New Variant Emerging
I personally was infected by this new variant; and appear to gaining strength; it is taking root and growing rapidly; and rather than resist; I decided to just let it have me!
Repentance – A Gift from God
God's greatest expression of love, was dispatching His only begotten Son, to come to earth, engaging a mission to redeem broken humanity; His mission was successfully completed.
Turn
God in His mercy and grace, offers a solution to the problem; turn away from that which is evil.
Holiness – Can’t See God Without It! – Part 2
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…
Holiness – Can’t See God Without It – Part 1
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…
Woke
I have witnessed the “church” react, often predictably, to each of these injustices in varying degrees of capitulation to the worldly wisdom proffered by the “learned” establishment types purporting to be in the know.
30 Years Ago
Jesus came looking for me, and He gently cornered me that night, and looked into my heart. When my eyes met His, and with tears flowing, I said to Him: " I got nothing to give you, nothing"
RACE – ism
On the following Sunday morning, as our church gathered, I had taken one of the extra large pulpit chairs and placed it in the front center of the church, right near the altar. After a few songs were sung, I stepped up to the pulpit and began to address the issue of racism. I shared how prevalent it was in our community; but I was more concerned how widespread it was inside our own church, and that it was time dealt with it. You could feel the tension; it was palpable!
Fire Burning
the church belonging to Jesus Christ, is white hot and on fire, it's moving, breaking chains, saving souls; the sad truth is, that much of what we call the church . . . is not the church!!!
A Consuming Fire
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming…
The Problem with the Ten Commandments
Many in today’s world simply refuse to believe God exists, therefore, any mention about Him, or His so called commandments, must be disregarded and tossed out.
The Lamb of God
Take a moment, and consider Jesus, look into what He did, and why . . . then make a decision, but do not make it lightly!
The Arrow Rests
Consider the bow and arrow; the archer reaches for an arrow from his quiver, he knocks the arrow into the string, and pulls the bow, aiming for the target; and the arrow rests. The target acquired in his sights, the archer releases the energy of the bow, the arrow powerfully soaring toward the target . . . BULLSEYE!
Do NOT Quench the Holy Spirit
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.
So . . . You are Not Being Fed?
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.
Blessed are the Meek
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!
Foundations
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!
Guilt Free
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!
Forgiving From Your Heart
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!
Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
“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.”
Do You Love Me?
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
Grace, Mercy and Peace to You
What jumps out at me, is the way Paul says these words. It is bold, and up front, like he was an emissary of God, coming to the people, as if he had just come from God himself. Kind of like an ambassador, proclaiming the heart of the kingdom represented.
“One Thing You Lack”
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!
Ask, Seek and Knock – Do It!
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!
Count the Cost
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!…
Watch Out For – Hypocrisy
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.
Abide in Me
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…
Learn Compassion
Gently and compassionately lead them to Jesus; He is the ONLY one who can truly set them free!
Beware of the Selfishness Trap
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…
Watching You
Your life is a constant witness to your master; who then has more control of your life, you, or Jesus; the world can tell in a heartbeat.
Learn the Word
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!
Son of Man
The cruelest device known for torturing and suffering that man’s perverted mind could conceive. Jesus knew that he would suffer and die on one of those.
Martha, Martha
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.
Anxiety in the Heart
To fight off fear and anxiety; designed, to steal, kill and destroy; you MUST use and understand God’s word! It is the only lasting and permanent antidote for this ungodly disease!
Godly Sorrow
"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…
Be Filled
It is clear in the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit is most certainly a Person. He is able to teach, comfort, console, lead, and convict. Without the power and presence…
Bible and boots
Sent with Authority
For those who have chosen to follow Jesus, you have a mandate to go out and declare that the Kingdom of God is near. The same directives He gave the…
Delivered
Humanity has been suffering the consequences of sin since the Garden of Eden. The world is littered with vain attempts by mankind, to correct this broken condition; it is evident…
Bitter or Better – You Get to Choose
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.
Give it Away
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!