Posts from 2022 (Page 2)

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” – Hebrews 12:14 [NIV] Our goal as Christians is to be at peace with people, even those who’ve done us wrong. Sometimes it’s easier to turn the other cheek, but often our flesh tells us to clap back when we’re being disrespected. I’m no different than anyone else when it comes to the principal, sometimes, I ignore people who…

I believe it’s important to, as much as we can, learn as much as we can from the Scriptures themselves. This is no knock against theologians, scholars, or philosophers that aid our understanding of the Scriptures. However, more often than not, many will think they have grasped the totality of theology because they can think about it theoretically but lack its true essence in practice. For instance, we can learn all the different types of prayers, their names and use…

One of the greatest American preachers and Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, became deeply enthralled with the majesty and glory of God as a young believer. He had been so on fire for Christ that at the age of 19, he wanted to pen something that would aid in his commitment to living for God. So over the course of a year, he drafted the 70 Resolutions, which are Bible-based guidelines that he would resolve to follow all the days of his…

We love reading big, bold, brave tales about good guys and bad guys. We see heroes as these guys who had to overcome all odds while living a life of virtue and integrity. Villains are these bad guys trying to stop the good guys from winning at any cost. If you look deeper into the hero’s life, you’ll find that even the good guys have character flaws. Historical greats like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and even King David had…

Although the word can have a couple of different meanings, we often hear the term “Godspeed” when we anticipate something. Godspeed to the Christ follower is God doing things in His will and His timing. God has a specific time and place for everything. It may take longer than we want, but it will happen eventually. God has a specific time in mind when He will deliver us from the trouble we face. God’s timing is different than our timing.…

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about…

Empathy is one of those things that are easier said than done. It’s easy to say you feel sorry for someone without walking in their shoes. For the past year, I have been learning how to be empathetic toward others while at the same time maintaining my beliefs as a Christian. When I got evicted last summer, it felt like my whole world had shattered. I was convinced that God wouldn’t let me move out of Jacksonville, Florida for another…

The Bible is the Word of God and is totally inerrant, infallible, inspired, truthful, eternal, sufficient, and authoritative. Even though they were initially written by men, the original autographs of the sixty-six books of Scripture are “God-breathed” by the Holy Spirit and are true in all things and perform, declare, and function as and with the authority of the Lord’s own words. Now, I’m not going to argue from the Bible itself that the Bible is the genuine Word of…

What is a Doxology? To many Christians, you may or may not have heard the term “doxology” before or know what it means. Well, if you’ve scoured through the New Testament, in particular, you’ve definitely come across several doxologies, whether or not you recognized them. The term doxology comes from the Ancient Greek words meaning “glory” and “saying,” so in a sense, one is saying glorious things to God. In other words, a doxology is a short hymn of praises…

Proverbs 2:6-7 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright” [NIV]. If you want wisdom, ask the Lord because He not only possesses wisdom, but He is wisdom! I know what it’s like to do it in my own strength, but once I let go of human intellect, I find Heavenly wisdom that beats any worldly wisdom. He gives wisdom (which creates success) to the “upright,” according…

We all have good days, but we also have bad days. Don’t let the bad days overthrow you like a rocky current on a river! Please remember to keep paddling! I remember this story told to me by a man who was an expert at canoeing. He told me he was canoeing down a canal, and the wind was coming from an unusual direction, making it hard to canoe down this tight space with the wind blowing right at him.…

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:15-16 [ESV] The Lord Jesus Christ, as the High Priest seated at the right hand of the Father, is one of…

A pastor once gave an illustration in a sermon. The usual glass of water rested on his pulpit in case he needed to quench his thirst, but this time out, the pastor intended for this object to prove a conscious point. He picked up the glass and asked, “Folks, how much do you think this glass of water weighs? Note that it is plain, old water. How much does it weigh?” After several moments of awkward silence, the pastor encouraged…

How do we rest when this world is so busy? The answer is quite simple yet hard to implement at times. But while we “stay” busy, we “remain” in Him. It doesn’t necessarily mean we are less busy but more “intentionally” focused on the work of the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the…

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8 [ESV] Agricultural analogies are often given in the Bible because they work well at explaining spiritual concepts in a…

Some days are hard. Let’s just face it. So how do we overcome the loneliness and the disappointments of our day? This may seem like an obvious Christian response but hear me out; let’s pray to God about it! Not just pray with a few words but converse with our Heavenly Father in a long and depth way. The church and people have hurt me, so it’s easy to settle to speaking to God in a few words or not…