Stand with Conviction

In part two of our new teaching series, Stand Up: How to Fight Injustice, we looked together at the next part of the story of Esther.  Mordecai stands up to do the right thing…and everything goes wrong.  Through this hard turn of events we are reminded that if we are going to stand against injustice, we are going to have to make a commitment to do the right thing regardless of the outcome.  Keep reading to see how this unfolds.

Stand with Conviction

We live in a day when businesses are finding themselves needing to take social and moral stands in order to attract new customers.  Have you noticed that?  Used to be, companies and businesses focused on business.  If they wanted to convince people to spend their money with them instead of with a competitor, they worked really hard to plant the idea in our minds that they were the very best at what they did.  Their product was better than anybody else’s.  They were going to take care of their customers better than anybody else would.  They were the best…at their business.  Today, though, as being socially conscious has gotten more and more popular, many businesses are worrying less about talking about how great their products are, and are instead spending more time telling us how socially conscious, or progressive, they are.  Commercials often double as political statements.  Some don’t talk about their products at all, they just take a stand on some social issue and assume that customers will be drawn to use their products on the basis of that social stance alone. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: John 14:26

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Living the life of Christ day-in-and day-out is a tall order.  It’s a huge task.  If we let it, the thought that we are to live each day following after the pattern of Christ and doing what He said can be an overwhelming thought.  If we think about it in the wrong way, it can leave us wondering whether it’s really all worth it.  How are we supposed to do this on our own? Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 2 Kings 6:17

“Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’  So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

There are two ways to understand what’s going on here (assuming on the credibility of the text).  The first is that Elisha was delusional and somehow brought this poor servant into his delusions.  That would not only be a pretty disappointing interpretation, it doesn’t fit the context of the story itself or the broader context of Elisha’s life and ministry very well.  The second understanding is that every word here is true and happened just exactly like the text says. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Joshua 3:8

“And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This has always struck me as one of the more remarkable stories in the Exodus narrative.  Here were Joshua and the people of Israel ready once again to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.  The bounty of God’s provision and promise lay ahead of them.  The only thing that stands in their way is the Jordan River.  But, this should present no real trouble to them.  After all, God had already parted a whole sea for them.  What threat does a river pose? Read the rest…