An Oft-Unwanted Token of God’s Love

The many of us who sometimes question God’s love during times of difficulty or trial would do well to remember Hebrews 12:6, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him. For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.”
This verse tells us: Continue reading

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A Post From Christmas Past

Since we are involved with family worship and other activities today — as I hope you are — I thought I would share some highlights from LAST year’s Christmas which I never published:

At one point during the week, the kids decided to take a break from their Christmas Playstation marathon and go for a walk. But after storms and wind all day, the cold front had finally come through. After ceremoniously waving and bidding me a grandiose “goodbye” just a few moments previously, they all scurried right back into the house 20 seconds later, whining and screaming, “It’s too COOOLLLDD!!!” I had to laugh at the quick turnabout!

Overhead during the Christmas holiday: Continue reading

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God With Us

Psalm 132:13-14 says: “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” We find in these verses several expressions of how God will be among His people: “Habitation … resting place … dwell …” It is God WITH His people, among them. This is the whole thing; THIS is what it is all about; this is what we were made for: that God would be among us.

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Putting Hardship In Perspective

If you ever think about how hard things are for you as you live and serve in the Christian life, Hebrews 12 may have some good words for you: get a little perspective by pondering the hardships that Jesus endured for you. Continue reading

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Inquiring of the Lord

In II Samuel 2:1 we find David in a familiar situation. After Saul’s death, he did not just “assume” that he should go back up to Israel, but instead it says he “inquired of the Lord.” The Bible tells us repeatedly that he did this (3 times in I Samuel 23:2, 4, 9-12). These Scriptures indicate that he was just in the HABIT of “inquiring of the Lord” before he did anything.

WE should be in that habit too — at every step, all through the day!

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Getting Real With God: Four Important Admissions

The writer of Psalm 130 is very transparent in his prayer to the Lord. We find here that he makes 4 very important admissions which each of us would do well to imitate:

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A Lesson in Civility and Grace

Following the death of Saul & Jonathan on Mt. Gilboa at the hands of the Philistines, David composes a lament in their honor. The song he wrote in II Samuel 1:17-27 is instructive to us in several ways:

— First, it is of interest that the familiar phrase “how have the mighty fallen” originates here. (In fact, it is used three times in this song (:19, :25, :27). If David’s song were given a title, surely it would have been, “How Have The Mighty Fallen.”)

— But beyond that, notice the grace and civility that David demonstrated to Saul, one who had unjustly oppressed him. Continue reading

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“The Little Condo On The Prairie” (12-17-13)

“It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas” at the “Little Condo”:

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A NEW CHRISTMAS SONG?
Michael was very interested in Pastor Ronnie Rogers’ message on the Magi from the Christmas sermon at Trinity, Norman, last Sunday — especially that there may have been more than just 3, and perhaps between 50 and 200 in the entourage. After pondering a few minutes, he said, “I’m trying to fit all this new information into the tune of ‘We 3 Kings’ …. ‘We 50-to-200-Magi, from Babylon are …”!!

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Answering That Accusing Whisper When We Pray

Psalm 130 begins with a couple of pleas to the Lord to hear the Psalmist’s prayers. In :1 he says: “I have cried to You, O YHWH” and again in :2, “Lord, hear my voice.” He wants God to hear and answer His prayers. Then, as if wrestling with the objection that the enemy of our souls (or perhaps his own conscience!) whispers in his heart, “You are not worthy of an answer from Him!”, he cries in :3, “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”

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Book Review: The Doctrine of the Bible, by David S. Dockery

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INTRODUCTION:

Dr. David Dockery is one of the most highly-respected leaders in the SBC, and his observations should be considered with appropriate regard. In the Preface to the book, Dockery states his purpose: “I have attempted to provide a careful overview of the important themes related to a doctrine of Scripture.” He performs his task well, giving a brief, but surprisingly comprehensive summary of the doctrine of the Bible. (Though currently out-of-print, second-hand copies of the book are available on amazon.com, and may be found in many college and seminary libraries as well.)

Dockery quotes Basil Manley, a Baptist patriarch: “Originality on a subject like this, which has been under discussion for centuries, would surely be in error.” This is a key regarding Dockery’s approach to the book. It is NOT very “original” or “exciting” reading, but it is solid, scholarly, conservative, and is a reliable guide to understanding a pillar doctrine of our faith. Everything else we believe hinges on what we find in the word of God. Many Christians of the last generation have sold out to “creativity” — often at the expense of truth. While The Doctrine of the Bible is not “exciting” reading, Baptists across the board would profit greatly from a familiarity with its contents.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES: Continue reading

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