A Spiral of Compromise

Posted on 2013/10/22 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 106:35-37 says: “But they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons.” Much of Psalm 106 describes the sin of the people of Israel in the wilderness. Verses 34-39 detail how they compromised themselves by taking on the evil practices of the nations around them. But :35-37 especially describe HOW this sad state came into being. It didn’t happen all at once; there was a certain and sure progression, deeper and deeper into compromise:

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Grace For Those Who Fall Short

Posted on 2013/10/21 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 106:3 says: “How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times.” If only we did! Unfortunately this rules out every one of us: NONE of us practices righteousness at ALL times! “There is NONE righteous; not even one”! (Romans 3:10)

This is why the grace of God is so important

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Sing Praises to Him

Posted on 2013/10/20 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 105:2 instructs us: “Sing to Him; sing praises to Him.” Notice some things about this verse which instruct us regarding our worship of God:

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By Faith He Lived

Posted on 2013/10/19 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 11:9 says of Abraham: “by faith he LIVED as an alien in the land of promise.”
It is one thing to step out initially in faith (as it says in :8 that Abraham did); it is another to LIVE in an unfamiliar land, with people surrounding you who do not support that faith, with no tangible “results” to see — and to do it for some period of time, as Abraham did.

Yet this is exactly what WE are called to do! Continue reading →

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Saved “So that …”

Posted on 2013/10/18 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 105:43-45 describes God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt, and gives us some insight regarding it:

43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful ashout.
44 He gave them also the lands of the 1nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor,
45 So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
Praise the Lord!

NOTICE the “SO THAT” in :45. God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt (:43) and gave them all those possessions (:44) “SO THAT they might keep His statutes.” He did not give them deliverance so that they might live in whatever manner might please them. He saved them so that they might keep His word and live as a praise and a testimony to Him, as His special people.

What we need to realize is that the same thing is true for us as New Testament Christians.

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The Obedience of Faith

Posted on 2013/10/17 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a land which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
A key word here is the word “obeyed.” Because he had faith, Abraham obeyed God. When God told him to leave the land of his fathers, and go to a place he had never seen, Abraham did what God told him to do. His faith led him to obey. It would have been ludicrous for him to say that he had faith in God, and yet remain where he was when God told him to go!

Those who claim faith in God today need to realize that the same thing is true for us. Continue reading →

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The Revealing Nature of Mourning

Posted on 2013/10/16 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 79:1 begins with a mournful prayer: “O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance …”. The writer of Psalm 79 is a mourner, and it is important to understand the cause of his grief. It is obvious to the reader that the nation had been devastated: “They have laid Jerusalem in ruins” (:1) etc. But there is more to it than that. We see repeatedly that the source of mourning is that the nations have “invaded YOUR inheritance; they have defiled YOUR holy temple.” In :2 he speaks of “YOUR servants” and “YOUR godly ones” who have been slain. It is not merely a personal loss that the Psalmist is mourning, but rather an affront to God’s glory.

What we mourn over reveals a lot about us. Unfortunately, when many of us mourn, it is not regarding God’s holiness or glory. Instead it often stems from a loss of personal pride, pleasure, or comfort. Injustices or pains inflicted on others are far less likely to touch us — and how much less “just” an affront to the glory of God?

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Make It Personal!

Posted on 2013/10/15 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 104 begins, “Bless the LORD O my soul; O LORD my God, You are very great.” Notice the repetition of the personal pronoun in this verse: “MY soul …. MY God …”. The Psalmist was very personal in his outlook here, which is a reminder to us that our religion must be the same way. Christianity is not just an “intellectual exercise” or a philosophy. It must be personal, or it is nothing!

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“Little Condo on the Prairie” (Oct. 14, 2013)

Posted on 2013/10/14 by Shawn Thomas

SQUEAMISH SOME?
Many of you know that we are excitedly expecting our second grandchild in May, from our son David and his wife Ashley. Well, they had their first doctor’s appointment a few days ago, and in the office they began to do the traditional ultrasound to get a first view of the baby. That was last thing David remembered — before he woke up on the floor! He passed out watching the ULTRASOUND!
After he recovered (they had to use smelling salts!) he told Ashley that he thought he was ok now, and that he could stay in the room while they drew some blood from her. Ashley laughed: “No way!”

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Forget None of His Benefits

Posted on 2013/10/14 by Shawn Thomas

After opening with the famous “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” Psalm 103:2 then says: “forget none of His benefits.” Forgetting is one of our biggest spiritual problems. Israel was constantly cited for forgetting God, forgetting His blessings, etc. We often do the same.

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