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Showing posts from March, 2023

It's the heart, not the weapon

The narrative playing out before us now is another cry for gun control in America. Excerpts from the Nashville school shooter's mother from 2018-2019 where she petitioned for stricter gun laws, news release of the Huntsville shooter just pleading guilty last week to an illegal weapons charge, neither of which changed the outcome of what has happened this week in these respective situations. Had there been stricter laws on the books, what would have changed? How would anything be different? Good people obey the laws while bad people find ways to circumvent the laws. The Huntsville suspect was already awaiting trial on two attempted murder charges, plead guilty last week turning in his handgun, and yet still had a weapon to perpetrate this senseless act of violence on three subjects, killing one. It all goes back to a heart matter. The loaded gun kills no one when used in the manner in which it was intended. Add a hateful heart to a loaded gun and the situation changes quickly. Bibli...

When the world doesn't make sense, PRAY!

The past two days have been eventful to say the least. Two senseless tragedies within 100 miles of each other, both claiming innocent lives. All I can ask myself is why. What was the purpose?  The first event took place the farthest from me, right at 100 miles north of my location. A 28-year old former student of Covenant School walked into the hallways armed with three weapons and began to open fire on anyone in her path. Of course there is video surveillance of the incident, as well as police body-cam footage from when they engaged the suspect, but I will not watch it. The police said that the perpetrator had originally planned a different location but changed her mind because of the amount of security provided there. It's sad that she chose a private school with only locked doors for security as her target.  They say she identified as he and that he held a grudge against having been brought up in a Christian private school setting. What strikes me as odd about that is the f...

You don't know what you have until it's gone

For the past two years, I have been afforded to opportunity to be in church pretty much anytime there was a service called. Sunday, Wednesday, revival services on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, fellowship service on Saturday, if it was a service, I was there. Being new to the Apostolic faith, I was hungry to soak up every bit of teaching and knowledge that I could. When I hired onto work at my job, I knew the day would come that I would have to rotate shifts so I wanted as much as I could get until that day came. I thought I had more time because the side I worked for only had dayshift at this time. However, a recent job change, to a job I absolutely love, moved me to the opposite side of the plant into an already established rotation pattern. I had to learn to go with the flow quickly.  As the days counted down to the first shift rotation, I found myself antsy and anxious. Had I got enough packed into those two years that would hold me through these four weeks of having to miss one se...

We've welcomed the wolves

We are all familiar with the childhood story of Little Red Riding Hood and of the Three Little Pigs. Both of these stories contain a big, bad wolf that's out to capture his prey, either the girl in riding hood or the pigs. In the one, the wolf consumes the poorly grandmother and assumes her place in bed to await the arrival of the granddaughter with her delicious basket of goodies. In the other, the wolf goes from place to place in an attempt to get the pig in his mediocre dwelling.  These stories may be just that, stories that we remember from our childhood. Some of us may have even acted them out in a play. However, I fear that we are living out these stories in our everyday lives in a spiritual context. Please keep reading to see what I mean.  In our society, we see these massive stadium tours for popular musical groups, regardless of the genre of music. When I was growing up, only the rock-'n'-roll crowds were this large. But today, you have headliners of their own meri...

Plant the seed

Matthew 13:3-9, And he spoke many things unto them in parables saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  This parable was shared here in Matthew, in Mark and in Luke. Many sermons have been brought over these passages over the centuries. I don't want to regurgitate words that someone else has shared. I want to share from experience.  Being from Alabama, I grew up around gardens and flower beds. Someone was always planting something somewhere. But not...

I'll write you a check

My entire life, I grew up in a denominational church where I was taught about the Trinity of God. I sang songs which lauded God in three persons, the blessed Trinity, heard sermons of God the Father, the son and the holy spirit were one yet three distinct beings. I believed it. After all, who wouldn't tell the truth in church, right? Two years ago, in March of 2021, I found myself in a place of total dispair. I was ready to give up on life, on God because with all I had done I was pretty certain He had given up on me as well. I had been to church, thought I had God and the Holy Ghost infilling that I needed, was baptized, but I couldn't make it. Why did I feel like such a failure? Why couldn't I submit, surrender to God? I happened upon an online church service from a local congregation. The title given caught my attention so I began watching. As the preacher spoke, it was as if he was describing my life across the airways that day. I felt compelled to continue to listen. T...

Betrayed, with a kiss

It's a love story for the ages, you and God. He fashioned you well before the Earth was formed, knowing exactly who you would become. When your time had come to be conceived, he knit the very fibers of your being together in the secret place of your mother's womb. As you've grown, the person you are today was shaped by the choices you were free to make a long the journey, whether good or bad.  All throughout the gospels, we read of how Jesus called the disciples to follow Him. Each one was called according to a purpose. Simon Peter would be the rock upon which the modern church as we know it would be built. James and John, especially John, showed us the depth of love one could have for another. Matthew was a tax collector, one who was despised by man as untrustworthy and a thief. Luke was a doctor, a man who helped others. But what about Judas? Little is known about him other than he would betray Jesus.  Yet, he was counted among the twelve, going about the countryside as a...

Making sense

The Bible tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:22 to abstain from the appearance of evil. I understand that we are no longer under law but under grace, but when did we do away with the 10 commandments? When did we stop following the teachings of the Apostle Paul?  More and more lately, I have seen new churches popping up that are meeting in the new, trendy ale houses. If we are to abstain from the appearance of evil, why are we sitting down in these places saying we are worshipping God? Sure, no alcohol may be served during the service but the fact that you are renting the space is the church supporting the business; the business which is in turn destroying families through alcoholism. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and says to be not drunk with wine (which references strong, alcoholic drink) which is in excess, but to be filled with the Spirit. I know that in the days when Jesus walked the Earth, there were things that were questionable in the temple. After al...