Devotional – Church on the Bluff

Division

Posted on Sep 1, 2022 in General |

In the current political division, where do Christians stand? That’s a tough question. It really depends
on where one stands on certain issues. I’m going to divide issues into two broad categories: Moral and
economic (though these categories do overlap at times). Let’s look at a couple of moral issues first.
Abortion, homosexualism, transgenderism, and racism are a few of the issues that divide us. I would say
that none of those things have a place in a Christian heart. The Bible shows none of them to be a part of
God’s character and purpose. To affirm any or all of them does disservice to the true picture of the God
that the Bible reveals.

Force

Posted on Aug 28, 2022 in General |

I saw a lady on the news berating Christians by saying that they shouldn’t try to “force their
views” on people. She was speaking of politics. What exactly does that mean? Is that a valid
argument in the political arena? Should we, as Christians, separate our Christian beliefs, our
conservative morals brought on by our beliefs, or our desire to live out our Christian lifestyles
from the way we vote?

Lottery

Posted on Aug 18, 2022 in General |

There is always a lot of talk surrounding legalized gambling in our state. The last “Mega Millions”
jackpot paid out over one billion, four hundred million dollars. That’s quite a lot of money, isn’t it? Prior
to the drawing a couple of reporters interviewed folks from Alabama who drove to Georgia to purchase
tickets because gambling is illegal in Alabama. As is predictable, each one interviewed expressed the
sentiment that we should legalize the lottery in our state. But should we?

Marriage

Posted on Aug 11, 2022 in General |

I recently mentioned that marriage was now seen strictly as a “mutually beneficial legal contract”. I
suppose that many, if not most, people have always viewed it as just that: A contract. As I mentioned in
that sermon, Jesus said that marriage was a spiritual thing. “…and the two will become one flesh”
(Matthew 19:5). That is spiritual…and that makes a difference!

10 Commandments

Posted on Aug 4, 2022 in General |

When God gave the Hebrew people the famed “Ten Commandments” it was a really big deal. When we read
them from a “civilized mindset” it seems like such a no-brainer. Love God, don’t kill or steal…what’s so great
about that? Isn’t that just common sense? Well…no. Not then.

WorldView

Posted on Jul 28, 2022 in General |

Do you have a Biblical worldview? Our worldview has been defined as: A comprehensive framework of beliefs that helps us to interpret what we see and experience and also gives us direction in the choices that we make as we live out our days”. A Biblical worldview, then, would use the Bible as that “comprehensive framework of beliefs”.

Family

Posted on Apr 6, 2022 in General |

I’m writing this on my first day back from a wonderful vacation. As with most vacations, I was eager to get back home. Well, “eager” may not be the best word. But I was ready to be home and hang out at the house, too. I needed to cut the grass, check on my bees, and other general activities. I even marked off an item from my “honey-do list”! It was good to be home.

When I used the word “home”, I used it in the sense of the structure in which I live. My house and land. In that sense, home reflects security and familiarity. But a true home is more than that. I can recall at least five different houses in which my maternal grandmother lived in the small town of Leeds. While I don’t not recall a whole lot about her I always enjoyed going to her house…whichever one she was living in. Why? Because she made it a home.

Home doesn’t just mean a house. It is an area, also, and most importantly it is people; family. And that includes church family. When we got back home, we didn’t just get back to our dwelling, we got back to our family. So, yes, I was ready to come home. I was ready to be at church. I was ready to be with all my family!

Bro. Tony

Walking Distance

Posted on Nov 30, 2021 in General |

Walking distance. What does that mean, exactly? I saw an advertisement for a condo in Gulf Shores that claimed it was within “walking distance” to the beach. After studying the photos, it looked like the condo was about a quarter of a mile from the beach…across a busy road. “Walking distance” varies according to a persons age, stamina, and strength. In other words, your walking distance may not be my walking distance!

That’s understandable. However, our culture….our society….tries to do the same thing with “truth”. I’ve heard it said much too often that someone should live out “their truth” as if their truth can be different than my truth. Truth doesn’t work like that. Truth has definition and boundaries. Truth is fact and fact doesn’t change according to the whims of a fallen world.

That is one of the main reason people have such disdain for the Bible. The Bible reveals truth. The hard core, unchanging truth of God’s character and purpose. It reveals right and wrong, good and bad, darkness and light. It is the same truth for all ages of history. If every generation could simply re-write the Bible according to current thought and desires, it would be totally worthless.

The Word of God is unchanging. It reveals actual unchanging truth. My feelings about it do not matter and your feelings do not matter. In fact, we are to change the way we feel about things to mirror God’s truth. Not the other way around. That’s the way it works and that is why we are forbidden to use the Bible in public discourse and decision making: it tells us the truth and the last thing a wayward nation wants to hear is the truth.

Bro. Tony

the Spirit of Christmas

Posted on Nov 23, 2021 in General |

I would be dishonest if I said I didn’t like the Christmas season. That is, after Thanksgiving, of course. I like the festive atmosphere and the lights and garland. I enjoy the music and songs. I love the family time most of all. Yes, the secularization of Christmas to the extent of removing Jesus from it is extremely bothersome. But for Christians, Jesus will never be removed from the celebration of His birth. He is, and always will be, the “Reason for the Season”.

I do get kind of upset when all the Christmas shows and movies speak of the “spirit of Christmas”. They do get it right…but for the wrong reason. They’ll say the spirit of Christmas is love and that is true….the love of God. They will say it is giving and that is true….God gave us His Son. John 3:16 sums it up nicely: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”. That is the true spirit of Christmas.

We also, though, are presented with the opportunity to actually promote Jesus as the world pushes back or ignores Him. Our response to someone wishing us “happy holidays” should be a resounding “Merry Christmas”. They understand what we are saying. Yard and home decorations can point to Jesus. Car magnets and Christmas wear can bear witness to the birth of our Savior. In all actuality we can speak and testify of Jesus in this season more than any time of the year. Be on the lookout to take advantage of all the occasions we have to celebrate the birth of a King!

Bro. Tony

God’s Will is the ONLY Will that Counts

Posted on Mar 10, 2021 in General |

In a debate in the House of Representatives over the misnamed “Equality Bill” concerning the rights of religious organizations and schools to teach the truth about gender dysphoria (transgendered), Rep. Greg Steube of Florida said “whenever a nation’s laws no longer reflect the standards of God, that nation is in rebellion against Him and will inevitably bear the consequences.” House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler from New York, pushed back in response and said, “….God’s will is no concern of this Congress”.

Representative Steube was absolutely correct and I applaud him for being bold enough to make his statement in a world that is hostile to Christianity. The response by Representative Nadler, though, puts that hostility on full display. I have said on many occasions that we would get to a place in our nation when, if a view or belief is gleaned from the Bible, that view would automatically be deemed null and void; discarded as antiquated and irrelevant. Evidently, this is that time.

“The will of God is of no concern to this Congress.” What a horrible indictment of the spiritual condition of our political representation and of our nation. To be brash and vain enough to make that statement publicly reveals a heart of evil and the fact that his belief has been apathetically accepted by so many Americans reveals a nation far, far away from God. It’s only going to get worse.

To understand how far the current administration is going to go to push this transgender nonsense one only has to look at the appointment of a man who calls himself Rachel Levine to the position of federal assistant health secretary. Keep in mind that his position is to help oversee health…including the mental health…of the people of our nation. Rachel suffers from “gender dysphoria”, a mental health condition where he truly thinks he is a woman. Therefore, a person with mental health issues of his own is in a position of authority regarding the mental health of others. If ever there was a case of “putting the patients in charge of the asylum”, this is it. Literally.

Continue to pray for our nation and especially pray that we can elect more Christians with the courage to stand up to this satanic darkness that is sweeping over this land.

Bro. Tony