Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Making Excuses

    We speak of our challenge in giving; giving monetarily, giving of our time, giving from our abilities, giving over our priorities, giving thanks. In theory, we agree that we need to give more, but we make excuses in reality. We can find reasons others need to give more of themselves, but we often find reasons to excuse ourselves from such sacrifices. We are very capable at making excuses. Excuse Makers in the Bible One of the first examples we would probably think of is Moses. In Exodus 3, God is telling Moses that he will be God’s messenger to His… Continue reading

    ,

  • What Is Man?

    When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3-5). For generations man has looked upward toward the heavens and have marveled. The stars seem to go on forever! Not a few ancient cultures considered the moon to be divine. Many believed that the stars represented divine ancestors. The night sky has always been… Continue reading

  • We Don’t Lie to Google

    Earlier in November, writer Ben Casnocha wrote this on his blog: Someone once told me that there is nowhere we are more honest than the search box. We don’t lie to Google. Period. We type in what we’re thinking — good, bad, and ugly. There’s probably no piece of information that would better show what’s on someone’s mind than their stream of searches. We don’t lie to Google. Nowhere is this more evident than in a handy feature Google uses in its search box called auto-complete. You start typing, and Google begins making suggestions on how to complete your search.… Continue reading

    ,

  • Black Friday

    And he said unto them, “Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Black Friday has come upon us again – the Friday after Thanksgiving, when many people get up very early and shop. Retailers like Black Friday – if sales are high, they make good profits and get back in the “black”– hence the name. Many are scouring the advertisements and are trying to get the best deals for gifts for themselves or for others. Unfortunately, Black Friday has recently become synonymous… Continue reading

  • Giving Thanks

    In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We are soon approaching the time when our country observes Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was intended to be a time to reflect and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings we share. Unfortunately, in the eyes of many, it has just turned into an opportunity to eat one or more over-sized meals. Bible believers recognize that God has never set aside one day for us to give thanks – He intends for believers to be people constantly marked by thankfulness. As Paul indicates,… Continue reading

  • Are We Having Fun Yet?

    There are times in this life when sorrow rolls over us and peace is far away. There are times when our sin is ever before us. The phrase, “Are we having fun yet?” is a sarcastic remark that permeates pop culture. Usually, when we ask this question, we are feeling the exact opposite. “Are we having fun yet?” may have, in fact, made a good title to some of the chapters in the book of Ecclesiastes. Many of the issues we find in the wisdom literature still exist today. Solomon recognizes times of trouble, times of sin, times of conflict.… Continue reading

    ,

  • Follow Me

    And passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” And straightway they left the nets, and followed him. And going on a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending the nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and… Continue reading

  • “Help My Unbelief”

    In Mark 9, the gospel writer records an encounter Jesus has with a possessed boy. His disciples had been unable to cast the unclean spirit out, and, in verse 20, the spirit reacts violently to being in Jesus’ presence. Jesus replies that all things are possible to one who believes, and the father of this boy pleads with Jesus, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” So many times, in prayer and in study I remember these words. Despite our faith and trust in God, we all struggle with times of unbelief. Strengthening Faith There are a couple of things we can… Continue reading

    ,

  • The Myth of Progress

    That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The past two hundred years have been a blur of technological development. Few are the aspects of life that have not been radically altered by recent innovations. Automobiles and airplanes have entirely changed how we transport ourselves and goods. The telephone, the computer, and the Internet have changed how we communicate with each other and how we are able to work. Heaters, air conditioners, stoves, ovens, microwaves, washers,… Continue reading

  • Choosing Our Path

    The prayers of little children are quite revealing in their innocence and their frank honesty. One such prayer is, “Dear God, let the bad people be good and the good people be nice.” How true this is in a world where things God would consider good are held as bad and upholds evil as good. In our lives, we have two choices – between good and evil – and God reminds His people time and again of this choice in various ways, between life and death, between good and evil, between righteousness and unrighteousness. This choice begins in our hearts.… Continue reading