Posts with the category “the-front-room”

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and there will be plenty of talk about love and romance. Unfortunately, while the world might get caught up in the celebration, we recognize that the characteristics of love, as defined and exemplified in Scripture, are often not expressed in modern-day relationships, in a "me-centered" culture.  So, we should take a few moments to reflect on the One who first loved us...  Read More

We can be thankful that God provides direction for our lives and the strength to carry out what He has called - you might have an expiration date, a term, in which to complete a mission.  Or, it could be a call with an indefinite end.  And, it may be clear that the time has come to stop.  We can depend on the Lord to empower us until that time comes.  The Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 5:23 Now m...  Read More

Through our daily desire to be obedient to Jesus Christ, we can make decisions that reflect His will and advance the Kingdom of God or take action that do not contribute to our personal growth or contribute to God's overall plan.  We have to come before the Lord in prayer daily and allow Him to guide our steps.  That goes for the seemingly small choices day by day, which cumulatively contribute to...  Read More

Sometimes there are causes for which we speak out boldly, sometimes we create causes that we have no business talking about.  We have to determine, as it's been said, "the hill to die on."   We have to allow the Lord to show us what is important and how best to leverage our spiritual energy in order to make an impact in this world.  And, we have to avoid distractions.  Before the 31st chapter of P...  Read More

The Lord has directed us to go into all the world, to speak truth, make disciples, and baptized.  That may be across the street or around the world, as it's been said.  And, God will give specific direction as to how we are to personally carry that out - and He's given us the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to obey.  As we have heard the Word, we're called to be doers.   1st Peter chapter 3 ...  Read More

We can be convinced that God loves us and always has our best in mind - and the best thing that any human being can do is to give his or her life to Jesus Christ.  The Bible teaches us that, in accordance with His purpose, and motivated by His love, God is working everything for our good, which is His good, His perfect plan for us.  Here's a passage of Scripture from Romans 8 (ESV), that contains ...  Read More

God's Word WILL change us.  Plain and simple.  Within the pages of the Scripture, we can find the truth about who God is, His love for us, and what He wants to do in and through us. We learn about what Jesus has done for us.  And, we find a power that is not our own, not of this world, that enables us to navigate this world and hold faithful to the Lord.  I'm thinking about 2nd Peter chapter 1 (ES...  Read More

We can recognize that Bible prophecy is pointing to a coming time in which the Church will be taken away, and the Antichrist will be revealed.  A time of great Tribulation will unfold upon the earth.  And, Israel, as I like to say, is a barometer of what will be taking place.  Israel has been at the center of turmoil since it was established, or really re-establish as a formal, official nation in ...  Read More

One of the hideous trends in our culture today is the denial of one's own identity, either willfully or ignorantly, which is an affront to accepting who God created a person to be. Under the guise of so-called "gender identity," people are asked to deny truth and to subtly embrace and even endorse this form of false compassion and virtue signal.  It's not compassionate to perpetuate a lie.  The Bi...  Read More

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve gave in to Satan's temptation, the world has been in a fallen state.  But, as Isaiah tells us, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Even though the world as we know it is under sin's power, Jesus came to redeem the human heart and in so doing, empowered Christian believers to take authority over the devil and walk in sp...  Read More

While I spend quite a bit of time on social media to keep listeners informed and challenge them to apply a Biblical worldview to a variety of current events, I also notice there are pitfalls.  Take, for instance, a phenomenon that I see regularly on Facebook: a post will appear from what appears to be a credible-looking source, with a link to an article "in the comments."  Alas, I find a link to s...  Read More

When we see God at work, we can be encouraged in our own faith.  Stories of transformation can be inspiring and help to motivate us to pray and seek Him as to how He would use us for His glory.  Surveys, like I feature on "Survey Thursday," help us to put our finger on the pulse of how God is moving.  In Isaiah 43 (ESV), we find a sweeping description of how God desires to bring people into a savi...  Read More

We can recognize that God's purposes will be expressed through persecution.  In our trials, we can see the mighty hand of God doing amazing things, if we are willing to surrender to Him.  Our faith grows not as we run from Him in times of trouble, but as we run toward Him to experience His grace and mercy.  The Bible says in 1st Peter 1 (ESV):12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when...  Read More

When we reflect on ways that we can serve God, there are multiple opportunities that He may afford us within the course of our lifetimes.  Certainly, we seek to live a life of obedience, and that involves our personal daily walk, the witness we have in our homes, our workplaces, and our churches.  And, there may be an occasion to serve our communities in other ways.  We can be sensitive to the lea...  Read More

The fact that you and I are breathing today exemplifies God's purpose for our lives - we are here on this earth in order that God may be glorified.  Each day is a gift, and we should seek to honor God with this gift every day until He calls us home.  That is the simple purpose to which each of us is called.   Ecclesiastes 12 (ESV) provides commentary on life's purpose:13 The end of the matter; all...  Read More

The death of a long-time comic strip author can challenge us to consider what it truly means to follow Jesus.  Days before his death, he wrote a short statement in which he announced that he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior.  Those words spell out a change of heart, but other words in the statement seemed to contradict that.  In dealing with salvation, we can be confident in the two principle...  Read More

At every opportunity, as God opens doors for us, we can express our faith in Jesus Christ. And, we can do so boldly and confidently, realizing that He empowers us and gives us the words to speak.  We can be motivated by His love to speak and act according to His will.  In Romans 1 (ESV), we can read:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who bel...  Read More

Jesus desires to be our companion; actually, much more than that, because He lives inside of us.  And, children can and should be taught that He loves them, He is someone who can be trusted, and He is a friend who is closer than a brother.  But in a technological age, through artificial intelligence, children are being conditioned to seek companionship through toys that can present a danger to the...  Read More

The death of a lady in Minneapolis recently who was apparently a key part of a protest against a federal law enforcement agency tasked with enforcing immigration law has brought strong emotions from various people - after all, a lady did lose her life.  Lawmakers who do not wish for the law to be enforced have decried the incident, denigrated the ICE officer who shot her, and set the lady up as a ...  Read More

Today the nation celebrates the birthday of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As a guest said to me years ago, it's important to note that he was a preacher of the gospel.  The concept of civil rights for all people is certainly a Biblically-driven ideal, and it's no wonder that it grew out of the Church.  But, today, the Church seems to be confused about words such as equality, diversity, in...  Read More

Believers in Christ acknowledge that our time on earth is not all there is - there is life beyond the grave, and we are alive in Christ now and will be alive with Him in eternity.  When we think deeply about eternity, one should ideally reckon how that will be spent. We have been saved from the power of sin and death through Jesus, and that is borne out with the promise of eternity with Him.  The ...  Read More

The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity to not only re-evaluate our lives, but to take constructive actions.  When we go before the Lord and seek His direction, His Word, brought to light by the leadership of His Spirit, can provide us with sound principles that we can apply.  Our desire should not be to make a so-called "New Year's Resolution" because it is trendy, the thing to do, bu...  Read More

I believe that the Bible is clear on the value of human life - and that includes the value of life in the womb.  That is why you find scores of Bible-believing Christians and churches who are adamantly in favor of the sanctity of human life and against taking human life in the womb through abortion.  In an age in which you have pro-abortion forces that have concocted multiple ways in which life ca...  Read More

The role of faith in the lives of people is something that should not be denigrated, but celebrated.  And, all too often, the entertainment industry is criticized for its refusal to present a positive portrayal of faith in our culture.  But not all faith perspectives are the same, and only one leads to eternal life with God.  Christianity, when considered as one of the world's religions, is more t...  Read More

Not only are we seeing celebrations in Venezuela about the removal of a brutal dictator from office, arrested and brought to the U.S. to stand trial for his involvement in drug trafficking, but we are seeing people in Iran who are pushing back against the authoritarian regime there.  There is a cry for freedom, and Iranians are recognizing that a system of government based on Islam does not recogn...  Read More

Here are the Top 10 Topics of 2025 impacting the Christian community.  These were presented on The Meeting House program on Faith Radio, incorporating comments from Meeting House guests throughout the year.10 - Artificial Intelligence continues to proliferate & presents a concern to the Church & cultureIt can be a positive in areas of research and even content generation, but if one depends on AI ...  Read More

We recognize the hand of God around our world today.  Even though many believers in Christ face oppression, persecution, and the attempt to silence the voice of the Church, they are being sustained by the freedom of the soul and their hope in Jesus.  We can find these words in Romans 15:(9b) As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name. ”10 And again it ...  Read More

There is an interesting shift that is occurring around our world.  While nations such as Iran and Venezuela are demonstrating a thirst for freedom, a big-city U.S. mayor is demonstrating his contempt for it.  Freedom can be elusive when our dependence is on government to meet our needs, but there is One who has come to satisfy the need of our hearts and bring us true freedom.  In Psalm 146 (ESV), ...  Read More

It's become quite a phenomenon as a group of roughly two dozen Buddhist monks have been walking the highways and byways of the Southern U.S. with the destination of Washington, DC.  It's called the Walk for Peace, but have they really tapped into the source of True Peace.  Jesus, our Savior, described as the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9, said Himself in John 14 (ESV):26 But the Helper, the Holy Spi...  Read More

As we continue to explore the Faith Radio Advent Guide during this 25-Day Christmas Adventure this week before Christmas, we are considering more "players" related to the Christmas story.  And, be assured, that story didn't begin nor end at the manger in Bethlehem.  Nor in the last verse of Luke 2 after Jesus stunned the teachers at the Temple.  Or the preservation of Jesus and His family when the...  Read More

Welcome in to Christmas week, as we move into our final 4 entries of the Faith Radio Advent Guide, "The Story For the Ages."  We're exploring the characters, the players, in the incredible Christmas story, a narrative so glorious that Hollywood can't even touch it.Over the weekend, Saturday's reading highlighted the teachers in the temple.  Luke 2 says,  regarding Jesus, "After three days they fou...  Read More

The animosity for Jesus in His earthly ministry started early, it seems.  King Herod, upon his contact with the Wise Men was apoplectic about someone who laid claim to the title of King of the Jews.  We find his response in Matthew chapter 2 in a passage containing our theme Scripture for today, Day 19 in our Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure, "The Story For the Ages."  The chapter says:3 When Hero...  Read More

In the Scriptures, we find that the Christmas narrative is full of people who stood alone - Jesus, the Son of God, became a solitary man, sent to the world in order to redeem fallen humanity.  Mary was chosen by God to bear the Christ Child.  Joseph followed God's direction and married Mary, even though he had inclinations to refuse to do so.  We've talked about some of these people during this Ad...  Read More

On this 17th day of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure in the annual Faith Radio Advent Guide, we are continuing to examine characters who are present within the Christmas narrative; this year's guide is entitled, "The Story For the Ages," and we have begun to examine some of the groups that we find in the story.Picture this: someone who has been through an encounter with an angel and experienced a p...  Read More

We are now on Day 16 of our 25-day Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure, and we are emphasizing the characters in the Christmas narrative, the players in a grand and glorious play that we call, "The Story For the Ages."  No doubt, the time surrounding the birth of Jesus was a time of enhanced spiritual activity. We see quite a collection of supernatural beings - angels - who proclaim the truth and dir...  Read More

We are continuing to work through the 25-Day Christmas Adventure in the Faith Radio Advent Guide, available online in our most recent Faith Radio Ministry Magazine.  We are examining how God fulfilled His plan to send Jesus into the world and to continue to preserve Him.  In Day 13, this past Saturday, the guide examined the threat of a brutal king, Herod, who, according to Matthew chapter 2, upon...  Read More

The Bible teaches us, I believe, and as our Faith Radio Advent Guide, "The Story For the Ages" highlights on today's entry, God can use authorities to accomplish His purposes. That is a principle seen throughout the Scriptures, as leaders, good and bad, are placed inside the plan of God.  Even leaders who can be viewed negatively: from Pharoah to Pilate, we can see His wise plan unfold.  One polit...  Read More

The Bible prophesied in the book of Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. So, Mary, carrying the Christ Child, had to get to Bethlehem.  The catalyst was Caesar's Census - people were directed to go to their hometowns to be counted.  So, she and Joseph, who was from the lineage of David, went to the City of David, Bethlehem.  It was no doubt a rather popular place, as people traveled ...  Read More

Welcome into Day 10 of our 25-Day Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure, exploring the characters of the Christmas narrative and what they have to teach us.  Today, we look at John the Baptist.  He was a man whose presence and purpose were prophesied in Luke chapter 1.  It was said in that chapter that he would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. He was faithful to proclaim the coming of Messiah to...  Read More

Welcome in to Day 9 of our Faith Radio Christmas Advent-ure, with this year's theme, "The Story For the Ages."  There are tremendous lessons we can learn from the story surrounding the birth of Christ, and we're focusing in on the various players, the characters in the Christmas narrative.Zechariah is a most interesting character - we're told in Luke 1 that he was a priest of God, married to Eliza...  Read More