If...One of the most profound words in the entire Bible Many words stand out in the Word of God as paramount: Salvation, Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, Redemption, Reconciliation, Propitiation, Longsuffering, Patience, Kindness, Love. These words are generally all seen originating from God’s point of view. They are from Heaven looking towards the earth. One of the most profound words from man’s perspective found in the Word of God is If. This perspective is because he is confronted with the if and is thus given a choice with resulting ramifications. The ramifications are from God but the choice stems from the heart of man. An If was given to Cain to cause him to turn in obedience to the Lord. (Genesis4:7) Lot was given an If to choose which direction he would go and land he would inhabit. (Genesis 13:9) The Hebrew midwives were given an If when they were commanded to kill the Hebrews’ baby boys.[i] (Exodus 1:16) Pharaoh was given ten Ifs when he was [...]

Teachable Spirit: Many times throughout the Psalms, King David prayed to the Lord for His Divine teaching. This should be the posture of every believer. We have not the right knowledge in our intellect to live to the glory of God. Oh that we each would posses this year a teachable spirit. This is a position of humility and willingness, ready to receive direction and doctrine from the Lord. As we wade into this new year, let us reply with David, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Teach me Lord the way to go, teach me what to say, Teach me how to live for Thee!   Boundaries of God’s Word: Even in a perfect world, God still gave boundaries to Adam and Eve. They had the free-will to choose if they would obey God’s commands or step across the line. Today, every believer has the boundaries of the Word of God. [...]

One of the great things about the seasons of Fall and Winter is the cool weather. Along with this weather comes the startup of the woodstove. I love the smell of burning wood on a crisp Fall day. There is nothing like it. The dry warmth that it produces in the house is quite cozy. One of the challenges with a woodstove is not allowing the fire to go out. Once it goes out, the heat stops, and it becomes again a challenge to get the fire started again. God set up the Old Testament Tabernacle and He did not want the fire to go out. As a matter of fact, the fire was to be burning all of the time and was never allowed to go out. This called for constant vigil by the priests, and diligence throughout all hours of the day. Leviticus chapter six records this principle: “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; is shall not be [...]