Category Archives: Life In Focus

These will be short commentaries to stimulate the mind AND spirit. Hopefully they will cause you to meditate, be encouraged, inspired and maybe even taught a little.

Life In Focus 5/27/2023

Following the Lord – But Not Wholeheartedly DEMOGRAPHERS today classify roughly one-seventh of the world’s population as Christian. However, church leaders are quick to point out that many adherents of Christianity, particularly in the West, can only be classified as … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 5/20/2023

National Renewal AS we struggle with the moral and spiritual chaos that seems to characterize life today, the promise that God will bring healing to the land (2 Chronicles 7:14) looks attractive. Is this a verse on which Christians should … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 5/13/2023

God Above All Gods SOME people object to Christianity’s claim that its God is the one true God. But the Bible states emphatically that the Lord is above all other gods, which are idols (1 Chronicles 16:23–27). He alone deserves … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 5/06/2023

The Value of Fasting RESPONDING to modern society’s obsession with image and appearance, some weight-loss programs prescribe fasting. In ancient Israel, fasting was observed for more purposes than that. For example, the gallant men of Gilead fasted for seven days … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 4/29/2023

The Danger of Relics JESUS said that God is Spirit, and that those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). This means that we worship and serve a God whom we cannot see with our eyes, … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 4/22/2023

Called to Give an Account JEHOASH’S dealings with the priests concerning temple repairs is a useful lesson in accountability: Jehoash delegated specific responsibilities to the priests with clear instructions concerning the collection and use of money (2 Kings 12:4-5). He … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 4/15/2023

The Widow’s Oil IN THE days immediately following the departure of Elijah, God empowered Elisha to perform a number of miracles. One of them was to increase oil for a poor widow (2 Kings 4:1–7). This incident confirmed Elisha as … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 4/08/2023

A House of Prayer For All Nations SOLOMON’S prayer of dedication for the temple at Jerusalem showed that Israel’s God was a God for all nations. The king anticipated that foreigners from all over the world would be drawn to … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 4/01/2023

Sparing No Expense WHENEVER modern-day churches draw up plans and budgets for buildings in which to worship, they face an age-old tension: what is appropriate in terms of size, materials, beauty, and expense? For Solomon, there seems to have been … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 3/25/2023

A Father’s Final Charge A FAREWELL charge like David’s to Solomon (1 Kings 2:1–9) was a fairly common way for fathers in the ancient world to pass on a legacy to their successors. David’s last words provide a useful model … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 3/18/2023

Giving Birth to Trouble DAVID is an illustration of the fact that success in a career does not necessarily translate into success in personal and family life. While the “house of David {his position and stature as king-designate} grew stronger … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 3/11/2023

Pledging Allegiance DAVID spared Saul’s life twice—once in the cave at En Gedi (1 Samuel 24:1–7) and again in the Wilderness of Ziph (1 Samuel 26:2, 7–12). Even though Saul was demented, unfit for office, and bent on destroying David, … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 3/04/2023

A Craving For Results SAUL lost his kingdom because of his craving for results. He wanted to defeat the Philistines so much that he offered a burnt offering, which it was not his place to do (1 Samuel 13:8–14). He … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 2/25/2023

Who Is “Called”? ARE only certain people “called” by God (1 Samuel 3:20)? The issue of “calling” tends to be confusing today. Sometimes people talk about their day-to-day work as if that alone were their callings. “I’m John. I’m a … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 2/18/2023

Hannah’s Song: Praising the King MANY people today debate the potential as well as the limits of big government. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel make interesting reading in light of that discussion, for they offer an account of … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 2/11/2023

Overcoming a Tough Start SOCIETIES tend to have low expectations, sometimes downright hostility, for children born out of wedlock. Such was the case for Jephthah. The product of his father’s dalliance with a prostitute, Jephthah was not only excluded but … Continue reading

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Life In Focus 2/04/2023

Determining God’s Will THE example of Gideon is frequently cited as a model for godly decision-making. Before acting, Gideon carefully considered whether the Lord wanted him to rally an army and attack the Midianites. Twice he set out a fleece … Continue reading

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Thorns and Tears at Bochim

GOD commanded the Israelites to dispossess the Canaanites by taking over their cities, destroying their idols and altars, and refusing to enter into agreements with them. Apparently the citizens of Bochim failed to carry out those instructions. No one knows … Continue reading

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Do-It-Yourself Religion

IN a world in which the motto often is “do your own thing,” people frequently develop self-styled religious beliefs and practices. For some this means a pick-and-choose, take-it-or-leave-it approach to established Christianity. For others it means coming up with outlandish … Continue reading

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The God Who Gives Wealth

THERE are two extremes today about the connection between God and wealth. One is that wealth and money are inherently evil and therefore God is opposed to them. The other is that God is just waiting to shower wealth on … Continue reading

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