The use of e-cigarettes is sweeping the country; especially with teenagers who are embracing this product. Too many believe that e-cigarettes are not as harmful as cigarettes, but researchers are finding that e-cigarettes are damaging to your health. We know that e-cigarettes are another means to ingest an addictive chemical into your body (nicotine). Once an addictive chemical takes control of you, it controls your thoughts and actions. I can attest to the fact that breaking a nicotine addiction is one of the hardest things to do. I was a smoker for forty years and it took the near shutting …
Sacred Wedding Vows
I was part of a wedding ceremony this past week, which, for me, is one of the happiest services a pastor performs. A wedding is full of excitement and hope for the future. With that said, it can be easy to get caught up in the preparation and pageantry of the ceremony, causing those involved to forget the sacredness of the vows that the bride and groom exchange. A marriage between a man and a woman is God’s design. God established the marriage covenant in Genesis 2:24, God after introducing Adam to his beautiful wife, Eve; wrote, in His Book, …
The Church: The Voice of God
I had a funeral to officiate this past week. Funerals are one of the toughest services for a pastor to do, especially if the service is for someone who did not know Christ, which was not the case in this situation this lovely lady had been a Christian for many years. As I was preparing for the service I thought about two things: how quickly our lives pass by (the Bible describes our years on earth as a vapor, and how quickly it vanishes (cf. James 4:14 NKJV), and as a blade of grass, which so quickly fades away, “All …
The Resurrection of the Dead
I was sitting on the front porch enjoying a pleasant spring day when I noticed one of the Hostas plants bright, green leaf poking through the once frozen ground. I couldn’t help but think about Jesus’ confrontation with the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus answered them this way, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” …
The Whole Armor of God
While meditating on putting on the whole armor of God (cf. Ephesians 6:10—17), the thought creeped into my mind that putting on the armor of God is somewhat like preparing for a football game. Both require protective armor. A Christian puts on the “helmet of salvation;” a football player puts on head gear. A Christian puts on the “breastplate of righteousness;” a football player puts on his shoulder pads. A Christian wraps his “waist in truth” a football player wraps his waist with padding. A Christian must have his “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” while …