Here are 12 Bible promises that have an application to an array of different trials or circumstances of living with a biblical faith. One of my favorite quotes on this subject is from Ellen White and it is “If we commit the keeping of our souls to God in the exercise of living faith, His promises will not fail us; … Continue reading →
Growing old is not easy, when you consider that our physical bodies deteriorate and we simply fall apart. When we age we lose certain functions. Our vision fades, our joints ache, and even short walks become an unwelcome chore. As an aging follow of Christ, don’t think you are any less valuable to the Lord or the Kingdom of God … Continue reading →
Years ago I worked with a chaplain who would frequently tell me, “Don’t lose your peace.” This chaplain was an Irish Catholic nun who had one of the most beautiful characters you would ever meet. She was older, close to retirement at the time, and her wisdom was refreshing to our pastoral care team at this hospital. Her statement, “Don’t … Continue reading →
Most of us have heard it said, “When it’s your turn to go, it’s your turn to go” or “When your number comes up, there’s nothing you can do about it” or “We all have an appointed time to go.” I think there is a lot of truth to these statements because I’ve seen otherwise perfectly healthy people not respond … Continue reading →
There was a time in my life, shortly after my auto accident miracle and conversion that I relate in my Personal Testimony, when I asked myself what is my ultimate unwavering unquestionable standard of truth. At the time my life turned toward God and away from the things of the world, and I felt a need to identify my own … Continue reading →
There is a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes that I find very intriguing. It is just a quick interjection of a simple thought but recently while I was listening to the book of Ecclesiastes while driving down the road, it captured my attention. The verse is Ecclesiastes 5:20 and it says, “They seldom reflect on the days of their … Continue reading →
As a hospital chaplain I am frequently around families at the bedside of their dying loved one. When they die, it is very common to hear family comfort one another by saying that their loved one is now in Heaven and out of pain. While it is encouraging for the family to find comfort in this thought, my mind tends … Continue reading →
When a loved one lays unconscious and dependent on a machine to breathe or a simple drive to the grocery store is interrupted by a drunk driver or a physician informs you that the pain you thought was a pulled muscle is actually stage 4 cancer, we ask Why? Why do bad things happen? In this post I want to pull … Continue reading →
I recently heard a news story about the perceived rudeness among the public and especially from those who once were concerned about providing customer service. The news story shared some examples, cited the COVID lock down as the probable reason, and said the solution to this problem is for all of us to just keep to ourselves. While I agree … Continue reading →
I’m not one to comment on everything that happens in our society and culture, especially when it involves celebrities, but the recent passing of Jimmy Buffett is an opportunity for me to remind us all of the obvious. The obvious is that death doesn’t care if you are a billionaire or a pauper, it’s going to have its day with … Continue reading →
There is a passage in Revelation where Jesus compliments the church at Ephesus and then gives them a warning to return to the things they did at first. This is what He says, “You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5 NIV). … Continue reading →
The doctrine of the “second coming” or what some call “the rapture” are not presented in the Bible for an intellectual exercise but it is there to spur us on to hope. I realize that some students of prophecy think the second coming and the rapture are two different events, while many recognize them as the same. Here, I wish … Continue reading →
As a chaplain at a trauma hospital just miles from the beaches of the upper Gulf Coast, I frequently deal with patients and families who have had diving accidents. In my experience, diving accidents best sum up what it means to have your world shattered. Diving accidents means a family has come to our coast waters and beaches for relaxation … Continue reading →
Today, we recognize the whole person as having three interactive dimensions of body, mind, and spirit. We care for the body through proper nutrition and exercise. We care for the mind through similar efforts that help keep us grounded in reality and social behavior. But what about the spirit? How do we care for our spirit? Well, it is the … Continue reading →
The gospel is the good news of Christ’s redemptive plan to deliver us out of Satan’s grip in the world around us. It is the good news that Jesus stepped into humanity to become the sacrifice for our sins to rightfully redeem us from this fallen world. Here is what I call the ABC’s of the Gospel because they tell … Continue reading →
The trials we face are different from the trials that another will face. All trials test us in a sense because they can be tools to adjust our faith in God or draw us further in opposition of Him. The trials that we all face come in many forms like disease, poverty, emotional distress, relationship conflict, stress, and may be … Continue reading →
Harmony is a quality that helps maintain spiritual strength. In the workplace, the community, or home, harmonious relationships are less stressful and more productive to whatever the end that partnership should produce. The Apostle Paul advises, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12:18 (NIV). When conflict exists in our … Continue reading →
I’ve been contemplating 2 Timothy 4:8 and Paul’s mention of those who “love his appearing.” Paul is reflecting on the end of his life and ministry and writes, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them … Continue reading →
One of the saddest things for me to witness is a person who is nearing the end of their days without any spiritual strength to draw from. It’s something I’ve seen many times in my pastoral and hospital chaplaincy ministry. An individual is facing death but having no spiritual strength in them their emotional stress is compounded with spiritual distress. … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we completed our study through the book of Matthew when we opened to its final chapter. In Matthew 28 we dealt with the resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission. One of the things that caught our attention was Matthew’s account of how the soldiers were bribed by the priests to lie and report that the … Continue reading →
This past Sunday we opened to Matthew 24 and had a good discussion on the signs of the end as given by Jesus to His disciples. We saw that Jesus gave this discourse with the purpose stated in Matthew 24:42-44 that we would all “Therefore keep watch…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at … Continue reading →
I want to encourage us all to stay focus on Jesus and not get dragged down with the anxieties of these times, the startling headlines, or the sorrows that life can throw our way. Remember when Peter walked on water, he was fine as long as his eyes were fixed on the Lord, but the minute he began to focus … Continue reading →
This past Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we examined the 20th chapter of Matthew, but we spent the bulk of our time discussing the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The chapter engaged us with the stories of Jesus healing two blind men, the mother of James and John asking Jesus to make her sons the two highest in command … 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 →