Luke

Human Trafficking

May 30, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

Jesus began His ministry by standing up in the Synagogue and saying God had sent Him “to proclaim freedom to the captives” (Luke 4:18). There were all kinds of captives in His day and in ours. There are those held captive by spiritual darkness, prisoners of war, hostages held by terrorists, and those imprisoned by their own fear. Of course there are many others, but one type of captive that gets very little play in most circles are those trapped in the world of human trafficking.

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Sure, there are many who give lip service to this horror, but we simply don’t do justice to an industry that enslaves over 27 million people. These are people just like your sons, daughters, friends, and family. Twenty-seven million people who have unsurpassable worth in the eyes of God. And yet Christians remain far too silent.

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Which Presidential Candidate Looks Most Like Jesus?

May 5, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

While some of our readers in other Countries might be unaware, it is hard to escape the fact in America we are in an election cycle. As with every cycle, there is an emphasis on candidates trying to win the “evangelical Christian vote”. Prominent Christian leaders come out of the woodwork to endorse one candidate or another, espousing why one follows Christian principles, while another does not.

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I saw a quote from a Christian musician I have held in high esteem that said, “You cannot be a Christian and vote for {candidate X}.” That made me really sad. As someone who used to be heavily invested in political things, I understand the fervor and rhetoric. But almost thirty years removed from those days, I now have much greater clarity.

Nominal Christians

May 2, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

The world is full of nominal Christians, people who profess Jesus with their lips but ignore Him with their lives. There is a very good chance both you and I fall into this category. We would never think it of ourselves and probably are denying it even now. But the truth is we are more than likely not living our lives fully devoted to Him.

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A.W. Tozer said, “Believing in Him, we will seek to crucify our flesh and put on the new man which is renewed in holiness. That kind of faith in God is all but gone. When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8)?

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Love God

April 11, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

What does it mean to love God? The question may seem too obvious or simple to people who consider themselves to be Christians. Of course we love God; it’s the entire point of being a Christian, right? While that’s true, I’ve observed many who simply pay lip service to the notion of loving God. What does it mean to love God and what does it look like as we live it out in our day to day lives?

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To love God means we have no other desire for our lives than to do His will. We no longer have any desire outside of Him. It can sound a bit over the top or impossible to achieve, but if our lives are truly devoted to Him, this is what it means to love God.

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Dying to Self

March 28, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

Central to living life as a fully devoted follower of Jesus is the act of dying to self. It is only when we lose ourselves we are able to then find Jesus (Luke 9:23-24). Paul said in dying to himself he would gain everything (Philippians 1:21). A true follower of Jesus surrenders everything to Him. Whatever we knew before Jesus, we now cast aside in favor of living a life that looks just like His.

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Few can do this all at once, though I wish it were so easy. In reality, we must all die constantly, in every hour. No matter how well or poorly things may be going, we must make a conscious effort in each moment to die to ourselves and live for Jesus. It gets easier, I promise, but it is a choice we will have to make from this moment until our last breath. I can think of no higher aspiration for a life.

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