The caravan is moving to a new site. This gives me a better opportunity to reach more readers and those who are interested in all things scriptural. The site, here at blogger, will still be operational as there is a lot of good content still on it. I won't be moving all of my articles over to the new site. Currently, I have moved my Conversions in Acts series over there. I've been at this site for 4 1/2 years and even though I don't have much in the way of followers, I've still maintained the motivation to keep writing these articles. I hope you will join me at the new site! The Caravan's New Home

  Who Am I? Part 4   Introduction I was born and raised in the denominations, “baptized” as an infant, and all that time I thought I was a Christian simply because I went to church and led a relatively good life. But when I sat down and actually studied with someone, I realized that I wasn’t a Christian; even though I was “baptized” as a baby. There was more to it than just a little sprinkling of water.   Obedience to God When I first moved out here to Arizona, I couldn’t believe the number of churches (denominations) that were in existence. I said to myself, “There is no way that all of these churches can be right.” Instead of looking for answers, I stopped going to church altogether. I didn’t understand that the bible had those answers. I assumed the bible was just another history book that covered information from Creation to the end of the first century more or less. In September, 2001 I obeyed the gospel and became a New Testament Christian. It wasn’t...

  Who Am I? Part 2   Introduction Most of us should be familiar with the children’s song, Jesus Loves Me. The last line of the chorus is, The Bible tells me so. And this is how we know that God, and Jesus, loves us. We simply can’t assume based on the premise that since God exists, and created us, therefore He loves us. To understand it fully, we must go to God’s word.   The Things God has done for Us He Gave us a Place to Live— In Gen. 1, the creation chapter, we know that God loves us because He gave us a place to live. Air to breathe, food to grow and eat, animals for food and clothing, and the intelligence to care for ourselves. He Gave us a Soul— And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed (Genesis 2:7-8). The soul is what separates us from animals. We think, we reason, ...

  Series Introduction   Introduction Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and asked the question, “Who am I?” You have a name, family, ethnic background, etc. But do you really know who you are? We’ll look at four aspects to answer this question, and I’ll be using myself as the example.   I Thought I knew As children, adults always ask the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For most of us, our answer changes year by year. I, personally, wanted to be a professional baseball player but I don’t really like sports. In College, I wanted to be a computer programmer but I wasn’t very good at math; not to mention that I flunked out in two classes that were part of my major. While in college, I took an aptitude test that I should be in the television industry. I took the courses and then got a job with a local TV station, but it didn’t pan out in the long run. When I became a Christian in September 2001, that was when I realized who I ...

    Introduction In a previous article, we showed how Christians can be viewed as troublemakers . In this one, we’ll see how some view the gospel as unpleasant to the ears. When I first became a Christian, naturally, I tried to share the gospel with others, especially my co-workers. I remember one incident in which a group of them were sitting at a break table and one of the older members was telling a story. She said, something to the effect, of a deceased relative was sitting at the foot of her bed and smiling. After she finished, I tried to tell her it that it wasn’t true, citing scripture. At that very moment, the entire table cleared as they weren’t interested in what I had to say. It was as if the words, coming out of my mouth, carried a foul odor; a stench, if you will.   Sweet Smell or Foul Odor In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth he writes, For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are...

  What is Your Life? Part 3 Introduction Several years ago, someone turned the word, “Bible” into an acronym and it stands for: Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. This couldn’t be a truer statement and I used it, once, for a sermon outline. Solomon wrote, Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). If we become a Christians at a young age, instead of waiting for retirement, we can utilize our life in preparation of eternity. At the conclusion of chapter 12 it states, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Keeping God’s commandments is what makes up the Christian. The more time we give ourselves, the more ready we will be for the Day of Judgment.   ...

  What is Your Life? Part 1   Introduction From the moment you are born to the day you die; your life is essentially yours to do as you please. You are, after all, a freewill agent. However, if you wish to please the Lord you will live your life according to His word. As Jesus states, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). Since God gave you your life, as a gift, it would make sense that you would want to please Him who created you in the first place. But not everyone sees it that way.   In the Garden We’re all familiar with the Garden of Eden story; creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, etc. But we sometimes just skim over the story as we’ve learned it since we were children and can give a decent summary of those stories. Sometimes we need to stop and focus for a bit on that which we already know and get a better appreciation for it. For example, T...

    Series Introduction Many of us recall the old reality TV series called, “This is Your Life” starring Ralph Edwards as the host. Each week, celebrities would be brought on and people from their past would appear and share an anecdote about that individual. Perhaps a third-grade teacher, a football coach, or a boss from their first job. It's heartfelt memories and shared experiences of friends and family. The bible asks a very poignant question in Jas. 4:14, what is your life? Here’s a brief answer to this question...   Four Aspects of Your Life It’s a gift from God. James writes, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17) We should be thankful every day as we wake up that God has given us another day to live.   It’s a target for the Devil. As Peter warns, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a...

    Introduction The 25 th of December falls on Sunday this year (2022) as it also did in 2011 and 2016. And, with that, thousands of churches will be closed this Sunday! Some might ask why is that a concern? “After all, they are plenty of services the day before, on Christmas Eve.” But is it really that important? Let’s see what the bible has to say.   The Birth of Christ Although the birth of our Lord and Savior is an important event to talk about; one that’s even prophesized about (Isa. 9:6; Micah 5:2), the scriptures do not give us a specific date as to when He was born. We should conclude then that His birth is not that significant to celebrate in a yearly fashion. Most of us have a birth certificate, hospital record, and/or relatives that can tell us exactly when we were born; even right down to the time of the delivery. With this in mind, we are able to celebrate our birth every year that that day rolls around. For Jesus, however, no mention of a dat...

  God’s Bucket List for You, part 10   Introduction In the final item on God’s bucket list for you, this is also the first that needs to be desired. It’s the hardest of all ten as it is a lifelong commitment. Oftentimes, when one hears what they must do to become a Christian, they hear baptism as the last step. But once you become baptized, it’s not the end, but only the beginning. Jesus said in Revelation 2:10, “…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”   Will You Live for Jesus? How often have you heard people, supposedly Christians, say that they would die for Jesus? If their life were threatened, if they were challenged to renounce God, etc. Over and over people boldly say that they would give up their life for Jesus. But how many of these same people would live for Jesus; day in and day out? It’s only when their freedom of religion is threatened that they suddenly “come alive” for God and Jesus. They’ll stand tall in the face of ...