Truth Inspires

Eric Metaxas has written a very good piece titled, "We Might as Well Be Holy" that I am linking for all to read. In a nutshell he reveals the obvious: Christians will not win over the world or others to Christ by acquiescing to it; it does not work. So we (Christians) are left with one conclusion, "We might as well be Holy" like God has asked us to be, (see 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Of course the position one will take in response to the article will be determined by whether they care enough for the Word of God, whether they truly value their relationship to Jesus, and the amount of concern they place on lost souls. Not meeting any one of those prerequisites on the level that Christ desires makes the point of "Being Holy" a moot one. If that is the case one could be characterized as falling into the category of being rendered useless for God's work: "They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them." The Bible goes...

“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...

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time of giving, sharing, receiving, and love. All over America and in many places around the world people are doing just that. Children are ecstatic wondering what is they will receive in the brightly packaged gifts and colorful stockings, while Mom and Dad, or Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa, or a caretaker, or someone in authority (whew!)—joyfully watch as they tear the paper to shreds revealing the gift, or hopefully, the hope of their heart. In this is a valid scriptural truth and not to be sneered at that parents know how to give good gifts to their children. Jesus is well aware of this. In fact, he was quick to reference it in relation to the Father in Heaven being even more gracious than we! He stated, “ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (ESV) God our Father created us to have emotion. T...

November should always be an exciting month. In America, we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of the month. Wikipedia states the following: The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth by Jennie A. Brownscombe. (1914) Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has officially been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. ...The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for guiding them safely to the New World. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days, providing enough food for 13 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish (cod, eels, and bass) and shellfish (clams, lobster, and mussels), wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans, and turkey), venison, berries and fruit, vegetables (peas, pumpkin, beetroot and...

The hymn, Joy to the world, the Lord has come , is a seasonal favorite in churches and homes during the Christmas season. It was written by Isaac Watts' and published as a hymn in his famous hymnal, Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. 1 In my estimation it is meant to declare the “Joy" one is to experience when they consider the Biblical nativity (1st Advent) and eternal rule (2nd Advent), where the Lord twice steps out of eternity and into the bounds of time. What I would like for us to consider is the question, "Can real joy be found every day of our lives?" Certainly from the world’s point of view this is impossible when we consider how worldly joy is attained. The closest thing the world can emulate to the true joy declared as available in Scripture is "eventful joy;" that is to say, a joy that is based upon certain events that occur in life; a new job, a goal reached, a new child, a new car, a new promotion, a ...

Desiring to deepen your understanding of Scripture? "Those Who Are Wise Will Shine! Understanding the Work of God in Your Redemption" underscores that desire. First off, it is not a self-help book. It doesn't try to entice the believer by giving advice directly related to struggles with particular life situations. Instead, it exposes God's work as it directly relates to bringing redemption or salvation into the world. It is punctuated by the simple gospel message that it is Christ God the Father sent to relate to humanity on our level; His relational work — His becoming like us in order to truly represent us — underscores His love for us. It is His work on our behalf. Essential to maintaining proper godly and spiritual growth is the Christian's ability to grasp how God's work in our lives brings lasting peace. Colossians 3:15 states: " And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."...