As we approach a new calendar year, a time many people establish resolutions and goals for self improvement, I thought this passage from 2 Peter 1:3-9 would be a great place to inspire a mindset of incorporating our faith in our resolutions.

Over the next few days, I am going to write a series of messages based on this passage which says;

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.” NLT
Dear Lord, thank you for giving us everything we need to live the godly life you desire for us. Help us rely on your support as we strive to do your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I sometimes wonder why some of these atheist organizations are so opposed to Christianity. They successfully pushed prayer and teaching of creation out of Public schools, they are trying to remove crosses from memorial sites, and even trying to have all the gravestones at Arlington cemetary changed from crosses to something else.

Jesus predicted this when he was living. In Matthew 24:9 Jesus says, “You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.”

In other parts of the world, the stakes are even higher as we have read about the killing of people because they are Christian, and the destruction of Christian historic sites and artifacts.

Jesus tells us not to fear however, In Matthew 10:26, “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you.” and verses 28-31, “Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

And in Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus tells us to stand up and acknowledge Christ saying, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”

We need to have courage and stand up for our Christian faith, resist the push to eliminate Christianity from our culture, and vote for people who support Christian values.

Dear Lord, We have had such a wonderful history in America as a country where most people supported and defended Christian values. Help us keep that tradition alive, and give us the courage to stand up against those who would try to silence your good news. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a never ending discussion about the conflict between religion and science. In reality it is not a debate between God and Science, it is a debate between a belief in God and a belief that there is no God.

For those of us that believe in God, there really is no conflict between science and religion. We believe God created everything, and therefore science is the study of God’s creation.

Often people’s success at discovering, learning, excelling and achieving sets them up to believing that they can know and control everything. I believe, as a result of manipulation by the devil, this positive drive to achieve can be turned into arrogance. This manipulation began in the Garden of Eden with the temptation of Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 The desire to be “like God” tempted Eve to disobey God’s rules.

The similar motivation occurred in the story of the Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:3-4 writes “The people who lived there began to talk about building a great city, with a temple-tower reaching to the skies—a proud, eternal monument to themselves.” The people discovered technology allowing for construction of tall buildings, and followed this into arrogance.

Throughout the years discoveries are made, and theories are developed expanding our knowledge of the Universe. It has become quite clear to me that the fundamental dispute in this God vs Science debate is the “world view” that we start with. If we believe God created it all, we will marvel at these new discoveries of God’s fantastic creation, but if people don’t want to believe in God, they can use new discoveries to come up with interpretations to support their disbelief in God.

Dear Lord, We know that the attempts to lead people astray will continue until you return. Help us remember to use the intelligence you gave us to understand your creation rather than being manipulated into exalting ourselves over you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many professions require routine training in order to keep up with the latest technology and techniques or just maintain important skills. Doctors and Nurses, teachers, programmers, pilots, and many others have regular requirements for training and testing. Some jobs require regular training and testing just to be eligible to keep working.

In a similar way, it is important for us to continue our study of God’s teaching in the bible to reinforce the knowledge, learn more, and give God the opportunity to connect with us through his word. Obviously we will not lose our license to be a Christian if we do not keep studying, but Hebrews 2:1 says, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”

The important message for us is that regular reading and listening to the “truth,” the good news of Salvation.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us the truth in your word, the Bible. Help us read and listen carefully so that we do not drift away. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those who have his good will!” Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas! On this day we celebrate the transition from the Old Testament days when God’s people believed for a Savior to come, to the New Testament believers that Jesus came as God on earth to save us.

The amazing thing about Christianity is that God came to earth to save people. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves, we are at the mercy of God’s grace. Thank God, he loves us and did all the work.

As John writes in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Dear Lord, We praise and thank you for coming to earth to save us. Help us to always remember how you humbled yourself to be our savior, and as a result all we must do is accept you to be saved. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.