The Trumpet Will Sound

“The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that having rejected ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us...” (Titus 2:11-14). Christ’s first appearing instructs us to live in certainty of His next appearing. To live “soberly” is a MINDSET that views this life thro

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet you neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting isn’t just wanting more. It’s thankless discontent for what we do have, combined with resentment toward God for not giving us the abundance we think we deserve. This lusting comes from pride. Jesus said this is a sign of an unconverted heart (Mark 7:20-2

“Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). Lies come naturally from the human heart. Most people have no problem with lying - as long as nobody lies to them. This proves the point of “loving your neighbor as yourself.” If you don’t want to be lied to, don’t lie to others. God says lies are a form of hatred… “A lying tongue hates those who are afflicted by it.” Conversely, lips of truth are a sign of love. Jesus, being “The Truth,” always sp

Science and the wide array of diagnostic tests are confirming everything the Bible has said about the mind and the heart. Brain scans now reveal that negative thoughts, pessimism, and defeatism, carve a deeply entrenched neural path in the brain that appears black and rugged like a dead branch. When another situation arises, the brain automatically defaults to this same pre-cut response. Brain patterns become predictable and people get stuck in their negativity. But… when “th

Jacob’s ninth son had many descendants. There were 200 men, referred to as “chiefs” as they were known for their combination of wisdom and leadership. The people of Israel looked to them for leadership and guidance as to which way they should go forward… “From the tribe of Issachar, there were men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do; 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command” (1 Chronicles 12:32). How did they become so wise and understand

A story was shared of Christian African refugees traveling under the cloak of darkness, desperate to escape the cruel anti-Christian militias that were sweeping their villages. As they quietly traveled through the tree line, they could smell the delicious fragrance of food stewing. Their hungry stomachs could only dream of a good meal. Then they heard laughter and clapping as though somebody was being celebrated. But they must not stop… they must get to safety. They craved so

“Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). All of God’s laws are good. They can hinder and even prevent criminal activity, but a law alone cannot transform the heart. If greed and entitlement is in the heart, the only hope for transformation is a new heart. This is why the Law was God’s Tutor, to point us to Christ, “that we might be made righteous by faith” (Galatians 3:24). This eighth commandment becomes another evidence of salvation, when sins are forgiven and the heart i

“Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Adultery is a heart-breaking breach of faithfulness in marriage. Since marriage is an oath before God and man, this makes the breach even more serious. Jesus said, “Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The heart and eyes are where unfaithfulness begins, which includes the sin of pornography. Spiritual adultery is just as real. It is claiming to love

“Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) The very God, who spoke this commandment, knew He would come to earth and be killed. Jesus spoke of His death many times to His disciples… “The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: and they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again” (Matthew 17:22,23). We know it was the sins of the world that put Jesus on the cross. Think of the grace… He entered our death to give us His life. But from the cross, Jesus

“Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you” (Exodus 20:12). This command is under assault in our day. Our children and grandchildren are hearing many voices calling them to defy parental authority, despise protective love, and ridicule godly wisdom, as if a better life awaits them. But even children can make right choices and choose to honor Christ, if we give them the end view of how this generation ends,

Life is a sequence of challenges that (if we allow it), will refine us, drawing us closer to Him as we learn what it is to grow in His likeness with grace and maturity. Nothing about this process is easy or comfortable, but it bears fruit that has eternal rewards. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). It’s a sobering thought to reco

To be a Christ follower in our world today is to be hated. Jesus told us that “If they hate Me, they will hate you.” Similarly, if we speak Truth to lies, we are called all sorts of names. For some people, the cost is too high as they desire above all else to be loved and respected by the world. Jesus warned us, “You adulteress people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enem

When God is about to bring judgment, He tucks His children safely away until the trouble has passed. “Come, My people, enter your chambers and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while till the fury has passed by” (Isaiah 26:20). We see this pattern again and again throughout the Word of God. Noah and his family were lifted up and away from the judgment over the whole earth. Lot and his family were removed from Sodom before the fire and brimstone was se

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor and do all your work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God… for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: therefore, the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11). This is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament for good reason. The sabbath celebrated the completion of the

“You shall not take (lift, bear) the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). This sin is called blasphemy and came with a death penalty. It was a serious crime to claim to be God’s people but slander His name and character. Yet this was the verse used against Jesus to put Him to death. Ignoring His miracles and His grace, Jesus was taken to the high priest and put under oath, “I adjure you, by

“You shall not make for yourselves any graven image… You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them” (Exodus 20:4,5). God forbid idolatry because it degrades the glory of the true and living God. He cannot be represented by some lifeless, inanimate object, that doesn’t think, speak, hear, see, move, or love, as He does. The promise of Messiah coming to earth came with this statement… “I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory I will not give to another, neither

“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ And Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like it, namel

In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus confronted two demon possessed men that lived in the graveyard. They were so violent that no one dared pass through that area, but Jesus did. The demons instantly recognized Him and screamed at Him, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Are you here to torment us before the appointed time?” (vs 29). We know how the story ends, Jesus casts the demons out into a nearby herd of pigs and they run off a cliff killing themselves. When the people of the

There were three main demonic entities that were worshipped in biblical times, Baal, Ishtar, and Molech, and they are still active in our world today, but their packaging is different… more acceptable, modern and relatable. Let’s look into them… Baal, was considered the lord of the earth. There are three main tenets of Baal worship and it is child sacrifice, sexual immorality and worship of animals and creation. Most of our world today provides the “right” for women to ter

The Ten Commandments were given for the good of the people individually, as well as society as a whole, but there is only one commandment that gives the reason why it’s given; the fifth commandment… “Honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). A culture study was done through Prager University that found that cultures throughout the world that dishonor and disrespect their parents, only last abou