Truth Inspires

Dear Teen, Don't Let This Be You In reference to the news release entitled, Massive Number of Teens in UK Having Multiple Abortions I have to wonder out loud whether we should be surprised. When I was stationed in Germany at Kitzingin, I worked at the base clinic. We were told up front that 94% of the girls between the ages of 14 and 24 years of age had some form of an STD. During this time the first Gulf War was in action and most of the troops were in the desert of Iraq. The families left behind made up most of the patients. But what I found to be astounding was the number of repeat visitors week after week who came in to get a shot of Penicillin. I would tell these young men that they needed to abstain from their sexually immoral lifestyle; it was going to get them into a lot of trouble. Their response in most cases was a cavalier lack of worry because all they needed to do was get another shot!! These men, soldiers, were buying wholesale into the lie and quick fix tha...

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” is one of the songs on the new cd “ Live Like That,” by Side Walk Prophets. The song underscores the power of the blood-bought church of the Lord in these last days. Literally there is nothing that can or will stop the Lord Jesus Christ accomplishing His work in His church. If we allow the onslaught of evil that is being hurled against the Lord, His Church and His Word to bring us down then we have taken our eyes off of Christ and His everlasting promises. It is He that has defeated all demonic forces of evil having triumphed over them and made a spectacle of them through the cross (see Col. 2:15). The onslaught within and without the Church only underscores what deception and real evil looks like under the surface.  Evil is simply evil—Sin simply destroys—deception is a killer. As I was perusing the news this weekend reading of the activism against and within the Church and other horrific stories of corruption on the world scene I could easily...

I could not tell you when the focus of Memorial Day shifted from remembering our fallen heroes and those who survived and supported them in some military capacity to just a three day weekend full of hedonism for some, family time for many and R & R for others. But it has. Statistics tell us that only 7% 1 of Americans will actually celebrate it for its true purpose, remembering our veterans, and up to 80% 2 are not familiar with its true meaning. Do I have a dog in the fight? Yes. I come from a long line of Military Veterans that have fought in every major war since before America’s history. Does that mean I am surprised or even angered because of the statistics? No to both questions; here is why. First of all those who do celebrate it have good reason to do so. They may have lost a veteran, know someone who has or just have a deep patriotism for America. Others just see it as another holiday and there is no real driving push to see it as any other way. Morality and Ethic ar...

Perhaps you have seen the story of "Daniel's Gloves". It has been floating around the internet since 2001 according to snopes.com. They also tell us the original author is Richard Ryan the assistant Pastor of a Church in Indiana.  I refer to this story—which you will find posted below mine—because of the effect that helping one in need can actually have on a believer’s life. One of the things I have done in the past is monitor just how many people there are who simply pass on by those who are holding a sign stating “Will work for food” or “Need Help for me and my children.” If you ask the hurting they will tell you there are literally hundreds and hundreds who just will not help. Truly it is a sad testimony that “one or a few bad apple(s) can spoil a whole bushel.” It is definitely something I also have observed. For some reason we either fear them, fear confrontation or fear being deceived. Whatever the reason, I often wonder how God feels about it. Just a fe...

We Love You Mom!!! I wonder if mom remembers all those nights we sat together laughing on the couch eating pickles and apples watching the Carol Burnette show, Laugh-in, Hee-Haw and Bob Hope? It gave me comfort. I wonder if she remembers the time I almost choked on a hotdog? She saved my life I wonder if she remembers tearing the back seat out of the car the time I locked my brother in the trunk with the car keys? She may have saved his life. I still feel pain in the backend. Or how about smothering my brother Billy’s head with a towel the time he dropped a lit match in a gallon of gasoline? What a scare! And how funny he looked with a bald head? Hey, mom you were quick—he has no scars! I wonder if she remembers rushing me to the Emergency Room for stitches the time I stacked bricks three times higher than I was tall, against an old out house—only to have them tumble down on me and my head? Ouch!!! I still have the scar from the incident and fear in my heart from...

I'm Sorry Just recently a friend of mine introduced me to a couple that he had known for several years. After the introductions were over they were eager to share with me their reasons for not being faithful church-goers. There were many, but the main one being a lack of concern by the church for their welfare. That could mean several things but I did not have to speculate for they were quick to say that no one visited them which spurred their decision to not attend corporate worship. Again, circumstance at the time may have played a part in that churches decision to not communicate, so I will not speculate too much. But I will say there seems to be far too many excuses that people engineer to cover up their lack of personal responsibility and fervor in coming before the Lord to worship. In this case they could have pestered the church for financial gifts over-and-over till the church was overwhelmed. There could have been a word said that they took the wrong way, or even th...