Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! Have you counted how many times you have heard that statement? It is featured on the radio and highlighted in music playing throughout malls and elevators country-wide. Our minds are being molded to believe that this is the only time of the year that we will experience joy, excitement, and happiness. But the truth is that for millions of people Christmas is not so wonderful a time. There is more fear than cheer due to unrealistic expectations. Extreme expectations erase the presence and power of the Prince of Peace!
Read MoreThe conditions of a world cursed by the fall come with enormous consequences: crisis, chaos, confusion, death, disease, disaster, lovelessness, loneliness and loss. Due to the fallen nature of our world, we can expect difficulties. The truth about trials is not a matter of what, but when. None of us will be exempt from the encroachment of seasons of anguish and affliction or as King Solomon calls them, “evil days.”
Read MoreIn last week’s blog, we began discussing walking in the will of God in our lives. In order to walk in the will of God you must embrace three essential elements: passion, perception and persistence. Last week we focused on being passionate to do God’s will. In this week’s blog, we will focus on the perception of His will and the persistence to do God’s will.
Read MoreHave someone ever said to you: "I want the very best thing for you in your life?" The sentiment is strong. However I submit to you that in order to experience the best things in life we must walk in the will of GOD.
Read MoreSince the big Thursday that is Thanksgiving Day is on top of us, I wanted to turn our stomachs from the turkey and our focus from the football and instead fix our minds and hearts on the term Thanksgiving. In our country Thanksgiving has been observed as a national holiday for close to four centuries. It’s an annual holiday discernible by religious observances and a traditional dinner in which the main menu feature is turkey...
Read MoreWhen my wife, Gloria, and I were raising our three boys, we established standards for appropriate behavior in our house. The boys knew that in order to enjoy the benefits of our home, their words and actions needed to be acceptable in accordance with our criteria. Gloria and I had the right to establish these standards because it was our home.
Read MoreIt has been said that everybody has played the fool at sometime in their lives. The only exception to this rule is the One that rules the universe: Jesus Christ. Other than our Lord, we all have made foolish choices. I submit to you that a fool’s art is a seduced heart. In order to prevent ourselves from becoming fools, we must inoculate our hearts from seduction’s insidious infection.
Read MoreQuestion: Do you have a personal possession that you purpose to protect at all costs? Whatever is considered our most prized possession pushes us to protect it with unconquerable and robust resolve. I submit to you that too many of us are captured by a culture whose hearts are cemented in mammon. Mammon is a word that our Lord Jesus employed to describe a heart that is held hostage by material things we possess or want.
Read MoreAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements which consist of multivitamins, minerals and herbs. As a result, Americans are spending an astronomical amount of money on supplements. The Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements (VMS) industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. In 2012, this industry produced about $32 billion in revenue for just nutritional supplements alone. According to the Nutritional Business Journal, this industry is projected to supplant that total in 2021 and is expected to generate a staggering total of $60 billion in revenue.
Read MoreHave you ever taken the time to consider or examine a spotlight? A spotlight is a strong beam of light that illuminates a small or specific area. For example a spotlight will focus on a performer on a stage in order to make him or her the center of attention. This concept can also be applied to a Christian’s life. This week, my objective is to shine a spotlight of focus on our service to God.
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