NCarolinian

If there is no law, there is no accounting for disobedience or sin. sin is not taken into account when there is no law. - Romans 5:13 We need to know what is not allowed in any given system or structure before acting contrary and therefore sinning.  And sometimes it does not even take acting on the knowledge -  "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. - Matthew 5:27-28 Before humanity, when it was just God and His angels, all heavenly beings recognized God as The Law . Lucifer desired to usurp The Law with his forceful declarations of "I will..." that are documented in Isaiah 14:13-14 .  This rebellion did not work for him so after his fall he saw an opportunity to strike back at God by tempting God's created image - humans - to disobey/sin and have that sin-nature enter the world. God The Law or Lawgiver issues ...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always ; pray continually ; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. There are some key words in this verse I want to lift out and highlight - "always" , "continually" , and "all" . These words are concepts that speak to the amount of time believers should contribute to the word before it. Always and continually are adverbs describing the state of being you should be in (always be joyful; continually pray).   All is an adjective describing the amount of circumstances believers should give thanks in.   This state of perpetuality flies in the face of being joyful only on the mountaintops of life.  This mind-set of ceaseless praying defies the notion of only praying to God during difficult times.  This never-ending strategy of life, giving thanks, cries "How dare you only give thanks during the non-challenging times!" God's payment for our always ...

Why is Black History Month celebrated?  It is a culturally divisive mechanism in our society that we choose to use as a tool to keep us separated, categorized and feeling more important. Grant you, I have wonderful friends that are black (African American, if you want), but this celebration and any like it is racist.  Sure the month documents the positive, black contributors to society over the many years, but that does not make it any less - "look at what our race did that yours didn't".  This month, society, in particular the media, takes well accomplished men and women in every field and praises their donation(s). All the while, for twenty-eight days, we get the message that they were also black.  I get that in history the circumstances surrounding many black Americans deserves some attention and eventual praise for their efforts, but leave this in the schoolhouse.  Now-a-days I view February as a month, in particular, of division. Why don't we celebrate Wh...

The people in the days of Jesus did not have candles as we know them today. The people of the time of Jesus had oil lamps . Each one was made from clay, so it was very fragile to a heavy hand or misuse. In addition, the lamps were found throughout the rooms (plural) of the house. This gives a new and more powerful meaning to Matthew 5:15 . "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." "Candle" is a poor translation here. The appropriate, original Greek word luchnos in this verse means oil lamp . So, the verse can therefore be rendered - "Neither do men light an oil lamp , and put it under a bushel,..." . Oil in Scripture refers to the Holy Spirit. The lamp is our body. The wick is our service for the Lord (talent, time, energy, ministry, life). Listen! - The Lord will always have an eternal reservoir of the Holy Spirit (oil) for the believer who keeps his/her...

The music group Foreigner performs a song called "I Want To Know What Love Is". The following are the main lyrics to that song. I gotta take a little time A little time to think things over I better read between the lines In case I need it when I'm older Aaaah woah-ah-aah Now this mountain I must climb Feels like a world upon my shoulders And through the clouds I see love shine It keeps me warm as life grows colder In my life there's been heartache and pain I don't know if I can face it again Can't stop now, I've traveled so far To change this lonely life I wanna know what love is I want you to show me I wanna feel what love is I know you can show me Aaaah woah-oh-ooh I'm gonna take a little time A little time to look around me, oooh ooh-ooh ooh-ooh oooh I've got nowhere left to hide It looks like love has finally found me In my life there's been heartache and pain I don't know if I can face it again I can't stop now, I've travel...