Make an Altar in Bethel

Posted on 2013/06/30 by Shawn Thomas

Genesis 35:1 says: “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.'” God commanded Jacob to move, and when he moved, he was to build an altar to God in his new location. Although we are not today under the Old Testament Law, and do not build literal “altars”, there is yet an application for us here:

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As Much As In Riches?

Posted on 2013/06/28 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 119:14 the Psalmist proclaims: “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches.” That is quite a statement about his commitment to the word of God. I wonder how many of us can truly say that? Continue reading →

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What Real Faith Looks Like: Trusting A Benevolent God

Posted on 2013/06/27 by Shawn Thomas

One of my favorite scenes from the movie world is from the Christmas classic: “A Christmas Story”, when little Ralphie discovers the BB gun which his father had bought him for Christmas. The dad watches with delight as Ralphie opens the box, and follows his son’s every move as he pours the bb’s into the gun. It is a touching picture of a father who delights in giving to his child.

The Bible says that our Heavenly Father is like that. Jesus said in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?” The God of the Bible is a GOOD God, who loves to give His children what is good. Psalm 119:68 says of God: “You ARE good, and DO good.” His giving nature is preeminently seen in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ to purchase our salvation: “For God so loved the world that He GAVE …”. People have a lot of different ideas about the kind of God that He is, but in James 1:17-18, the Bible teaches us that “Real Faith” puts its trust in a good, giving God. Continue reading →

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Commitment and Assurance

Posted on 2013/06/27 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 31:14-15, David says: “I say You are my God, my times are in Your hand.” Here David exhibits a trust in the Lord despite the enemies which the earlier part of the Psalm referred to. Verse 15 exhibits a calm assurance: “My times are in Your hand.” But notice what the SOURCE of that assurance was.

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Leadership and Accountability

Posted on 2013/06/26 by Shawn Thomas

Exodus 39:43 says: “And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.” There are several applications here regarding leadership and accountability, both in the church and elsewhere: Continue reading →

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Make It Personal

Posted on 2013/06/25 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 31 opens in :1 with the words, “In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed.” One of the features of Psalm 31 is the repeated, personal nature of David’s cry for deliverance, and his personal trust in God. The words “I” and “my” are all through this Psalm! David did not just “believe” that God would help “people”; he personally trusted that He would deliver HIM.

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Quotes & Illustrations From Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables

Posted on 2013/06/24 by Shawn Thomas

Following are quotations and potential sermon illustrations from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. They are arranged in alphabetical order by topic. Page numbers are from Charles Wilbour’s translation, A.L. Bert Publishers. With this most recent update (7-14-13) selections cover the entire range of the book. My hope is that these will be of use to pastors and others who are looking for “apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

ANIMALS
“Animals are nothing but the forms of our virtues and vices, wandering before our eyes, the visible phantoms of our souls. God shows them to us to make us reflect.” (p. 165)

ATHEISTIC PHILOSOPHY
“There is, we are aware, a philosophy that denies the infinite. There is also a philosophy, classed pathologically, which denies the sun; this philosophy is called blindness. To set up a sense we lack as a source of truth is a fine piece of blind man’s assurance.” (p. 510)

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Just As The Lord Commanded

Posted on 2013/06/24 by Shawn Thomas

Exodus 39 may seem at first glance to be one of those “boring” chapters which give a lot of seemingly insignificant information. Earlier in the book, God had commanded Moses and the children of Israel to make garments for the priests, and Chapter 39 goes into great detail describing how they actually did that. But there is a phrase which is repeated in this chapter which gives us a key to its importance. The theme of the chapter might be summed up in this one repeated phrase: “Just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

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The Heart of Worship

Posted on 2013/06/23 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 28:7 says: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.” If one asks, “How does one ‘exult’ in God, like the scripture says elsewhere?” or “What is the key to a more exultant worship today?”, the answer is here:

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The Commitment of the Redeemed

Posted on 2013/06/22 by Shawn Thomas

The First Commandment (Exodus 20:2-3) is based on the redemptive work of God:
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage …”. He reminds them first of all that He had redeemed them from their captivity. Then, BECAUSE He had redeemed them, they were to give Him their undivided allegiance as described in the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This same commitment applies to believers under the New Covenant as well.

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