Blogs
Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving-. It is supposed to be a time of love and gratitude-hospitality-a time of sharing with family and friends. Unfortunately it isn't always a time of celebration. For some it comes at time of loneliness - people who no longer have loved ones close for any number of reasons. Or when the family is dysfunctional such in the case of divorce - addictions - misunderstandings. Steve and I experienced this first hand this year - seeing some of our family members torn apart and rifts within the family. We chose to spend it alone without all the drama. But thanks to our Pastor our thanksgiving day was redeemed when he asked us to take a meal to an elderly person living alone. It made our day to visit with this person-stepping outside of our comfort zone and giving of ourselves to someone else. We were THANK(S)ful that we could do our part by GIVING to someone else. It isn't about us and what we get or don't get. It is about what we can give to others...
I KNOW THERE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO, AND NOT DO, TO HAVE OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED. WE CAN'T ASK ANYTHING THAT IS AGAINST GOD'S WILL, WE HAVE TO ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE PRAY, WE HAVE RECEIVED IT AND WE MUST HAVE FORGIVENESS IN OUR HEARTS. I SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE OF THESE VERSES.
JOHN 14:13-14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the...
Guard Against Deception
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
MATTHEW 24:3-5
Deception can be avoided or else Jesus would not have said, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.' Satan can only deceive those who allow him to do it.
Ephesians 6:11 tells us to 'Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' Putting on the whole armour of God will protect you from the deception of the devil. Just wearing part of God's armour will not fully protect you. Many Christians have been running around with the helmet of salvation on but nothing else. There is more to overcoming the devil than just being saved. We have to understand our righteous...
You're Not Alone In Persecution
Luke 23:11 'And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.'
All of Christ's sufferings did not end when He finished His earthly ministry.
He still takes the persecution of His people personally as is revealed by His statement to Saul on the road to Damascus: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' He didn't ask Paul why he was persecuting His people. He said, 'Why are you persecuting Me?' When we are persecuted for righteousness' sake, it is actually Christ who is being persecuted.
One of the most trying aspects of persecution is the feeling that God...
Jesus - The Name Above Names
Luke 23:9 'Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.'
Not only does Jesus' refusal to defend Himself show His humility, but His refraining from venting His wrath against the man who senselessly killed His friend who was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Mt. 11:11), also displays His humble nature.
Because of Christ's humility and obedience to the Father, God gave Him a name that is above every name in heaven, earth and under the earth. There is no exemption for anyone or anything from coming under the Lordship of Jesus. He is Lord of ALL.
Jesus has not only been exalted above every 'being' that...
DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN CAIN KILLED ABLE, HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE HAD SINNED? IN FACT, NO ONE KNEW THEY WERE SINNING BEFORE THE LAW, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. GOD GAVE THE LAW TO SHOW PEOPLE JUST HOW BAD THEY WERE. WE SEE THIS IN ROMANS 7:7 WHERE IT SAYS "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." THE LAW SHOWED PEOPLE WHAT SIN WAS AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHANGE.
ALTHOUGH PEOPLE WERE SINNING BEFORE THE LAW, THEIR SINS WERE NOT CHARGED TO THEM. ROMANS 5:13 TELLS US THIS WHEN IT SAYS "For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law." ISN'T IT STRANGE THAT WHEN WE ARE TOLD WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING, WE WANT TO DO IT...
What Is A Miracle?
Luke 23:8 'And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.'
Herod desired to see Jesus perform some kind of miracle, and some of the questions he asked Jesus made this desire obvious. However, Jesus did not use His faith to do any miracles for Herod.
Miracles are God's way of meeting the needs of those who seek Him in faith. Miracles will sometimes be used to demonstrate God's ability so that people may believe (Mk. 2:10-11), but they will not happen to skeptics who are tempting God (Lk. 4:9-12).
A...
The Sword Is The Word
John 18:36 'Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.'
JOHN 18:33-37
Christ's kingdom is spiritual, in the hearts of men - not physical; therefore, our fight as Christians must not be with carnal weapons but with spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Spiritual forces cannot be defeated with human weapons.
When we are being attacked for being a part of Christ's kingdom, we must fight with spiritual weapons. Our warfare is not against people, but against the spiritual powers that operate behind the scenes through people. We must realize who the real enemy is...