NCarolinian

There have been a host of sermons where I have YEARNED to be able to raise my hand and say, "Ah, Pastor, pardon me, But what about......" during the service (whatever the medium - in person, t.v., radio, internet). I am placing my Pastor on notice that I hang on every word you say.  You have my full attention when you are delivering God's Word.  When and if you think you do not have anybody linked-in with you on Sunday mornings or any special speaking engagement - I want you to know I am with you! I say all this to let Pastor Dial know I listen (not just hear) and encourage the rest of you to really pay attention to what Teachers/Pastors are teaching and preaching.  Allow me to give you an example. There is a well respected Pastor and writer, Rick Renner, whom I really like that wrote something I disagreed with or at the least I thought he could have written a whole lot better.  The main verse of the chapter was John 12:3 -  "Then took Mary a pound of ...

Interesting how on American currency it says, "In God We Trust", but in reality Americans have placed their trust in that currency they are holding. In 2 Samuel 24 anybody can read how King David decided to take a census of all his fighting men.  This was an interesting move observing David's track record with the Lord.  The Lord had always favored David in his battles, so for David to stop trusting the Lord and place it in the number of troops he had in the land was a mistake.  David had a friend in the court, Joab, who warned him that this was not such a great idea.   "But Joab replied to the king, 'May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it.  But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?'"  Maybe it was success that blinded King David to these words of caution, but whatever the cause - "The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left t...

I have heard it said that there are only seven types of stories to ever be told and we just keep re-inventing ways to retell those same stories. 1.       Defeating a threatening force = Overcoming (the Monster) 2.       A group in search of something = The Quest 3.       Main character journeys away from comfort zone to experience change for the better and then return = Journey and Return 4.       Main characters are split up at start due to misunderstanding, confusion, misdirection, but by the end are brought back together = ? 5.       Someone is tempted, trapped by their own actions, then dies = Tragedy 6.       Main character is oppressed throughout and when all hope seems lost, he/she is freed = Rebirth 7.       Rags to Riches However, for the longest time now, at least in my memory, Hero o...

Here is a blog off of my beaten path.  So, come down this bunny trail with me, please. When it comes to the beautification of the face for women, I can understand taking care of one's complexion due to acne and rosacea or any other noticeable, unattractive skin disease.  However, if there is no problem with a woman's skin why are so many women wearing make-up or cosmetics as they go out their front door? I have heard the expression - "Well, if the barn needs painting, Paint It!".  And truthfully, I have seen some before and after photos of women that support that statement (i.e. Oprah Winfrey among many others).  But those individuals are possibly two handfuls of people I could come up with that fit that bill.  Others that I have seen either would look just fine All-Naturale or they cake it on so thick it puts Tammy Faye Baker (younger years) to shame. So, again why do women really wear cosmetics and who is the "paint" really for? Their potential boy...

The Lie:  "What you don't know won't hurt/kill you." Really?!  Now-a-days, there are many gods to choose from and many ways to those gods, but there is only one correct answer.  The true God and the only way to know Him was defined by Jesus when He said,    "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6  Even in a more general sense, Paul, in his letter to the believers in Rome, said,   "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." - Romans 1:20 However, it is one thing to Not deny that there is a creator-God.  It is another thing for that same person to have never heard the Good News about the Creator visiting humanity in human form to die for our fallen condition - sin. What happens to people like this at the moment of death?  F...

The Spirit-led life has a "mind controlled by the Spirit [which] is life and peace." - Romans 8:6 Reverse this thought - "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." - Romans 8:6 Those that are controlled by the Spirit of God can please God. The Spirit-led life promises bodily resurrection.   "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you." - Romans 8:11 The Spirit-led life will "put to death the misdeeds of the body". - Romans 8:13 Here the Greek word for "misdeeds" is Praxis , meaning practices or actions.  So, the Spirit-led life will permanently stop the wrong and hurtful habits and practices performed by one's body. The Spirit-led life has the benefit of sonship under God through Christ.   "...those who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God.  For you ...

Have we got His name all wrong?  "The first letter in the name Yeshua ("Jesus") is the yod. Yod represents the "Y" sound in Hebrew. Many names in the Bible that begin with yod are mispronounced by English speakers because the yod in these names was transliterated in English Bibles with the letter "J" rather than "Y". This came about because in early English the letter "J" was pronounced the way we pronounce "Y" today. All proper names in the Old Testament were transliterated into English according to their Hebrew pronunciation, but when English pronunciation shifted to what we know today, these transliterations were not altered. Thus, such Hebrew place names as ye-ru-sha-LA-yim, ye-ri-HO, and yar-DEN have become known to us as Jerusalem, Jericho, and Jordan; and Hebrew personal names such as yo-NA, yi-SHAI, and ye-SHU-a have become known to us as Jonah, Jesse, and Jesus. The second sound in Yeshua's name is called...

I have just ended a study on the Book of Romans in the Bible.  The information I will be sharing within this blog comes from certain parts of chapter 14 (1, 10-13, 19, 21) and a few beginning verses in chapter 15 (1,7).  However, if you want a good take on the context, read the entire chapters mentioned as well as the chapters before and after (13, all of 15). The main lesson that I take away from chapter 14 is not to be a stumbling block in the Faith-Walk of a fellow brother/sister in Christ.  The main example that is used is food.  A personal scenario would be when I am out with believers that I know have dietary restrictions Based On Faith (i.e. - don't drink alcohol, fasting, don't eat meat, etc..), I should modify my behavior to accommodate their situation or at least ask before-hand if my drinking or whatever is going to bother them.  The behavior is called consideration.  It is also called being sensitive.  I am not the best by any means at th...