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… Treasure …
For the better part of 4,000 years, treasures have been difficult to keep. Of the many discovered and lost items of worth is the Florentine Diamond. Boasting of 133 carats, the Florentine is reported to be the largest pink gem of its type in the world. Historian Gordon Brook-Shepherd wrote about its origins and its loss. It was the Hadsburg royal family which once held it in their possession. When the royals found themselves on the losing side of World War I, they entrusted its keeping to a lawyer named Bruno Steiner. The diamond was suppose to be kept in…
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“Before & After”
Consider the 8th largest country in the world: Bangladesh. Poverty and abuse are the norms inside its own red-light district. Generations have lived and died without ever knowing the most basic comforts afforded to the American life. An award-winning photographer by the name of GMB Akash was burdened by the lives of his own marginalized people, boasting over 163,000 in population. The needs of the people are so profound, most consider any assistance to be futile. Four million Bangladesh children have been forced into hard labor in factories and brick fields with almost no rebuttal by the international community. The…
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Burn the Ships
There is a mystery surrounding the acceptance and rejection of salvation. I cannot say why some would find Christ and then turn from Him. Perhaps the Lust of the flesh exceeded the purity of Word. Yet, for those who once obeyed the Gospel and then rejected it; renegotiating their walk with God, my prayer is that they might return before they are consumed by vain philosophies and the darkness of this age. In my years of ministry, I have found that most never make it back. It is hard to recover after having trampled on the Blood that once redeemed…
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“The Walk”
Consider the birth of a child; the anticipation and preparation which accompanies the moment. It is an exciting time. Tami and I did not have a gender reveal party, however, we were excited to share the news. Rooms were repainted; beds and closets refitted; and a host of other things shifted in our home during the time of expectancy. The New Birth experience is a pivot point in every person’s life. Jesus called it being Born Again. It is the plan of Salvation. There is an excitement in that moment and rightly so. Much like the birth of a newborn,…
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“Counterculture”
To rehearse, “Counterculture” is simply any idea that opposes the culture. This concept has been widely panned by those who demand conformity to the philosophies of mass consciousness. However, the “resistance” has multiple sides. John wrote against embracing a worldly point of view: 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The church is commanded not to conform to this world or the precepts of godless mandates. In every respect, the Apostolic Pentecostal Church is Counterculture! However, there…
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Unity
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” Consider the two major subjects in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul writes of…
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Endure
The Bible’s own description of our final salvation is often overlooked for more lofty things. While Jesus was not dismissing His message of the Born Again experience found in John 3, Jesus made this overarching statement: Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Endurance is perseverance. It is keeping your head when chaos surrounds you. It is battling through hardships and bewilderment, all of which are now common to our walk of faith. While I hesitate to offer such words, knowing that some would find them adverse, it should be known that…
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Inquire after the Lord
Just a single line of scripture details the end of Israel’s first king: 1 Chronicles 10:14 “And inquired not of the LORD:” While King Saul had every opportunity to find the Lord, his heart was divided and he did not seek after the Lord. Not only did he not pursue the missing Ark of the Covenant, but the bulk of his reign featured self-preservation and personal ambition. Maybe his position caused him to think that he was above submission to the prophet. Perhaps the scepter was too heavy in his hand: he held all the power . Whatever the cause,…
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Endtime revival
2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” Paul wrote prophetically concerning “the falling away” (apostasia, Gk). The translation is apostasy, meaning to stand away from or to be removed. Paul states that before the antichrist comes, believers will leave the truth. They will reject what they have been taught. This apostasia will be a marked difference in the lives of those who were once faithful. Joel wrote about a great Endtime revival.…
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Leading by Example
Within the famed speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resides a single statement that has long been forgotten. He said that we should be judged on the content of the heart not on the outward appearance. Dr. King was speaking of character versus skin color. However, it seems we have drifted far from this truth. Solomon commanded us to, Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. The Bible often speaks of the matter of the heart; integrity and purity. The prophet Samuel toiled as he considered who would be…