“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light,…
Read moreGod Works in Mysterious Ways
My family and I had an extreme life-changing decision that we were going to make. Over several years, we had grown discontent and allowed bitterness to motivate our conversation and our little prayer life. Our grand scheme for overturning this unfortunate situation was to uproot our family and establish roots in another state, job, and…
Read moreThe Great Architect
The Tabernacle was a wonderful place of mercy and forgiveness. However, this “tent” was not meant to be the source of deliverance for all time. The pangs that the Lord endured to deliver his redemptive plan are mind-boggling, especially when we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God” and…
Read moreLeadership Studies
The assignment was simple. Write and submit an essay about the principles learned during our sessions. I began to do the math; if there were four classes and the report was 1,000 words, I could reflect on each lesson and compose roughly 250 words for each topic. I cannot say that I am surprised, but…
Read morePastoral Studies: Guest Instructor
This semester has been another outstanding term at Purpose Institute. I especially enjoy the Friday night leadership courses because they give us the opportunity to learn from the experiences of pastors and teachers who have seen both failure and success. These failures and triumphs will help us going forward and save time by not repeating…
Read moreThe power of Satan
When reading the book of Job, we come to a conversation between the Lord and satan in which the Lord has permitted satan to prove Job’s integrity. In this conversation, the Lord mentions that all Job has is in Satan’s power. What does that mean, and what is satan’s power? I want to review each…
Read moreA Purging Fire
Second Peter is an exciting passage. Peter had come a long way from the days of a short-tempered fisherman who denied the knowledge of Christ. Peter was now an Apostle, a church leader. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, called for a purpose, delivering the Gospel amid newly blurred racial lines, and working in miracles, Peter…
Read moreTeaching a Bible Study
I begin with this statement: I do not believe there is any substitute for one-on-one evangelism. Going into someone’s home or inviting them to your house and discovering answers is a proven Biblical formula for discipleship. As technology advances, this format may be the only way to reach some who spend countless hours online. So,…
Read moreEarly Church Fundamental
When asked to identify something foundational for the early church, my mind gravitated directly to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the catalyst and most basic requirement for all we do. It brings “Spiritual birth” (John 3:5); the Spirit guides us into all truth (John16:13) and teaches us…
Read moreHe has Made Me Glad
“Glad” is being pleased, delighted, and causing happiness (Oxford Languages, Google). Gladness should be as big a part of the Christian attitude and demeanor as any other attribute of being Spirit-filled. The scripture says this is the day the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad. (Ps 118:24). Ps 122:1 also states I…
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