Today is part 2 of our discussion regarding holiness. Let’s have a quick review of what we touched on last week. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. These words from the […]
Discipline
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There may be no other word used in the Bible that congers up more confusion and misunderstanding than the word holiness. Sometimes when we think of holiness, we see visions of a stern and stoic group of people, living under harsh rules and regulations, devoid of laughter and mirth. […]
There is a rather short window of time whereby the heated metal is thrust into the cooling medium; once this is done, the metal becomes quite hard. Similarly, over hardened metal, can be softened again by heating and allowing the metal to cool slowly; this process is called annealing.Spiritually speaking, the danger lies wherein the power of God, through His Word, is touching your heart. Often the heart is strangely warmed, heated by the Holy Spirit if you will, to the point of becoming altogether new; the composition is about to change.
The pastor spends each week considering what type of dish to serve; sometimes he plans far in advance, making sure that all the ingredients come together in just the right fashion.
I was one of those “bunking broncos” and I wanted to run fast, hard and free! Brimming with fire and passion, I lit many fires in my wake. I could not understand why well-meaning, mature Christians were coming along behind me with a fire truck, putting out my fires! It exasperated me to no end!
While looking at the devastation, one wonders why there will be dozens of homes swept away, but invariably several withstood the howling storm, and survived. Could it be that those who had taken the time to build a super solid foundation were the ones to remain? I think it had a great deal to do with it!
Instead of getting a backhand across your face, you get an embrace, waves of love cascading over your heart. God welcomes you wholeheartedly; like a long lost son or daughter; He gently wipes away your tears, your fears, and you know, you belong to Him!
Any sin inflicted upon you by another, will pale in comparison with the sin you have inflicted against God.Yet God has forgiven you of all your sins! Why would you hold something against another? Why would you throw away your own good fortune at the expense of another? How foolish!
You may even begin to experience a slow, somewhat unnoticeable, hardening of the heart. It shows up when you find your eyes dry, during an experience that used to bring tears. You begin to notice a lack of compassion, your temper seems to quicken.
“Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness-- only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.”
If anyone could get their walk right with Jesus, it would be these guys. Yet these men struggled understanding God’s will, and had trouble obeying Jesus, here are a few examples
People today are no different; far too often we think if we just live a good life, then we somehow will gain access to heaven and eternal life; that is simply not true! It was not enough for this young man and it will not be enough for you either!
I can see the crowd laughing as he makes this statement; some parents are no doubt planning a practical joke on their kids later in the day!
Jesus calls everyone who would follow Him, to count the cost; it is quite high. While the gift of salvation is free to receive, the cost of following is steep! One must consider the ramifications of following the Lord before jumping in. Jesus said that those who choose to follow […]
The first step in pursuing holiness is to admit that we are not as holy as we appear to be; this first step is called humility.
The word “abide” simply means to remain, or stay put; Jesus used the word in the context of vineyard work. The vine that remains grows, and that vine begins to produce fruit. Abiding gives us the idea that we are continuing to grow and mature, and just like the vine […]
We need to be careful that we do not fall into the “Selfishness Trap” mentioned in the following passage of Scripture. As you go about your life in Christ, be generous. What people need the most, is your time and attention. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in […]
You MUST engage yourself in the study of God’s Word. To avoid this most elementary part of Christianity shows your lack of desire to, really know, the God you say you love!
When faced with a distraction that threatens to pull your focus off Jesus, do what Mary did, and just sit still, and listen to Jesus. Rest assured that you are doing the right thing; the distraction will wait.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow” produces repentance. I have to ask; have you ever felt godly sorrow? Have you ever felt the need to repent, and then actually do it? Because […]
Satan has considerable influence in our society. His malevolent intentions are evident the world over. It seems with each passing day, the darkness of the devil’s evil persuasion is poisoning the hearts and minds of humanity in ever increasing proportions. We must remain vigilant and on guard, keeping our minds […]
The bitter person cannot find it within himself or herself, to express hope and encouragement to anyone, life revolves around them and their pain. The bitter heart always sees itself as the victim, the one who is always hurt, and if not hurt now, will most certainly hurt again soon.
Instead of praying with a down-side up mentality, pray from the up-side down; from the heavenly realm where you are seated; the battle is not over your head, but is under your feet.”
I hatched an idea; we would pray and take the Sunday morning offering as usual; however, whatever amount came in, we would give it ALL AWAY the next Sunday!
One of the things I found a little unnerving on my recent hike to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, was the dense terrain that I had to walk through. The area was new to me, as I had never been there before. On my way back to my car, I got […]
As I was walking through the woods on my way to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, I came across a rather odd-looking site; a leaf stuck in mid-air! I took a picture of the leaf, as it dangled in the air, four feet off the ground. As I studied the optical […]
Annually I like to take a weekend and spend it in solitude, deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I do this to reflect on God’s Word, to clear my mind and heart, seeking God’s direction for the year ahead. This year, I chose to hang my hammock and pitch my […]
I recall one hot summer afternoon when I was about 8 years old my dad, mom and me, went looking for some chokecherries so mom could make some chokecherry jam! There were a few chokecherry trees not far from our property, so we took a couple of small buckets and […]
Wrestling is a hard sport and not for the squeamish, you will have your limits tested, you will learn what it feels like to be beaten, and what it feels like to win. It is an aggressive sport, and as our name declared; it is Brutally Aggressive.”
Every summer I recall my parents would take us kids to the Clearfield County Fair. As we wandered around, the sights and smells gave us a sensory overload! We would start by walking through all the farm exhibits, cows, rabbits, chickens, hogs, horses; you name it, I think they […]
In an ever increasingly distracting world, it is easy to get off course. The constant chatter on TV, social media, radio, and a host of other venues, beckons us into the world of chaos. Once distracted, we ramble on down a pathway we should never have embarked on and […]
It is at this critical point that people either humbles themselves before God, or become hypocritical. Those who choose to follow God will humble themselves and ask God for grace to deliver them from the sin that has entangled them. For those who will try to excuse their sin, the deserving title is hypocrite.
I got a bucket of warm soapy water, a scrub brush and a couple of rags. I got on my knees to wipe the dust off the baseboard. As I was scrubbing, I got the sensation the Lord was nearby.
As this behavior continued for the next few miles, I found myself becoming indignant about this driver. I thought how foolish it was to drive like this and how dangerous; it was an accident waiting to happen!
Today is Valentine’s Day and I thought it would be appropriate for us to talk about love. We are going to take a look at the Book of Revelation in just a moment, but first, for informational sake, St Valentine was a real person. Who was St Valentine? […]
After I careened around the corner at the bottom of the hill, satisfied I made it undetected, I took a quick glance in my rear-view mirror, and there, approaching quickly, the familiar silhouette of a State Police car; a quarter-mile later, his lights came on and I pulled over.
Jesus is not a fad to be tried, He is not a passing idea, He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings; a better sticker might say . . . Have you considered Jesus? Let me explain . . .
I had met Jesus during the summer of 1990; what an amazing year! Through the efforts of a local church; my family was drawn to an encounter with God; an encounter that would change the course of our lives forever!