Featured Articles

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 In  a world of chaos and arguments, of wars and rumors of wars, of disunity  and division, of information and propaganda, the people of God – those  chosen before the creation of the world, must be careful of being drawn  in to these conflicts. We must guard our thoughts as we face powerful  forces which vie for our allegiance, our opinions, our emotions, and our  loyalty.  

We  are flung as stars into the night. Against a black expanse so great,  hover tiny points of light. Without which there would be nothing but  darkness, not anything to look to, or guide us. Nothing to light the  way, or point to the great light which emerges each morning. From a  distance these lights above us are only pinpoints, but the closer one  gets the brighter and bigger the light becomes. The stars flung into the  night become beacons for everyone. 

The  nations of the world are on shaky ground. News reports highlight the  turmoil in every region. No longer a simmer, but a full rolling boil,  nations are rising against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms. It seems  the people of the world are pushed to the edge by an invisible force  trying to pull the seams of civilization apart. It is gaining momentum.  It may subside, or it may reach a crescendo.  

We  walk as strangers among mankind, not fully fitting into the world’s  systems, and not fully walking in the heavenly realm. It can feel like  we are in between two worlds, but in fact we are not – we are right  where our Lord and Saviour wants us. At this very moment, as you read  these words, understand that you have not missed your mark, you have not  missed your calling, it is not too late for you to move forward in  God’s will for your life. We walk as strangers and our steps are ordered  by the Lord, not by man’s timelines, or systems, and not by outward  appearance, qualifications, or abilities. We are a people separate from  the world. 

King David was called a man after God’s own heart. 

That’s a big statement. 

Think  about this for a minute. Was David exceedingly good, pure, sinless,  without fault? Did he have some special trait that qualified him to be  known as a man after God’s own heart? I’ve often wondered what  characteristic he possessed to be called by such a wonderful, and to me,  an elusive title.  

The  prophet Isaiah walked the halls of power. He was advisor to four  different kings of Judah. He didn’t start at the bottom and try to work  his way up the ladder. He didn’t try to become an influencer. He  accepted his assignment, his orders, right where he was. But it was no  easy assignment and his orders were equally difficult.  

 In  the beginning was the word. (John 1:1 KJV) That word is truth. That  truth is what we must gauge our entire lives and our every step upon.  Many words circle the globe daily. Words beyond measure. Words that are  destructive and wrong and contrary to the true Word. Cutting through the  noise, the chaos, the hectic-driven forces behind those words is not  difficult. In Isaiah chapter 6 God gives the prophet a message. A  simple, clear, precise message 

Using  our senses to decipher the truth is common knowledge. We use our eyes  to see what is before us, or to discover what is hidden. We use our ears  to hear the words around us, including trying to recognize words or  sounds we don’t understand. We process this information, until it makes  sense. Our hearts weed out truth or falsehood, good intel or deception.  It is not arbitrary, but rather it is based on the facts we perceive,  process, and understand. 

The Holy Bible documents numerous battles and wars throughout the Old  Testament. King David recorded his thoughts, feelings, prayers, and  songs about wars, battles, enemies, victories and defeats in the Book of  Psalms, and there are numerous books of the Old Testament that record  these conflicts. In some of these wars the people of God (Israel) were  victorious, but in many they were not. Likewise, in the Book of  Revelation, we can read of the wars to come with the battle of Gog of  Magog (Russia), and most notably, the epic battle of Armageddon. 

We often view the Bible as a moral compass, a guidebook on the road of   life, and a book of answers to our worldly questions. How often do we   look closer into this book to find far more revelations than we could   imagine, analogies that apply to everyday situations, and answers to   physical and spiritual questions?