WORD up!

I was just glancing through my notebook of Bible study notes and came across Ephesians 6. It makes me wonder… I wrote that I saw chapter 6 as a progression from child to parent to bondservant to warrior. I wonder if God folded the Tuesday night Bible study that I was leading so I could become less “parent” and more “bondservant.” The reality is this: in order to have a more fulfilling Christian life, we MUST grow and progress… Not only are we at war RIGHT NOW, but a much greater battle draws nearer everyday. I take that back. The greatest battle is NOW! We need to win souls !!! The battle that is coming has already been WON! Hallelujah!!! We do need to prepare for war. But everyday we allow to pass without growing in spiritual strength is another day that the enemy gains ground… We must stop making excuses – we’re weak, we’re shy, we don’t know the Bible… BAH! Do you know Jesus? If so, you have direct access to God, The Father, The King of the Universe. So quit making excuses and start...

Forgiveness… How difficult is it to do? Before you answer, consider this: The Bible doesn’t say we should only forgive certain offenses!!! WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO FORGIVE EVERYTHING! Think about that… Murder robbery torture rape betrayal incest cruelty lies infidelity treason assault battery Slander abuse neglect sabotage defamation I would have a hard time forgiving some of the above. Jesus doesn’t have a hard time with that. It breaks His heart, but He forgives it all. I recently read “Presumed Guilty” by James Scott Bell. It’s about a mega-church preacher accused of murdering a porn actress. As the story unfolds, you learn that he has had affairs with two women… Could I forgive? I don’t know...

Today’s world doesn’t lend itself to the behavior spoken of in Psalm 15:4. We do what is considered politically correct. We are silenced in the name of tolerance. Jesus wasn’t cruel when He spoke the truth to the people He encountered. He genuinely loved them. He didn’t belittle them based on their sin to make Himself feel better. He knew who He was. It’s time we realize who we are: We are princes and princesses. My Father is the King of the Universe! What does your Daddy do? If you’re reading this, I would venture to say He is the great I Am! Loathe, Despise and Hate Are we really supposed to hate anything as Christians? I was plagued by this question a few years ago. I struggled with some very serious “hate” issues. One of the women in my Bible study group suggested I do a word study on “hate”. I did the same with the word “despised.” I found 50 verses that contained the word. Here are a few of them. Look up these verses and note the context of each use of the word “despised.” Rememb...