The Bible tells us that in the beginning, in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God. Can you imagine it? You wake up in the morning. Have some fresh fruit. Inhale the crisp, clean, fresh morning air. You watch the animals grazing nearby, and then you hear a footstep and the sound of His voice! It’s the Lord God, your Creator! So, you run to Him and walk with Him and talk [...]
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus knew He had but a few hours before He would be handed over to the authorities. So, He gathered His beloved disciples around Him and shared with them those things which pressed most urgently on His heart. He began by washing their feet. We know that washing of the feet was a common practice. After all, the people wore sandals, if any shoes at all. And although major [...]
[Continued from Freedom: Are You Free?] In the beginning, God gave to mankind the freedom to choose their own thoughts, actions and attitudes. We were never free to choose the thoughts, actions or attitudes of others. Freedom never meant freedom from responsibility or to choose the consequences of our actions; external laws and circumstances will affect us whether we want them to or not. For example, if I choose to jump out of a tree, [...]
Freedom is a concept that is often misunderstood. In America, we consider freedom, or liberty, to be one of the defining attributes of our nation and we fight vehemently to keep the hard-earned freedoms that our founding fathers provided for us. We hear references in the news to the many civil rights we enjoy in this country, and sometimes we argue over exactly how far those rights reach. But as cherished and dearly purchased as [...]
Do you long for spiritual breakthrough? Do you long to see God work in miraculous ways in your life? Do you hear others talk about the power of God at work in their lives, but you are embarrassed to admit that you have not experienced it? Do you wonder why some Christians seem to experience something more in their faith? I have come to understand that it is in the nature of God to work [...]
THANK'FUL, adjective Grateful; impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it. [Webster’s 1828 dictionary] Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, walking between Samaria and Galilee. When He entered a certain village, ten leprous men approached and shouted out to him for mercy–keeping their distance as their illness required. Jesus looked at them and spoke, telling them to go and show themselves to the priests. According to the Law of Moses, [...]
Do you know what it means to be holy? The apostle Peter wrote, “…like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior…” (1 Peter 1:14-16) I believe in order to understand what Peter is saying, we need to first really understand what holiness is. And for me, the best way to understand holiness is by comparison. So, if you will bear with me a moment, let me try to explain [...]
You believe in God. You trust Jesus as your Savior. You enjoy the fellowship of church on Sunday. But where does your faith fit in your everyday life? What is your reality? Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21) James added that anyone who is merely a hearer of [...]
I have a little pet. I call him Peeve. He follows me around. He rarely leaves my side. He is a little mangy, and people say he’s angry. They call my poor Peeve names and say bad things about him, just because he bares his teeth, and snarls, and foams a little at the mouth. Well… I will admit he bites sometimes. That is, he bites others often. But in his defense, he only bites [...]
As Christians, many of us struggle to balance faith with works. Sometimes we lean too far in the direction of legalism and forget that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Sometimes we lean too far the other direction assuming grace will cover us while we live in sin (Romans 6:1-2). James understood that faith and actions (works) go hand in hand. Either one without the other is worthless. Have you read through [...]
