Isaiah 65:2-3 6/16/2026

“All day long I have held out my hands  to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—  a people who continually provoke me to my very face…” 

Our arrogant resistance to God seems to astound Him… it should astound us as well. How can we be so reckless as to continually do things that God has forbidden?  In our stubbornness we ignore undeniable truths and push on with indefensible actions.

My life is defined by what I do. And what I do is dictated by what I believe. If I trust in the lies of this world I will build on sinking sand. I will pursue nonsense, which will lead to foolish decisions, which will lead to difficulties that will lead to more foolish decisions. If we continue this self-perpetuating delusion, we will become “obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations”. 

Look around… that’s happening today. When did we decide that facts and truth should take a backseat to feelings and imaginations?  When did we decide that “thus sayeth me” is more important than “thus sayeth the Lord”? 

In our backyard we have a fire pit, and I love to spend time around it.  The flickering light, and the warmth it provides, are comforting on cool nights.  But when the wind shifts, and blows smoke in my face, my relaxation ends, and I just want to get away from it….  It breaks my heart that, based on our passage, my actions can make God feel the same way. Our continual provocation of God to His face is not only stupid it is dangerous. 

One of the most frightening things God can say to a man is “have it your way”.  And after we ignore His blessings, twist His commands, and provoke Him to His face we can expect Him to let our foolishness produce what it always produces…suffering.  Like children insisting on touching a hot glowing stove, if we continue, we get burned. 

He has revealed Himself to you. He has made salvation easy to find… Stop the insanity and follow the truth. Jesus stated that He is the way, the truth and the Life… everything else is a dead end, a lie, and leads to darkness. 

“God’s patience is not to be abused. He will not always bear with the provocations of men.” 
- John Owen

Romans 1:22 6/9/2026

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools…” 

Romans contains what many call the “Roman Road to salvation” and it starts with powerful words that haven’t lost their sting in 2000 years.  In our arrogance we have continued our degradation.  Unlike evolution which argues we have progressed…  scripture shows a fall, and a continued cultural drift away from any intelligent conception of God.  

The first chapter says that God has revealed Himself and we are without excuse. While we know He exists, we have not acknowledged Him as God nor followed His law.  The lie told in the garden still lives today, and it always begins when we see a difficult command clearly laid out in scripture and ask,  “Did God really say that?”. This is usually followed by some “scriptural open field running” which culminates in people calling themselves Christians without acting like it.  This is problematic since Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments”.

It seems some people want Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. So, they rename sin and preach only tolerance.  Twisting some verses and  completely ignoring others to avoid clear commands. They argue that God is love, so sin carries no consequences … In other words, claiming to be wise they become fools and refuse to acknowledge that God is both loving and holy.  Mistakenly seeing Him as a cruel taskmaster waiting to punish us, or a heavenly grandfather just hoping we will acknowledge Him.  

Here is the truth.  Your loving Heavenly Father is the Holy King of Kings.  His omnipotence is terrifying and anything sinful will be annihilated… and here’s the problem. You’re sinful.  In human terms that is an enigma. BUT GOD in His love, found a way to remain holy and make you holy as well.  It came at a high price, and it is the only way to avoid eternal separation from God. 

You must call sin what it is… confess and turn away from it and be redeemed by the Blood of His Son … This is the only way for a Holy God to spend eternity with sinners like you and me.  Don’t become a fool by listening to the “wisdom” of our culture…  Repent and gratefully take hold of your redemption.

“Do not give fair names to foul sins. Call them what you will, they will smell no sweeter.”  - Spurgeon

PSALM 9:1-2 6/2/2026

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High."

I will, I will, I will, I will…. Four times David declares his intentions.  He proclaims he will give thanks, tell of God’s deeds, be glad and rejoice, and sing praises. The rest of the Psalm contains descriptions of God’s glory, and requests for God to move… But the lesson this morning is, that right out of the blocks, David DECIDES to praise God.

David’s decision was made prior to God responding to his requests. David chooses gratefulness.  Instead of looking for reasons to be unhappy …. he chooses to focus on God’s graciousness. The benefits of this choice should be obvious, yet it’s a battle we fight daily. We all have things to be thankful for as well as issues to be concerned about. So, we have a decision to make. If you can fix something, fix it… but if you can’t, what is the point of worrying about it? Jesus emphasized this by asking, “Can you add one hour to your life by worrying?”. 

It’s annoying to have someone say, “just stop worrying” because we think it’s not a choice.  But both scripture and science indicate that gratitude nullifies anxiety.   You are not alone.  No matter what people’s online profile says… no one escapes the troubles of this fallen world… And at the same time, all of us are blessed with more than we deserve.  So, choose.

It is not naive to be joyful; you’re not pretending you don’t have problems… It is naive to believe that worrying about them will improve anything.  If we believe what we say we do... it should change us.  So, it’s your call but remember that  “what a man thinks in his heart… so is he.” So today, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and anything worthy of praise think about these things.” Review that list again and be purposeful with your thoughts  … Choose peace by trusting God and watch Him transform your life.

“Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” – Glenn Turner