Category: Full-Stature Life

It is time for the church to come into the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God that we might mature into the perfection and full stature of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 4). This is God’s plan for the end time church and He will do it, but He requires our cooperation. We will see great changes in the church as God disciplines and purifies it in preparation for the return of His Son.

The Blessing

The Blessing

Psalm 133 reveals the key for one of the most significant gifts the Lord could ever offer to humankind. I am speaking here of that which is totally substantial, enriching, and empowering beyond anything...

Sing a New Song 

The idea of singing is certainly not novel for Christians. Singing is just an integral function of all worship services. The Bible is replete with examples of and encouragements to offer praises to God...

Go and Make…

One of the last things Jesus did prior to his ascension was to issue a commission to the eleven apostles. Although spoken to the eleven, this commission, “Go and make disciples…” is seen today...

We Want a King 

There is an amazing story recorded in 1 Samuel. After all the miraculous things that the Lord did in delivering Israel from Egypt, they decided they would rather be ruled by a flesh and...

My Morning with the Lord 

I realize I need to preface my remarks this morning by providing the reader with some understanding of my present condition. Just over two years ago I underwent open heart, triple bypass surgery following...

Just Whose Kingdom Is It?

The phrase, “kingdom of God,” is scattered throughout Scripture and is repeated in Mark’s gospel 15 times. Unquestionably, God has a kingdom. However, there can be questions with respect to the extent, nature, and...

Did You Come to Finish?

In 1968, the Olympics were held in Mexico. The marathon was the climaxing event of the entire games. When the Ethiopian runner crossed the finish line first, another contestant, John Akwhari of Tanzania, was...

You Decide

 In a way, these thoughts are a follow up to a previous article entitled “Joy that Endures.” I think the Lord desires that all his children live with enduring joy. In the article on...

Joy that Endures 

I Love the book of Hebrews. It is not only filled with direct information and incentives that heip us live successful lives as followers of Christ, but it’s also filled indirectly with much informative...

I Want My Share…Now

Luke chapter 15 records the account of what we refer to as the story of the prodigal son. It is a fascinating tale when examined from various perspectives. However, in this article I want...

Elected for Life 

Are you aware that the US House of Representatives and the US Senate both have chaplains as elected officials of their respective bodies? The House chaplain is elected every two years while the Senate...

Count It All Joy

  Although I have written many articles for this Website, the present offering can be considered pristine in character. This is because it is the first that I have written as a direct consequence of...

One Thing…

“Good teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him…You know the commandments…All these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, He said...

What am I Worth?

To answer the question posed above, we are going to look into the types and shadows of the Old Testament. I always find this to be fascinating because it is a time of discovery,...

What Now?

“For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Rom 8:29 NKJV When you read or hear the...

What’s in a Name?

“Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.” Lk 2:21 NLT In the world of commerce and advertising,...

When is it Time to Speak Up?

“And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere…” Lately I have been noticing something rather interesting. Although my daily routine and activities have me generally in the company of confessing Christians,...

There is Always a Way 

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there”  (Ps 77:19 NLT). The Psalmist was probably confronting an intractable situation when he penned this particular...

The New Life

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them…This means that anyone...

Conquering the Will

“Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God…’” (Heb. 10:7 NLT) Maybe one of the most significant and risky things the Lord has ever done is to grant man...

Are You Listening?

Please read Mark 9:1-8. This account of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration is one of those transitional passages that punctuates the New Testament and helps us to spiritually navigate from the Old to...

Believing God

  In Mark 6 we have the account of Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth and going to the synagogue on the sabbath day to teach which was typical in his ministerial travels....

The Providence of God

   God’s Providence is something that exists in everyone’s life yet is seldom recognized or talked about. Maybe because we don’t really know what it is or incidents of his Providence are attributed to other...

A Path through the Sea

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there.”  (Psalm 77:19 NLT) This Psalm was written by someone facing what appeared to be unconquerable circumstances....

Who am I?

Identity is as fundamental as language or speech or communication itself. Everything has a name. Not only does everything have a name but also multiple descriptive handles which serve to set each item off...

Patience

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36) (A note from Patricia: My husband wrote...

On Becoming Real

“What is real?” asked the rabbit… “Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not...

Where Do You Set the Bar?

“Raising the bar” has become a universal meme for establishing the level of competence or achievement that we would aspire to regardless of the area of expertise being pursued. No matter what it is...

Lessons from the Wall

Jean Paul Sartre once wrote a short story encapsulating the incarcerated lives of three anarchists during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). He entitled his story, “The Wall.” In this story you are challenged to...

Flirting with Deception

The prevalence of deception in our world today is analogous to a fish swimming in toxic water. The fish has to process that water through its gills extracting the life sustaining oxygen while passing...

Define Normal, Part 1

There is an interesting psychological phenomenon which seems to activate whenever we are assailed with chaotic times and circumstances which persist for a protracted period. It is our habit to take solace and refuge...

Unrequited Truth

In a recent post I argued that our desire to acquire and know absolute truth must meet or even exceed Bartimeaus’ desire to receive his natural sight. In all actuality, unadulterated truth is the...

Celebrating the Providence of God

One of the strongest motivations in a person’s life—possibly right next to self-preservation—is the desire to order or control the events of one’s own life. Typically we tend to gravitate toward order and predictability...

Naaman, Numbers and Nobodies

The story of Naaman, the Syrian (2 Kings 5), when viewed through spiritual eyes, can represent the story of a modern day pastor. He has an outward physical problem depicted, in type, as leprosy,...

Ride, Boldly Ride

What does it mean to you when you hear someone say, “It’s the eleventh hour”? For most this is a calling of attention to the state of time for some given set of circumstances...

Living a Compelling Life

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 NLT Luke’s account of Jesus’ resurrection and...

Words of Life

Do you long to find a deep sense of inner peace and well-being that transcends anything this material world has to offer? If so, you are not alone in this desire. After many years...

The Imperativeness of the Church

There is a question—the asking of which—has been growing in frequency over the past few years and is deserving of serious consideration. Many sincere believers are in increasing measure pondering the relevancy and legitimacy...

The Mark of a Leader

Num 11:29 – But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!”  One of...

Come and Follow

What did Jesus Mean When He Said, “Come and Follow”?  If you think there is a simple answer to this question, I am going to surmise that you have not thoroughly vetted the biblical...

Holiness: A Place of Safety

God has a place of safety for his people for the difficult days that lie ahead. As the black clouds of evil darkness descend upon our land, we are not to fear…but we are...

God’s Supernatural and Camels

What on earth could camels have to do with God and his supernatural? Please stay with me in this article and you will see a beautiful message for the Church of the end times...

Angels and an Open Heaven

There are many uncertainties in our lives today–many things over which we have absolutely no control. Numerous Internet news sites are warning of the collapse of the dollar, WWIII,  the rise of the Antichrist,...

A Refuge from the Approaching Storms

I sprinted up the hill toward the old mineshaft at breakneck speed. Without warning the sky overhead had turned black and several funnel clouds were snaking down writhing in various unpredictable directions. I yelled...

Are You Desperate for God?

Some times people come to me saying how much they want God…they are so hungry for all of God they can get. They ask me how to come closer to God. We talk for...