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The Inn
Christmas seems a long way off, but don’t blink. It’s the famed story of the Inn keeper who had no room for Mary and Joseph that led them to a barn, aka, manger. “No room for the Christ-child” has become a seasonal message when in reality it should be the daily subject of a robust economy that features the rat-race. Each hour seems to be pinched. Days run into weeks until a year passes before we pause to consider developing a prayer life or family devotion. There’s just no room left for the Lord to enter our lives outside of…
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Valley of Decision
Of the constants in this life, there is a Crossroad that all of us will face. The determination of who we are and what we will become hinges on our decision to follow Jesus Christ. The rich young ruler came to it when Jesus told him to sell all that he had and take up his cross and follow Him. The ruler left sorrowful because he considered the cost. He had too much to give up. King Saul came to the same junction as he waited impatiently for the prophet to arrive. Saul lost his soul as he turned away…
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Message of Truth
The book of Jude is a single chapter letter hosting but 25 verses. In his opening remarks, Jude gives diligence to write about the faith. He called it “common salvation.” He said that we “should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3 Look closely at the words of Jude. He did not submit that we should contend for a new salvation or a revised faith. Jude promoted contending for the faith already established. Unlike so many trending churches, this apostle was not seeking for a modern twist or a modified thought. He was…
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Busy Philipps
I don’t know Busy Philipps. Her first name confused me for a moment, but it might be my age or my disassociation with the current celebrity A & B list. The commentary of her is consistent across the board. Philipps is a funny, relatable individual who accepts all people regardless of lifestyle. She presents herself in a humorous, sarcastic manner, congruent with other talk show hosts. She recently made an appeal for abortion that caught my attention. Her opening line was simple and disarming. She said, “You know me…,” as she urged people to join the Pro-Choice cause, “I’ve had…
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Poured Out
Jeremiah 48:11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. In ancient times wine was permitted to rest on its “dregs,” i.e., “sediment,” in order to acquire the highest degree of flavor. However, it could not sit long or it would lose the very thing it was trying to gain. Purity and value were gained as it was poured into new wineskins; and finally, from the…
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Everything else is secondary
How strange it must sound to the post-modern Christian reading the words of Jesus. I suppose that some might try to rearrange His word to fit our Western culture. For instance, when the people said, “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren,” Jesus answered Matthew 12:48-50 Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. When a disciple asked if he could…
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The Name
In 2001, NASA employees began meeting at lunch for devotion and prayer. While it cannot be verified how many governmental agencies hosted such things, it was a common thing for those working in the space program to read the Bible aloud. With all of the inconsequential news, we probably missed the fact that in 2016 the Johnson Space Center newsletter announced that the name of Jesus was not to be used on company grounds. Agency officials said, “Consistent with federal law, NASA attempts to balance employee’s rights to freely exercise religious beliefs with its obligation to ensure there is no…
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Earthquake
In March of 2011 two writers, Steven A. Austin and Mark L. Strauss, decried the teaching of an increase in earthquakes as being a sign of the end time. They used data from the NGDC and NOAA to denounce a rise in seismic activity. However, that was 2011. Since then, earthquakes have risen 300% in frequency and there is more than enough data to substantiate the change. Earthquake Tracker offers the most recent details as of July 16, 2019: 307 earthquakes in the past 24 hours; 3,868 in the past 7 days; 11,220 in past 30 days: and 69,869 in…
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Running of the Bulls
In case you missed it, Puerto de San Lorenzo’s fighting bulls were running through the cobblestone streets of Pamplona, Spain last week. Multiple bulls with an average weight of 1300+ pounds were racing around bends and curves while revelers ran ahead and beside. On the second day of the running, several people were injured. Medics were on site to care for those left bleeding and wounded. The years of running with the bulls have left many gored; some suffered head injuries, broken bones and other issues not soon repaired. Regardless of the warnings, thousands gather to feel the rush of…
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The Cost Of Heaven
In light of popular prosperity doctrines and preachers, I wonder how many are being led astray by their false narrative. While some post-modern pulpits promote gain and glory, could it be that God’s grace and goodness is even more profound in loss and suffering? I submit it to be so. The Lord’s great desire is to save us. His purpose is for all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He did not die so that we could have a better job or more vacation time. The Cross of Calvary was not intended to offer us…