Teachings

• How to Love the unlovable.... May 15, 2013
    Have you ever had an enemy? People that hurt you, or even worse lie about you? Believe me, I know all to well how this works and forgiving them can be so hard, and you MUST forgive them. Before you can go to the cross and pray, you MUST love them, and that means loving the unlovable. Who are the “unlovable” in this world?  How do you qualify for this very specific group of people?  Is everyone in the group unlovable to everyone else in the world, or are some of the unlovable actually lovable to the rest of us? There is nobody beyond the reach of God.  He loves all of us.  In fact, even while we were covered in the mud of our own sin, God sent His Son to die on the cross for us.  We needed to be forgiven and Jesus paid the price with His blood.  So, I guess ALL of us are the unlovable and it is sin that gives us the “unlovable” title. Thank goodness the love of God can look past our imperfections.  Where would we be without His constant offer of forgiveness? It is important to examine …
• Life in a fog! May 8, 2013
  Life In A Fog Do you ever feel like your life is lived in a fog?  Has your vision for the future been impaired or somehow veiled?  Are you looking at a fuzzy world, as if there is still sleep in your eyes? The Word of God tells us that while we work out our salvation on earth, we will only see part of the whole picture God has designed for us.  This means we have only parts of the puzzle and they are barely visible through the fog. This includes what we know and understand of the heavenly realm.  Right now we have only a poor idea of what heaven will be like, not to mention our Creator.  We can’t comprehend the full riches and glory that will be revealed to us upon entering our eternal home. God holds many mysteries in His hand.  He reveals only portions of them to us and then requires us to walk with Him by faith. In fact, our futures are dictated by faith, yes …..BLIND faith.  In our eyes, our path may often appear to be fuzzy, but in the eyes of God it is always perfectly clear in w …
• Wait with Hope May 1, 2013
  Wait With Hope How would you explain “waiting on God” to a friend? Would you define it as an “expectant hope, eagerly watched for with hopes of a quick arrival?”  Maybe you would simply explain it as “something one does if something tarries.” There are many scriptures that not only mention the word “wait,” but also actually command us to wait.  “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”    Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) Psalm 27:14 is such an example.  However, within the command there is an added encouragement.  We are told to be strong and take heart as we wait. It takes spiritual strength to stop, wait, watch, and allow God to work.  We can become discouraged if hopes and prayers are not answered in our own timeframe.  Heavenly timelines are altogether different from earthly ones and our Lord’s timing is always perfect.  It may take a lifetime to see one of your prayer r …
• Cast all of your worries on him April 25, 2013
   “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”   (1 Peter 5:7) Life is a mixture of mountaintop and valley views.  We are always in route somewhere, be it up or down.  Yes, there are the occasional and temporary moments in which we are asked to stand still and not move, but these are still moments of forward progress.  Standing still is what some call, “Waiting on the Lord.” It is NOT inaction, as listening and praying is action. Listening for God’s direction in your life will help to move you along your Christian journey. Your forward movement to your eternal home includes the process of learning God’s will along our way. This requires moments of meditation and prayer. The Christian journey is a challenge no matter which direction, terrain, or height one must travel.  Adam and Eve destroyed all plans for a “easy life” while in a garden filled with all blessings and provisions. Thankfully, God’s grace prevailed when He decided to hold on to us by giving His Son as our Delive …
• Bitterness begins as a sprout! April 16, 2013
  Bitterness Begins As a Sprout When you go through a difficult time in life, it is easy to think God has abandoned you.  The shock of your circumstances, the pain and suffering you face, the confusion and whys that fill your mind, could lead you down a path of bitterness.  Hebrews 12:15 describes bitterness as an emotion that takes “root” in a person’s soul.  Bitter feelings and attitudes will start out small, and are hardly noticeable at first.  However, bitterness quickly grows into something very destructive and troublesome.  It has the ability to defile many.  Malice and spite are birthed from it, and could cause a spirit of ill will and a desire to do evil.  It will destroy your spiritual joy.  Bitterness is a sign of a worldly attitude.  Those who are bitter may seek revenge,  and unforgiveness usually has an iron grip on their hearts.  Attempts are made to be judge and jury, thus eliminating God’s right to correct His own children. Frustration and anger, confusion and hopelessnes …
• Easter was two weeks ago, but God gave me this... April 8, 2013
  Easter is a day of victory, love, hope, and promise. Christ suffered the incredible humiliation of the cross and endured great suffering for our sakes. Let me mention just a few of the horrors He willingly suffered for our sakes, in the name of unconditional love. Jesus endured the rejection and false testimonies of His chosen people. His disciples denied and abandoned Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, only to follow Him at a distance. (John alone stood at the foot of the cross with His mother, Mary.) The Jewish people convinced Pilate to release Barabbas, a convicted murder, because they wanted Jesus crucified. Soldiers spit at our Savior and made Him wear a crown of thorns. They whipped him and mocked him and made him carry a cross to his place of death. Nails through bone and flesh attached Him to a wooden cross. After suffering separation from His heavenly Father, because of the sins He carried to the cross, He gave up His spirit. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and …
• Lessons in Love April 1, 2013
  God is our Father. He holds our hand when we are struggling or afraid. He cheers us on like a baby taking his first steps. God loves us with an unconditional love and wants the very best for us. So what is the “very best” that God wants for His adopted children? Is it the same thing that God deemed best for His own Son?  Yes, at least to a certain measure. Jesus died an unfathomably painful death on the cross. There are some among us who will also suffer painful deaths like Jesus and His Apostles, just think of the Christians in China. However, most of us in America will not experience such a horrific experience. And yet, we will ALL suffer some time in our lives. If we endure in the name of Jesus, we will share in His glory. If we maintain a Christian perspective and attitude in the midst of our personal grief and suffering, we could even win some souls to Christ. By living our everyday life and living through personal storms with a Christian peace and hope, God will use our pain to t …
• Every heart MUST crack March 29, 2013
    When you have a broken heart, the crack will allow the healing power of God to enter, transform, advise, and heal it. You are never going to be crushed beyond repair. The Great Physician will bind up your wounds and bring you miraculous healing, in His time. Everyone in this world experiences trials, grief, and hardships. This is a reality of life and nobody is excluded. God sends struggles our way to get our attention, teach us lessons, develop perseverance, and build our relationship with Him. With free will, we have a choice to lean on Him during these times, or attempt to stand on our own. I guarantee that things will be a lot easier if you ask God to help you out. If you are feeling broken right now, remember that He promises to be close to you. He will save those of you who are crushed in spirit. He does not abandon you during your time of need. You are never alone, even when you are feeling isolated and lonesome. He is omnipresent and sees all. He is omniscient and knows all, …
• Good Friday is good because Jesus died for our sins March 25, 2013
  John 19:28-30 (NIV)   “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit.” It would seem a paradox to call the painful death and the loss of a friend or son a “Good Day.” But as believers, we understand it was a very GOOD Friday when Jesus died for us. Eternal damnation and eternal life were at stake. God sent His only Son to earth in order to deliver humanity from sin. Every one of our sins was nailed to the cross of Jesus. No more animal sacrifices are necessary for our forgiveness. Jesus was the one and only sacrifice required and as He said on the cross, “It is finished.” Sin will always separate us from having an intimate relationship with our Creator. But …
• Let Jesus fight your battles March 14, 2013
  THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU AND YOU NEED ONLY TO BE STILL EXODUS 14:14 1 Samuel 19:15 (NIV)  Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” When trials come your way you can either sit down and surrender, or fight.  I am a fighter and will not stay down for long.  I always ask myself, “So how are you going to get to Heaven if you are stuck in a mud puddle of anger and grief?” However, there are times when injustices against us, or the ones we love occur.  Since humans were wired with the built-in emotions God gave us, it is normal to get angry and want to lash back.  Here is when trust, faith, and the fruits of the Spirit (namely self-control) should step in and save us from sinful mistakes we will later regret.  Revenge may feel good for a moment, but it only satisfies for a short while and then leaves us questioning whether we did the right thing.  It robs us of peace. God will fight for us! He is the defender of the we …