Posts with the category “the-front-room”

Spiritually speaking, each and every one of us was under a death sentence without Jesus. Not physical death, mind you, but the deserved promise to spend eternity apart from God. A place of eternal punishment. But, Christ has changed our eternal destiny - that death sentence has been ended and we now have a sentence to life eternal, which begins the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. ...  Read More

The Disney ecosystem has produced its share of young stars, some of whom got started in wholesome entertainment, yet their lives degenerated into more “adult” roles as they grew up. We have just heard about someone who did some work for Disney while young, who now in her 30’s, died of what was apparently some sort of cardiac event. But the Bible warns against gaining the whole world and losing one...  Read More

Temptation is all around us, vying for our attention, being used on the enemy to lure us into activities that are not pleasing to God. The Bible traces the process of temptation, and it starts in the heart - we must make sure that we are guarded and that we are grounded in Scripture, so that we can resist the activities that will cause us to stray from God. ...  Read More

The Bible teaches that the primary responsibility for raising children is placed upon the parents. Parents can certainly look to the Church to assist in that mission, as well as other family members and institutions. But, it comes back to the home to impart godly principles to the next generation. That is supported by Deuteronomy chapter 6....  Read More

No matter what the conditions of the economy, God’s economic principles remain the same. We can recognize that, as believers, what we possess ultimately belongs to Him, and we are instructed to be good stewards of the resources that He has provided. His economy is predicated on our selfless act of tithing, but He desires for us to bring our financial decisions to Him. And, recognize that our heart...  Read More

When we consider what God would want to do in our lives, sometimes it will be outside of our comfort zone - “outside the box,” you may want to call it. But, even if we sense the direction of the Holy Spirit to do something bold, something that we might not get our minds around, we can know that if He has called us to do it, He will provide the power and the resources to get it done. ...  Read More

As we pray for those who have not come to know the Lord - yet, we can be confident that God is working in their hearts. When we plant the seeds of truth in a person’s heart through our faithful witness, we can anticipate that those seeds will be watered and grow, perhaps resulting in a person’s salvation. It’s the power of truth, the power of the Holy Spirit working in a person’s life. ...  Read More

We can recognize that there are barriers that keep people from receiving the gospel in their lives. Through conversation and perhaps other means, when these barriers are revealed, we can take the necessary steps - and live a compelling life - in order to remove barriers. In sales, we used to call it, “overcoming objections” - and we can pray and speak in order that those barriers can be addressed ...  Read More

We should be so grounded in our faith in Jesus Christ that His presence consumes every area of our lives. And, as people who have been redeemed by our Savior, we are dispatched to influence culture, so that others may come to know Him. So that generations to come might know the greatness of God. We can spread the aroma of Christ to those with whom we interact. ...  Read More

I don’t know when it may have begun - you probably just have to go ALL the way back. To the Garden. To the serpent, who said, “Did God really say?” After all, we could read just a few verses before that in the Bible where God laid out His plan for the sustenance of humanity - created male and female, intended to wed, bear children, and by so doing, to perpetuate the human race. Now, people seem to...  Read More

The Word of God is alive and powerful - it can penetrate the heart and reform the mind. When the Scriptures are proclaim, the potential for life change exists.  Through devotion to the principles of Scripture, we can see the Lord work powerfully in and through us. And, we can be grateful for those who teach the Word to us....  Read More

Do we really believe that our prayers can make a change? The Bible teaches that faith-filled prayers can certainly alter the course of a person’s live and could adjust circumstances. Prayer can also adjust our own attitude and give us peace when there are rough times in our lives. When we connect with the power of Almighty God in faith, there can be amazing results! ...  Read More

The Biblical worldview that is based in Scripture teaches us how to see the world through the eyes of God’s Word. In enables us to discern between right and wrong and provides a way for us to contrast truth with error. We can develop a sense of critical thinking and discernment as we devote ourselves to the study of Scripture and renew our minds. ...  Read More

We know that there are dark forces who are aligned against the Kingdom of God. The Scriptures teach us about the existence of these purveyors of evil and show us what we can do about them. We can develop a sense of spiritual discernment to recognize what the enemy of our souls is up to and release the resources of God in order to overcome him in our lives, in our churches, and in our communities, ...  Read More

We can be confident that God is moving in the earth today - we see the evidence all around us: people are publicly professing faith in Jesus Christ, the selfless work of the Church is continuing all around the world, and in communities all across the earth, Jesus is being lifted up regularly in the local church, either above ground or underground. Sure, there is persecution, yet the Church is cont...  Read More

Science and the Bible are consistent with one another - they are certainly not at odds, as some would have you believe. You might even say that science is a means through which the existence of God, the intricacies of Scripture, and the truth of the Bible can be proven. Science reinforces Biblical truth, it proves that God is true and trustworthy. ...  Read More

There are certainly consequences for following our conscience - that is the human mechanism given to us in order to know what is right and wrong, to be able to affirm what is good and reject what is evil. For the Christian, we are instructed to build up our conscience, so that we can know the direction of the Holy Spirit. ...  Read More

We can know that God has a purpose for our lives that He desires to fulfill - He calls us to a life of obedience, and to live each day with a sense of His presence with us and faithfulness to us. While we are not guaranteed tomorrow, we are empowered to be good stewards of the time - of the days - that He has given to us. ...  Read More

God has made our bodies to function in incredible ways - no wonder the Psalmist wrote that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each day, we can think, we can breathe, in all but the most extreme cases, we can move. And, we have the capacity to refresh ourselves through sleep. The Bible says in Psalm 127:2 (ESV): “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxi...  Read More

There is a divine plan, a divine order that God has ordained, that provides sound and beneficial governance for human relationships. When we individually and collectively violate God’s standards, then there are consequences that we encounter. God’s ways are predicated on a love that is unselfish and pure, putting the needs of others first. ...  Read More

As the pastor I recently referred to in Fort Worth challenged the church, others are filling a vacuum that has been left by an absence of the Church being salt and light in the world today. Not only are we called to present the gospel as one option among many, but to present Christ as the source of absolute truth and unlimited love. Karl Marx is dead, Muhammad is dead - Jesus is alive. He came to ...  Read More

Idolatry can come in many forms - from the very simple area of mis-prioritizing certain things in our lives so the the Lord is not in the first place in our lives to engaging in behaviors that put people in bondage; participating in activities that a person cannot quit, even if he or she wants to. When we surrender our will to the will of the ungodly, there are spiritual consequences. ...  Read More

The Bible instructs us to have no other gods before us. There is one true God, maker of heaven and earth, who rules and reigns throughout the universe. A God so majestic and mighty, but so loving that He chose to send His Son so that in Him we might have a personal relationship with Him. This is the God about whom it is written, “God is love.” ...  Read More

Jesus was a master communicator - not only did He speak truth, but He IS the Truth. THE Truth. And, He desired for His messages to penetrate the hearts and minds of those who would listen. He spoke of those “with ears to hear.” There are some who would perhaps listen, but never hear. Or who would hear, but never understand and receive. We should always be looking for ways to relate truth to a worl...  Read More

What can the body of Christ contribute to preserving American ideals? Quite a bit, really. Of course, we can pray for our leaders, according to 1st Timothy chapter 2. We can also make sure we are engaged in the process of selecting our leaders, and vote for candidates who best exemplify our deeply-held Christian principles. In addition to prayer and civic engagement, we should be in a constant sta...  Read More

One of the ways that believers in Christ can maintain perspective and even undergird our walk with Him is to enter into praise.  We can reflect on what God has done in our lives, and rejoice that He is Lord of all, going before us and with us, protecting and providing, loving us and showing His faithfulness.  When we consider the faithfulness of God, we can realize we have much for which to be tha...  Read More

There are cultural adjustments that are being made in the area of sexuality. Witness the tidal wave of opposition to these false promises of surgeries and treatments to change one’s gender. Check out the number of states and athletic organizations that do not believe biological males should compete in female sports; now, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, states can continue to enforce laws that ba...  Read More

There are so many voices that could drown out the voice of the Spirit…so we have to focus, to concentrate, to gain a sense of His presence with us. That includes prayer, study, perhaps journaling, and even listening to Him, communing with the Lord with an attitude of worship.  Perhaps that means adding a few more minutes to your waking hours....  Read More

We can incorrectly view our trials as interruptions or inconveniences. Or, we can take those opportunities to trust in God more fully, to surrender our lives more wholeheartedly.Through any number of difficulties, we can stand strong in the Lord and enjoy His victory and wisdom, knowing that He is with us and He is working to bring us more in conformity to His will....  Read More

It’s really very simple in the Christian life: we accept what God accepts and we reject what He rejects - our deeply-held beliefs should not be based on personal opinion, but on the Word of God. Now, there are areas to which the Scripture does not speak, and we can be grateful for the latitude. But, the Bible speaks to so many issues - either by direct pronouncement or by direct principles. ...  Read More

We have to remember that we have been placed here on this earth, in the city or community where we live, in order to be a light for the gospel to those with whom we interact. The primary method of reaching people for Christ is the proclamation of truth. That can be done in a variety of ways - as God leads. ...  Read More

Fame is fleeting, and while we would hope to leave a legacy behind that can impact people for our generation and the generations to come, we should always be cognizant that God is calling us to be faithful to Him and that our ultimate reward is in heaven eternally. Our citizenship in heaven should drive what we pursue and accomplish here on earth. ...  Read More

We can be challenged to recognize that God has placed us in this world and calls us to take our eyes off ourselves, to look to Him, and see others through His eyes. Who knows what sort of interaction we might have today that will produce fruit in the lives of another? God knows, and He is so faithful to arrange divine encounters for us. ...  Read More

The world is full of those who wish to use their authority to subvert others and force them to behave in a certain way, perhaps in violation of their deeply-held beliefs.  There are matters of conscience that governments should respect.  But King George III of Great Britain was just another king who exceeded the boundaries of power and rejected the Romans 13 model of government.  He, British “subj...  Read More

The 10 Commandments say “no other gods,” “no graven images,” but our position collectively is not to humble ourselves before God, but to worship idols, false gods, of our own making. If we are willing to reject those things that distract us and humble ourselves before Almighty God, He will do incredible things in our midst. He will demonstrate His power through the Church - and when He does that, ...  Read More

We are beginning the week that will climax with the celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday. This should ideally be a time for Americans to reflect on the rich history of our nation and the principles upon which we were founded, principles that are consistent with Biblical truth and a devotion to Almighty God. Our Founders produced a framework through which we could unify to efficiently govern ...  Read More

We have to be so careful to, as the Bible directs us, discern the spirits. We are called to be spiritually-minded, and that means to view the ideas and experiences we encounter from a spiritual perspective. There are certainly elements in the unseen space, as Ephesians teaches us, that are aligned with God and those that are not. By applying Biblical discernment, we must reject ideas that do not l...  Read More

We have seen nations and regimes come and go, but what has been described as the “American experiment,” a unique experiment in self-governance, has been sustained for this 2-1/2 century time frame. And, I believe that our collective trust in God and Biblical principles that have contributed to its founding have led to our nation enduring. The Bible says in Psalm 33:12 (ESV): “Blessed is the nation...  Read More

When it comes to addressing cultural issues from a Biblical perspective, there are a number of avenues at our disposal as followers of Christ. We can certainly be prayerful. And vocal. Using our voices to influence hearts and minds so that people might open their eyes to the truth of Scripture. We can even pray for and petition our leaders - and select leaders who support policies that would be be...  Read More

There is disturbing news out the U.K. regarding thousands of women and girls who have been the victims of unspeakable acts.  The ties to radical Islam are unmistakable. The means to the Islamist end is far different than the furtherance of the Christian gospel and the adherence to the Great Commission, predicated on the love of our Savior, who died for us.  While we are called to love all, we must...  Read More