I Once Was Blind, But Now I See

When Worship Becomes Idolatry By: Adrian  Ashmore Board of Directors for Seeking the City May 17, 2023 Due to the nature of sin and its pervasive working in our lives we often take what God gives us, to bless us, and turn it into an object of worship.  Maybe it’s a new job or a spouse or a child?  No matter what it is, if we love it more than God, if we seek to know it better than God, if we spend more time enjoying it than God, we have made it an idol.  For some it’s sports, for others it is science, and for many Christians it is the Church or better said certain aspects of the Church. God has given us ministers to faithfully preach the word, teachers to teach it, members to fellowship with, and choirs and worship teams to prepare our hearts to hear the word of God.  All those things are wonderful and I, for one, am thankful we have them.  But if we go to church for the teacher, the preacher, a certain family or friend, the music, or anything other th...

THE LIFE YOU ARE CALLED TO: PART 1 By Jeremy Gentry May 2, 2023 Last night, I stayed up late praying. The Lord has put a huge burden on my heart, as of late, for the people we've been meeting in the motel mission and to the homeless that I've been trying to share the Gospel with. I teach a Monday night Bible study, and we discussed this last night, and it's been stuck in my head and my heart. For one thing, it seems unbiblical that we live in a country as wealthy (materially, definitely not spiritually) as America and yet, there are literally millions of children who go to bed hungry every night. It is sad that families have to live in rundown one-room motels, just to avoid being out in the elements. Many people in this country treat this group of people like dirt. This is the epitome of living for yourself, not for Christ. However, what I cannot understand is the way many "Christians" view those in these situations. Not only those who are homeless or live in mote...

Why was the statement "By Christ Alone" such a divisive issue? In the 1500's, Martin Luther was brainwashed to look to his priest, pope, Mary, and other saints as mediators between him and God. The Catholic Church's only way to maintain this stronghold is to not allow the Bible to be translated into an everyday language. The way false belief systems could maintain their legitimacy was by controlling the information that goes out to the public. Even though Martin Luther was trained in this false belief system, God opened His eyes the heretical teaching of the Catholic Church. Martin Luther realized the meaning of Hebrews 4:14-16 which says, " Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.   For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.   Let us then with con...

This is probably one of the most misunderstood topics. Please do not write me off at this point. Please finish reading it. It is ok if you disagree with me. Write a comment, and let's talk about it. Before we get started, allow me to share two examples that will help us understand grace a little bit better. It is generally taught that faith has three different levels. First, data faith consists of people believing that Jesus is a historical person. Some people may believe that he was a prophet, or simply a nice man. Second, James 2:19 states that even the demons believe in God and they tremble. Third, there is reliance faith. This is where we rely on God to save us. The reason that I am talking about this verse is because when we realize that there are different levels of faith or belief, then we have to consider different levels or types of grace.  An other example is that there are different kinds of revelation: general revelation and special revelation. Psalm 19: 1 says, " ...

All of Holy Scripture, from beginning to end, points solely to Christ as our source for grace and truth. - Martin Luther The idea "By Scripture Alone" comes from a rebuttal towards the Catholic Church adding to Scripture and salvation. " The doctrine of justification of the Roman Catholic Church then and now is grounded in works of penance, the treasury of merit, and other elements established in tradition, not the Word of God." ( https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/scripture-alone) These additions were accepted because of the Bible not being in the common language of everyday people. The people did not have any grounds of contradicting the Catholic Church. Live in fear was the biggest push from the Catholic Church. In today's world, it is about you not having enough faith. If you are not healthy, then you must not have enough faith. You are not rich, then you must not have enough faith. This type of faith is not about Jesus. It is about placing your fait...

 Naomi and I drove to the Georgia Diner in Tallapoosa (Great place to eat if you have never been there) for breakfast on our way to the after surgery check-up. It was raining all the way there. We didn't seem to have too much nervousness going into the appointment.  We started to go into the parking deck, and Naomi said "Awe...this seems so nostalgic!" Usually you don't have that type of reaction after cancer surgery. We really did have a great experience there. Everyday we walked the paring deck, so we knew that place very well. We headed up to the 7th floor to see the doctor. The first nurse we saw did a few eye tests. She asked a series of questions about headaches, dizziness, etc., and I said no to all of the questions. I noticed that she looked back at me with a little shocked look. Soon after the doctor came in. He looked through the magnifying instrument that shines a light directly into my soul (the light that is as bright as the sun), and he said "Your e...

For those who do not know, my mom is not expected to live that much longer. She has suffered with dementia for around 11 years. Naomi first noticed it when Ethan was around 12 years old.  Dementia is a horrible disease, and it eventually changes the entire personality of the person. In what is probably her final weeks on earth, I would like to write a short tribute to my memories of her. Sarah Dianne Milam was born and raised in Attalla, AL. Her family was heavily involved at Red Hill United Methodist Church. They were so involved in the United Methodist denomination that they also volunteered a good bit of time at Camp Sumatanga (the local United Methodist camp). Many of my relatives served in the kitchen there. Mom loved her denomination so much, that she somehow convinced my dad to give me the middle name Wesley (after John Wesley). Mom was pretty much a rebel at heart. Whenever dad went away on a hunting, golf, or ministry trip our house turned into a party. We bought everythin...