Like others who blog I follow blogs. But something has happened over time. Only 9 of the bloggers have posted anything in the last year! What happened?

So, O God, I pray for those people who have shared their thoughts and lives with me through blogs over the years. For those who no longer feel called to write, may they know they were appreciated. For those whose lives are in such a place that they no longer have the time or energy to write, I lift them up to You in Your mercy. If any have passed through the veil into Your heavenly arms, I pray for their family and close friends and colleagues. Jesus, I am grateful for the contributions that each made in my spiritual journey, and the glory they brought to Your Name.

Human beings are rebellious. Whatever God’s instructions may be, they pervert them, and have reams of justifications for it.

The thing that drives humans up the wall is the utter simplicity of God’s grace and our obedience in it.

Humans make the simple voice of God into doctrine. Whether it is the Five-fold ministry, speaking tongues, Church authority, we make doctrine and to embellish the word of God and argue about how it applies, instead of simple obedience.

Praying during worship in Tanzania

For instance, Colossians 4 describes the life of discipleship as two things: pray + witness. There is no division of ministry, no miraculous overlay and no hierarchy of ecclesiastical authority. Just two things define mission and ministry: pray and witness. No doctrine or systematic theology, no conferences to teach a perception of Jesus, just two things.

“2 Keep praying. Pay attention when you offer prayers of thanksgiving. 3 At the same time also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to speak the word so that we may tell the mystery about Christ. It is because of this mystery that I am a prisoner. 4 Pray that I may make this mystery as clear as possible. This is what I have to do. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside the Christian faith. Make the most of your opportunities. 6 Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.” (God’s Word ©)

Why were humans driven from the Garden of Eden? Because they thought, “the tree had fruit that was good to eat, nice to look at, and desirable for making someone wise” (Genesis 3:6 God’s Word ©). The very face-to-face life with God was not enough; they wanted to be wise, and as a result turned into arrogant, egotistical brain fumblers.

The apostles had these instructions: “We told them that they should not eat food sacrificed to false gods, bloody meat, or the meat of strangled animals. They also should not commit sexual sins” (Acts 21:26 God’s Word ©). In other words, avoid cultural norms for compromised living, and keep sex for love-making!

Do you know how many thousands of words denominations have as regulations to be a proper church member? And have all these doctrines and all this polity made the present-day Church a more powerful witness in the world than in the first generation of the Church? No!

Remember this verse that almost all Christians memorize: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33 KJV). There is no instruction from God to follow, obey or serve doctrine and denominational peculiarities.

God first. Everything germinates from that.

Prayer does not change God’s mind – it changes ours. (eg. Abraham and Sodom, during which Abraham kept changing the limits of his request until he finally gave in to God completely, in Genesis 18:17-33.) Read more…

This song has filled my mind for weeks. I share it for pure encouragement – not judgment.

Original sin, which I call The Eden Syndrome, pervades our world and personal lives to the point of overwhelming us. Read more…

Hammer. Hammer. Hammer. God at work. Read more…

Two things have recently happened in Canada (one in Ontario, specifically) to remind the faithful followers of Jesus that we are in a battle for souls. This is not a game; it is a life and death struggle. Read more…

The subtle deception, wrapped in sheep’s wool, catching Christians who are not alert. And then when the deception is pointed out to them they defend the false teacher. Does that make sense? Read more…

Do you have sins that keep rising to the surface? Impatience, addictions, sarcastic mouth, lust… And have you prayed to God for victory? And do the problems persist anyway? Read more…

Scripture tells us we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity, meaning… ninety-five percent of the time we turn away from providing for the needs of [people]… To walk in sin is natural for us to do, but now becoming Christians we have a new nature. Read more…