Reviews and Views

…in my opinion.

The Wicked Among Us

In our society today, there are people who we could classify as ‘wicked.‘ That word seems like a harsh description to our sensible ears and imaginations. However, the Bible doesn’t pull back on any punches for those guilty of such acts. Perhaps, we shouldn’t either.

Notice the description used for the wicked in Psalm 10. These folks deliberately target the weak and poor to take advantage of them. If elected or appointed to a high office, they promise or boast of great things they will provide but deliver nothing. These people are arrogant, greedy, and profane. Lacking any sense of shame or morality, they possess evil desires and celebrate deeds done secretly to increase their wealth, control, and power.

These same people curse and insult the one true God by expressing contempt for godly things and even the Lord Himself. Publicly, they say the right things at times, but in secret, they are full of mockery and offend both the Creator and those who honor Him. Even those who disregard the sanctity of human life never admit that God exists. They have become fools in all their efforts to make something of themselves to self-admire.

Psalm 14:1
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

As we move closer to 2024 and the election season, study what candidates say and don’t say. Ask God for discernment and wisdom to make right choices in your candidates for office.

July 18, 2023 Posted by | advice, Bible, Culture | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Believer’s Death – Gone From My Sight

What follows is a depiction of a believer’s death that should be told at memorial services. It is a poem written by Henry van Dyke.

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says; “There, she is gone!”

“Gone where?” Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “There, she is gone!” There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout; “Here she comes!”

And that is dying.

June 17, 2023 Posted by | advice, Death, Poem | , | Leave a comment

Where We Are Today – A Look At Psalm 4:6

Psalm 4:6
Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!

Have you ever wondered, “Who will make things easier for me? Who will ease my burden or the hunger my family faces? Where can I go to get my next fix of pleasure?” Life is hard enough, it seems, and a little pleasure might be what the doctor ordered. Such were the circumstances facing a small country during a civil war. The population was wavering. Even those involved in the military conflict developed doubts about their perspective positions. There were half-hearted men in both camps. What was the right course of action? Though flanked by indecision and various opinions, that did not mean there was inaction. Has a familiar ring?

Honors, riches, or pleasures that nearly all people desire mean very little while people suffer. All these temporal things were light as vanity, fleeting as a soap bubble, thin and unsubstantial as air, floating away as the slightest breeze determines. Too few recognized the need for the favor of God and His approval, both being necessary for the happiness of humanity.

If placed in their situation, would you want to see rather than to believe? For most of us, seeing is preferred before thinking of a solution. It is our tendency. We are fond of drinking the latest cup of pleasing delusions provided readily by overarching governmental imposters. Their drink doesn’t satisfy. All too soon, Despair shows up to be your constant companion. But a true believer drinks from the truth of God’s Word, a fountain that never runs dry. The light of His countenance is enough for that person.

In Numbers 6:24-25, a blessing of the Lord is stated. “The LORD bless you, and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” In the days ahead, we need the blessings of the Lord, His grace and mercy, and His peace. May the Lord love you and make you know that He loves you. May He be well pleased with you and your obedient service. May you have peace with God, your conscience, and all men.

May 21, 2023 Posted by | Allegory, Bible, Culture | , , , , | 1 Comment

Agents of Blessing – Proverbs 11:10-11

“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.”
~~~ Proverbs 11:11, NIV

YOU ARE STRATEGICALLY PLACED in this world to make a difference. You probably know this by now, even if, at times, you struggle to see how. Perhaps you spend much of your mental energy focusing on the problems you face or on the people who created those problems and the ways you wish you could fix them. Or maybe you’ve had seasons of seeing your life as your own, wondering how to find fulfillment or manage the tasks at hand. Perhaps there are times when you exist—moment by moment, day by day. Even so, you’re aware of bigger things. You recognize a calling from the Spirit within you. You want to live with a sense of destiny.

On the one hand, we can sometimes be so focused on the big picture that we miss the opportunities in front of us. On the other, we can become so focused on the details of daily life that we miss pursuing the more significant relationships we have already been given. In between those two points of focus, the macro and the micro, we live and work among people who could be influenced in one way or another by a godly attitude. We have many opportunities to pray blessings on those around us—people at the office, in a classroom, standing in line, commenting on social media, passing by on the street—all of whom need, as we do, regular touches from God.

We have platforms from which to improve lives, encourage hearts, and demonstrate Kingdom values and ways. Our calling is to impart grace, and we have open doors to do so—through prayers, words, favors, and acts of kindness and compassion. We are living, breathing, walking agents of blessing.

Listen to the voice that reminds you of all the people placed in your path who need a priestly touch from a son or daughter of God. Be an advocate before God’s throne on their behalf. Ask him to meet their needs. Let your city—or office or neighborhood or school—be exalted through the blessings you bring.

Ask God to show you your potential. How can I bless the lives that cross my path? What words can I speak and pray? What deeds can I do? May every circle of my relationships be lifted up by whatever blessings I bring. All God’s people said, “AMEN”.

~~~ copied from The One Year Salt and Light Devotional by Chris Tiegreen

January 14, 2023 Posted by | advice, Bible, Culture, Hope, Life | , , , | 1 Comment

Relax, God’s Got Your Back

All of us have been affected at some point along the way by the thoughtless words and hurtful actions of others. And no matter how much we have heard about God’s love for us, we sometimes struggle to believe that we can actually experience that kind of love.

Whether you realize it or not, God has created you with unique gifts and abilities, called you to a fulfilling purpose, and plans to use you for extraordinary accomplishments. Maybe there seem to be too many obstacles to get over—or you’re in a situation that seems to have no way out or room for growth. Or maybe you think you’ve made too many mistakes. But God isn’t limited by these things, and neither are you. The God who created you is still there and loves you with an unending love.

Regardless of how people have treated you or tried to define your worth, God stands ready to walk with you for the rest of your life. He will help you draw a line between your past and your future, and He will help you forgive and move into all the fullness and freedom of a brand-new day.

His Promises:
You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:16

~~~ borrowed from a devotion in the Tecarta Bible

January 12, 2023 Posted by | Bible, Hope, Life | , , , | 1 Comment