If you have lived a while it is highly probable that the pain of death has pierced your heart in some way. Undoubtedly, you can recall the moment when you received the devastating news, ‘Your father/mother/brother/sister/wife/child has died,’ and the weight of those words hit you like a speeding train. Have you ever taken notice of the countless individuals who …
Centered Is The New Shalom
In recent years I’ve heard the term “centered” often used to describe a state of being that everyone should strive to attain. It is defined as having a central point or internal compass from which our lives can remain in sync as our authentic self. Another closely related idea is life balance. Except with life balance the concept is that …
Prayer: The Bridge to God’s Willingness
The concept of faith is not the sole factor in the ‘equation’ that governs our lives. A thorough examination of the teachings of the Bible reveals that prayer, the intensity of spiritual warfare, and the support of fellow believers also play significant roles in shaping our experiences. The fervent prayers of God’s people hold great significance in the fulfillment of …
Hating What God Hates
Hating what God hates is not about being judgmental or self-righteous, but rather about aligning ourselves with His perfect and righteous nature. As humans, we are often tempted to make excuses for our actions and justify our sinful behaviors. However, when we truly understand and embrace God’s Word, we realize that sin is not just a list of rules to …
Finding Happiness in an Unhappy World
Adversity, affliction, pain, and suffering are a part of everyone’s life. With Satan and his evil minions causing problems, the problems we have due to the world being in a fallen state in the first place, the problems that others cause for us, and the problems we cause ourselves due to our own sin and ignorance, suffering is a given …
Grace of the Almighty God
We are grateful to God for the grace that He has bestowed upon us through Christ Jesus our Lord, as well as the promise of eternal glory that is rooted in that grace. It is only through His great mercy that we have been granted an inheritance in heaven that will never fade away. Apart from God, who could have …
HOPE: A CHOICE TO TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISE
Throughout scripture God’s people have chosen hope as a strength building virtue. Hope is not optimism. It isn’t a wish. Nor is it a fantasy. Hope is a choice to see the future according to the faithfulness of God to fulfill His promises. Hope is confident trust that God will perform the promises in His word regardless of the present …
Our Hope in the Midst of Suffering
Jesus said that those who made the decision to follow him would experience suffering for having made that decision. The early church soon found out the truth of those words and Peter’s first epistle addresses that development head on. When he wrote it the pressure and suffering had already begun and he said it would get even worse. Of course, …
Pure or Impure: The Choice is Ours
The Old Covenant beliefs were frequently faced with the possibility of becoming “impure” or “unclean” before God. Many things could create this state of uncleanness, like touching a dead body, or having open sores. In the condition of uncleanness, they were disqualified from certain rights and privileges relating to association with others and to temple worship. In like manner, New …
Back to Basics
Ever since I first heard the truth of God’s Word, my desire has been to share it with as many people as I can. Clearly, the best way for each of us to do that is to both live and speak that truth, like Jesus did. The first step in doing that is to know the truth. Titus 1:1“Paul, a …
