May 18 2012, 4:47 am | Bill Elliff
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man is ultimately all about ME. It is that underlying drive to protect myself, make myself look good, advance myself that drives me to live for the approval and recognition of others. Therefore, like all sins, it ultimately stems from the root of pride. The SNARE This debilitating fear will enslave us, capture us, drive us, trip us up, hinder us. It is amazing how powerful a man-fearing, man-pleasing spirit can be. Many men are completely consumed and driven by...
May 14 2012, 6:08 am | Bill Elliff
We would be foolish not to want wisdom. Wisdom is different than knowledge. It is the use of knowledge at the right time. A wise man knows what to say and do with the knowledge given and is the best counselor in times of need and decision. But there is a definable path that many will never take. You can be the exception, but there must be a persistent application of the right means if you will be known in the future as a man of great wisdom. Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply...
May 03 2012, 9:10 am | Bill Elliff
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7) We all have heroes. Its tragic that often the world defines this for us in ways that are less than best. We follow men who are athletically gifted, politically persuasive, those who have business savvy or are full of entertainment attraction. They are known for certain things that set them apart. As spiritual leaders—in our home, ministry, church—we should be known for something too. But there is one quality that should...
May 02 2012, 10:13 am | Bill Elliff
Everything in the Christian life, on the human side, revolves around faith. It is through faith that we enter into a relationship with Christ and through faith that we operate in that relationship. It is the primary foundation for our communion with our Creator. So, what is faith? Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith begins by hearing from the Lord just as Paul said ("Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17). When we hear God's word to us—about life in...
April 24 2012, 4:20 am | Bill Elliff
It is tragic that we often do not cry out in prayer until we have exhausted all other possibilities. Mature believers advance beyond that in their love for intimacy with Christ, passion for people without Him, and faith that God can change things in their lives and others through prayer. But it is true that prayer is fueled by desperation. Persistent Prayer In Luke 18, God recounts two stories that challenge us to increased prayer. First, the persistent widow who wore the unrighteous judge out so that he finally agreed to do what she asked. Jesus gave the following commentary on...
February 29 2012, 6:09 am | Bill Elliff
Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” (1 Kings 1:5-6) I don't know a man who doesn't struggle, in one way or another, with his role as a leader-in his home, his work, his ministry. It's a tough, tough task. But God has clearly called us as men to LEAD. We struggle between the balance...
February 25 2012, 5:07 am | Bill Elliff
As always, God is in the perfect position to see all of our life and make sense of it. We have various opinions of people, including ourselves, who have or do not have wealth--whether their (or our) monetary situation is voluntary or involuntary. 2 Corinthians 8 is one of the greatest passages on giving in all the Bible. But look at one perspective on wealth, coupled with Paul's statement in 2 Cor. 6:10. Paul is recounting his current condition and its purpose and makes this phenomenal observation about himself... ...as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Cor. 6:10) Couple...
February 22 2012, 3:12 am | Bill Elliff
Since the Garden, every man and woman has been plagued with a terminal disease related to trust. Our natural, fallen state is self-reliance. Particular "sins" are not the genesis but the by-product of this independence from God, this self-sufficiency. We persistently think we know better than God what is best for our lives and live accordingly. God’s Relentless Pursuit Our Father, who loves us with an everlasting love, is eternally committed to resolving this problem and bringing us to His side in beautiful dependency. He wants us to experience the tender and powerful position of reliance on Him...
February 18 2012, 4:42 am | Bill Elliff
God gives us, through His Spirit and Word, wonderfully clear directions about everything we face. Sometimes that is in the form of directions about specific areas (just like we saw yesterday in divorce), and at other times, general principles that guide every decision. In 1 Cor 9-10, Paul is dealing with a "grey area" of eating meat sacrificed to idols...a practice that, in itself was not inherently wrong, but could become wrong in the way it created a stumbling block for others. During this discourse, God gives us 4 great guiding questions we can ask re: every moment of life...questions...
February 11 2012, 9:04 am | Bill Elliff
In our love for Christ and desire to see Him glorified, there is one aspect that we often overlook. We are called to walk in humble confession and instant obedience to the Lord. But how does God feel about people we have wronged in the past? What does He want us to do and what does He do if needed steps are not taken? A Famine that Revealed God’s Passion The Bible records a famine that God sent into the land of Israel for Saul's past sins against the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21). Saul had broken a covenant...
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