Category: Obedience to God

Nahum – The Four Fears

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Nahum, considered a minor prophet because of the shortness of his book, had a huge message. The superpower of the ancient near east, Assyria, was about to be destroyed. The superpowers of the 21st century should take note. 

By Mark D, Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Nahum, an oft-overlooked minor prophet in the Old Testament, details God’s final judgment on the neo-Assyrian Empire and its leading city, Nineveh. The prophet Jonah, famous for his episode with a fish, had preached in Nineveh a century earlier and sparked a great repentance. In the intervening decades, the Assyrians returned to their wicked ways. Nahum, while showing none of the ethnic animus that so vexed Jonah, felt burdened by the sins of the Assyrians and the oppression of Israel. He asks the Lord what He will do about it, and God replies that His patience passed its limits, Nineveh would soon be destroyed.

Nahum chapter 1 overflows with the power of God, His wrath against evil, and His determination to punish the guilty. The Lord of Hosts reminds His prophet in a thousand ways about His strength to crush His foes and save those who trust in Him. The prophet concludes chapter 1 with the joys of bringing good news – being a herald of peace.

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In Christ Alone

~ MD Harris Institute ~ 2 Comments

God exists. Or as a hard-bitten atheist might admit, at least something that transcends space and time. But how do we approach Him? Not through good works, fortune, fame, or power, but through Christ alone. 

By Mark D, Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

How can man approach God?[1] People from the Aztecs to the Zulus have asked this since the dawn of humanity, and man has imagined thousands of answers.[2] These answers boil down to three possibilities.

  1. Man cannot do anything to approach God, and therefore can never approach Him.
  2. Man does something, or a group of things, to earn the right to approach God.
  3. Man cannot do anything to approach God, but God in His grace brings man to Him.

These possibilities are exclusive, as each includes a world view that is inconsistent with the others. It is logically impossible to select 1 and 3, for example, or some other combination.

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Will We Rise Again?

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Jesus Christ rose from the dead, but will we? For a Christian, there is only one answer…YES!

By Mark D, Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

The central tenet of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ, God the Son and the Son of God, came to earth, lived a perfect life, died to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15). Christians believe this and live their lives as best they can in that faith. Non-Christians do not believe this. Those who do not believe in this simple truth, are not Christians, regardless of what they may say. How can we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ today?

Christ Arose – Low in the Grave He Lay

  1. Low in the grave He lay,
    Jesus, my Savior,
    Waiting the coming day,
    Jesus, my Lord!

    • Refrain:
      Up from the grave He arose,
      With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
      He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
      And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
      He arose! He arose!
      Hallelujah! Christ arose!
  2. Vainly they watch His bed,
    Jesus, my Savior;
    Vainly they seal the dead,
    Jesus, my Lord!
  3. Death cannot keep his Prey,
    Jesus, my Savior.
    He tore the bars away,
    Jesus, my Lord!

Bible Reading – 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

He Lives

Verse 1

I serve a risen Savior,
He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near

Chorus
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

Verse 2
In all the world around me,
I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
thru all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
will come at last

Chorus
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

Verse 3
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to
Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.

Chorus
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

Devotion

Thus reads the French inscription on the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, in Canterbury, England, who died in 1376.

Such as thou art, so once was I. As I am now, so shalt thou be.[1]

Whether written or not, such are the silent words of every man, woman, and child in every cemetery, every mausoleum, and every inch of land and sea in which a mortal has passed into immortality.

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When God Arises – Isaiah 33

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Look for God to arise and do great work in our days. But beware, we will get more than we bargained for when He does.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Believers in the Living God since the Exodus have prayed that God would arise, smite evil, and deliver them from their troubles. In His patience, the Lord delays His judgement, giving each man every opportunity to believe. But eventually, He brings to people what they deserve: disaster to the wicked and blessings to the righteous. Asking God to arise is a dangerous business. We may discover, as Habakkuk did, that God’s plan is neither what we like nor what we want. We will also discover, as Isaiah did, that we are not as righteous as we think we are. When God arises, though our salvation is sure, we will encounter pain and trouble, just like those we oppose.

Do you ever wish that God would arise and oppose evil? Do you wish you could see it? How do we know that God will arise? How do we know that the wicked will be punished? Why does it take so long? This article will examine Isaiah 33:1-17 to discover what happens, and what Christians must do, when God arises.

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Zedekiah – Discontent, Disobedient, and Destroyed

~ MD Harris Institute ~ 1 Comment

The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, was discontent and disobedient to his God. It destroyed him and his whole nation with him. How does his tragic experience inform and challenge us today?

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Few Christians look at Jeremiah or the Old Testament prophets for guidance in modern life. Fewer still look at the wicked kings of Israel and Judah. But their folly and failure contain powerful lessons for followers of Christ today. Zedekiah is a good place to start.

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Christians and Civil Disobedience

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Should Christians disobey their government? When? Why? What about the consequences?

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

The United States has no official church as is common in Europe, but individual states had official churches for centuries. People debate whether the United States was established as a Christian nation, but it was founded based on the Judeo-Christian worldview and governance. As a result, Christ-followers in America have faced little overt persecution for four hundred years.

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