Here's Something More Important Than Voting to Do on November 6

It was during quiet time with God that it hit me.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed.

I had let myself once again fall into the divisive trap that is American politics.

Photo credit: Ricardo Fernández (Creative Commons)

You see I am often critical of politicians. I question their words, their motives, their initiatives.

And rightly so in many cases.

But it was in that moment that I felt God asking me, "For all the criticizing that you do, have you taken time to pray for them?"

The truth is, I had not.

I had dehumanized the politicians on the other side of the aisle so that I could demonize them.

But what God reminded me that morning is that these same politicians are real people, made in His image, loved by Him, and in need of a savior.

Just like me.

The 76%

Most of us have already decided who we're going to vote for in the presidential election.

And all of us think we are right (myself included).

But how many of us have taken the time to pray about it?

The Secret of Honoring God on the Sabbath

I am a hard-core Kansas City Chiefs fan.

During the NFL season I soak in as many highlights, news stories, predictions and box scores as I can. My brother and I have even gone as far as to sync up the television (using DVR) with the radio so that we can listen to the Chiefs’ own broadcasters.

The problem is that most NFL games are on Sundays.

From ages 12 to 17, I lived in the Pacific Time Zone. So what used to be noon kickoffs when I lived in Kansas were now at 10 AM—the heart of church time.

Why Studying The Fourth Commandment Will Help You Understand the Other Nine: Part 2

(Read part 1.)

How do we obey the Fourth Commandment?

We have to understand what it is not.

If you would have asked me a year ago what the Fourth Commandment is, I would have told you that it is the rule against working on the Sabbath. Yet I was focusing on the wrong part. 

In fact for me, it was the only part.

Yes, God told Moses not to do any work on the Sabbath, but there is much more to it than that. But before we go any further, let's take a moment and read through the actual commandment:

Why Studying The Fourth Commandment Will Help You Understand The Other Nine

Think you have a handle on the Ten Commandments?

So did I.

Jukka Zitting (CC)

That is, until I started studying the fourth. You know, the Sabbath commandment:

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work... Exodus 20:8-10a

This one seems out of place in the list. The rest are fairly obvious: don't kill, steal, worship other gods. But keeping the Sabbath holy? Stopping work one day of the week?

Does this even apply to us Christians?

What Does God Really Want From You?

Do you ever read something in the Bible that makes you do a double take? Something you had no idea was part of the holy word of God?

If you ever read through Leviticus and Numbers you'll probably have many of these moments.

Photo Credit: Tom Thai (Creative Commons)

One such instance is the abrupt mention of testes in the twenty-second chapter of Leviticus. At first glance it seems bizarre and not important, but though it may not seem to apply to 21st Century Christians, I assure you that the principle behind it will never be irrelevant.

Sacrifice Is Still Relevant

The verse in question relates to Jewish practice of animal sacrifice. God gave Moses guidelines for beasts that are unacceptable as an offering:

You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. Leviticus 22:24

Who said the Bible was lacking in imagery? This is one of many Mosaic regulations for sacrifice.

But I know what you’re thinking. We don’t sacrifice animals. How is this relevant?

The Real Independence Day

During my teenage years, my favorite band without a doubt was the Christian ska-core-turned-rock outfit Five Iron Frenzy. After they broke up, I put them aside for a few years, venturing instead down the rabbit trails of blues rock, blues and psychedelic rock which ultimately and naturally led me to Jimi Hendrix who is now my favorite musician.

The Most Important Bible Character You've Never Heard Of

Quite a few obscure characters line the pages of the Bible. There's Gomer, Ahithophel, and Orpah. And who could forget Dorcas or Methuselah?

But of all the obscure people in the scriptures, one rises to the top as an important figure. He's mentioned in Genesis, referenced by King David, and even the author of Hebrews writes about him.

But there's a good chance you've never heard of him. Or, you read those passages and moved on, not knowing what he was about or why he mattered. You probably thought he was just another Dorcas or Nimrod. I did the same thing.

A Christian of nineteen years and raised in the church, I too did not know who this man was until a few years ago when I read through the entire Bible. He is mentioned only in five chapters spread across three books, but we shouldn't be so quick to overlook this man. Who am I talking about?