Unapologetically Apostolic

This past Friday night, I had the privilege of going with a friend of mine and her youngsters to a youth service in Cowan, TN.  We knew the young evangelist who was leading the service that evening and wanted to be there for support, along with his family.  Let me just say, this young man PREACHED!  He brought a message from a passage of scripture that we are all familiar with, the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14,the title, "The Revival that No One Wanted.". He shared how the disciples repeatedly tried to get Jesus to send the multitude away. They were in a desert place, meaning that there was nothing around. Think about a desert for a moment. It's dry and desolet with only scrub brush and cacti growing. There is no water or anything to offer substance. But here they were: Jesus, the twelve disciples and a mass of people that just would not stop following them.  The disciples asked to send them away. Realistically, these folks had traveled many days already from t...

When a person finds new life in Christ, a favorite verse to quote is 2 Corinthians 5:17. They revel in the newness which they feel growing inside of them. You often see pictures depicting a butterfly spreading it's wings to take flight with the scripture emblazoned across it in scrawling calligraphy. But I ask you, is the butterfly a new creature? When you examine the most infamous of all butterflies, the Monarch, you can find what is considered the life cycle. From birth to death, the DNA of the Monarch remains the same. It is created as a larvae to endure the growth process of becoming a butterfly. This includes the chrysalis as it enters into the cocoon to metamorph into the butterfly. But is it a new creature? The answer is emphatically no. The butterfly is only becoming what he was created to be. In Hebrews 9:16-18, we read "For where a treatment is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is ...

Let's all be realistic, we are fearful of severe weather. Especially after the events of April 27, 2011 when we saw violent long track tornadoes and epic destruction. At the thought of the possibility of a storm now, our nerves get wound so tightly and we begin to panic over what may or may not happen. I was a product of elementary school in the 1980's. There were no early dismissals or cancellations due to weather. We had our tornado drills where we lined up in the hallway with our heads tucked between our knees. I recall the ice storm so bad in 1993 that kids were stranded on school busses trying to get home. My how times have changed.  I have watched as businesses, schools, even churches closed their doors for the threat of a storm. My how times have changed. I read a devotional today written by a friend and it challenged me. Then I read a post by a friend on Facebook and it provoked me. I'll get to that in a moment but let's go to the word first. In Ezekiel 3: 1-9, ...