Leaving the Shadows

Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey – whether you’re tackling an uphill challenge, stepping carefully through the shadows between darkness and light, or taking in the view from a spiritual mountaintop experience, remember that the Lord is with you. Now, stand strong and keep going! "The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths,

One Foot In?

Today was a day of prayer and soul searching. I have been troubled with what the Holy Spirit has shown me, and I am concerned for those individuals who are standing in the shadows, between darkness and light. They come to church and believe that one hour for one day will buy them "fire insurance", Please reevaluate your relationship with God. Your eternity stands in your decision now. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters. The shadows contain elements of darkness, co

Nothing's Impossible

Had Joseph begotten Jesus, then Jesus would have been merely human, not divine. Only a miraculous virgin birth can account for the God-Man. Because of Mary, His mother, Jesus was human, as the eternal Son of God, a member of the Trinity, He is God.

Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message is one that all believers should emulate.

We can see renewal in Luke 1:37-38

"For no word from God will ever fail." (NIV) (or, "For nothing will be impossible with God," in other translations)

Unity and Joy

Paul states in his letter to the Philippians in 2:2 “fulfill my joy by being like – minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind". 

Attitudes are the foundation upon which actions are built, and the young believers in Phillipi needed an attitude of submission and servanthood to produce harmony. To be of one mind means to agree in doctrine and creed (4:1; Thess. 2:12; 1 Peter 2:12) This isn’t a call to unity at the cost of truth, however. To be in one accord

Grace Upon Grace

The Apostle John’s Gospel comes with its own clear statement of purpose. At the conclusion of his account, the apostle writes: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John’s eyewitness testimonies can serve to both stimulate new belief and substantiate existing belief. In either case, John wote to encourage faith in the only Son of God, that all wo would believe in Him might have

The Struggle

Discerning our renewal as it is found in Proverbs 3:5-6.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

For God to direct our paths, we must be doing whatever we know to be right – obedience activates God’s promises (16:3; Ps. 37:5). To depend on one’s own understanding of truth and life means to disregard God’s will.  

Struggling with the concept of obedience is a common hu

Our Future

The Book of Revelation promises a special blessing for those who take the time to peer into the future with the apostle John (1:3). If they do, they will see that God wins, Christ triumphs. Righteousness prevails. Satan loses. Sorrow, sickness, and death all disappear. A new heaven and a new earth emerge from the ashes of the old. And God Himself will wipe away the tears from every eye.

Regardless of what happens in this life - no matter how depressing the world news or how

Honorable Living

Romans 13 provides valuable insights into renewal, particularly through the lens of living a life that honors God and others. Here’s a breakdown of how renewal is reflected in this chapter:

Submission to Authority (Romans 13:1-7)

Verse 1: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Renewal: This passage emphasizes the importance of respecting a

The New You

Let’s explore how renewal is reflected in Ephesians 4:20-24.

"That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

R

A Peak at Glorification

In his sermon to the crowds on the Day of Pentecost Peter reveals the power of the Almighty God in that Jesus was raised from the dead he states:

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it."

One sentence, within which lies the fate of all followers. As He was raised so we too shall be raised with Him. This is the glorification piece in the three-fold process of justification, sanctification, glorification. Just as Jesus has an incorruptible body so sh

Dwelling on the future

In his letter to the Philippians Paul is providing direction to the church:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

The Greek word for meditate means “to ponder, consider, val

David's Renewal

When David confessed his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11; 12:1-15) something great and hopeful happened. The word cleanse, as used here, is a technical term for the cleansing of a leper in the Old Testament. David was saying, “Lord, take the leprosy from my soul and make me clean again” (Jer. 33:8; Heb. 9:14; John 1:7, 9).

We see David pleading with God in verse 11. To be cast…away from the presence of God means that a person is lost forever. If you recall God removed His Spi

Heart and Spirit

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."  Ezekial 36:26

When God restores both the spirit and the physical fortunes of His people, He will do so not only to bless His redeemed sons and daughters, but also to show the nations that He is a gracious and loving God who always keeps His promises. God means for His glory to cover and bless the whole earth (Isaiah 11:9) so that all of creat

The Heart of the Matter

Some people’s hearts wear out before their bodies wear out. A heart full of bitterness, resentment, strife, pride, hatred, and envy will destroy a life of wholeness and happiness. A lack of peace is a problem for the heart, indicating that a person is not in fellowship with God 

Proverbs 14:30 states:

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

Renewal in this verse can be observed through the contrast between a peaceful heart and envy:

Renewal Through

Illumination

Paul in his letter to the Corinthians uses humans as an analogy – no one can truly know another person’s thoughts; only the individual knows his or her own thoughts. Similarly, because the Holy Spirit is fully God, the Spirit understands the thoughts and wisdom of God. He is then able to teach believers the truth of God. An unbeliever can study the Scriptures and learn certain facts about the Almighty, but only through illumination of the Spirit does the true understanding