, Christianity has nothing to do with religion.  Religion may be guilt- and shame-based, but Christianity came to set us free from that.  So why then do we fall into this trap that says that the best way we can help wounded people is to validate them emotionally?  Did Jesus Christ come to pat the old man on the back and say “You’re ok.  It’s ok that you feel that way.”?  Or did He come to crucify (put to death) the old man and make us new creations in Him?

Tags: Bible, emotional validation, emotions, feelings, God's Word, truth

Considering the circumstances by which Daniel ended up in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, it’s remarkable the way he conducted himself even from the get-go.  Immediately after Daniel is taken from his noble family in Israel, given a new name (Belteshazzar) and ushered into the king’s palace, Daniel is already seen respecting those who most would consider his enemy.

Babylon (modern-day Iraq) has never been known as a God-fearing nation, and it certainly wasn’t in Daniel’s time.  After reading Daniel’s story in its entirety, that becomes crystal clear; but even at the very beginning, it’s visible.  Israel was a nation established by God for His people.  Babylon invaded, conquered and demolished that land, killing its people along the way.  Oh, and on the way out — they plundered God’s temple.  Even the most illiterate, uninformed God-fearing person would know better than to do that.

Tags: Bible, Daniel, God's Word, honor, integrity, King Nebuchadnezzar, loyalty, Obedience, respect, submit to authority

That was fun.  Thank you, Gabi, Emily and Rick, for sharing your wisdom.  I agree a lot with all three of you.

You [God] put us in charge of everything You made, giving us authority over all things — the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. -Psalm 8:6-8 (NLT)

Like Gabi said, God made us stewards of this earth.  He didn’t make us equals with animals or water or trees or anything else.  Yesterday, I saw this video and it greatly disturbed me:

Tags: Bible, Christianity, climate change, global warming, God's Word

Freedom was so much easier than I thought.  I mean, I had to fight for it.  I had to be steadfast and determined to get it.  It didn’t just fall from the sky one day and land in my lap.  But it was a lot easier than the other things I tried.  The books I read and the sermons I listened to — of course, they had truth nestled in them.  But it wasn’t enough to set me free.  Other people’s words of wisdom and testimonies are great, but they won’t set us free.  They push us towards freedom, but they won’t unlock the door.  God’s Word and His Word alone has the power to break the crafty strongholds that satan has spent years building in our lives.

Tags: Bible, freedom, God, God's Word, meditate, scriptures, truth, Victory

We’ve talked before about the only way to truly get complete and lasting victory, right?  And we’ve talked about how that direct route to victory doesn’t abide in a counselor or a sermon or a really good prophetic word or a New Year’s Resolution or good intentions or a ton of other “good” things, right?  Yes, I know we’ve come to the conclusion that the ONLY way to total and complete victory is God’s Word — the TRUTH — the Bible.  But…. what exactly does that mean?  Does it mean that we just crack open the Bible and start reading and, after a good long read of it, walk away totally victorious and free and happy and whole?  Well… not exactly.

Tags: Bible, defeat satan, fear, freedom, God, God's Word, how to get free, the truth, Victory, victory over fear

What causes Christians to fall into apathy and unbelief towards God when times get tough?

Why do people who grow up believing in God and going to church then turn against Him in hard times?

I used to think that finding the answer to that question was difficult.  But it’s really quite easy.  In fact, the answer is right in front of our eyes.  Jesus, Himself, gave us the answer in Matthew 7:24-27:

Tags: Bible, Christianity, doers of the word, God, God's Word, hard times, hearers of the word

Can I tell you about my favorite moment at church today?  My pastor was talking about the importance of renewing our minds.  He said: Renewing our minds in the way Romans 12:2 talks about is impossible if we don’t read God’s Word. Then, as is his custom, he walked down the steps of the altar and began pacing across the front of the room, so he could really look into our eyes as he said the next part.  How many of you have ever said: “Where are You, God?  Don’t you see the mess I’m in?  I need answers!” He continued to walk across the room, searching for our eyes, then paused for a moment and ran back up the stairs of the altar.  I wonder if God’s not up there shouting: “I already gave you the answers!  Why don’t you read them?  You have 18 different versions of The Answers sitting around your house!”

Tags: back to basics, Bible, Christianity, God, God's Word, the answers

Friday was supposed to be one of the worst days of my life.  That’s what I expected it to be.  And I was actually ok with it.  I was ok with experiencing pain.  I was ok with crying tears.  I was ok with goodbyes that wrenched my heart.  I was ok because I knew God was with me.  He would hold me up.

But let me just tell you: God blew the shutters off my house.  Yes.  If Friday was like a house and the shutters on the house were my expectations of what that day would be — then He blew the shutters right of that house.  Friday wasn’t the worst day of my life or my week or my year.  No, it was one of the best days of my life.

Tags: bad job market, best day of my life, Bible, Economy, finding a job, God's Promises, God's Word, God's Word doesn't return void, great depression, I lost my job, Isaiah 55:11, last day of work, losing a job, Matthew 15, news, tradition, trusting God, truth, worst day of my life

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32

The Bible is powerless in my life if I don’t believe it.  I can hear the truth, I can read the truth, I can copy the truth onto 3 by 5 notecards and tape them on my mirror, I can memorize the truth, I can shout the truth over my situation, but until I know the truth… I will not be set free.

Tags: battle, Bible, David and Goliath, Disease, Free, freedom, God, Jesus, Sickness, Sword, truth, Victory, war