All things work together for good

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28 KJV

 The context is overcoming sin with a application to overcoming the trials and hardships that life throws at us.  The main thought that we need to take away from this is that we know God IS working together for us who love Him.  We are all called with a purpose God has for us, so it applies to every one of us.

Know today that whateve

Thank You

Two simply words, "Thank you."  They are often used off-handed, with no real emotion or importance behind them; But when they come from the heart they're powerful.  Thankfulness and gratitude swell up from within us when we have been overwhelmed by something or someone who has done something for us.

Jesus took the punishment for my sin.  He carried my anxiety and worry and fear.  He exchanged my wickedness for His righteousness. He has given me a place with Him in heaven.  

Significance of Prophecy

Have you noticed all the news relating to Israel in the current news?  And if you're listening to ministers there are many preaching on End Times events.  Without trying to be exhaustive and exhaust you with reading too much, one main thing is the emergence of Iran or ancient Persia in the current news cycle. Several of the Old Testament prophets foretold how Iran would attack the nation of Israel and we're seeing prophecy fulfilled in our lives!  The leaders of Iran have

Promises

I preached a two part message on God's Promises recently (you can go to "sermons" and listen).  If you do a word search in the Bible there are over 100 times the word "promise" is used - that would be a long sermon!  So I broke it down to just four main promises God gave us.  I want to share them here so you can understand that for every need, for every trial, for every attack - God has a promise for you!  The text is in 1 Peter:

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceed

Walk in Wisdom

I usually write my own thoughts, but today I want to hare with you something from Dr. David Jeremiah.  It's just too good not to share, and it will be a blessing!

Walk in Wisdom  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16  The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs are recorded as the words (advice, teachings) of a father to his son on how to live a wise life. The Hebrew idea of wi

The Right End-Time attitude

Are you struggling with current events that reveal how our world is becoming more pagan, more godless, more violent, more evil?  Just trying to live and make ends meet is a challenge.  Trying to protect your children and family from the flood of moral filth is overwhelming!  It makes you want to voice the words of an old song, "Stop the world and let me off!"

Can we still hope?  Is there a way to cope?  Absolutely!  Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and

We are Abel

You can read the story of Cain and Abel in the first 10 verses of Genesis 4..  And there's a lot that can be gleaned from the story for our personal life (Go to Sermons and listen the the sermon "We are Abel.")  So to just list some things that the life of Abel shows us, think about these:

1. We need to have a heart after God like Abel.  We need an humble, nurturing, shepherding spirit like Abel.  We don't need to be like Cain who was self-willed, arrogant, angry and violen

The Future Hope

There is a powerful truth in Romans 8:17 which says "...since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."

Without laboring the point, there is a part of this truth that in this present life we will suffer. Actually just a few verses down we are given a list that reveals what this suffering can be:

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does

Defeating the Enemy

I've asked people in the past, "What is the opposite of up?"  Of course the answer is "down." Then I would ask, "What is the opposite of light?"  They would answer "dark."  Finally I would ask, "What is the opposite of God?" Most answer, "the devil."  BUT THAT'S WRONG! The devil isn't a "bad god," he is only a fallen angel who was created by God!  Yes, without Christ we are no match for him, but in Christ - he is no match for us.  That's encouraging.

It's too long to insert

Knowing your enemy.

IN CS Lewis' the Screwtape letters  the devil, Screwtape is writing to his nephew, Wormwood about how to handle the man (patient) and keep him from becoming a Christian: Here's a quote:

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

The devil either wants us to have an unhealthy interest in demons, or to not beli

Doing the works of Jesus

Is it really possible to do the things that Jesus did when He was on earth in bodily form? According to Jesus himself it is!

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  John 14:12T

Let's look quickly at the theology, what the Bible actually says about this besides what is written in John 12.  There are people who will say, "But Jesus was the Son of Go

Do we greally get it?

When was the last time you got really excited about something in the Bible? Something that happened in your life that God did?  Well there's a story in Luke 24 about two disciples who were so excited about what Jesus did in their life they ran 7 miles to go tell everyone!

Yes, this is the narrative about the road to Emmaus.  In the story, Jesus meets up with two of the disciples (not part of the original 12) as they are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They are talking abo

Jesus IS the Resurrection!

In the gospel of John, chapter 11 we read the story about Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. This is the same Martha and Mary that the fuss was over because Mary wasn’t helping Martha in the kitchen And the same Mary who anointed Jesus feet with the expensive ointment…

Here’s the setting of the story: Jesus and his disciples are in Salim, where John the Baptist first baptized people; which is about 20 miles north of Jerusalem up the Jordan river. Lazarus, Mary and Mar

As the Days were, so shall they be Again

There seems to be two camps today relating to the End Times.  People are either trying to hide away from what they fear is the coming Apocalypse, or anything resembling the End of the Age, or life as we know it is discounted as fantasy.  Either one cam become a trap to biblical faith!  Will there really come an End?  Is a coming Apocalypse a reality?  Maybe we should see if the Bible says anything about an even so earth shattering it affects the whole world.  One Apocalyps

Work from the inside out, not the outside in!

We are doing a deep study on Wednesday nights that I am not going to be able to replicate here, but I believe the Lord wants you to know there is a way to live in victory in this present life.   There is victory over sin and Satan's pressure revealed in God's Word. Galatians 5::16-18 says,  

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spir