About six years ago my sons approached me about acquiring a pet. Due to a schedule that dictated a good degree of time away from the home in addition to the requirements of caring for a pet such as feeding, walking, entertaining, visits to the vet, expenses, license, etc., I made a case for a pet-free zone. But the holiday season soften my heart and I relented. So my oldest son went to the animal shelter and brought home two kittens: Boaz and Lila.
Read MoreThe past two weeks we have been considering spiritual heart failure, reviewing its definition and examination. This week we will turn our thoughts to the third element which is contamination. The word contaminate is defined as “to taint, pollute, or defile, meaning to make impure or unclean.” Contaminate also implies intrusion of or contact with (for a substance such as water) dirt or foulness from an outside source.
Read MoreWhen I turned 50 years of age the word examination went to a new level of understanding specifically as it relates to my personal health screening. My physician told me that it was time to have my prostate examined. No big deal, I thought until I had the processed explained to me. Let’s just say I wanted to pray for another way! And I had to choose to put on my big boy pants that day as well as drop all my concerns and personal comfort. At some point, most men will either be offered a prostate examination as part of general health screening or it will be advised by their doctor because of their age.
Read MoreHas your heart ever gotten you into trouble? I am willing to bet that there are some of you that would reply to my initial question with: “Oh yeah! I am married to my heart trouble.” The reality is that our hearts are responsible for many of our practices or decisions. For example, spending, eating, watching, listening, speaking, thinking and living are all connected with the attitude of our hearts. This fact is why the Scriptures issue a warning about keeping our hearts.
Read MoreRecently, I was speaking to a precious soul that was held hostage by the power of hell (Satan) and was a slave to a life-dominating sin. God’s matchless grip of grace snatched her from the falsehood of her false god (substance abuse) and restored fellowship with the true God: Jesus Christ.
Read MoreIn this passage of Scripture, Jesus describes two different decisions that lead to two different destinations. There is a right way and a wrong way and Jesus appealed to His listeners to decide to go the more difficult way, which leads to life. Although difficult and challenging, this way represents the road to freedom! Jesus understood and taught that not all ways and not all destinations are equally good.
Read MoreAs we discussed last week, the Word of God is clear about genuine change. Genuine change cannot take place in the heart without Christ’s ruling influence. Therefore, the catalyst for change is supernatural; not natural. In order to experience Christ-like change, we must renew our minds with the truth of Scripture.
Read MoreConsider the following scenario: Last evening you elected to deviate from your routine behavior. You retired for the evening earlier than normal because you were not feeling like yourself. You sensed a few slight but not significant symptoms of what you believed to be the beginning of a cold.
Most of us are familiar with the idiomatic question: Who made the bigger investment: the chicken that gave us eggs or the pig that gave us the bacon? Obviously the pig offered his life for his offering so he would be the one that made the greater investment.
Read MoreHave you ever examined and entertained how often our Eternal God thinks about us? It is indeed a tall order to be occupied with what God thinks instead of being occupied with what people think and feel about us. In all of our relationships, personal, private, and professional we are often preoccupied with what people think.
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