My Part/God’s Part

Posted on 2013/05/17 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 1:3 says: “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” The “He” in :3 refers to the man whom :1-2 describes, who does not walk in the ways of the wicked, but who instead delights in the Law of The Lord. This verse promises some great things for this man, but the results are not his responsibility — nor ours.

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The Right Side of History

Posted on 2013/05/16 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 2:1-3 asks: “Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us.'”
Although this ultimately refers to an eschatological (end times) event, :1-3 are also a picture of what happens every time man rebels against God, when they reject His word regarding any issue.

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The Origin of All Skill

Posted on 2013/05/15 by Shawn Thomas

In Exodus 31:2-3 God says: “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship.” The Lord asserted that the skill that Bezalel had, was given to him by Him – and He subsequently instructed him to use that skill in the construction of the tabernacle for worship.

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Little Condo On The Prairie

Posted on 2013/05/14 by Shawn Thomas

Another week has gone by in our “little condo on the prairie”; highlighted by my first opportunity to preach in about eight months since I have been sick. Libby will be delivering our first grandchild soon, and we are still enjoying the close fellowship … Continue reading →

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No “Family Plan”

Posted on 2013/05/14 by Shawn Thomas

Exodus 30:12 says: “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord …”. Each individual member of the people of Israel was responsible to see that his own ransom was paid (:13 tells us that the ransom was a half shekel each). This reminds us that we are each accountable for ourselves to the Lord. Continue reading →

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“A Heritage of Faith” (Mothers Day Message 2013)

Posted on 2013/05/13 by Shawn Thomas

II Timothy 1:5 “A Heritage of Faith” Mothers Day 2013

One of the things that has been very gratifying to Cheryl & I in recent years has been seeing our kids adopt some of our family traditions for their own. Cheryl especially has enjoyed talking with the kids on the phone during the holidays, helping them to get their cinnamon rolls to rise, or telling them how to make icing, or how to melt the chocolate to dip the Christmas candy in. But as good as that is, there is something more important we can pass down to our children than our best holiday recipes: and that is the heritage of our Christian faith. This is what we see in our passage for today, II Timothy 1:5: Continue reading →

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The Greatest Blessing

Posted on 2013/05/11 by Shawn Thomas

In Exodus 29:45 God said: “I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.” The great blessing of Israel was not invincible military might, unequalled prosperity, or unique religious rituals – but that GOD HIMSELF would dwell among them. We need to realize that this is STILL the greatest blessing a people can attain. Continue reading →

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ASK!

Posted on 2013/05/10 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 2:8, God tells His Anointed One: “ASK of Me …”. God would do immense things for His Messiah: give the Gentiles as an inheritance, the very ends of the earth as His possession – but He wanted Him to ASK. The same thing is true for us.

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The Incense of Prayer

Posted on 2013/05/09 by Shawn Thomas

After the first verses of Exodus 30 describe the pattern for the altar of incense at the tabernacle, :7 says: “Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.” This is significant to us because incense represents the prayers of God’s people.

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“Sound Doctrine”

Posted on 2013/05/08 by Shawn Thomas

In Titus 2:1, Paul commands: “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” Many would say, “Amen!” – but look at what the next verses tell us this “sound doctrine” is composed of:
— older men to be temperate, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance (:2)
— older women: reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips … encouraging young women to be husband-lovers and children-lovers, workers at home … (:3-4)
— young men to be sensible, examples of good deeds, etc. (:6-7)
— bondslaves – subject to their masters, not argumentative, not pilfering, etc. (:9-10)

MOST of the things Paul addresses under the category of “sound doctrine” here have nothing to do with what WE would consider “doctrine”: theories of the atonement, predestination, or the nature of the Trinity.

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