NCarolinian

Jesus was gracious enough to appear to Paul. Christ knocked him off his donkey, onto the ground, introduced Himself and blinded him until he met Ananias in Damascus. Then Paul understood who he just encountered and how his life must change.  For many Christians, not only is our personal salvation or conversion story a mighty convincing proof of Christ's love for us, but in many life challenges afterward as well. The accounts I have heard from the testimonies of others meant the provision of protection, deliverance and resources came only from God. The same can be said for Paul.  One of Paul's well known phrases that proclaims this and that I love is  "I am convinced..." .  It is one thing to hear a silver-tongue orator who is excellent at the word-smith skill to persuade his/her audience. It is another to hear a well educated speaker present his/her findings on a topic for our information or enlightened purposes. There is a totally different and convincing...

Is it better to have never loved at all than loved and lost? I know that saying is switched, but the following is the same mentality. Is it better to stay a sinner, in disobedience to God, than to accept His salvation gift - Christ Jesus - and His lifestyle only to return to your old nature through a powerful, sinful enticement? Peter says, yes, these individuals should never have known, tasted or experienced right standing with God. In Peter's second letter, he defended and explained the role of prophecy in Scripture while revealing there were past false prophets who did harm and there are still future, harmful false teachers to come - " there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you." The deceiving, manipulative and enticing power these false teachers within the faith will have is staggering. This second chapter of Second Peter lines up with the lukewarm church that is depicted to be present at the end in Revelatio...

God's love reaches side-by-side with His justice as He gives us the choice to live this life and the next with or without His presence in our lives. Because of the belief in a lie, humanity disobeyed God and ever since, our relationship with Father God has been torn asunder. Then Christ Jesus was sent and has restored ALL of humanity's relationship with Father God. No matter the degree - past, present and future sins have been forgiven through our faith in His sacrifice.  Yes, from birth we are the walking condemned . However, since Christ's sacrifice the same walking condemned are walking saved individuals. These people just have to accept His free gift of love. What will you activate and live out of - a disobedient, rebellious nature OR acceptance of a Christlike lifestyle. The degree of God's love is unfathomable, but I still set my mind, heart and imagination on it. The degree He gave up, the degree He suffered and the degree He will still go to love on ...

Ever since the virus of 2020 hit the globe in March, I have been questioning God -  Where are you Lord? What are you doing? I have listened out for His voice in my spirit for the answer. I have listened in the sermons and teachings of others for His answer. I have asked others on a one-on-one level and listened for His voice in that setting.  Many of the answers I receive are appropriate due to the omnipresent, all-powerful, all-knowing God that Christians put their faith, trust and hope in. Answers like God is on His Throne, everywhere and inside of us. Answers on the line of God is orchestrating history and this virus is just a step toward the chaos of The Tribulation Period.  However, just like a two-year old in the faith, I always come around to the "why" question. I ask God, "But why Lord, knowing you are all that we need, you are All-in-All, and we have been crying out to you, will you not respond favorably and rescue the world from this virus and not...

The bottom line is to represent my Savior, Christ Jesus, well. I believe this idea begins with the realization of Christ's sacrifice for each of us, then moves to an attitude of passionate desire and need to serve and represent Him for life. He died for me, I'll live for Him should be every Christian's life-formula. Whenever humans represent another individual, business, government or the like - usually that means the party we are representing cannot physically be present. The burden then falls hard on The Ambassador of the person, company or nation to reflect the other party accurately. There is no doubt that we have failed miserably at portraying our friend, work, country and God to others in the past. But there is a Helper, especially for presenting Christ to people. God's representation method is slightly different from humanity's. With humanity, where the represented party is not present when we personify them, God is. His Holy Spirit is standing next ...