Category: Culture

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Much Ado About Love

trueloveFrom pulpits to social media, the world is saturated with talk of love. By contemporary measures it would seem that there is more love today than ever before, but what does the Bible really say, have we really been misreading it for two-thousand years?

The Apostle John discusses love in this way, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7 NLT)

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Is it Good or Bad to Fear God?

fearprovs17Should we fear God or is that simply an archaic notion of a by-gone era?

A well-known Prophet recently said that when he was just five year old, God said He had His hand on the young boy’s life. The Prophet went on to say that this instilled a fear in him that God was always watching. As a result, the Prophet said he abstained from many of the sins that his siblings got caught up in.

Some would read this as a good thing since the boy was spared the harmful affects of sin. Others however, consider this spiritual oppression and abuse. In their minds, a loving God would never make someone fear Him.

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Why Revival Won’t Bring Unity

waterfallCan a new Great Awakening style revival bring unity to the Church? Many are praying, crying out and prophesying it today, but I’m sorry to say it just won’t happen.

As much as we need a renewed spiritual life in the church, and as much as I believe that God is going to pour out His spirit on all flesh in the days we are living, it simply will not bring unity.

Although the word revival is a fairly new invention in the historical perspective of the church, the pattern of falling away and returning to God has occurred repeatedly throughout recorded humanity. Each “revival” brought as much division as it did restoration.

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Are Christians Free from Conviction?

conviction9115Some of today’s most popular preachers have declared that conviction does not operate in the lives of believers. Is this true? Does salvation free us from the convicting power of the Holy Spirit?

Some modern day teachers appear to be a little confused about what the Bible has to say about conviction. One of the favorite scriptures of the no-conviction-for-believers crowd is Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (NKJV)

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How Firm is Your Foundation?

firmfoundationIf you have spent any time in Sunday School, Children’s Church or Vacation Bible School, you have probably heard the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. But it is more than just a story, it begs the question, which one are you?

The story is found in Matthew 7:24-27. In the story, the wise man built his house upon a solid rock foundation. When the storms came, the house stood strong. The foolish man however, built his house upon the shifting sands. When the storms came, the house fell with a great crash.

Notice that both of the men built houses. Both of the men presumably lived in their house. The houses probably looked pretty much the same. It is even possible that foolish man’s house looked even better. After all, he probably did not spend as much money on his foundation, or land, so he had more money to put into the cosmetics. When the storms came however – and they always do – the foolish man lost everything.

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Unity of Faith

unityoffaithGod called me into the ministry when I was twelve. He used a passage of Scripture from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. In the Old Testament, He used the Prophet Ezekiel to illustrate the seriousness and weightiness of the Call. From the New Testament, He used the prayer of Jesus (John 17) to reveal His heart for unity among believers.

From the time I was five, I have been blessed with the opportunity to sing and play music to Christians of many denominations. I have been honored to lead crazy Pentecostals and quiet Presbyterians, and most everyone in between. One of the many things God showed me through my experiences was that He has a lot of people earnestly desiring His presence even if they search for it in different ways.

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Witchcraft In the Church

witchcraftchurchIs it possible that some who have accepted Christ, still dabble in the occult and witchcraft? Is it possible that some are doing it without even being aware?

It never ceases to amaze me when people who consider themselves “good Christians” – and go to church every week – still get caught up in pagan practices that are absolutely offensive to God.

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What You “Like” Says More than You Know

facebookOkay, I admit it. Sometimes I post stuff on Facebook just to see how it will play out in “likes” and “shares.”

It is fascinating to me that I can post two bible verses – without commentary – seconds apart from each other and one will get dozens of “likes” while the other is largely ignored. I have even discovered a fairly proven – though not scientific – formula for predicting what will be “liked” and what will not. For example, here are two Bible verses from the same version of the Bible:

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The Search of True and Lasting Love

LoveFrom the Board Rooms of New York advertising agencies to school locker rooms, it is clear that we are all searching for true and lasting love. Billions of dollars, yen, sterling and other currencies trade hands every year in hopes that a product or service will somehow be the key to this elusive and priceless heart-cry.

In the process of this search, we have all been sold a bill of goods. The actors who portray perfect couples on television and movies, are often some of the worst at achieving lasting love. All too often, their home lives are a train wreck, plagued with unfaithfulness, abuse, divorce and brokenness. Their children often grow up confused and unloved – repeating the same mistakes in another generation.

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Five Responders to the Culture War

Cultural WarI have been astonished and saddened by the level of unadulterated vitriol and hate that is being spewed group against group in our country. As I have watched the decline of civil society over the past several decades, I have been increasingly concerned about a coming civil war.

No, I’m not referring to another North against South, nor do I believe it will necessarily end up as a conventional conflict. I am more concerned with clashes between races, religious groups and political ideologies. I am concerned that warfare might be gang and gorilla style, with riots, murders, rapes, theft and the like. More than physical bombs, I have been concerned about the destruction of personal economies, freedom of speech and the inviolability of our personal thoughts and moral convictions.

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