March 2012 Blog Posts (62)

For those who receive my daily “Through the Bible” links, a few weeks ago we finished the book of Deuteronomy, and I provided a study on the 32^nd chapter, but hopefully you noticed that in the first few chapters, Moses was giving a little sermon covering the broad and underlying God-principles of the Law rather than specific ordinances.

He reviewed Israel‘s history, Their election by the Lord, their experiences out in the Wilderness, and now the Lord was offering…

All of us want to please the Lord. I know that, but that’s the thing. How do we know what he actually wants from us; what is it that he wants most of all from those who are devoted to him? What would bless and please him? Should we build him more churches? How about more Bible schools? More homes, Hospitals and institutions for hurting people?

Now, all of these are all worthwhile and needed, but if, as the Scriptures tells us, he does not dwell in buildings made by hands, what does he…

Last fall, I planted Hollyhocks and I see that they are peeking through the soil! I love old-fashioned flowers and Hollyhocks are one of my favorites. Having graced outbuildings on farmsteads for over a century, these dazzling beauties have also been a favorite in English cottage gardens for hundreds of years. Years ago Hollyhocks were planted next to the outhouse so that refined ladies could just look for them without having to ask, “Where is your privy?” While there isn’t a lot of…

Jesus' first recorded miracle took place while He was attending a wedding celebration. I'm sure we have all heard the story. In fact, I think I've heard that story as much as any other one . . . remember it? When they ran out of wine to serve their guests, Mary asked her Son, Jesus, to do something about the situation, telling the servants, "Whatever He tells you to do, do it." Jesus ordered them to fill up several huge water pots. When they did, He told them to draw out the water which by…

Here's a bit of history for you. After about a year camped at the base of Mt. Sinai, Moses lead the people to the oasis of Kadesh-Barnea [Numbers 10, 11]. Kadesh was on the southern border of the land of Canaan, the land they had been sent to claim. It was a rough area and difficult living. They had traveled over some very rough, rocky, dry, scorching, terrain--and the people grumbled the whole way. Now a little more than 15 months into their journey to the Land God had promised them,…

We will now consider the third and final purpose that a foundation serves in relation to the building that is erected upon it. We will see how that ultimately relates to Christ as the Foundation of the church.

A foundation not only establishes and unites the building that stands upon it, it also significantly…

BROKENNESS BRINGS BLESSINGS



Did you know there is only one place in the word where it says God ran?  Luke 15:20



We all know the story of the prodigal son.

The son was feeling so undeserving and pleaded for forgiveness with His Father...But our daddy was not listening!!!....He told the servants...."Quick fetch my son some clean clothes, dress him...put a ring and sandals on his feet... Get a grain-fed heifer....my son who was lost, is now…

When Abraham accepted Yehoveh as his god, leaving everything from the past behind, Yehoveh also presented Abraham with a covenant, a promise written in concrete. By accepting the covenant, Abraham became locked into the blessings of that covenant. When we accept Yeshua as our God and Savior, we leave the past behind and begin to live in the New Covenant. By accepting the New Covenant we are locked into its many blessings.

Yet, after Abraham accepted the covenant, the primary provision…

We are looking at Numbers, and saw how the Lord gave Moses some tough instructions about how they were to conquer Canaan: they were to drive out, or kill, all the inhabitants from every corner in the land. The only Canaanites allowed to remain are those who renounced whatever tribal affiliation they had, and joined Israel. This meant that they also had to completely disavow their gods and rituals and obey the Torah. Naturally, there weren‘t a whole lot of them who chose to do this—especially…

    As I continued my journey, I began discovering a wealth of books, articles, websites dealing with the "Traditions of Men" that the body of believers have come to accept as true facts. However, there is a blindness throughout Christianity that most believers are infected with. They cannot see how a multitude of pagan influences are intricately interwovan within the body of church practices. I concluded that some believers are just plain ignorant of the historical underpinnings of…

In Numbers, the land the Lord set apart for Israel; the land that Israel would soon conquer and possess at Joshua‘s leadership is the West Bank. Does that name sound familiar? That‘s right, the land that our current administration demands Israel give up to their enemies, the West Bank, is the very land that the Lord said was reserved for Israel and Israel alone. The Israelites have paid a terrible price for 3300 years for refusing to follow the Lord‘s explicit instructions regarding that…

Numbers chapter 33 ends with a dire warning from God to Israel (that was never taken seriously by the way) that if they didn‘t follow His instructions, exactly, on how they were to take Canaan, bad things would follow. Let’s read the last two verses of chapter 33:

“But if you don't drive out the native population, everyone you let stay there will become a cinder in your eye and a splinter in your foot. They'll give you endless trouble right in your own backyards. And…

If you are looking for a homebased business like other moms who desire to stay home with the kiddos,

check Scentsy out!   Becoming and independent Scentsy consultant is rewarding and FUN!

I was at our local homeschool co-op when and a new mom introduced me to it.

 I signed up over a year ago and am a Star consultant now.

Scentsy is the wickless candle system that both decorates and difusses aroma into the home.

There are many new products coming out as…

Anyone who has a conscience (a sense of right and wrong) and has thought about it knows the power it can wield over feelings, thoughts and behavior for good or ill. It is one's personal sense of morality or law and developed primarily by an individual's knowledge, experience and beliefs. It is also formed by God in that "the Law is written in their hearts" (Romans 2:15).  Scripturally, the conscience is meant to be the personal law that guides one beyond those issues about which the Bible is…

In last week’s article I shared that most of us have been taught that by sacrificing something for Lent we “create within ourselves the desire to do God’s will”. However, according to Romans 8:5, 7, we are not capable of such an accomplishment:

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does…

Help yourself! lol. I’m sorry, I better explain what I am talking about. I always hear people say, “Well, God helps those who help themselves . . .” Oh, phooey. He does not. But don’t worry, that is not what I am talking about. I want you to picture walking into an “All You Can Eat,” buffet. I am sure you have seen them before (or visited them). But when you walk into the buffet you see a whole bunch of food to feast on, and the host will say, “Go ahead and help yourself.” That’s…

     The internet was and continues to be one of my greatest resources for the discovery of the truth of how New Testament Believers met. It started out by my leaving the Institutional church and reading many, many articles explaining how a wealth of believers met in their homes during New Testament times. I began to make a multitude of comparisons between the book of Acts as well as other scriptures in the New Testament with my former church as well as the church today. I saw that every…

     My pilgrim journey started, well, I'm not really sure. It seems like such a long time. Has it been years, or is it more? The main impetus for change came while my wife and I were attending an Assembly of God church. My wife was standing next to our elderly friend while she was talking to the pastor. Our elderly friend said, " How do you address the needs of the seniors in your congregation?" He was pretty upfront with her and said, "We really don't do to much. I guess they kind of fall…

Hello Everyone,

I've started writing out my journey from the institutional church to the present. Hopefully, my sharing will be encouraging and we can share our journeys together.

I have covered the story of the “prodigal” son many times and I am sure you have heard all kinds of sermons about that story. Do you remember how the “prodigal’s” father responded when he returned home? According to Jesus, when the prodigal son returned home, he was enthusiastically welcomed back into his father’s house. He received a new robe, ate at his father’s table and had complete forgiveness. But I assure you, that did not make him an angel!

On the contrary, I…