Bob Clanton

A STRANGE STORY

I Kings chapter 13 tells a remarkably strange story. It is the story of a man of God and a lying prophet.

The setting is the early days following the division of God’s people into the Northern Kingdom (called Israel) led by King Jeroboam and the Southern Kingdom (called Judah) led by King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son.

One of the first things Jeroboam had done after breaking away from Judah was to establish rival worship centers. Bethel and Dan were set up in the North to give Israel a Temple mirroring the one in Jerusalem. The big problem was these northern “temples” were pagan in nature. Continue reading →

SOLOMON THE BLESSED MAN

Solomon was a blessed man. Following the lead of his father David, he led Israel to the pinnacle of international fame and prestige. Solomon’s wisdom was legendary. Yet, from the start, seeds of his downfall were sown.

Solomon may not be considered the worst political king in Israel’s history, but he certainly embodies the worst aspects of Jewish spiritual history. He had such a great start, but his end was not good — not good at all. Continue reading →

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, II Peter 3:10-11 (NKJV) Continue reading →

I have just returned home from Tunisia, North Africa. It was an incredible trip. Pastor Jimmy Currence of GraceLife Church in Columbia, South Carolina joined me as we walked the streets of Tunis and Carthage, cities in this ancient North African nation.

Nearly three years ago, three churches banded together to “adopt” an UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP in Tunisia. The three churches were GraceLife Church in South Carolina, New Life Community Church in Monroe, Louisiana (my former pastorate), and Manna Church Capital Area near Raleigh, North Carolina (the church in which I now serve). Our common bond was love for God and a love for people we had never seen — but who God also loves so much.
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Matthew 4:19. “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”

Too often we read these words and interpret Jesus’ as saying, “Follow Me, and I will make you a preacher,” or “…an evangelist.” But, maybe the emphasis should be on the word “MAKE” rather than on “FISHERS OF MEN.”

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Did you know that there are 7,375 Unreached People Groups in the world?

7,375!

That amounts to a little over 3 billion people! 3 billion — with a “B.”*

This moves the heart of God — and it moves me. Continue reading →

Thursday, December 12, 2019

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THE MOVE IS HERE

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Saturday, April 15                John 21 

Your Failure can be the Prelude to Promotion

Out of our greatest defeats can come our greatest victories. There is little doubt that Peter’s all-time low point was when He denied knowing Jesus.  He did it three times cowering even at the questions of a young girl.

This moral failure would seem to be the end of Peter’s possibilities as a leader. But, the defeat of denial was a set-up for transformation and even elevation.  When we are broken, we can become stronger than ever. Continue reading →

Friday, April 14                    John 20

Just As I Am

One of the remarkable aspects of the Bible is the manner in which it describes the foibles and failings of major characters. No one (except the Son of God) escapes the candor about human failings. All Old Testament heroes (David, Moses, Abraham, and on and on) are depicted warts and all. They were great men but also flawed men. Continue reading →