Tag Archives: Truth

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

22 Monday Jan 2018

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There is a saying we are all familiar with, “Timing is everything”, and in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Solomon clearly gives us hope to know God has a perfect plan for those who believe and follow Him.

1  There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

God’s plan and timing are perfect. The key is to learn to find peace and comfort in waiting on God’s plan. It may not be what we want at the time, but it is perfect.

Ecclesiastes 1

05 Friday Jan 2018

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As we begin the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shares his mindset in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” These words came from a man who literally had everything. Even after he had mastered everything anyone could every want, he realized it meant nothing in the end. I think one of the biggest realizations for Solomon was what really mattered in life is not new. The desires of our heart are the same throughout all generations. The requirements we all have to live our lives and be happy are the same. In Ecclesiastes 1:9 Solomon says, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Truer words have never been spoken. We all want the same thing whether we lived 3,000 years ago or today. We all want to be loved and respected and feel like our lives mean something. In the end, our lives are meaningless unless they mean something in the light of eternity. Without God and living in accordance to His perfect plan, our lives take on lesser importance. Francis Chan mentions in his book “Crazy Love” that most of us may be remembered by our kids and grand kids. We may even be mentioned to others by our great grand kids. But very few of us will be remembered beyond that. Our hope should be that our lives have an indirect impact on others and the only way that can truly happen is through service that bring people to salvation and an eternal relationship with God.

Ephesians 6:1-4

14 Thursday Dec 2017

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True faith in Christ and a changed heart will first be exhibited in the home through the relationships with the people who know us best. As a father of three, Ephesians 6:4 speaks loudest to me, Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord. As parents we sometimes turn into mini dictators trying to control every aspect of our children’s lives. But here Paul tells us to raise our children through Christ’s instructions. What is good for our lives is also good for our kids. If they do not live through the instruction of the perfect teacher, then we are a poor alternative.

Ephesians 4:25-28

02 Thursday Nov 2017

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We are supposed to live in communion with one another, but there are times it feels like there is more separation than anything else. This is not just believer/non-believer relationships, it exists within the body of Christ’s church as well. In Ephesians 4:25 Paul reminds the Ephesian church to get past the areas of false teaching and disagreement and remember we are all part of the same community. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Nothing bothers me more than Christian believers arguing with one another. We need to stop majoring on the minors and find where God truly wants us to focus our attention and efforts for His kingdom.

Ephesians 4:17-24

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

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The knowledge of Christ and a relationship with Him are two separate things. In Ephesians 4:21 Paul reminds the Ephesians of this, Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. As believers who have a relationship with Christ, and who study His word, we are taught the truth of who Christ is and how we are to be a reflection of Him. We have no excuses when we believe in these truths. If we fail, it is because of a conscious decision to rebel against what we know is true.

Ephesians 1:11

01 Friday Sep 2017

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God’s plan is perfect. When we trust in Him to walk us through life and we follow His will, we accomplish a fulfilled life through God’s perfect will. Ephesians 1:11 says, In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. When the chaos around us feels overwhelming, we can rest assured in the truth that God is in control.

Psalm 139

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

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At the end of this Psalm, David asks God to search for any wickedness in his life. In Psalm 139:23-24 David says, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. David is not challenging God to find him perfect, he is challenging God to identify sin and make it known so he can fix it. Too often we justify our sin and make excuses for the choices we make. If we are honest and open our hearts and minds to God, He will help us.

Psalm 133

15 Saturday Jul 2017

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As the body of Christ here on earth, we should live in unity and encourage one another to build a closer relationship with God. Unfortunately, too often we focus on minor differences of opinion. Psalm 133:1 says, How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! When we live in harmony with one another, we can spend more time focusing on Christ rather than ourselves. I believe disharmony is the greatest tool Satan has at his disposal. When we are focused internally on simple disagreements it becomes easy to lose focus on what’s really important.

Psalm 119

12 Monday Jun 2017

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Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It is a beautiful Psalm whether you break it into small chunks or take the time to read it all the way through. The major theme of the Psalm is to remind us God’s word is wonderful and true. If we remain obedient to God we have the ability to achieve real happiness. Psalm 119:1-2 begins with 1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. If we remember the Bible is the only real source of truth, we will find everything we need to live a pure life. Everything else is opinion and ways people find to justify their sinful choices. Don’t be fooled.

Psalm 111

22 Monday May 2017

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When we acknowledge God as our true source of wisdom we become truly wise. Without God, our foundation is shaky and are likely to make mistakes and foolish choices. Psalm 111:10 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise. “Fear” in this passage means reverence or respect for God’s authority. Too often people think they can gain wisdom from life experiences and academics alone. But without God’s wisdom in our lives, we skip an important step and fail to take advantage of the true source of all wisdom.