Active Faith

Beware of Religious Hypocrisy

Did you know that the most significant matters of the Mosaic law (even man’s law) are judgment, mercy and faith? Yes, this fact is substantiated in Matthew 23:23 by our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. In Matthew 23:23, we find Christ Jesus criticizing the scribes and Pharisees, who were the biblical conservative leaders of the Jewish people, for omitting the weightier matters of the law, which are judgment, mercy and faith. Again, this fact is substantiated in Matthew 23:23, where Christ Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin […]

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Franklin Graham: Evil Never Has the Last Word

Our nation was shocked on a spring day in March, when a shooter broke into a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, and slaughtered three students and three staff members. The three students at The Covenant School, run by Covenant Presbyterian Church, were just 9 years old, and the three adults who died included the headmaster, a custodian and a substitute teacher. One of the students was the daughter of the church’s pastor. Thanks to the heroic actions of officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department, further bloodshed was avoided. They responded within 13 minutes, swept through classrooms and ran toward […]

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The Chosen

The motley crew left a cloud of dust as they walked down the narrow road donning their tired robes and worn sandals. Leading the pack were the spokesman, his brother, the sons of thunder and the recruiter. Following them a short distance behind were the true Israelite, the skeptic, the tax man, followed by anonymity and humility, while trailing them came the “human caboose” consisting of the terrorist and the betrayer. The leader of the “peloton” walked several yards in front of the pack with all the ease and grace of someone in total control of the situation. Unexpected companions […]

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The Prayer that Gets Results

“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with […]

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Come, Holy Spirit!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This famous opening verse in the Gospel According to John tells us the Word of God was always there.  The Greek word “logos” is the term for “word” in this scripture, and it is often applied to Jesus himself as the Word of God revealed. We rely on scripture to give us the terms, or “words” to use to describe God. Of course, Jesus was the long-expected Messiah, and the prophets of old used words like, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting […]

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The Ministry of Moses’ Mom

As we honor motherhood this month, I want to offer a word of encouragement to all moms everywhere by taking a brief look at the mighty ministry that Moses’ mom had in her son’s life. “A man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a find child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basked for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it […]

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Gary

There is a statement in the Bible that describes God as a guide who’s like a lamp or light on a darkened path.  The visual is powerful if you’ve ever found yourself in unfamiliar territory and needing to be guided.     Our guide Gary was our guide with 25 years of experience. He knew the path and how to safely lead us there. He hadn’t always been the guide, but had started as the guides helper, did that for five years, he reminds us.  Gary became our guide as we embarked on our river adventure.  Gary showed us to our raft, […]

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Franklin Graham: Resurrection and Revival

Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of filming an Easter message while standing in front of the famous Colosseum in Rome.  It was the same Colosseum where countless Christians were martyred by a brutal government that persecuted and slaughtered followers of Christ, and the same city where apostles Paul and Peter were both executed for their allegiance to the Lord.  They died in faith, however, trusting in a living Savior who had borne their sins on the cross, was buried in a stone tomb, and was raised to life on the third day. It was the power […]

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Put Me in Coach

Have you ever coached a sport? Do you want to coach a sport? Has anyone ever coached you? Have you coached the coach (ouch)? Coaching is an interesting responsibility and carries with it some unique risks and rewards. Today you can find all kinds of coaches, such as business coaches, health coaches, life coaches, sports coaches, etc. A coach usually has the role of helping the one being coached to see or do things they may not be able to do on their own. We have all witnessed the local neighborhood sporting league. Imagine for a moment that you are […]

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