I have learned there are a lot of people who claim they hear from God or from the Holy Spirit who told them to do something, but often times it’s nothing more than justifying their own desire. It seems they just want to say it’s ok to do something they want to do and God’s voice becomes their “Rubber Stamp” of approval. Granted, there are people who do hear from the Lord but maybe, just maybe, there are more pretenders than practicers in the body of Christ than we realize.

Today we often hear in church that God wants to heal our broken heart but have we ever thought God might want our hearts broken instead? Is it possible that God requires a brokenness in our souls in order for us to be truly healed? In scripture we often get confused when understanding how and when God restores us and thus we may in fact fight against the process He designed for our own restoration.

These days very few writers talk about the fear of the Lord because I think that they probably don’t understand the topic from God’s perspective in the scripture and because they think it is only an Old Testament concept which is outdated because Jesus came. So, is the topic useful to those who believe in Jesus or is it an outdated concept for Bible believing Christians?

Have you ever felt like God is not listening to your prayer? I know I have, and that feeling may not be wrong depending on the motive of our hearts when we pray, and whether we have kept short accounts with God regarding our sins. Although I believe God wants to hear us our own “Position” in life may deny us such access. Consider what king David wrote about God and his prayers, and see if you understand his insight concerning whether God is listening or not.

We are often told that fear is bad and there are a multitude of book & tapes on how to overcome fear but what if we are trying to get rid of something that is meant for our good? What if fear can actually enable us to succeed in life rather than fail?

People are born with an innate desire to build relationships and friendships. God made us to be “Social Creatures.” But, what happens if we encounter bad relationships or friendships? These bad encounters can, and often do, hinder our willingness to be open and transparent with people which is a building block in cultivating future relationships. This includes building a healthy friendship with God.

I was a very rebellious individual in my younger days and one of the most challenging parts of becoming a Christian, even after believing in God’s existence, was that I knew my rebellion had to be broken if I was going to be able to embrace the forgiveness of Christ.

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I have learned over my years of walking with the Lord that I have often spoken truth, but not always at the right time. I also have learned that I have spoken out of frustration rather than out of wisdom. I am amazed that God uses people like me and you, who, more often than not, use words poorly that end up hurting our pursuits rather than helping them. The words we speak can end up cutting people rather than healing them. This does not mean we should never use “Tough Words,” but we should seek the guidance of God and not just act out in a fleshly way.

I am glad that most churches conduct baptism during their Sunday services and not at some small service during the week but I  am usually disappointed when I see them because they are so hurried.  Sometimes they ask the person who is being baptized a few yes or no questions.  Why is it that something as significant as baptism is rushed through quickly? 

If you have been raised in a church culture, often you can have a narrow perspective of who God might use and why. What I am referring to is that “FLAWED” people can often be rejected because of some past problems. Somehow, Christians tend to think or are taught that God only uses pure and un-defiled people when there are so many examples and instances of just the opposite.