Bearing Godly Fruit
Having just celebrated the Day of Pentecost, there are a number of things I have been thinking about with regard to what God’s Holy Spirit does through us.
One of the things Scripture tells us to do is bear fruit—in this case, spiritual fruit. John 15:1-8 is very instructive on this matter. Let’s take a closer look to see what we can “pluck” from these verses.
What is Your Superpower?
“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” – Wofgang Amadeus Mozart
Love is the most powerful gift from the Holy Spirit. It is above all other gifts (1 Cor 13:13). It is truly a superpower, and we all better possess it because if we don’t we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2). Those who do not love do not know God, because “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
SPIRITUAL JUNK EMAIL
I sat staring at the number…147. I had only been gone a couple of days, and in that time I had amassed 147 “pieces” of junk email. What a pain!
If you are like me, you have an email folder marked “Junk Email.” It seems that no matter how much I “unsubscribe” from advertising websites, the flow of junk email continues to bombard me. It is email I didn’t ask for and I don’t want, yet everyday it gets forced upon me. Part of the “privilege” of using the internet for what I need it for, and getting emails from those I wish to receive them from, is that I must allow for the distraction of being assaulted by advertisers who are constantly broadcasting their products, services, and scams.
Old School Summer Camp 2016
It all started in April at our women’s conference because of my daughter Jazmyn. I took her with me to the women’s conference, and she took one look at the facilities and quickly begged Wes to plan a summer camp for kids and teens. It didn’t take much persuasion, since Wes is such a big kid at heart, and Old School Summer Camp 2016 became a plan. It was “old school” as in no cell phones for the children. We wanted them to socialize and have fun.
The Real Superhero
Movies love superheroes. They draw in great crowds of all ages because who doesn’t like superheroes? Kids idealize them to the point of dressing up like them and pretending to be them. This is no surprise because superheroes are cool and powerful. They usually have powers that defy human physics, or they are so smart they can create a suit that makes them a superhero. They protect the innocent and defeat the evil. They are courageous. They also are in great shape. And last but not least, they save the day, always.
A to Z
This past week I volunteered at my children’s school to help organize the library. Organizing books is a type of meditation for me. I don’t think about anything except Dewey decimal and the alphabet. Plus, it makes me happy to see the finished product, organized bookshelves. I love books, especially organized books.
Well, it got me wondering if there was any spiritual lessons I could learn from organizing books. It may sound weird to some, but I try to see if there are spiritual applications/lessons to learn in my everyday life.
Popularity Isn’t For Me
I really don’t want to fit in with the masses. In fact, when did conforming become so popular? I would rather be a Christian, set apart, different, and sometimes downright unpopular. Honestly, isn’t that the way it should be? Did the patriarchs fit in with the masses? Not really. There were only eight people on the ark. Moses didn’t fit in with Egypt. Joseph didn’t fit in with his brothers. Christ was hated by His own people, and he even warned His followers that the world would hate them because they followed Him (Matt 10:22).
It’s the Little Things That Matter
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I know not everyone who reads my blogs are mothers. However, I wanted to share some things that made me realize that it is the little things that matter, and I believe this applies to everyone who desire to be more joyful and content.
First, let me say that I have a tendency to focus on the negative little things that drive me crazy. For some reason, it is by far easier for me to see those little negative blots in my life rather than see the twinkles of the positive little things that want to brighten my life
Old School Summer Camp 2016
CGI has decided to have summer camp this year! We are going to co-sponsor it with Christian Educational Ministries. Camp will be held at the Timberline Baptist Camp in Lindale, Texas. If you have children or grandchildren or friends who might want to go to our camp, please email Jeff Reed or Wes White. The email address is info@cgi.org. The maximum age for camp this year is 15 years old.
Beyond Spring Cleaning
It is that time of the year again where we have cleaned our houses and de-leavened them, and now spend seven days eating unleavened bread. I remember when I was a child my mom pointing out that it was nice to have Unleavened Bread at the beginning of Spring because it came right on time for spring cleaning. However, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is much more than just cleaning our houses and vehicles. Yes, it is nice when I open the fridge and it is clean, looking like it is new again, and I do enjoy driving in a clean car. Yet, the physical de-leavening is to encourage us to de-leaven spiritually.
What are we so afraid of?
Fear is a powerful tool that Satan likes to use against us, and here lately I keep hearing a lot of fear. Fear over who is going to get elected, fear of the economy, fear of China, fear of Russia, fear of North Korea, and the biggest fear, that we are getting closer to the end of the world. Now, as Christians, why are we so afraid of the end of the world? Why do we get fearful when we look at the world around us and we start thinking that the time is near for Armageddon? Aren’t we supposed to be praying for God’s kingdom to come (Matt 6:10)?
Women’s Conference 2016
This past weekend, I was blessed to participate in the New Church Lady Women’s Conference sponsored by Church of God International, Christian Educational Ministries, and other local ministries. It was an awesome uplifting experience. There were some tears, laughter, praise, great teachings, and wonderful ladies. I am so glad that my daughter and I got to participate.
For me, one lesson that I learned during the conference is how we need to strive to walk in the ways of Christ using the talents given to us by the Holy Spirit to spread God’s light into the world even if you don’t become popular for it.
Keep Running
My last couple blogs have been about faith, and I realized that, with faith, we must also have perseverance. Don’t give up even if it seems like Jesus is slow at returning. Don’t give up running the race of righteousness. This race is not a sprint but a very long marathon, and one of these days there will be a finish line.
Thankfully, we can look at our Bibles, and get comfort from the many that have lived before us, like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, the apostles, Paul, and many others.
Believing Faith
Believing in God the Father and Jesus is easy for me to do. I grew up believing in their existence, but having complete faith and not worrying about things is not as easy, especially when my children are the ones suffering. I can’t stand it when my children suffer, and I’m sure I’m not the only parent that feels that way. In fact, it makes me feel so helpless. It also isn’t easy when prayers don’t get the response that I had hoped for. These situations are what really try my faith. I can empathize with the father in Mark 9:24 that proclaims to Jesus “‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”’
How to Walk on Water During a Storm
I don’t really have the all-knowing answer to the title. In fact, I’ve been praying and asking God to give me wisdom on how to “walk on water during a storm.” Recently, some tragedies have occurred to people close to me, and it is because of them that I started asking God this question. I’m still searching and seeking, but I want to share some insight that I have had while thinking and studying about this.
Let me first point out that I’m not a Bible scholar. I’m okay if you don’t agree with my thoughts and opinions. I’m just sharing some ideas that came to me while studying.
What’s Missing in Today’s Leadership?
Many of us today look around and can’t figure out what’s wrong with today’s leaders! It’s not that our leadership positions are vacant, but those serving in those roles are lacking something special. Our leaders today are lacking one of the most fundamental parts of being a leader, servitude! Today’s leaders have forgotten that the first job of a leader is to serve, whether you’re a leader in the church or in a government role. Too many times we see people flock to leadership roles to fulfill their selfish desires, forgetting God’s flock and, at times, purposely misleading them. We seem to forget that the Creator of this world said He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). So what makes men think we don’t have to serve each other if our Creator came back to serve us?
Love
I believe we all desire to have talents. Who doesn’t want to be talented in something? I know I do. Well, there are many godly talents that we all should have. My past few blogs actually covered some godly talents. But there is one that is the most vital, the most important, talent of love.
God is love (1 John 4:8), and God is light (1 John 1:5). And if A = B and B = C, then A = C, therefore, Love is light. We are to walk in light and not in darkness. Therefore, we are to walk in love in order to light our path. There are so many scriptures regarding love, and I know we all realize that love is the greatest commandment, to love our God with all our heart and to love each other.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES 2016 Pinellas Park, in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
We are very pleased to announce that the Pinellias Park Performing Arts Center, at 5851 Park Blvd, in Pinellias Park, will again be the location of eight days of services dedicated to praising God and enjoying the education and fellowship opportunities with God's people that comes with observing the Feast of Tabernacles during the days of October 17–24 this year.
Give Unto Others
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). In the past, when I thought about giving, I always thought financial giving, like tithes and offerings. Yet, I am now realizing that there are far more ways to give that can be even more beneficial to the receiver than money. It is easy to just give money if you have some to spare. However, there are a lot of us that don’t have the finances to have extra spare change lying around to give away. Therefore, we must find other ways to give.
Connecting History and Bible - When Is It Permissible to Kill Another Person?
Gallows, electric chairs, firing squads, gas chambers, and lethal injection rooms! Should Christians reject or embrace these instruments of execution. And…is it wrong to execute a duly convicted criminal? After all, the 6th commandment clearly says we are not to kill. What’s the biblical approach to capital punishment?