I blog to proclaim all things related to God's love and plan for this world. I blog to extract the precious from the worthless and how one can know the difference. I blog to remind humanity that God is still God and we are not, whether anyone likes it or not. I blog to share in a public forum the abiding reality that God loves those He created enough to tell them the truth about all things in this life and in the life to come, whether anyone believes it or not. And I blog to declare that God's everlasting love and mercy through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ are still available for the asking to anyone who will listen, hoping someone will ask.
How Can You Be "Prepared to Give An Answer?"
"The only way teens become truly “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks” (1 Pet. 3:15) is by wrestling personally with the questions.
Ironically, those who have never grappled with diverse worldviews are actually the most likely to be swept away by them. As G. K. Chesterton wrote, ideas can be dangerous — but they are far more dangerous to the person who has never studied them…
We should always couch discussions of Christianity in the language of reasons and evidence. We should be giving apologetics from the pulpit and in the Sunday school classroom. Every course in a Christian school should be an opportunity to show that a biblical perspective does a better job than any secular theory of accounting for the facts in that field, whether psychology, biology, government, or business. Apologetics should be naturally woven in to all our discourse.
The shooting tragedy in Las Vegas has affected thousands of people directly and across the nation many are filled with fear and questions. Why would a loving God allow such pain? Pastor Greg Laurie answers that question and shares how to comfort the grieving.
We live in a fallen world. And the truth is bad things do happen and will continue to happen until Jesus comes back. God does not promise to turn bad things into good. But he does promise to use all things to work out a plan in us and in our world for a higher purpose of good in our lives because He loves us.
If you know someone who has lost a loved one in the tragic Las Vegas massacre, don’t try to ease their pain with meaningless words of comfort. Just tell them, “I love you. I’m sadden at your loss. I’m praying for you.”
http://www.iamsecond.com/ They labeled him the virgin bachelor for starring in the often scandalous reality television show "The Bachelor" with a rare commit...
True servants of God are nothing but common bramble bushes ignited by God’s holy fire
Caption: Bush on Fire / All rights reserved / Used by Permission.
The story of Moses and the burning bush has a profound truth for those who call themselves Christians. True servants of God are nothing but ordinary bramble bushes ignited by the holy fire of God’s presence.
Many still remember Charlton Heston’s role as Moses in Cecil B. De Mille’s epic motion picture, “The Ten Commandments.” Scenes of his first encounter with the great “I AM that I AM” were taken directly from Exodus 3:2-3 which reads,
“Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. ‘Amazing!’ Moses said to himself. ‘Why isn't that bush burning up?’”
Ever wonder why Jehovah God chose to use such a bizarre scene to introduce Himself to Moses? In the Sinai Desert, a burning bush was not anything out of the ordinary. But a scrawny desert shrub on Mt. Sinai engulfed in flames yet not consumed certainly was. Yet there was nothing whatsoever special or desirable about this common desert plant. What made this bush so remarkable was the fire of God’s holy presence resting upon it. What was God trying to teach Moses through this incredible first encounter between the Creator and the created?
Reared in Egypt under the tutelage of some of the wisest scholars of his day, from a human perspective, there was no man better qualified than Moses to deliver God’s people from Egyptian bondage. But God was not looking for the best and the brightest of the day. He didn’t need the insights of an educated statesman nor the expertise of a seasoned military leader to carry out His plans.
While a lowly sheep herder, God had selected Moses for a crucial role in the formative years of the nation Israel. Despite his humble beginnings, it was through this man God would deliver the Hebrews from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. Through Moses, God would divide the Red Sea, making a way of escape for His chose people. Through Moses, God would deliver to His people the Ten Commandments, etched on tablets of stone with the very finger of God, as Moses watched trembling. It was to Moses God would grant the incredible privilege of communicating with his Creator, face-to-face, as a man would speak to his friend. And it would be to Moses, with his own to eyes, that God would permit to see the back side of the heavenly glory of the Lord God Almighty.
In view of the unsurpassed spiritual power, privilege, authority, and honor God had in store for this mortal man, it was vital that Moses understood early on that servants of the Most High God are nothing special in and of themselves. Moses’ selection, his usefulness, his success, his legacy would rest solely upon the heavenly power and divine presence of the “Self Existing One,” who introduced Himself to Moses as, “I AM that I AM. That is My name.”
Moses learned a fundamental lesson profoundly relevant to the 21st century Christian community. True servant-leaders chosen by God to shepherd His people are not found among the ranks of self-righteous super stars. While it is true God uses the skills, abilities, and talents we possess, it’s critically important that servants of God remember where those talents came from and why they were given-- for His glory and name sake, not theirs.
However, it seems far too many within our congregations today have forgotten or have willfully ignored such lessons in humility. Pompous, arrogant, self-promoting individuals, claiming all manner of grandiose titles, travel the world proclaiming to be holier-than-the-rest, presenting themselves as indispensable to the work of God, as if the Kingdom of God were dependent upon their self-serving, mortal efforts. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Such self-inflated individuals actually have nothing of real spiritual value to offer God or His people. In fact the efforts of such prideful individuals are an abomination to the Lord, who opposes all so-called, “good works.” (See James 4:6)
True servant-leaders of God are nothing more than common, everyday desert shrubs. They are ordinary, average men and women emptied of self, simply willing to allow the holy fire of the God to ignite and empower their lives for His glory and honor. Upon such individuals the “favor of God rests.”
What kind of servant of “I AM that I AM” do you want to be? Self-absorbed or God-consumed? Will you cling to such pretentious titles as, “The Most Holy and Anointed Right Reverend So-and-So?” Or are you willing to be known as just an common bramble bush, yielded to God, anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit, accomplishing God’s will in His power, for His glory and name’s sake alone? The choice is yours.
Even in his [Jesus] own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. All those who believe this are reborn! - not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan - but from the will of God.
Gospel of John 1:10-13, The Living Bible, Paraphrased
'Before anything else existed, there was Christ with God.' John 1:1
Literally, 'In the beginning, the Word,' [meaning Jesus Christ - the wisdom and power of God and the first cause of all things; God's personal expression of himself to men.]
Today is not "The End of the World," as a "Christian Numerologist" says.
First of all, there is no such thing as a "Christian numerologist."
Secondly, according to Jesus, "No man knows the day or hour " of Christ's return. (Matt. 24:36)
Thirdly, it's already September 24th in some parts of the world.
Before the Second coming of Christ and the end of the age, Jesus will first come for His Church in what is often called "The Rapture". Then the Antichrist will emerge and the the great Tribulation period will begin. Jesus could come back for His people at anytime though. So, be ready for that!
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
