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At Christmas time, we all have traditions we follow. Those good traditions bring families together in joyful celebrations. There is another kind of tradition - a negative kind. These are the unexamined religious traditions. They can lead us away from a pure and simple...
Every individual, city, and nation will have an opportunity to respond to the message of Jesus or to reject Him. The choices people make about the message of Jesus will determine their fate. After Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, His familiarity with the...
Jesus revealed a principle of spiritual warfare while He was asleep in the back of a boat, as a severe storm struck while the Lord and His disciples were crossing a lake. Water began to enter the boat as Jesus continued sleeping. His disciples, men experienced in...
Grief that comes from the loss of someone or something can be devastating. It can immobilize our faith. So can divorce or failure. The wisest of counsel cannot produce our healing The evidence that we have crossed the Rubicon of our suffering is the presence of joy...
Two choices will protect us in times of trouble: integrity and honesty. Holding onto what we know is true and right will place the outcome of our lives in God’s hands. It will be our place of safety. David wrote about those things when his life and reputation...
Our weather service just warned our area that a strong storm is coming. They predict extensive rain and flash floods. In the Spirit, storms are also coming that will arrive in seasons where we would not expect their appearance. It is just a bit after 4:00 a.m., and I...
“The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Immanuel is a word used frequently during Christmas. His presence is larger than a theological concept or definition. It...
I remember the first time I heard a car backfire. The loud and piercing sound broke through the normal sounds of life and got my attention. The backfire was the sound of something coming to life. No matter the depths of evil being planned and expressed in our world,...
After a recent windstorm, I was hiking along a familiar trail past where a prominent old dead tree once stood. I’ve passed by that old tree for years. Under the wind's influence, the tree was sheared off, causing the tree to fall. When I saw the fallen tree, the Lord...
Jesus told His disciples, “You will all fall away, for it is written 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered'” (Mark 14: 27). Falling away requires a situation when we are in danger and our life is on the line. Imagine if you were told to kneel...
When the end of this age occurs, it will be a very troubling time. Even families will be divided over Jesus. The Lord told His disciples that the rejection of Jesus would be widespread, and as a result, “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands...
The country singer, Alan Jackson, sings a song titled, “The Older I Get.” In the song, there is one line that says if he found the Fountain of Youth, he wouldn’t drink a drop. He went on to sing that he is thankful for the life he has been given and in that good life,...
When a police officer responds to a “hot” call, emotions are high as the officer makes their way to the crime scene. This emotional response multiplies when other officers also respond to the same incident. It was always a problem when one of the responding officers,...
All of us are living in a time of transition, both in the Church and within culture. This time of transition is not our destination. Knowing that reality will prepare us for what is coming. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1102804481011705
We have entered the Christmas season, and we all celebrate family traditions. The Elkins home has family traditions as well. There is nothing wrong with our traditions if they are not linked to our salvation. That linkage is dangerous. Those religious traditions are...