NCarolinian

Ah, Famiglia or Family . Do you want to read a really strong statement about Family? If so then read this - "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." - 1 Timothy 5:8 Wow! I did not know it got worse than being an unbeliever. However, Paul was stressing to Timothy the importance of family and there is plenty of Scriptural history to support family faithfulness. Inside the family of the Old Testament I noticed lineage or heritage was vital to a healthy unit. As a family member, important duties were to serve God (Korahites were Tent Guards), daily chores, and extend the family name through trade, marriage, and offspring. An efficient run family always seemed to have their hierarchy in order and functioning properly. Several times I observed the heads of families going before Moses, Aaron, and God representing their family. Gideon questioned God how he could use the...

Everybody makes decisions everyday. A decision on anything is a judgement rendered, so how people can say, "Don't judge" is beyond me. Everybody is making judgement-calls all the time. Everyone is judging. Everyone is a judge. Maybe what they should really say is - "Don't condemn me." or "Don't damn me." or "Don't pre-summarize me or my situation." The passage many love to quote from The Bible when making a point about judging is Matthew 7:1-5 . The original Greek word for  judge  in this Scripture is  krinō  (kree'-no) - Properly  to distinguish , that is,  decide  (mentally or judicially); by implication  to try, condemn, punish : -  avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to  (sue at the)  law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.  [e-sword was my resource] The catch in all this is that people withdraw what they need from this Scripture to attack or defend others and leave th...

Now and forever, I desire to be somebody God applauds. There are some people in The Bible that I wish to present to you as examples of People God Applauded. So, without further ado..... Let me start with integrity. God applauded Noah for his right standing with Himself and integrity ("blameless"-ness). His reward - Noah "walked with God" . ( Genesis 6:9 ) Later on in Scripture we find integrity important again. Nehemiah said of Hananiah that he was a man of integrity, feared the LORD, and was put in charge of Jerusalem ( Nehemiah 7:2 ). Belief or trust in God brings an applause from Him so great that Abram experienced it as pure approval before an animal sacrifice had been requested or established and before the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, was sent to purchase our redemption with His life. God "credited it to him as righteousness" (right standing with God). What an approval! Abram's righteousness was given on credit and that because He be...

We are fragile human beings that cannot begin to comprehend the delicacy of our existence. James describes life as a mist.  What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) The phrase - "Here today, gone tomorrow" - comes to mind. 1 Corinthians 13:12 gives a great analogy to just how close the spirit world is to our material, tactile existence. The verse reads -  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. When the shepherds heard the Good News of Christ's birth from the single angel that visited out of the night sky, Scripture adds -  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, (Luke 2:13-15) . Our next chapter of exis...

The wrath of God is like a huge, over-sized boulder in the form of God's hand hanging over you every second of your life. When you are born, the size of the boulder and fury of His wrath is the same for all. whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son .  (John 3:18) For God could take His hand-like boulder and crush the universe if He pleased. You are so blessed that God does not relax and release the great boulder of a fist that hangs above you even now. Jesus was God's "gentle answer" that "quiets anger" ( Proverbs 15:1 ). The boulder-like fist of Father God's wrath came crashing down in full on Christ starting on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ's eternal, unconditional love and unmerited favor bore the full weight of everyone's fallen condition. For those who would believe, Jesus stayed Father God's anger and intolerance with sin and ...

A newly arrived soul in Heaven was met by St. Peter. St. Peter and the soul took the A-tour around Heaven. They walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. St. Peter stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received." The soul looked at the section, and it was terribly busy with many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. They continued on until they reached the second section. St. Peter told the soul, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." The soul noted again how busy it was. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest corner of the room, th...

"Revelation 19:8 reminds us that every believer will be present at the wedding feast dressed in the finest white linen, which the Bible says represents the righteous deeds we have done. These good deeds are not so we can enter heaven. God has already invited us and made the way. However, what we will wear to the wedding feast will be the garment we sew ourselves. I once heard a Bible teacher say, 'Has it ever occurred to you that at the marriage of the bride to the Lamb, each of us will be wearing the wedding garment of our own making?' How we are dressed on that day will depend on the life we have lived for Christ. Make sure that you will be beautifully dressed on that day by living for Christ today. The marriage of the Lamb is an event that is certain to happen. Someday the Bridegroom will come to take His bride to His Father's house. Make sure you are living a pure life for your loving Bridegroom." [pages 229-230, THE END, Mark Hitchcock]

So you are "Saved", "Born Again", a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.....a Christian. Now what? "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:22) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) But Wait There's More! Scripture portrays God not only as a judge but as a rewarder. "...anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) For all Believers in Christ since Pentecost, there is coming a time when we will stand before the Bema Seat or Judgement Seat of Christ - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one m...

The Sin Nature at it's core says, " That is not Enough. What you have and who you are is not Enough. Has God really limited you? " ( "Did God really say...?" - Genesis 3:1 ) The notions - do it yourself, you are all that matters, take matters into your own hands - contests God and His word by saying to God's face "You are not Enough" and eating of "the forbidden fruit". Rebellion feeds rebellion. The nature of sin keeps the void in man's heart, mind, and spirit empty or unfulfilled. One's lifestyle in sin then is consumed with not Enough. It wasn't Enough for Lucifer to stay in his lofty, blessed position. He totally believed The Lie he told himself - "I will...." usurp God's throne, power, and authority ( Isaiah 14:13-14 ). His fall was so fast, furious and finite that he would attempt to infect God's image with his same sickness. The Lie he told Adam and Eve was "You will not die" , but you yo...

Batman and Robin, Obi-wan and Luke, Han and Chewbacca, Abbot and Costello, Sunny and Share, Bo and Luke Duke, Simon and Simon, Donny and Marie Osmond, The Wonder Twins, or you and your best friend.....make a great pair or dynamic duo. These are just a taste of life teaching us that when it comes to living, relationship(s) not "solo-ism" is the better choice. Scripture supports this decision to have a close friend or friends in which you share life and maybe even your work. People like God and Adam, Adam and Eve, Moses and Aaron, Moses and Joshua, Mordecai and Esther, David and Johnathan, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Silas, and Priscilla and Aquila - were Biblical examples of dynamic pairs. There are pieces from each relationship/partnership that I hope I have and will attain in close relationships of my own. Sometimes there were more than two! Daniel had his friends...Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The Disciples had each other. When the local churches started, they too...

I had a physical challenge recently that put me in the hospital. At this writing I am still tending to my needs and throughout my experience I kept coming back to a single thought - I am one day closer to full recovery . My wife, Tanya, commented - "That's a good attitude and perspective to take on this, keep it up." So, I am. My slogan is filled with Hope. It also reminds me of Romans 8:23-24 -  we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. For in the saving of our souls for eternity at The Cross, our bodies were saved for redemption also. The manifestation of this redemption of our bodies is still future - " For in this hope we were saved". The next two verses follow-up nicely - "But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patientl...

It is one thing to hear a great orator speak on any topic and be convinced or swayed on the idea presented. It is a similar thing to have a wonderful word-smith convince or prove his viewpoint(s) should be yours. But there is a totally different power behind a speaker or author who has experienced what they are convincing you about. I see Paul fitting into this last category as he says in Romans 8:38-39 -  I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul went through much hardship in his adult years. His suffering for Christ's sake was even foretold from the get-go to Ananias by The Lord -  But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will sh...

The doctrine of imminency is a reality that changes how we live in the present age. This expectation certainly changed how the early church lived. The early church adopted a special password to identify themselves and to greet each other: Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22). It is an Aramaic word that only appears once in Scripture. It consists of three Aramaic words: Mar (Lord), ana (our), and tha (come). It's a kind of one-word prayer - 'our Lord, come.' Maranatha only makes sense in light of the imminent view of the Rapture. As Renald Showers says, 'It's instructive that the early church coined this special greeting to reflect their hourly hope, eager expectation, and ardent anticipation of the Rapture. No doubt this expectation motivated them to pursue personal purity, devoted service, and evangelism. Think of how the church would change today if we were to adopt this greeting for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Think of how our lives would change if this ...

Where would we be if everybody, believer or non-believer, was content with their life? There would be no advancement, no promotion, no growth and/or maturity. For the Believer in Christ, my belief is that Contentment in Scripture does not mean thinking you have arrived where you need to be for the rest of eternity once you accept Christ as your Savior. It does not call for the believer to sit on his/her butt or be inactive. I believe The Bema Seat Judgment will prove this out when believers will be rewarded for their deeds by a purifying, Holy fire - some escaping the flames with just their salvation ( 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 ). So, if Contentment is not idleness what is it? Contentment is not being anxious about anything, but trusting God in everything. The song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" applies here. But more than just being happy and waiting on God to move, many times he calls for believers to be proactive. Psalm 46:10 states "Be still and know that I am God....

What kind of water spring do you have flowing from your speech, flowing from your life? Are your words like salt to wounds and contain a sting or sarcasm that is hurtful? Is your life full of bitterness or a judgmental spirit that nobody enjoys keeping company with? Or when you speak do your words resemble fresh water, the kind that is encouraging, uplifting and supportive in it's nature? Is your life pouring out and drenching others with "pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17) actions? James 3:7-12 explains it like this....... James 3:7-12 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this sh...

"Don't you want more? More horsepower. More gigabytes. More legroom. More testosterone. Nothing silences grumps [like me] like gratitude. To say thanks is to cross the tracks from have-not to have much,.... Gratitude is a dialysis of sorts. It flushes the self-pity out of our systems. In Scripture the idea of giving thanks is not a suggestion or recommendation; it is a command. 'Give thanks in everything.' (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Satan focused on the single fruit they [Adam and Eve] could not touch. 'Eat it, he hissed, and you will be like God.' (Genesis 3:5 NLT)  What if gratitude had won the day? Suppose an unbedazzled Adam and Eve had scoffed at the snake's suggestion. 'Are you kidding? Begrudge what we cannot eat? Have you seen this place? Strawberry patches. Melon field. Orange groves. Blueberry bushes. Let us take you on a tour, snake. We will show you what God has given to us.' Had they chosen gratitude, would the world be differen...

The point in God establishing The Law was for humanity to realize it can only be kept by a perfect person. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. - James 2:10  God is love. The only way to break the cycle of the Jewish annual sacrifices and include the rest of the world in the plan of salvation was for (1) God's Word to become human, (2) live a perfect, sinless life, fulfilling The Law and (3) then die for everyone's broken, sinful condition upon a cross. Jesus said,  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." - Matthew 5:17 Our relationship with God from physical birth until acceptance of Jesus as Savior is damned.  whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:18)  Praise God - "Mercy triumphs over judgment!" ( James 2:13 ) Fi...

An individual, or in the case of this writing - a government/nation that operates with envy and selfish ambition, like America, will soon see the end of it's days. "if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." ( James 3:14-16 ) Do we not find "disorder and every evil practice" even at the very top of the American government? Yes, we unfortunately do. Our nation's source of wisdom has shifted drastically over the years to ourselves. Now that God is dramatically fading from the national picture, the times where God is called upon is even with the wrong intentions. "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't g...

There is a gripe I have that I wondered if God shared with me. I feel strongly and practice to the best of my ability - Remembering. What did you say? Exactly my point! Sarcasm included. There are important dates, times, and events that I share with family and friends who turn around and forget what I have shared with them. The forgetfulness can be on the scale of covering several weeks with me reminding them within those weeks to just forgetting five minutes ago. I forget things too. However, there seems to be a lot of forgetting with me and what I have been sharing with others lately. I allow for people who have a busy schedule and know that the world does not revolve around me - I get that! However, when this happens repeatedly with the same people, I begin to wonder if they sincerely care. Doesn't it mean the world to you when you have shared personal information with someone you trust and they check up on that subject with you later on, especially when you least expect it...

Let me be honest with you, sometimes my words and actions are not very Christ-like. I am definitely a work in progress. However, there are times when I have wished for my words and/or actions back, realizing it did not represent who I want to be in Christ. The Holy Spirit has given no leeway, no wiggle-room in living as an Ambassador for Him. God should not give the Believer any variance to the left or right because of the tremendous price He paid for our redemption - His own Son, Jesus Christ. But, praise God His mercies are new every morning.  Indeed,  He died for me, I'll live for Him  should be our life's mission statement. Such a vow is strongly supported in 1 Peter and Colossians.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God . If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so ...

In "The Wizard of Oz" the Tin Man's journey led him to finding a heart. The Lion's journey found him courage. The Scarecrow's journey granted him smarts. Dorothy's adventure resulted in observing all these and that Love binds them all which for her was found at home. In a similar way, the Christian's journey must take a path that develops one's integrity. The heart, courage (especially to witness), knowledge, and love that a Believer in Christ matures in is crucial for personal growth and a healthy appreciation of our true Home - New Jerusalem and New Earth. Scripture deals with each one of these areas. Proverbs 4:23 mentions the importance of the heart -  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Wellspring in the original Hebrew, tôtsâ'âh  tôtsâ'âh (to-tsaw-aw', to-tsaw-aw') means the outgoing issues. So, whatever issues you hold dear in your heart, guard those because they will find their way...

Mom used to say, "If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything." Well, if you don't warn or notice the bad things then others may succumb to a deception or "pothole". However, there is some wisdom in that statement. Ephesians 4:29 admonishes the Christian -  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Paul continues a chapter later by stating -  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4) That is where I believe my mother was operating from - a clean speech policy - God Speak in the house and anywhere. Isn't this "help" the sole reason Christians open up their mouths and share anyway? We have the best encouragement, hope, and answer for anyone. In his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul says, It is w...

A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.  On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD. When even...