God Will Judge Idolatry!

We have just celebrated Veteran's Day, a day before we commemorated the Marine Corps's Birthday, we are attempting to boycott athletes and the NFL, we are attempting to promote a John Wayne nationalistic patriotism through the president, but listen, it is all for nothing - "...when a land (read USA) sins against me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out my hand against it..." 

America, repent! Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were found to be alive and preaching in America they could not stay the judgment of God. America, stop looking to a man for "salvation" turn to God, repent! 

(Read Ezekiel 14 & 15 prayerfully, carefully, and tearfully.)

Thank You to all Vets!

Happy Veteran's Day to all active duty 

and honorably discharged Vets!

Happy Birthday USMC!

October 18, 1972 - October 17, 1975

USMCRD San Diego - Oct 18, 1972 to Jan 19, 1973

USMCR - San Jose Oct, 1976 to Aug 1978

Served with:

HMM 261 @ New River Air Station, Jacksonville, NC

HMH 461 @ New River Air Station, Jacksonville, NC

VMA 211 - MCAS Iwakuni, Iwakuni, Japan

VMA 311 MCAS Beaufort, Beaufort, SC

Why Read the Bible Regularly?

As I was meditating on my assigned reading today, a thought happened to strike me. As I forced my tired eyes open and tried to "clear" my foggy brain, I mused about the effort it took to keep my "habit" of daily reading the bible.

The reason dawned on me that the reason I do my best to keep my appointment with God regularly, was so that God through His Word can do a deep work in my soul for His glory and my good. I actually am hoping with a zealous desire that God will do at least four (4) things in my life as I regularly read, study, and meditate in His Word. These four (4) works are:

• that God wold continue to free me from habitual sin, or what Paul called "besetting sins."

• that God would heal wounds from my past

• that God would reveal His will for my life

• that God would instruct me in the ways of righteous living

Allow me to encourage you to establish these same goals from your bible reading. Please, read the bible regularly!

Four Steps to a Meaningful Devotion

Step One - Request the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what He desires to highlight and teach you as your read Scripture during your devotion.

Step Two - Read a passage of scripture, ranging from a paragraph to a chapter from your reading plan.

Step Three - Record in your devotional/prayer journal the things that you sense God is highlighting, teaching, or emphasizing in the passage that you have read.

Step Four - Reflect and meditate on what you have read and written in your devotional/prayer journal on the ways in which you can implement and apply the principles contained in the passage that yo have read.

Reading Your Bible for Life

I find it somewhat difficult to believe that 2017 is coming to an end. The new year of 2018 is just a little over 6 weeks away. As this year winds down, it is time to start thinking about your spiritual goals for the coming year. I start about mid-November looking back at my goals for this year and evaluating how I did in completing them. 

After my evaluation, I then begin to think, pray, and develop my goals for the coming year. Don't forget, I live by several axioms; one of which is, "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."

One area of planning that needs some deep thought is that of your bible reading goals for 2018. You need to have a bible reading plan chosen and put into place so that you can begin the first day of the New Year in the Scriptures. There are several, and I mean several Bible reading plans available on the Internet than can be down-loaded for free and tucked into your bible. Here is a plan that I am contemplating. I offer as a suggestion for you to consider.

Why Do I Hate, Fear, Loathe, Despise, and Resist Death?

This morning as I began to pray, I prayed for the families of those killed yesterday in Texas. I even thanked God that no gunman had broken into the services of the Trinity Bible Church yesterday. 

Then as I read from my devotional this morning, the first question for me to consider was in essence, "Why do I resist death?" Why are we so loathe to die and depart this sin-soaked world to posses an everlasting rest promised by God? 

Richard Baxter wrote, "If God enacted a law for the continuance of our life until we are truly willing, heaven might be empty, and our lives on this earth would be very long." He also adds, "O, if we would believe the promises of glory, we would be impatient for living."

 Now, I am not going to run out this morning into the path of a bus, but I hope I love Christ and the hope of glory more than I love this life.