Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] – 1 Peter 3:11, Amplified Bible… Continue reading God isnt just going to give you heart peace. You’ve got to show Him that you want it.
Category: Discipleship
Don’t lead a pointless life.
For if I [merely] preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)! – 1 Corinthians 9:16, Amplified Bible (AMP) “When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the… Continue reading Don’t lead a pointless life.
Beware the trappings of a soup kitchen ministry.
Jesus answered them…you have been searching for Me…because you were fed…and were filled and satisfied. – John 6:26, Amplified Bible (AMP) Nobody knows better than Jesus how effective it can be to reach someone’s soul by first taking care of his/her physical needs. By healing the sick, casting out demons, and feeding the hungry, Chirst opened hearts… Continue reading Beware the trappings of a soup kitchen ministry.
Spiritual prosperity is everything it is cracked up to be.
May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. – 2 Peter 1:2, Amplified Bible, (AMP) One of the components of having “peace,”… Continue reading Spiritual prosperity is everything it is cracked up to be.
You can learn a lot from watching pro wrestling.
God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1, Amplified Bible (AMP) Ok, I’ll admit it. I loved watching pro wrestling as a child. I’m not sure what attracted me to it. Maybe it was the conflict inside of the ring. Maybe… Continue reading You can learn a lot from watching pro wrestling.
God would like you to have a face like a glowworm.
Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God…So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. – Genesis 5:22-23, Amplified Bible (AMP) I have never had a better human friend than my beloved wife. She’s the first person I talk with in the morning when I awake. She’s the last person I talk with before I… Continue reading God would like you to have a face like a glowworm.
Life is like three dozen apple cider donuts!
Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:16, Amplified Bible (AMP) Every October my family takes a trek to Skytop Apple Orchard in Zirconia, NC, just outside of Flat Rock, NC. We love the scenic drive, we love the fresh apples (Fuji’s are our… Continue reading Life is like three dozen apple cider donuts!
God will hold you accountable for not caring about the souls of others.
…but his blood will I require at your hand. – Ezekiel 3:18, Amplified Bible (AMP) Let’s be brutally honest: most of us don’t believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:16-20 really apply to us. Oh, we give lip service to the importance of the Great Commission, and we give a mental nod to the idea that… Continue reading God will hold you accountable for not caring about the souls of others.
Here’s the final step in the process of making good, Bible-based decisions.
And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds… – Colossians 3:15, Amplified Bible (AMP) You are faced with a decision, and you are at a complete loss as to which path to take.… Continue reading Here’s the final step in the process of making good, Bible-based decisions.
How thankful are you, really?
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! – Psalm 100:4, Amplified Bible (AMP) One recent Wednesday night, I had the privilege of teaching the lesson in our mid-week children’s church program. During the talk,… Continue reading How thankful are you, really?