Remember, Repent, Reform

O God, thou knowest my foolishness;and my sins are not hid from thee. ~ Psalms 69:5 This is one of my favorite passages in Scripture--not because it expresses a happy thought, but because it's so true, and something I need to repeat every day in prayer. Of course, it's necessary and right for a believer to daily remember the countless blessings he or she receives at God's hand, and to give thanks and praise for them. We are so grateful to have His guidance and comfort in our lives!  But sometimes this sense of well-being can lead to complacency,...

SHINE FROM THE TOP

Question: Should  Christians take leadership position by choice or only when called by God? Answer: Yes they should at every opportunity . Question: Why? Answer:        Because we (Christians) cannot afford to be non challant or care less about leadership. If we do, the consequences are dire. Question: Explain Answer:        The bible says a mango tree cannot produce orange as a fruit, neither can an orange tree produce  mango as fruit. If we allow people who...

War in the 21 century

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 Going to War 1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight...

Reflections on Loss

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (NET) - Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written that will happen, "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where,  O death, is your victory? Where. O death, is your sting?" Many people I held dear have passed away this year. Some were members of my family. Some were members of my church family. None of us likes saying goodbye to those we hold dear. Yet I find one truth inescapable. Each of these remarkable people had an impact on many lives including my own. I gratefully acknowledge...

As for ME

"If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God." (MSG)      Whether you realize it or not, your family worships at the alter of a god. For most families in America it's the god of money. For some it's the god of time and schedules.  The fact is there...

Mothers Every Day

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day in the United States. Millions of dollars will be spent on greeting cards, flowers, and other gifts for mothers. And yet, mothers and motherhood are still undervalued in contemporary culture and among too many people--even many who consider themselves Christians. Elderly mothers, typically widowed, are often left alone and virtually forgotten, even by children who live nearby. In other cases, enmity over some past slight or disagreement festers between a grown child and his or her mother, and they stop speaking...

BE YOURSELF

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then...

Paying to live

 Deuteronomy 13:6-10 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all...

Who is to BLAME ?!

    Hey, I Started this post with a story all too familiar ... "And the Lord God called to Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? And he said: I heard your voice sound in the garden, and feared, because he was naked, and hid myself. And God said: Quem te showed that you were naked? Eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat from? Then told Adam: the woman who gave me by companion, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. And the Lord God said to the woman: why hast thou done this? And said the woman: the serpent deceived me,...

Fairness, or Faith?

Deuteronomy 34:4 (NET) - Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it, but you will not cross over there." One of the things that acts as a roadblock to those who do not believe in God ironically is something even believers struggle with. Fairness. I once tried to share my faith with a man who admitted that he was an atheist. "How can there be a God that would allow children to suffer and die?", he asked. There is no easy answer to such a question. Even Christians struggle with...