Right God/Wrong Worship

Posted on 2014/05/12 by Shawn Thomas

In I Kings 12 the Bible says that King Jeroboam “made two golden calves, and he said to (the people), ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.'” What is instructive about this passage is that Jeroboam was not leading Israel to worship the “wrong” God, but rather to worship the “right” God in the WRONG way!

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You’re Not God!

Posted on 2014/05/09 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 9 ends with this prayer from David: “Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are but men.” His request may seem like a curious one at first, but it is actually very insightful regarding human nature and our response to difficult circumstances:

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Your Screwtape’s Disgrace!

Posted on 2014/05/08 by Shawn Thomas

Colossians 2:15 says that when God “disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” The Bible words used here are very instructive to us in the spiritual warfare we face every day.

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You Are Not Forgotten

Posted on 2014/05/07 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 9:18 David reminds us: “For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.” This is a good reminder, because there are times when you DO feel like you will always be forgotten; especially when you are in the middle of a difficult trial, and you are asking God to do something — and it seems like nothing is happening! Continue reading →

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A Picture of His Grace

Posted on 2014/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

I Kings 11 describes how King Solomon allowed his heart to be turned away from God by his foreign wives. He broke the covenant with God and his heart was not fully devoted to Him (:4). But verses 11-12 tell us that God showed grace to Solomon. “The LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutues, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David …”. God did not take the kingdom away from Solomon during his lifetime, although he deserved for that to happen. But it was NOT because Solomon “deserved” it — but “for the sake of your father David.”

This is a picture of the grace God exercised towards us in Christ:

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Forgetting God

Posted on 2014/05/05 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 9:17 David writes: “The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God.” “The wicked” are in parallel here with “all the nations who FORGET GOD.” This should remind us that it is wickedness to forget God — which is exactly what even many of God’s people do constantly: we forget God.

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The Pit They Made

Posted on 2014/05/02 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 9:15 David speaks of the judgment which will come upon those who reject God. He writes: “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; in the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.”
Sometimes we think of GOD as judging the wicked, and “doing something” to them. But this verse reminds us that often His “judgment” just involves letting the natural course of people’s own decisions, and the works of their own hands, come back upon them. Continue reading →

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Vertical & Horizontal

Posted on 2014/05/01 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 9:11 David writes: “Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples His deeds.” God’s people are commanded to worship their King in two distinct ways here:

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He’s All I need

Posted on 2014/04/30 by Shawn Thomas

Colossians 2:10 says: “And in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” This verse follows the main theme of the Book of Colossians, and reminds us of the sufficiency of Christ. “You have been made complete” is a perfect participle in Greek — it speaks of a completed action which has present abiding results. You have already been made complete, the Bible says here.

And significantly, it is “IN HIM” that this is so. Continue reading →

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Lessons in Grace

Posted on 2014/04/29 by Shawn Thomas

In I King 9:6 God told King Solomon, “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me … (:7) then I will cut off Israel from the land …”. Here again we see that God DOES keep His promises — for good or for bad, and in this case, for bad, because Solomon and Israel did not in fact do their part and walk in His ways. They could not keep a covenant based on good works — and neither can we! Continue reading →

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