While visiting at another church recently, I noticed the diversity in styles of worship.  The worship leader sang the same song it seemed like hours, and it sounded more like a woman in labor, than it did a worship song.  Truthfully, I was glad when it was over.  Then she proceeded to give a “word” that was merely a continuation of the above.  Worship continued.  Next to me was a man standing without any shoes on, saying nothing, with his arms outstretched.  Another lady read something she wrote, put to song.  Another lady’s lips were moving and she was shaking, but not a sound came out.
  Some like to dance when they worship.  Some REALLY like to pick ‘em up and put ‘em down, know what I mean?  Some even like to tear out of the back door and run through the woods, jumping over stuff,  shouting out praises to God at the top of their lungs. Continue Reading »

There is some really good advice given to us in James 1:2-5,
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  Is God trying to tell us we are lacking in these areas? 
I don’t know of anyone, including myself, that counts it all joy when trials come, so we have a ways to go in that area.  However, it doesn’t have to be that way, at least not as far as God is concerned.
Does He know something we don’t?  Is it really possible to “count it all joy” when you can’t find anything to be joyful about?  Yes, it is, and I’ll tell you how.  Well, at least I’ll tell you how I have to do it. 

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In today’s world so full of sorrow and suffering, there is a breath of fresh air that the Lord has sent to encourage people in their troubles, which is the Holy Bible.  Notice I said “Holy” Bible, for it is sent from God himself, Holy and pure, to express His love for His creation.  By reading it, we find the express image of God in both His character and purpose.  We see God, who is above all, wanting fellowship with mankind, revealing himself to us as the loving heavenly Father He is.  When Christ Jesus came into His earthly ministry, He described himself as the express image of His Father, doing and saying only what He saw His Father in heaven do. He went on to say in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.”  It doesn’t get any plainer than that, does it?
 Jesus went about doing good, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, casting out devils, for the Spirit of God was upon Him.  He gave sight to the blind, both physically and spiritually, feeding the hungry, teaching the simple, and setting the captives free.  And He moved freely among the people, and the multitudes sought to touch Him, and as many did, were made whole of whatever ailment they had.  He taught His disciples to do the same.  But somewhere along the line down through the ages, something changed.  Many of God’s “anointed” became “The Untouchables”.  Is this what Jesus taught? Continue Reading »

With hardened hearts we often look upon our lives and fail to see the times God has blessed us in the past.  Time and time again He has brought relief from a trial, only to hear us complain the next time we are in a tight spot.  How quick we are to forget the last time the Lord helped us in time of need.  Rather, just like Jesus’ disciples, we look at the need at hand and it’s like our memory of past victories has been completely wiped out.  It happened back in their day, and it happens yet today.  I believe “hardness of heart” is one of the weapons the devil uses against us. Continue Reading »

Taking a look around me, I see things are not really much different today than they were when I was a kid, or for that matter, when Moses was a kid.  The bottom line is, people are seeking after what they perceive they need or want.  Most everyone has a desire to be rich.  So let’s define “rich”.  Continue Reading »

There is a weapon the devil uses against everyone, and it’s pretty hard to escape its harm, but not impossible.  What might that weapon be?  Continue Reading »

Throughout the Body of Christ I see many gifts of God at work.  Some are filled with faith, some with compassion, some are apt to teach, encourage, and exhort.  Some are anointed to bring correction when it is needed.  All the gifts are important.  But there is one “gift” I see rampant in the Body that is not of God, and I call it “anointed to whine”. Continue Reading »

Has there ever been a day when you wanted to stay in bed and pull the covers up over your head and just….well…. hide?  There have been days I’ve woke up and the first thing I hear upon my eyes opening is, “You think yesterday was bad?  Wait till you see what I have for today.”  If that isn’t enough to make you want to stay in bed, I don’t know what is.  But…..today is a new day, and once I wake up, I realize that wasn’t the Lord speaking to me.  Well, if it wasn’t the Lord, then who was it?  Yep, it was the old liar himself, the devil, or at least, one of his servants. Continue Reading »

How many times have you heard “I never got around to it” when you asked if a certain thing got done?  For me, it’s been more times than I can remember.  And no wonder, because it seems time is speeding up these days, and it’s harder to get things done.  Add to that the problem that many just seem to lack the focus to carry things through to completion.  Most people are pretty good at starting a project, but have difficulty following through. You can verify this by driving down country roads some afternoon and counting the number of unfinished repairs on cars, houses, unfinished landscaping projects and the like.  Sadly, the majority of New Year resolutions are doomed to failure by January second.  Of course, there is the segment of people who just plain can’t even commit to start a project, let alone complete it. Continue Reading »

     If you have ever done any carpenter work or woodworking or machine work, you know the importance of the proper measuring tool.  If you’re a carpenter, you need a plumb line, level, square, and a tape measure.  A woodworker would use a square and a ruler, and maybe a protractor, and a machinist would use a micrometer and a machinist’s ruler and perhaps calipers.  Without a way to establish constant, precise measurement, your project is doomed to failure before you even start.  Continue Reading »