Here are just some of the reasons, other than an anniversary celebration, why couples choose to have a vow renewal ceremony… 1) to reaffirm marriage following a separation, 2) starting anew after troubling relationship times, 3) after the discovery of terminal illness, 4) couples who previously were married by a judge at a courthouse and want an ordained vocational church minister to officiate, 5) couples who have … Continue reading →
Here is a 22-point sequence of events for an understanding of the post-tribulation rapture or the second coming of Christ, sometimes called historicism in eschatology… Jesus returns for His church as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. This is the … Continue reading →
It is often stated that since the church is not mentioned between Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 22:16, it is proof of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. When ministers and prophecy teachers make mention of there being no church between Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 22:16, they mean that the Greek word “ekklēsia” is not used. In an earlier post titled … Continue reading →
I like assessment tools that are simple and not crazy complicated just to tell you something that you already know — marriage is going to have conflicts. I am a big believer in the 5 Love Languages, the 1 Corinthians 13 practices, and the assessment tool that I developed below, using the word FORGIVE as a guide to work through … Continue reading →
It is always a blessing to hear from couples after the wedding, with a word of appreciation or otherwise. A lot of couples message me on their anniversary date, and I do enjoy hearing from them, too. Here is a collection of unsolicited reviews on my officiating services. Please contact me if you wish to share a review or have any questions, … Continue reading →
This is Easter week and soon we will be together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord together through fellowship and communion. Every year during this season I tend to think of a very minute portion of the Easter story that is usually insignificant to most retelling’s of the resurrection day. However, it speaks volumes to the glorious fact that … Continue reading →
I’ve been thinking about the Great Commission as found in Matthew 28:19-20, which says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the … Continue reading →
Organic things go bad. Fruit grows old, vegetables go rotten, and meat will decay. When it comes to organic church groups, the principle is the same. Organic church can go bad, too. I’ve been mauling over this for sometime now and because my blog gets a good deal of traffic on my Simpler Church category posts, I thought the time … Continue reading →
Now it is time for Sand Ceremony. The Sand Ceremony actually dates back to Old Testament times when covenants were made between individuals by the blending of salt or sand, with the idea that just as it would be impossible to separate the original grains of sand, once mixed with the other’s, so it would be impossible to undo the … Continue reading →
This past Sunday when I mentioned wanting to leave you with a promise for our fellowship as we go into the future, I asked for someone to find and read Matthew 18:16. I wrote that verse on the flip chart, but of course my handwriting says I should have been a physician, so the verse that was read was Mark … Continue reading →
Recently I was doing some studying on a topic that led me to Psalm 37:1 which says, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” When we read Psalm 37:2 we see the reason why it admonishes us to “fret not” and it is because “they shall soon be cut down like the … Continue reading →
How can Isaiah 7:14 be considered a prophecy about Christ’s virgin birth when the word translated there also means a young female? This is a popular objection for those looking for a reason to deny prophesy and the virgin birth of the Messiah but it is also an opportunity to consider proper interpretation of Scripture. So I am going to … Continue reading →
From time to time someone on social media gets all hyped up about wanting to educate people about Bible translations that appear to have eliminated verses, and this video below addresses that question.
Continue reading →I am beginning to wonder if Satan is hijacking our political outrage as a scheme to take our eyes off the Lord, the coming Kingdom of Heaven, and what Scripture warns us about end-time deceptions. Thanks to social media, I am seeing some of my minister friends getting obsessed with the current political situation in Washington and sounding almost exclusively … Continue reading →
I’m contemplating death today, because I just learned of the passing of Edith Waugh, a former church member from my Rock Hill, South Carolina days and wife of Les Waugh, whom I wrote about in a previous blog post. Edith was also the sitter for my children and allowed me the opportunity to be out and involved with church ministry, … Continue reading →
I realize that many Bible prophecy teachers are quick to say that the United States of America isn’t in Revelation. Many of these preachers pinpoint other countries in prophecy but emphatically conclude that the United States is not even mentioned. While I hold a great deal of respect for the ministry of those who are doing all within their power … Continue reading →
With the October 21, 2020 passing of my mother, I am beginning to feel what I’ve heard expressed so many times by adult children following the death of their last living parent. I am feeling the sentiment expressed by surviving children who say, “I feel like an orphan.” For me, it’s been over six-weeks of “I feel like an orphan” … Continue reading →
If you follow my Today’s Daily Promise devotionals you have likely noticed that I have recently been using the New International Version, having recently switched from using the English Standard Version. In this post I want to explain why I have been using the NIV again. This story has to begin in 1980 when I became a born again believer … Continue reading →
I don’t have any survey or research study to confirm my opinion, but I think brides tend to get bamboozled by the groom more than a groom gets bamboozled by the bride. I have some horror stories in my experience of officiating over 5000 weddings that point to the bride as intentionally deceiving the groom in order to get married, … Continue reading →
There is a verse in Matthew 10:30 that says that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” The context of the verse is Jesus telling the disciples to have no fear for those who oppose them. Jesus says, and I paraphrase, don’t fear those that can kill you when your Father God cares for even the sparrows, and … Continue reading →
I like assessment tools that are simple and not crazy complicated just to tell you something that you already know — marriage is going to have conflicts. I am a big believer in the 5 Love Languages, the 1 Corinthians 13 Practices, and the assessment tool that I developed below, using the word FORGIVE as a guide to work through … Continue reading →
The first verse of Revelation sets the approach for the prophecy we sometimes call the Apocalypse. It begins, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1). Revelation 1:1 points our attention to the Lord Jesus Christ as the focal point of the book and … Continue reading →
Many Bible teachers today point to the Antichrist of Bible prophecy as a very devilish character with obvious ill motives, but the understanding within Christian history is different. The word “anti” doesn’t just mean “against,” it means “in place of” so the more accurate view of an Antichrist would be one who puts himself in place of Christ. Below are … Continue reading →
In Luke 16:19-31 we have a story that Jesus told about a rich man who went to hell and Lazarus, a poor man who went to heaven. At question is, using this account as a literal story or example of what happens after we die? I frequently hear ministers point to this story as evidence of what happens after we … Continue reading →