The Maryland Inquisition

Considered here: the question of Separation of Church and State, and Maryland’s odd constitution. Article 36, as it now stands, first declares that as a Marylander, you have to believe in God. Later, it states you do not have to.

What Do You Most Need?

We are all familiar with the thought that what we most want is not necessarily the same as what we most need. And if this sounds like I am offering you a guaranteed method to satisfy all your needs, I am not! But I am going to deal with the ultimate big question – ‘Really, what do you most need?’ Yes, I know that answers will vary from one person to another, but I want to move beyond that.

The Identification of Personal Destiny – In Christ

Being comfortable in our own skin is done best and right when we know God accepts us unconditionally, in and through Christ, and we accept ourselves. Once we are so positioned, safely self-identified, knowing and living out our purpose is simpler, easier, and more satisfying. We are who we are because of Christ. Everything of good identity stems from this truth.

Revealed Word

To understand the Word of God, one must grasp the reality that the Holy Spirit is the revealer of Truth and without His leading the Bible simply become words of historical relevance. The Holy Spirit will help us begin our Biblical journey, but it will be our responsibility to accept and act upon the revealed Word.

Secular Fundamentalism

Beginning in the sixties and seventies with the eradication of school prayer and any reference to Christ or Christianity in the public square in the last decades of the twentieth century, this once-strong Christian nation has predictably spiraled into striking decline. To openly express one’s faith in God in contemporary society is to likely be met with stern rebuke, ridicule and scorn. Thanks in large part to the sickness that is secular fundamentalism, America has largely lost her moral compass.

The Presence of Anti-Christ

In these end days, we have seen the surge of anti-christian behavior, from our government and many so called main stream churches. Many today, as prophesied in scripture, have left the true faith and doctrine of Christianity and have gone after political correctness and false doctrine. Our governments have ignored the council of our Lord and have apologized for our Christian heritage and approach to world events and social lifestyles.

10 Reasons for Peer Mentoring – For Christian Fellowship and Discipleship

Christian fellowship and discipleship are enhanced through peer mentoring. Through many expressions of mutual trust and care we grow more and more into Christ-likeness.

Love Bears, Believes, Hopes, Endures

What are we without love? We are without hope or reason to live. Love is the essence of life. Love never loses faith and never loses hope. Love is never overcome. Rather, love overcomes.

Life’s Trinity – Faith, Hope, Love

Faith, hope, and love are the components of life. These three alone take us from point to point in our lives, and give us the ability to live the virtuous life. With these three we are able to move in alignment to the will of God.

Who Is Worthy of Adoration But God?

What, inevitably, and more importantly, who, is the source of our trust? Even more appropriately, who is worthy of our adoration more than God? This is an important question because it is characteristic of our humanity to devote ourselves to the things of humanity; we are, by nature, idolaters. We find sporting teams and stars, politicians, movie stars, rock musicians, artists, reality TV shows, famous pastors, our careers, our possessions, our families, our habits and addictions, and our achievements, etc, much more endearing than we find God alluring to our presence. This is because the world is in our face, yet God is the sole but silent Triune Actor in all creation.

Transcending Guilt and Shame

We can add nothing to the facts of our salvation. This is comprehensively the most wonderful knowledge all humankind could know. The things we can do nothing about – our once-separatedness from God – has been amended, and there is nothing we could do, now or ever, to interrupt this is all-consuming grace. Having been forgiven by God there is now no role for enduring guilt or shame. All that we would be guilty or ashamed of is now subsumed in the cross of Christ. Such a liberating truth sets us free to love every single day.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit works by both sanctification and conviction; to the Church, and the obedient follower of Christ, is pointed the former, yet the Spirit is also operant through conviction, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (see John 16:5-11). So the ministry of the Spirit is broader than the Church. Even beyond the evangelicalisation of the world, through missionary endeavours and the preaching of the Word, the ministry of the Spirit persists and endures through all manifestation of time and space. The Spirit has been poured out upon humankind, to the ends of all creation.