The Serpent goes to Church

Most Christians think of church as a place where Christians unite in fellowship at specific times; a safe haven for the lost and spiritually wounded. A place of comfort and rejuvenation. Holy ground where one can find sanctuary from the malevolence of Satan spread to a malignant carnal world.

WRONG! Satan goes to church religiously. God, Adam, and Eve dwelt in Paradise; in a unity of fellowship in the Garden of Eden. Satan ‘in the form of a serpent’ nefariously slips right into the middle of this small congregation of three. This is where Satan launched his quest of relentlessly speaking lies of doubt, dissension, deception, heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy into the ears and hearts of mankind. Continue reading →

Look What Happened!

A broken window, a bent fender, or a dog loose from the yard. These situations can sometimes be attributed to accidental causes.

It is usually the person who is at fault calling it an accident; while the person effected would more than likely call it negligent disregard.

These perceived perspectives point the pathways which direct each persons moral compass of right from wrong.

For example an accidental gunshot victim caused by someone target shooting. Anyway you want to slice the truth up to dissect an answer. This fact will always remain constant. The shooter shot the victim.

A more common example might be; you go home and find the house a mess. The kids, dog, and spouse are nowhere to be found. What happened? Was it a burglary, kids rough housing, dog chewing up the house, or did your spouse go crazy? Continue reading →

America, a Not So Holy Land

Everywhere I turn, headlines in the news showcase another instance proving the moral and spiritual degradation of man.

It’s like a ‘one-two punch’ evidencing bible prophesy. The sad part: This new news is still old news that has been going on since the creation of man.

Here in America we have recently made Sodom and Gomorrah look like a romp through preschool. We have graduated, within all forms of sexual immorality and sins to the status of socially acceptable and legal unions of marriage. Continue reading →

That’s Just Too Easy

My wife and I love gardening. Not the work so much; but, the reward of all the beautiful flowers, foliage, and hardscape which creates an environment that enriches our lives.

Hard work is the vehicle through which our appreciation and nurturing love is fully comprehended. If all we had to do was just snap our fingers and ‘poof’ it was done; our adoration wouldn’t be as intense and real. That’s just too easy.

This is often how Christians expect their salvation experience to be. Thinking, “Now I live on Easy Street. God will take care of everything.” Many unwilling to put in the necessary work to realize maturity in sanctification. Continue reading →

Pleasures of Sin

Let’s face it! If there were not some sort of pleasure or immediate gratification in sin; nobody would do it. The reality of sin is that it starts off giving us what we want, while decomposing our health and happiness in the end.

There is no long-term joy or sustainable pleasures in sin. Sin demands that you keep coming back for more. Ultimately the pleasure found in the beginning passes forever, with no way to get it back. That first high, first drink, first sexual encounter, or the rush of doing something you know to be wrong and got away with. Continue reading →

Define Friend

In this age of social media the term ‘Friend’ has been severely watered down. The goal is no longer quality but quantity. Nowadays people run around bragging about how many Friends, Likes, or Followers they have. The underlying goal at these social sites is raw numbers for self-gratification not human connection.

Can a person really have tens of thousands of Friends, that are worthwhile? Can a person give the proper attention, respect, and love to that many?

It is impossible to honestly maintain so many quality relationships. This is not friendship. This is networking and self-indulgence. This is just simply acting friendly for personal gain.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (James 3:16)

When I was growing up my parents taught me, “If you can count all your true friends on one hand, you can count yourself as lucky.”

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) Continue reading →

The Dead Tree Scrolls

Springtime in Colorado can be hard on trees. The sap rises as trees begin to leaf-out. The danger comes from the wet, heavy, springtime snow storms that add hundreds of pounds of weight to these moisture laden branches. Inevitably something has got to give; more often than not, it is the tree that yields to the weight of the snow.

This can spell disaster or opportunity, depending on the individual circumstances for the tree and also where they fall. This spring has spelled both for me. Continue reading →

Pressurized Faith

There was an ancient Greek inventor and mathematician named Ctesibius (Greek: Κτησίβιος; 285–222 BC). Ctesibius is credited with writing the first dissertation on the science of compressed air and its uses in pumps. Ctesibius is not only credited with inventing both air and water pumps, he even invented an air operated cannon of war.

His realization of air as a tangible substance with elastic properties earned him the title of “father of pneumatics.” I’d say this was some pretty phenomenal thinking for a man whose profession was really a barber.

Ctesibius was able to think “outside of the box”. He took a common unseen substance called air and put it to work in our lives. This unseen substance breathed to sustain life, could now be used in a way people could wrap their minds around. Air could be seen and used in a tangible way.

Air Your Faith

Now…wrap your mind around this: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

I challenge you to air out your faith. Realize that your faith has substance like the air you breath. God has given to each of us a measure of faith. Take it out and use it. Continue reading →

A Widow’s Oil Well

In the Old Testament, Elisha was Elijah’s student. Elisha is the prophet who seceded Elijah. His succession began when Elijah was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle went and struck it on the waters of the Jordan River and said, “Where is the Lord the God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14). The water parted and Elisha crossed over to embark on his service as a prophet of God.

Elisha, son of Shaphat, was a prophet from Abel Meholah in Gilead. He lived in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and Jehoash.

Elijah called Elisha to be his apprentice in (1 Kings 19:19-21) during the reign of King Ahab 7th King of Israel. Elisha died in (2 Kings 13:20) in the reign of King Jehoash the 12th King of Israel 798 BC-782 BC. Elisha’s ministry lasted over 50 years.

Elisha is from the Hebrew name אֱלִישַׁע (‘Elisha’), a contracted form of אֱלִישׁוּעַ (‘Elishu’a) meaning “my God is salvation”. Continue reading →

Bad Things and Good People

It is often asked, “Why do bad things happen to good Christian people?” Many Believers struggle with circumstances seemingly beyond their own control. Looking hard into the mirror of their souls desperately trying to find an answer.

I am not talking about a situation such as Job’s tribulations. Job’s circumstances were a testing that proved Satan wrong. (Job 1:8,22)

I am, referring to those who are upright in character and obedient to the Lord. Those who honestly can not account for any unrepentant or grievous sin that warrants God’s discipline or invites an attack by Satan.

When sin is committed it is not only a sin against God but a sin against man. This means that sin has a ripple effect, touching more that just the sinner in the epicenter of the sin. Continue reading →

Some Jesus Things

John 21:25 Look it Up!