February 2018 Blog Posts (13)

The first was named Peleg – “division” – for during his lifetime the people of the world

were divided into different language groups.

1 Chronicles 1:19 NLT

In your time, the earth is…

Billy Graham once told a humorous story revealing how he could stay so humble, even while accomplishing so much. He was an evangelical superstar, to say the least. Yet when one of his long-time friends reflecting on Graham’s ministry, he said, “Billy always saw himself as just a farm boy from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was amazed that God could use him like He did.”

Before I share Graham’s quite revealing story, it’s important to note the contrast between him and many of…

Countless books and blogs could be written about the many admirable qualities of Billy Graham. But to me, one of his most remarkable examples was the loyalty and teamwork of his evangelistic team.

As someone who has spent man decades with Christian churches and ministries, I assure you that this quality is extremely rare. Yet, while most Christian organizations are marked by a constant turnover of personnel, Billy Graham stood out in his ability to assemble a team that…

They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves.

2 KINGS 17:15 NLT

They lived a “nothing” life and became “nothings.”

THE MESSAGE…

An important attribute for having a happy and successful life is the ability to make smooth transitions. Why? Because transitions are one of the most inescapable features of life.

Instead of remaining a baby, we transition to childhood. After childhood, we encounter numerous changes as we shift into our teen years. After that, we’re invited to mature into an adult…a senior citizen…and, after we die, a citizen of eternity.

There are many other transitions along the way, and…

When I was in college, all my friends were Democrats, except for one roommate, who was a member of the Young Republicans club on campus. But we were still friends, and in fact he was in my wedding. For the past four decades I have worked in a religious environment described as a “Conservative Resurgence” where friends were fired or pressured to resign, in fact, some of my best friends, disappeared almost overnight. But they were still my friends and continue to be so today. Over the years I…

Calling versus Career

A few thoughts from Chuck Proudfit with the Marketplace Minute™ . . .

Have you ever felt like your work doesn’t matter to God?  That the only way to do real ministry is to leave the marketplace and find employment at a local church or charity?

We can forget that ALL work is a form of worship and a path to ministry.  In the Book of Genesis, the first thing God did for Adam, before the Fall, was to…

King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria in Damascus.

The altar in Damascus made a great impression on him.

He sent back to Uriah the priest a drawing and set of blueprints of the altar.…

A few thoughts from Chuck Proudfit with the Marketplace Minute™ . . .

Have you ever struggled with career choices?  I sure have.  Consider these wise words, from Isaiah 48:17 . . . “This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”

This scripture is speaking of obedience.  God is the teacher, and we are the students.  He knows what is…

Hazael king of Aram badgered and bedeviled Israel all through the reign of Jehoahaz.

But God was gracious and showed mercy to them.

He stuck with them out of respect for his…

Quite sometime. The human landscape, from one nation to another calls for serious prayers and engaging and re-engaging that the way out of human dilemma lies in the LORD Jesus word- "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The issue of discipling the nations becomes also very imperative. However, my observation is that the Church is not very coordinated about this -let me say this as I watched the region that I belong to. I would like to see a…

I recently gained an important spiritual insight from an unlikely source. I was listening to a radio program touting the benefits of a new weight-loss craze called the Ketogenic Diet.

The basic concept of the Ketogenic Diet is that you should only consume calories during 8 hours of the day, such as from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The remaining 16 hours should be spent burning off the calories you’ve already consumed and the fat that’s already stored in your cells.

“Most of us Americans…

The most fulfilling journey in life is the path of a person who has an intimate relationship with God, and who faithfully follows Him. Is it the easiest path to walk? No. Is it the inside track to popularity? No. But is it the inside track to joy? Yes, for eternal reasons.

Step one, for any person who yearns to experience this journey (i.e., a “disciple”), starts at the…