What is Your Life? Part 2   Introduction A lot of people don’t realize that once you become a Christian, Satan works that much harder against because you’re no longer his and he wants you back. You become a target of the devil on a daily basis, and he won’t stop until he wins, or you die in the faith (Rev. 2:10). Of course, when you see a typical image of what is supposed to be the devil, you know that if you were to see someone, or something, like that, you would avoid them at all costs. But the devil doesn’t look anything like that; in fact, no one know what he looks like at all and that’s what makes it that much more challenging. The apostle Peter warns us, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Knowing your adversary is one of the best ways to defend against him.   The Devil has 3 Main Weapons The apostle Paul warns us of Satan’s devices, lest Satan should take...

  Things You will Never do in Heaven, Conclusion   Introduction There are times when we face the same temptation time and time again; always seeming to fail and we ask ourselves, “Why is God allowing me such a difficult temptation to get the better of me?” The apostle Paul contradicts this statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Notice what he says towards the end of the verse, “make the way of escape…” Sometimes we don’t see the escape or, rather, we don’t look for it. In Heaven, there won’t be any temptations to concern ourselves. Since it is considered the Christian’s sabbath, we will enjoy an eternity of rest.   Definition of Temptation The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary gives this definition— Solicitation of the passions; entic...

  (Originally written November  2002) (Edited April 2022)   Introduction Most parents of children, under five-years-old, know that no matter how you teach them about right and wrong, bad and good, and other things, that they always find a way to get themselves into trouble. Some things could be classified as basic human instinct; curiosity mostly. But there are traits a child shows that can stem back to the parent themselves. How do we know? Why grandparents of course! Too many times I’ve talk to my mother about the way my daughters act and she’d always comment that I use to act the exact same way. It’s like revenge for them to see their children struggle with being parents themselves. Sometimes it can be a good thing to know that your children are like you, for if you know the things you did, you might anticipate the things they do.    Children and Sin One thing your children can’t inherit from their parents is s...

    Introduction Years ago, a comedian once made the statement: “Beauty is only skin deep; but ugly goes clean to the bone.” Oftentimes, we allow certain people to make the decision as to what is beautiful and what is considered ugly. The problem though is that these people see only beauty in 10% of life. They say, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that, I believe, is very true. Everyone has their own opinion as to what is considered beautiful. In this article we’ll look at what truly considered ugly.   Unapproved Picture The other day I posted a picture of a friend on social media. It was a candid shot of her eating something and I put a humorous comment to go with it. Well, when she saw the photo, she freaked out and asked me to take it down as it made her look ugly. I took it down, as requested, and told her that I thought it made it look adorable. I also said that people are only ugly when they want to be. Being one who struggles with self-esteem ...

    Introduction          One of the more noted horror authors is Stephen King. Having written dozens of books and short stories, he is one of the tops in his business. One of the literary devices he has used in a couple of his stories is that of mysterious writings on a wall. Two phrases come to mind; “Red Rum” in his story The Shining (“murder” spelled backwards) and the more enigmatic phrase, “Give me what I want and I’ll go away”, from Storm of The Century. The scriptures tell of a similar occurrence that took place during Daniel’s time.           The Writing’s on The Wall      In Daniel 5:1-5, Belshazzar, descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, and last of the Kings of Babylon, was throwing a party when a bizarre event took place:     " Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the w...

  Things NOT found in the Bible, part 4   Introduction In Galatians 6:1 the Apostle Paul writes, Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Essentially, if you see a brother committing sin, you are to admonish him and him get out of it while making sure you don’t fall victim to the same sin. For example, going to a bar to bring home someone while not participating in drinking. This includes something as harmless as soda. Although you’re not engaging in the drinking of alcohol, you are associating yourself with the location and the people that show patronage there. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Love the Sinner and Hate the Sin.” While it isn’t found anywhere in the bible, the message has been shown throughout the scriptures.   Babylonian Captivity One of the best examples of this is when Judah was carried away to Babylon in captivit...

This week a couple of videos by Jerry Fite of Pasadena, Texas What Must I Know to be a Christian ? God Working His Plan in a Sinful World

Introduction In Matthew 15, the scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and challenged him concerning the traditions of the elders. Jesus replied to them in verses 7-9, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Last time we discussed how people give up the commandments of God to follow the traditions of Men in the discussion of celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday. Most can’t let go of this tradition as it has been seared in their minds for decades by family and, for centuries, by men. This week we look at how much more people prefer the commandments of men over God’s law. Just One Drink never hurt anyone The use of alcoholic beverages with a meal or during a celebration continues to be an issue with Christians. They see it as a liber...

Introduction              Some people do not like change. Even if it’s an improvement they simply don’t like it. Technology, for example, is constantly changing. One year you’re listening to LP records and the next year, it’s compact discs. The same with movies; from VHS to DVD; and now Blu-Ray. People try to resist these advances; settling into their “comfort zone” of entertainment, but even they soon realize that they have to change.   It’s just a Vice; we all have one In religion it’s almost the same as more people are staying in their “comfort zone”. There are those who call themselves Christians that attend worship, read their bible, pray, and basically lead a “Godly life”. However, when you explore their life you notice that this “Christianity” is only on the surface. Something is still there that shouldn’t be because they can’t leave the “comfo...

Introduction         Last week we asked the question, Is Prayer Pointless? And the answer is based on whether an individual believes in God or not. We also showed that action is just as necessary and that we (Christians) don’t believe that we are simply handing over our problems for God to fix for us.         This week we look at the purpose of prayer itself and look at some of the examples that are given in the scriptures. Why Do We Pray?         The main reason we pray is to talk to God. If God is, indeed, the creator of all things (Gen. 1:1) then we have a responsibility to talk to Him in regards to our life. Whether we are thanking Him for: the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, and the people we associate with; or when we voice our concerns for things that are going on in our life; whether good or bad.         We ...