care for others, in peace

For my Christian brothers and sisters, a timely message that I encourage you to watch to the end, and share the message.

Christians in Crisis - How to Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak - March 15 - Scott Christenson

clean before claim

David had committed adultery and murder.  In seeking forgiveness, he recognized that he needed this spiritual cleansing for himself, and that he would be able to, with a clean heart, minister and witness to others.  When we walk with the stain of sin on us,  our character bleeds through, our walk is tainted and our witness corrupted.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You."  Psalm 51:10-13

If we want to draw people to Jesus Christ, we must first look like Him, live like Him, act like Him, and love like Him.

We rely on His Holy Spirit within us to forgive and guide, leading us to fulfill His plan for our lives, to impact our family and neighbors.  As Jesus walked, so shall we.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library

The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a digital library of classic Christian books for edification and education.  http://www.ccel.org

wear the correct shoes for the job

"The Bible compares our walk of faith to  race (2 Timothy 4.7). It also tells us that we should put on the shoes of the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6.15). So I’ve decided that if I’m going to be running this race for Christ, I want the right shoes on! The Shoes of Peace are not to benefit the onlookers; they are to benefit us, the runners! When people see us flying by them with big, goofy smiles on our faces, they are going to take notice and wonder what makes us so different. The answer in JESUS and His Good News, the Gospel!"  ~ Alisa Hope Wagner

Your Gospel Shoes

"stupid human tricks"

Ga. Pastor Preaches to Help Christians Avoid Wasting Their Lives

A simple and eloquent message.

""What a sad thing for anyone to be created by God ... to have so much potential and yet miss out and waste a life because of one foolish choice after the next," Bloye preached, using the biblical character Samson as a case study."

This is a message I needed to hear today, after spending the last 2 hours on Twitter and Facebook, and I am anxious to hear all of the message.

Stupid Human Tricks

Please don't hate me

I am rattled by those who are so religious in their hatred of all thing "religious".

I read and examine web sites, blogs, etc. of folks who are "liberal" in their thinking and philosophy; I enjoy the discovery and am curious to the thought processes of "liberal minded" people and programs.

Far too often I come across folks who seem to be, by their own definition, "haters".  They espouse a certain hatred and bigotry toward "religion", God, conservatism and, anyone who disagrees with their personal philosophy of life on this planet; an intolerance toward those who they deem intolerant.

There are also those "religious" folks who are just as intolerant and spout the same hatred and bigotry toward others. The stories of church congregations and their leaders spouting putrid filth and hatred toward fellow creations of God are legendary. I am quick to point out that these folks do not speak of our God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, the God of the Holy Bible.  These folks have twisted "God" to suit their personal bias, may have "Christian" on their door and wall, but certainly do not fit my definition of a "follower of Jesus".

Madness falls in all categories and walks of life on this planet we call our temporary home.  Anyone who believes that our God "hates" any one person on this planet just simply doesn't understand the message of the Bible.  God hates the sin, not the man. Every person on this planet is a personal creation of God, and God loves His creations.

I'm willing to bet that, just like me, on any given day, each one of us falls into one or more of these categories of the sin that God detests.

     "Professing to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
     Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
     For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,  and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
      And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,  being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."  ~ Romans 1:22-32

I wish I could find a way, in loving patience, to better express myself and to better express God's love and mercy toward all mankind.  Along that way, I'll just have to work harder at walking the walk, before I talk the talk.  In the meantime, don't hate me for believing the Bible is true, attending a "Christian" congregation, for believing that life is sacred, or for believing you can enjoy God's Gift of Grace.  I don't hate those who believe the opposite.

     "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.   For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."  ~ John 3:16-17

home for the holiday

Yep, it's that time again; for some it's pretty new clothes for the ladies, egg hunts, bunnies, chicks and  peeps, ham dinners and the semi-annual trip to church.

For Christendom, the day marks a special observance.  No, it's not the actual anniversary of Jesus' resurrection, and it's not a biblical holy day, but it is a day of gathering, a unique day of  observance for those who are called by His name.

We observe and reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us and His triumphal return, the vanquishing of physical death and His glorious return to the right hand of the Father in heaven.

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O  DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"  ~ 1 Corinthians 15:55

We are reminded, if need be, that this physical life is temporary, temporal, short term.  We are reminded that Jesus waits for us, that He paved the way on that cross to our return to God as well.  We are reminded that we who are called by His name are aliens, strangers in a strange land, once destined for a second death but now born again and  looking forward to a new life with Him who is our Lord.


Born once, die twice; born twice, die once.

We raise our hands in church and sing "Hallelujah" but i'ts more than that; i'ts the quiet reflection of our position in His family, of His glorious love for us and, through His love, our ability to love one another.

I confess, my church attendance has been poor lately and I am sore in need of renewed fellowship, but it's not about church and i'ts not about pomp and ceremony.   It's about the power of concerted, purposeful prayer and the gathering of sincere hearts to praise, to worship, to cry out His name and, in doing, to partake of restoration, of peaceful gathering, of the deafening serenity of His presence among us.

Yes, where ever and whenever we are in mindful communication with Him, there He is, but, oh, what a time when we are joined together in synchronous praise!  Hallelujah indeed!

"Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.   Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.   Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.   Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals."  ~ Psalm 150