“For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.”  Romans 13:3 I had a friend once who would pump his brakes every time he saw a law enforcement vehicle and he was never speeding. He had this over-the-top fear of getting a ticket, of which he had never had one. So he would hit the brakes when he saw a patrol car. I understood his idea of not wanting a[…]

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 I was so excited to bring the cocoon I had just found to my 5th grade class. Ms. Blackmon put it in a well-ventilated container and placed it on the safety of a high window ledge so that we could all see the beautiful butterfly emerge. None of us wanted the butterfly to escape the cocoon on a weekend because we’d miss all the action.  After every recess[…]

 “And yes, that blessing must stand!” Genesis 27:33  Isaac and Esau were both in shock when they discovered that Jacob had tricked his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing that had been reserved for his older brother, Esau. It was just plain and simply through a bold-faced lie that Jacob tricked his father, at the request of his mother Rebekah. Mom had hatched the plan, but Jacob, meaning deceiver or trickster, went along with the scheme. No matter how loud Esau wailed or how much he begged his father, there was simply nothing Isaac could do. The blessing had[…]

 “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.” Romans 10:13  Having accepted the Lord at a young age, my grandmother had been a Godly woman all of her life, but for my granddaddy that wasn’t the case. He was a “good man,” and a hard-working provider for his family, but he had a rough side too. He was known to have quite a temper along with a few other bad habits and tendencies as well, but all that changed one hot summer day. He was pulling a wagon down a path when a freak accident took place.[…]

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10 We hear a lot about “precedent” these days, especially when it comes to constitutional and legal matters. Precedent is defined as “an earlier occurrence of something similar,” and “a person or thing that serves as a model.” When you have precedent for something, it gives you grounds to take your stand. Paul tells us in Romans 10:10, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” So, what exactly gives Paul the boldness[…]

 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29 The word “substitute” is defined as “to put or use in the place of another” and substitution is something we commonly see in sports. When one player is injured, a substitute takes his place. But, in the life of the believer, we can give thanks for an even greater, more important substitute. In the last plague to hit Egypt, God claimed the firstborn for himself. By doing so, all the firstborn[…]

“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5 Let’s face it, there’s a Simon and a Peter in all of us. There’s that “best side” of ourselves we want everyone to see that represents the Peter in us.  The name Peter means, “rock” which is the steady, honest, trustworthy, and best representation of who we strive to be. Then, there’s the Simon, that shaky, unpredictable, not so easy to get along with,[…]

“The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.”  2 Chronicles 5:14  Most everyone enjoys traveling, visiting and enjoying different places and locals. My wife and I were just recently talking about one of our favorite trips together and how we would love to experience that again. Traveling can be fun and relaxing, depending on the destination, but Dorothy was right when she said, “There’s no place like home.” After a trip, getaway, or excursion, it’s always nice to get back home. There’s something about the “getting away”[…]

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16:11  I’ll never forget the shock when I stepped of the plane, into the airport and on the street in India. The though went through my mind, “this is what a nation without God looks like.” The streets were filled with trash and cows meandering around, and in the faces of the people there was a darkness. As we waited outside the terminal for a van to pick us up and take us to the mission we[…]

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” Romans 4:7-8  During election season, political candidates begin to pop out of the wood work. In a recent presidential primary, there were well over twenty candidates all vying for their party’s nomination for President. Most often these candidates come with their own specific platform. Whether it’s health care, raising the minimum wage, border security, foreign affairs, or any other plethora of ideas, most candidates will have a primary platform on which they choose[…]