Monthly Archives: July 2026

Flee Idolatry And Cling To God

When God saved Israel from Egypt, He saved His people from a nation filled with idolatry – with false gods. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh with the message,

Exodus 5:1 Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.

Pharaoh was quick to answer:

(Exodus 5:2 ESV) Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.

Pharaoh believed – along with his people – the HE HIMSELF was god. Egypt worshiped numerous gods and goddesses, animals and leaders. It was idolatry and defiance of the God of the Bible that caused Egypt – at one time a world power – to lose it’s power and influence among the nations.

When God stopped Israel at the base of Mount Sinai, He was going to take this ragged group of people and constitute them as a nation. The Bible tells us that “God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:8), and that:

(Daniel 2:21 ESV) God changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

God established Israel as His nation at Sinai. So in Israel’s constitution God established a series of principles of Law that His people were to follow. We call this foundation “The Ten Commandments”. The very first part of the commandments deal with WHO is God, and HOW God is to be treated.

(Exodus 20:2-7 NKJV) I [am] the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [3] “You shall have no other gods before Me. [4] “You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness [of anything] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth; [5] you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me, [6] but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. [7] “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless who takes His name in vain…. Continue reading

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Cast Not Your Pearls Before Swine

The Church of Jesus Christ is in the midst of a battle against darkness, and has been in that battle from the moment Jesus ascended into Heaven. Just as Satan attacked Jesus from the start to the end of His earth ministry (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 3:20-30; Luke 22:53; Revelation 12:10-11), Jesus warned us that we would battle Satan as His Church. Our enemy is not humanity, but the forces of evil and darkness behind humanity. The Bible says:

(Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV) For WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this age, against SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS in the heavenly [places]. [13] Therefore TAKE UP THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The fallen world, under the influence and snare of Satan, is constantly attacking the truths of the Bible and the glorious Gospel of Christ. The Apostle said,

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR.

The solution for the Church – the only way we can survive – is to SUBMIT OURSELVES TO GOD while RESISTING SATAN (James 4:7).

Sadly, that’s not what happens in most cases. Instead of demanding that the world listen to Jesus, we as the church have begun to listen to the world. We begin to ask questions like, “How can we get more behinds in the pew”, rather than asking the right question “How can we glorify Jesus and honor our Heavenly Father?”. If we please Jesus, God will make sure the RIGHTEOUS are added to the Church. Look at the early Church testimony. When the Apostles preached:

Acts 2:40 … BE SAVED FROM THIS PERVERSE (skolios, crooked, wicked, surly) GENERATION

They made no apologies when preaching against the wickedness in the world. The early Preachers made no excuses for the darkness to hide in, but demanded that people REPENT – surrender their lives to Jesus so that He could save them. The Bible tells us that:… Continue reading

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Our Mission Is God’s Kingdom

When Adam was placed in the Garden East of Eden (Genesis 2:8), it was both a person and a place that were without sin. The Bible says that:

(Genesis 1:31 NKJV) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed [it was] VERY GOOD…

Creation was literally heaven on earth. It was the Kingdom of God. The Bible says “out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that was pleasant to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:8-9). When the first Adam sinned and rejected the commandment of God, he brought spiritual death on both himself, his family, and on creation. Paul tells us:

(Romans 5:12 NKJV) … through ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because ALL SINNED–

Mankind died spiritually the day Adam sinned, and brought sin on creation itself. Everything went from being “very good” to “cursed”. God told Adam:

(Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV) Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “CURSED IS THE GROUND FOR YOUR SAKE; In toil you shall eat [of] it All the days of your life. [18] Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. [19] In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you [are], And to dust you shall return.”

What should have been Heaven on earth – the Kingdom of God – became the domain of sin and death. Whereas Adam and Eve were to rule the world for God, their fall to Satan gave him rule. The Apostle wrote:

(1 John 5:19 NKJV) We know that we are of God, and THE WHOLE WORLD LIES UNDER THE SWAY OF THE WICKED ONE.

From Adam until the coming of Christ people were:… Continue reading

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Jesus Commanded Follow Me

(John 12:20-26 KJV) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: [21] The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired Him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. [22] Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. [23] And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. [25] He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. [26] If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will [my] Father honor.

The Great Commission Is About Believers
Teaching Christ’s Commandments

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, following His death, burial, and resurrection, He gave His Church a mission. We call it a “Great Commission”. Found in Matthew chapter 28, Jesus told those who believed in Him:… Continue reading

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God The Trinity

According to the Holy Bible, there is only one God, one Creator of all. The God of the Christian is both ONE and THREE. The Apostle wrote:

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NKJV) For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), [6] yet for us THERE IS ONE GOD, THE FATHER, OF {preposition ek} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we for Him; and ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH {preposition dia} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and THROUGH WHOM WE LIVE.

Word Study: God the Father is the PLANNER and DIRECTOR of the Godhead. The Apostle emphasizes this with the phrase “OF {preposition ek} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS”. The preposition1 ek used with God the Father shows that the Father is the Source, the First Cause of all things. We have life because the Father planned it, and ordered its execution.

Word Study: God the Son is the AGENT or CHANNEL of creation. The Apostle emphasizes this with the phrase “THROUGH {preposition dia} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS”. Though the Father planned and authorized creation, this plan went through Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), Who intercedes for us with the Father (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). The Apostle explained His relationship in the Trinity in the text:… Continue reading

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The First Command Of Jesus Is REPENT

Salvation Begins With REPENT

In our text today we’re going to look at Jesus’ first public sermon, His first command to us all. This public proclamation is found not just here, but in

(Mark 1:14-15 KJV) … Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

Illustrative Opening: “REPENT”. You don’t hear this word much in modern preaching. By magic of the Internet I heard the late Pastor John MacArthur tell about a road trip he took one time. As he was driving, he saw a small sign that said “Handmade Quilts for sale, next home on the right”. John said, “My wife loves handmade quilts, so I decided to stop and see if I could buy her one”. Pulling into the driveway, he went up to the house, rang the door bell, and a woman came to the door. He explained he was interested in her handmade quilts. Inviting John in, the woman went in the back and – according to him – “Brought out the ugliest quilt I’ve ever seen”. He said, “The woman began to explain that this quilt was her pride and joy, years in the making. Every significant event in her life she saved a scrap of cloth, and sewed it into this quilt. And she was proud of it. What could I say? It’s like someone showing you an ugly baby. What can you say but, ‘Well, that’s a baby!’”. John told her that he’d like to look at another quilt, that this particular quilt “was the wrong color”. The lady responded, “Why, it’s EVERY color!” But she brought out another quilt, and he did end up buying that one.

But this wasn’t the end of the story. The woman’s husband was sitting nearby while this was going on, and all around him were religious books. Some were Mormon, others Jehovah’s Witnesses, several from Prosperity Preachers, then books from the Unity Network along with Universal Unitarianism and Billy Graham. John looked at the man and said, “You have quite a collection of books there”. The man replied, “Yes, and there’s GOOD IN ALL OF IT”…. Continue reading

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