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"If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence [and with the approval] of Christ (the Messiah), To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions." - 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 One of the most subtle tricks of Satan is to take advantage of a situation wherein one has repented of sin which has now been forgiven by God, and yet others who know the individual find it difficult to blot out of their minds personal thoughts…  ( Click for more )

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:7-8 (NIV) Many have been disheartened by this verse, as they claim Jesus' promise that whatever they ask of Him will be given to them. They have not received that which they asked for... Why? It is easy not to see that there are conditions to receiving whatever we ask of Him. What He is saying does not constitute a "blank check" for whatever we might desire.…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever been stunned, amazed, and shocked with a scene of what God has created in His creation? I have - even to tears. Some "ordinary" sights around us are so beautiful, and, if we allow, can glorify our God in our hearts and minds, inspire us, encourage us, instill joyful and thankful attitudes and feeling of love and admiration to the God who made it all - and who has made us. Just upon seeing an unusually spectacular sunset, a cloud formation, or even the sky. Many dwell in areas and conditions in which a sunset is seldom if ever seen. It is amazing how few…  ( Click for more )

Without understanding how God works with us (not against us), our lives can be cluttered with doubt and confusion, when we do not understand how God works out His will in us. What seems to be unanswered prayer can wreck and make havoc of our lives. The starting point for understanding unanswered prayers is remembering that over all, and above all things, circumstances, or other people, God loves us! Actually, His love is so great for that it is difficult to understand it. This is so very important to keep in mind when life send us a totally inapprehensible circumstance or event.…  ( Click for more )

"Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” - Luke 24:44 - (NASB) Here Jesus states plainly that He is spoken of in the Psalms, as well as in the Law and the Prophets, and everything that is spoken of Him there, must be fulfilled. Also, there are many preferences to other events in the future as well. Prophecies are made concerning conditions in the last days, things to take place during the thousand year…  ( Click for more )

There are many statements and combinations of words in the New Testament that can conjure up fear, worry, and feelings of dread. Certainly more than can be addressed in this article. However, there are seven words, according to at least several translations, that must be some of the most dreaded and feared of all recorded words spoken by anyone in the Bible. They were spoken by Jesus Christ. And He spoke them as the words that He will speak in the future to a group of people who stand before Him to receive His judgment of their works as followers of Him. Probably most Christians…  ( Click for more )

In the English language, there are words that refer to an action that are called "action verbs". There are others that do call for action, but only in a state of mind or intent of the mind. 1 Corinthians 13 is a word picture of what love looks like in action. The love that Paul describes is an action verb. Otherwise, it becomes dead and inactive as far is relationships are concerned: As the Apostle Paul describes it: "If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired…  ( Click for more )

Do you feel discouraged concerning what you believed was a calling on your life? If you are dedicated to living out the calling on your life, there will be times of testing your will to go on. Perhaps you feel discouraged, disheartened. And even wonder if what you have believed that Jesus put on your heart is a mistake. Perhaps you now feel you were overly zealous, and misread the calling. You feel weak and discouraged. And you wonder if you should have begun. Perhaps it was just a vain idea or wishful thinking. An over-zealous enthusiasm brought on by the joy of your salvation.…  ( Click for more )

Much of Christianity today seems to have accepted a subtle form of complacency as being spirituality. Not as is traditionally referred to, but more of a comfortable Christianity. As long as the majority jump through the acceptable loops, perform the acceceptable performances, it is declared all is well. Form and ceremony is all that is basically required to be declared to be acceptable performance that can be considered a healthy condition. "Acceptable" is the instrument of measure. Acceptable attendance, acceptable lifestyle, acceptable demeanor, acceptable monetary…  ( Click for more )

Once upon a time long ago in the hills of the deep South, a woman had a mission - a personal, self-appointed calling. She traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood, from hillside to hillside with a message. A message for everyone she came in contact with. Her message she had set to the music of her voice. To every farmhouse, every little community, to every individual she would meet, she sang the same refrain: "...let your light shine, where you are; let your light shine WHERE YOU ARE..." - over and over where ever she traveled, she sang over and over: "let your…  ( Click for more )

In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul describes what the love of God looks like in action. Perhaps we seldom think of Paul's dissertation about love in 1 Corinthians 13 as being dangerous. How could this be so, in a section of scripture perhaps unmatched in beauty, so direct, so convicting, and - so convicting of all of us if we are honest with ourselves. How could a human being ever do these things (and not do certain other things), and survive in our modern world! If one were to live - REALLY LIVE - this way, one would not survive very long. Many would say, this can…  ( Click for more )

When someone comes to Jesus for salvation and eternal life, it is only because the Father has drawn them. It is not an act of the will of the person, although the Holy Spirit has initiated a desire to believe in Jesus. Knowing this can often be comforting when we are praying for someone. It is God the Father who leads someone to Christ for salvation. This is the source of much frustration, and a sore trial of the faith for those who persevered for so long without witnessing the salvation of a loved one, a friend - an enemy. There have been many times when someone has prayed for…  ( Click for more )

Most of us are familiar the three monkeys each covering eyes, ears, and mouth. This is to convey the principles of seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil (I can't recall if this is the original sequence). Generally good advice – at all times and all seasons. For everyone. The principle of the prohibition of each is thououghly bibical, regardless of who originated it. I can still see in my minds eye the little clay image setting on a shelf in our home when growing up. But have we considered the scope and magnitude of this “monkey business” - this…  ( Click for more )

Your life has already been prearranged, predestined, ordered, directed, guided. You are cared for, guarded, and provided for. There is one question however: all this being true, IF you believe in Jesus Christ: "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([a]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life." - John 3:16 Then... "Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses,…  ( Click for more )

One of the most difficult parts in a human life is the need to forget painful things of the past. Some deal with painful things of the past with the saying: "Tomorrow may be better, or it may be worse. But one thing is sure; it will be different"!. Much has been written and said about the past. The concept of the subject is like trying to hold wind and air in the hands. A motion picture that was made available to the public a number of years ago was entitled "That Was Then - This Is Now". Although the movie was less than what one could anticipate, the title…  ( Click for more )

Sin came into the world in the garden of Eden - for a purpose. It was through one person that sin came into the world. This resulted in humanity becoming "prisoners in the earth", convicted and bound up in, and restrained by the consequences of what Adam and Eve had done. They disbelieved and therefore disobeyed their Creator. (Lamentations 3:31-34) God knows all things before they occur. This is a mystery completely beyond mere human analysis or understanding. Sin entered the world through the serpent in the garden. However, it took a human weakness and cooperation…  ( Click for more )

John the Baptist's ministry (Mark 1:4-5 ), resulted a massive conversion and receiving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. His baptism of repentance (i.e.,as public evidence of a repentant heart), plus all of the traveling, teaching, healing, and training of Jesus prior to the Day of Pentecost filled the ranks of the thousands that received the Holy Spirit on that day (Luke 8:26-39). It is difficult to imagine a more important day in the history of the world than that first Day of Pentecost. Peter's sermon is a masterpiece of evangelical preaching, but…  ( Click for more )

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:7-8 (NIV) The story is told in support of the power of faith of the person who was searching for a parking space in a very crowded parking lot. The driver had driven back and forth, down one lane and then another. But all the parking spaces were full. There was no space available after searching for a long time - back and forth, and back again, over and over again. Still,…  ( Click for more )

Years ago a popular country/western melody filled the radio airwaves. The title of the song seemed to make the point completely - "Always Late". I was labled this once, when extremely late to an important radio musical performance. The MC even labled me as always late (jokingly), at the beginning of the program! No one wants to be late of course. But every true Christian desires to always be right, or in the right, and strives to do right in the sight of God and man. Although impossible to be right before God in the flesh, we are to acknowledge our unrighteousness before…  ( Click for more )

The Gospel that Jesus Christ brought to the earth contains the anwser and the solution to all things. It provides a God-ordained approach to every condition, problem, circumstance that can come about in every condition for every individual under the sun. The Gospel of Jesus Christ that He brought to earth is the solution - always and forever. Jesus brought to earth, all of earth's inhabitants, the one and only right approach to every problem that has and ever will exist, along with future solutions for earth's further conditions. Notice the prophecy regarding Jesus and His assignment…  ( Click for more )

There are many sources of fear experienced by the human race. But the fear of repentance...even the word seems to conjure up alarm, discomfort, and an undefinable fear. For some, it is manifested by angry resistance; for others, it is a deep down discomfort or sadness. The Holy Spirit of God moves in many ways. The word Repentance seems rarely to be mentioned - in religious circles or out. Why? Perhaps its like the word Bible, Religion, Sin, etc. All at least imply that one could be required or obligated to do something that he or she would not like to do, even to think about.…  ( Click for more )

There are some striking analogies that can be seen in Acts chapters 27,28 of the Bible, which describe the Apostle Paul's amazing journey to Rome on ships of the sea. These chapters are full of suspense like no other in the New Testament. It is a riveting drama of reality. Why so much space allotted to a voyage in ships? Paul isn't pictured as preaching to anyone except one or two on an island in which he was stranded. Although in story form, these chapters in God's word are intended to speak to us in a special way. As well as being a gripping story, it speaks volumes to the spiritual…  ( Click for more )

At times God may seem distant. It can be a very lonely feeling. At times, to the point of desperation. In these times, we long to reduce the distance, feel His closness again. This can be caused by distractions, neglect, and the ever present business and demands of our human existence. We feel the need for closeness with Jesus Christ, and we sense that He is somehow far away. All of this would evaporate by believing and understanding that Jesus inhabits the ordinaries of life...the seconds, minutes, and hours of our seeming mundane activities. Then there are those trials of our…  ( Click for more )

One of the most dramatic and world shaping events occurred many centuries ago, and the world has never been the same since - literally. We find this recorded in the book of Genesis: "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may…  ( Click for more )