Have you ever been arrested in your heart and mind (spiritually or emotionally) due to the hostility that the world holds toward the Word of God? If you share that the Word of God perpetually promotes patriarchal leadership in the nuclear family, encourages the exclusivity of matrimony between a man and a woman, supremely supports the sanctity of life, preserves and promotes sexual purity, boldly and unapologetically proclaims that there is only one God, and that Jesus is the only Way to God as well as the Truth and Life: Get ready for an apoplectic assault of accusations by those who belong to their father; the accuser of the brethren!
Read MoreJust recently my wife and I had an exquisite excursion in the Rocky Mountains. As South Floridians we are fixed in flatness and are situated in a sea level environment. We love the sunshine and the sea. However, the mountains created a change of scenery which sang to our souls and guided us to be still and take in the greatness of our God.
Read MoreUsually the opening statement in this passage of Scripture speaks from a soul that is arrested with appreciation or gripped with a generous gratitude. Do you remember telling God that you will never forget what He has done for you? Better yet do you tell him on a consistent basis “I will never forget what you have done for me”? By the way, the practice of blessing the Lord and refusing to forget His favor in our lives purges our prejudices against God. These prejudices are produced by a heart heavy with pride, complacency, selfishness, discontentment, pessimism and a fountain of fleshly issues that pollute our perspective of God.
Read MoreI am sure that a lot of us are familiar with the idiom: “No news is good news.” The meaning of the phrase is that if you don’t hear that something bad has happened, it is probably because nothing bad has happened. But did you ever wonder where this idiom came from or when it was first introduced into our vernacular?
Read MoreIt's been said that love believes the best of everyone and is super swift to do so. On the surface this statement seems safe, sure, and spiritual. However, what sounds safe, sure, and spiritual can oftentimes be strikingly seductive. This is because without any spiritual scrutiny or employing a scriptural litmus test you will be setting yourself up to be dropped in a ditch of deception.
Read MoreIn my spiritual journey, God has prompted me on numerous occasions to be more deliberate in my discernment when the Word of God mentions a directive more than once. Did you notice that the Apostle Paul made it a paramount issue when he told us to rejoice twice?
Read MoreAlthough we are children of God and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not exempt from trials, tests, and temptations. Listen to what the Scriptures say:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (KJV, emphasis added)
A few years ago, several men from my church and I went down to Hard Rock Stadium located in Miami Gardens Florida to watch a college football game between my alumni the Syracuse Orange and the 8th ranked Miami Hurricanes. After a brief shower the sun appeared and we were hammered by the humidity! The temperature was 85 degrees but it felt like 92 degrees! We had excellent seats but the sun gave us a beat-down. It was sweltering! I was sweating a mini-shower. A cold bottle of water was a great blessing to me as it was extremely refreshing and invigorating! As I reached out to receive the reward of my bottled refreshment it gave me power to pummel my thirst.
Read MoreThe past two weeks we have been considering spiritual heart failure, reviewing its definition and examination. This week we will turn our thoughts to the third element, which is contamination. The word contaminate is defined as “to taint, pollute, or defile, meaning to make impure or unclean.” Contaminate also implies intrusion of or contact with (for a substance such as water) dirt or foulness from an outside source.
Read MoreWhen I turned 50 years of age the word examination went to a new level of understanding, specifically as it relates to my personal health screening. My physician told me that it was time to have my prostate examined. No big deal, I thought until I had the processed explained to me. Let’s just say I wanted to pray for another way! And I had to choose to put on my big boy pants that day as well as drop all my concerns and personal comfort. At some point, most men will either be offered a prostate examination as part of general health screening or it will be advised by their doctor because of their age.
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