A GREATER PASSION

Christmas season is a time that comes with many joys and blessings but it is also a time when many are most vulnerable to a most destructive temptation - pornography. In fact, it is during this time of year that websites and cable television report their highest rates of consumer viewing of the sexually explicit . Many factors come into play - the high stresses of work and schooling to the break and freedom of vacation. Whatever the many reasons, know that the danger is at hand. But there is also freedom available to enjoy life apart from porn's destructive nature. Freedom is always won when one chooses to battle and not surrender.  I'm not an expert, by no means, but a fellow fighter. Here are a few tips I have learned from God's Word and from some godly mentors Long my journey to keeping the purity and the freedom Christ has won for His followers:  1. Remember who God is . He is the greatest object of our desire. He is the greatest adventure. He is more glorious. H...

Two facts: 1.   California is in an unprecedented drought. (This story does a better job explaining the crisis than I can. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/09/02/california-megadrought/14446195/ ) 2.    God controls the weather. He has used droughts throughout history for various reasons. The most common use of drought, as we read in scripture, was for the Lord to bring about His judgment and awaken to Himself those afflicted. (Deuteronomy 11:16-17; Isaiah 19:5-7; Jeremiah 14:1-6; Hosea 2:8-23; Amos 4:6-8). In the future He will also use droughts as a vessel of His judgments (Matthew 24:7; Revelations 6:8). There are a few times has He used it to move His people for His greater purposes. (Genesis 12, 41; Ruth 1). And in one another instance, we just don’t know. (Acts 11:28). Interpretation of what God is doing? Here are the possibilities: 1.      It is just the rhythm of His creation. 2.      It's a n...

Ever wonder what to pray for those you love and care deeply about but don’t really know what the heck to ask? All you can get out of your prayer is, “God, please just … bless them and be with them.” If God did answer that prayer I wonder if we’d even notice. I figure if I am going to pray then I might as well pray something that God wants and will definitely answer. I have a hard time getting myself around to praying anyway. The Bible does show us what God wants for us and how to pray accordingly. Here is just one of many ways we can pray. It is from Paul as he prays for the church in Philippi. Don’t just recite it, but focus on the heart of God in this prayer. Philippians 1:9–11   And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of G...

Why Others Won't Accept Your Apology Too often in relationships something goes wrong and a person gets hurt. At times it is intentional and other times it happens out of not paying attention to what is important. We end up failing another person and then attempt to express our apologies to that person. We humble ourselves, give an apology and then somehow it gets rejected, "You are not even sorry! If you were really sorry then you would ..." Now you are really frustrated and the relationship is even more strained. Inside your head you are doing everything not fire back to them, "Did you not hear me?! Am I speaking another language?!" The walls go up and you want to give up. But don't give up yet! Here is a great tool of communication found in a book by Gary Chapman, The Five Languages of Apology . It turns out that perhaps you were speaking in a different language after all. Here are five ways people generally understand and communicate apology. The...

I know, it may be hard to imagine, but there is more to who our amazing Creator is than just being loving. Indeed His love exceeds more than we can imagine but He is even more than that. In fact, He has many other attributes that He reveals to us in not only nature but more importantly in His Word. Our problem is that we often project our image of who God is by using a few verses and making that into a glorification of our own personal ideals, or even ourselves. Can’t we just let Him be who He is as He has revealed Himself in the scriptures? (“I am who I am” Exodus 3:14). Yes, He is loving. But our definition of love does not define Him. He defines what His love actually is and He alone defines Himself. Love is contained in all His attributes and defines those attributes. Each characteristic defines the other. As we learn to appreciate one aspect of God we appreciate the other characteristics all the more. If we worship Him only for His love, (especially in our understanding of w...

You have most likely heard, and even seen, of the video with NFL star Ray Rice punching his fiancée, now wife, and knocking her unconscious. His actions have prompted a major yellow flag - both the loss of his NFL contract and an indefinite suspension from the league. The reaction from the public has been just as harsh and has turned into a social media gang-tackle. It is mind-blowing that in just just one second of rage a whole career, worth tens of millions of dollars was fumbled and lost. This horrendous event was caught on a security camera and now broadcast to all of America. Ray Rice has gone from football hero to number one public enemy in a matter of hours. This now public account of a private incident stands as a stark reminder to all of us that domestic abuse is a significant problem in our society.   The Frightening Numbers: 24 – the number of people per minute who experience intimate partner violence in the U.S. 1 in 4 - women in the U.S. report intimate partn...

“Who are you to judge me? Let God judge me.” This is generally taken from Matt. 7:1. But read the rest of the verse - Matt. 7:2-5. Also read 1 Cor. 5:12-13; James 2:12-13; John 7:24; Matt. 18:15-17; James 5:20; Gal. 6:1. Continually throughout the NT, God commands His people to correct, rebuke, exhort and encourage. Note as well that the one who claims that they are being judged is also judging the person doing the confronting. Kinda kills the whole argument. The judging Jesus hated was both hypocritical and based upon perceived character and intent rather than an action witnessed. Only God knows the intent and the character. We however are supposed to judge one another based upon the fruit and the action of the believer. Imagine a world where no one pointed out the wrongs of life. If we truly love someone then how can we not warn them? God uses others within the Body to warn us of His judgment. It is to be done in humility and out of love - for the person and for God's holiness...