Author Archive

God’s Special People (Micah) – Lesson 7

pvtv_logoI’ve got a great idea for a new book. Not just another book to collect dust on a shelf but a book that will really make a difference in someone’s life. I’m still working on the title but here’s what I have so far, “How to get out of catastrophe and get back to prosperity”. It’s a guide just for Christians who may be unsure of how to live for God in a world of sin.

It won’t be a very long book; only a few chapters. I’ll use Micah 6:6 as my opening chapter title: “How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God?” I figured that was a good way to start as that is really the question that all humanity must answer. The Apostle Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians 5:2 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”. Click to continue…

May 16, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

Eager to Forgive (Jonah) – Lesson 6

pvtv_logoThis was the original Mission Impossible…with a twist. I imagine it went something like this: “Good morning Jonah. The great city of Nineveh has reached a level of violence and wickedness that unless they repent, I will destroy the city and all of its inhabitants. Your mission (and you must accept it!) is to walk the streets of Nineveh, alone (no team, no committee, no budget and no advertising), and call for immediate repentance from the greatest to the least. You won’t need luck for “I AM” will be with you”.

Unlike the heroes of cinematography Jonah was daunted by the mission he was given. I imagine he felt ill prepared, unqualified and untrained for such a major mission as he was given. That common enemy called “doubt” overtook him and away he ran. While I as the reader am puzzled by Jonah’s fear and lack of faith, I try to push to the back of my mind those things God has asked me to do…that I never did. Click to continue…

May 09, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

Seek the Lord and Live! (Amos) – Lesson 5

pvtv_logoHe was only 26 years old at the time. At an age when most of us are still trying to figure out which way is up, he found himself thrust into leadership for the social movement of his generation.  Standing before a packed church of thousands, his words that evening spoke to the struggle for justice that is at the core of Amos’s message to God’s people,

“My friends, I want it to be known that we’re going to work with grim and firm determination to gain justice on the buses in this city. And we are not wrong, we are not wrong in what we are doing. If we are wrong, then the Supreme Court of this Nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. If we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a Utopian dreamer and never came down to earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie. And we are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Martin Luther King Jr., December 5, 1955

As we end our study of the Book of Amos this week, we are confronted with a challenge that tests the character of all believers. It dispels the notion that coming to Jesus and enjoying the fruits of His blessings is the sum total of life. It runs contrary to our desires for a life of ease and comfort; minimal trials but maximum favor. It forces us to remove the mirror that focuses on us and instead look out of our windows and see the needs around us. Click to continue…

May 02, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

Lord of All Nations (Amos) – Lesson 4

pvtv_logoWay, way before my time, there was a radio program entitled “The Shadow”. Gathered around radios (did I mention this was way before my time?) the listening audience would hear these words introducing the weekly episode of this crime-fighting vigilante, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”

This week as we begin our exploration of the book of Amos we will modify that radio show introduction slightly to: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? GOD KNOWS!”  There is a lot of evilness that exists in the heart of men. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings”. Jeremiah 17:9, 10 NKJV Click to continue…

Apr 25, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

A Holy and Just God (Joel) – Lesson 3

pvtv_logoIt is hard to see love in pain. It is hard to find purpose in calamity. It is hard to know the way forward in the midst of darkness. And during extreme times of trouble, the more distant our relationship is with God, the more removed hope is from our grasp. How true the words, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth”. Luke 21:26
This week as we study the book of Joel we are instantly front row spectators of a time of national crises. Things are worse than bad. There is no escape or relocation to a better place. There is no buffer from the tragedy that has encompassed the land. Everyone (animals included) was in the same boat and the boat appeared to be sinking fast. Click to continue…

Apr 18, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

Spiritual Adultery (Hosea) – Lesson 1

pvtv_logoI’m back! I’ve been away all of first quarter engrossed in Sabbath school training at many churches and conference initiatives. There’s a real thirst for improvement in the local churches in the area of Sabbath school ministries and I am honored to play a small part in its revitalization.

For our Second Quarter topic of “Major Lessons from Minor Prophets” we are going to examine some of the lesser known writers of divine truth. We start with the Book of Hosea. I cannot think of any other book of the Bible that starts in such a strange way. Hosea, a prophet and loyal follower of God, is living in a sad part of Israel’s history.

The ten Northern tribes have sunk to new lows in immorality. You can trace the downslide of the nation by the acts of its leaders. Choices made for selfish purposes led to devastating effects throughout the body. Barriers of morality, once compromised, quickly gave way to idol worship and the exaltation of nature over nature’s Creator. (There’s a lesson in this for leaders)

It was in these settings that Hosea receives instruction that is unprecedented. This man of God was instructed to “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry”, Hosea 1:2. If you’re like me you’ve read or heard this story a thousand times. However, if we pause long enough to take it in, this is mind-blowing. What can we compare it to?  Click to continue

Apr 04, 2013 | 0 comments | View Post

The Prodigal Son is in Good and Regular Standing in the Church

 

Pews

Before you jump to conclusions let me clarify a few things. Whenever the subject of the prodigal son comes up we naturally are accustomed to picturing a young person who has lost their way. We use this story, and rightly so, to show the dangers of a life of aimless, godless living. For many mothers and fathers this story gives hope to the day that their own “prodigal” child returns home. It if could happen for the subject of this biblical account, surely it could happen for us. Amen somebody.

 While all of the above is true I want to point us in another direction for the application of this story. I would like us to consider that the prodigal son is in good and regular standing in the church. I’m not suggesting a person living a dual life; one where they are one way in church settings but an entire different, less spiritual way throughout the week.  That’s a fair use of the story but not for the purpose of this discussion.

Feb 06, 2013 | 4 comments | View Post

5 Resolutions that Don’t Include Dieting

2013It’s that time of the year for the annual ritual of making New Year’s resolutions. Heading the most popular resolutions will be losing weight and improving your health. Although those are great goals, they are not on my list of five.

Another frequently cited resolution is becoming debt free. I am all for that and it’s certainly the best way to live. “Owe no man anything” was written for a good reason. But that’s not in my five.

Dec 30, 2012 | 4 comments | View Post

My God has some big hands

Old Ladies Talking

Two friends were sitting and talking the other day

As I stood nearby I heard one of them say

My God has some big hands, everything will be ok

For He has promised to wipe all tears away

Dec 26, 2012 | 0 comments | View Post

Happy Holidays

Christmas GiftHolidays and especially the Christmas season have always been special to me. My earliest memories of Christmas still bring a warm sensation as I relive those happy times as a child.  The excitement and anticipation of unknown gifts was almost too much to bear.

The months leading up to Christmas would often find me, my brother and sister paging through the huge gift catalogs that found their way into our home.  We would search item after item to find those things that would represent the ultimate gift for us.

Dec 24, 2012 | 0 comments | View Post
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