Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that as you have been challenged by the issue of rampant idolatry within our nation, so has my family. By now, for those of you who have opened your eyes to the presence of idols in the marketplace and in the public square, you have seen that there is virtually no where you can go where something detestable to the Lord our God is not present. Sadly, this includes many so-called Christian stores. I do not bring forth the challenge to purge idolatry from your lives because it edifies me in any way, but because I am one sent forth by the Lord your God to warn you of things that are harming you. Therefore, do not let yourselves become frustrated or angry in any way, but in all things earnestly seek the Lord’s Face and He will show you what is proper in His sight. Remember, Christ’s primary witness to all mankind was obedience.

“But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me…” —John...

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When you research the meaning of Christmas you encounter all sorts of articles on the subject and various points of view, but there is only one truth: Christmas is all about Jesus Christ!

Christmas literally means "Christ's Mass" and is a time for the body of the church to gather together to celebrate the birth of our Savior, the promised Messiah.

As some of you may have discovered, the Holy Scriptures are nonspecific about the exact day of Jesus' birth. So why do we celebrate it on December 25th?

Some time ago I lifted this question to the Lord in prayer and, as usual, He answered me with something very profound. The reason why we don't know about the exact time of the Messiah's birth is that it is not the main witness for which He was sent by the Father.

So, have you ever considered what Jesus in heaven would have us celebrate as His most important day?

There can be only one event that stands above every other biblical witness, and that is when Jesu...

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Christians today, especially in the United States, get so carried away by their freedom they forget that they are not free from God’s Law. The Holy Spirit taught the first apostles that while eating “unclean” meats or being uncircumcised in flesh did not preclude you from heaven, the Law remained unwavering on sins that lead unto death. First among these sins is to forsake the Lord your God when you are supposed to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. When you embrace and appease idolatry in any form, you are violating this interminable Commandment.

You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. —Acts 15:29

At the heart of idolatry is not one’s desire to worship objects crafted by human hands, but to honor oneself. It is the same choice that Adam and Eve made to eat the fruit of the tree ...

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When you forsake the world to walk with Jesus as our family has, many things most people ignore tend to stand out like eyesores. Lately, the Lord has brought to our attention the shocking prevalence of idols in our society. Nearly everywhere you turn they are graven into buildings, molded into lampposts, carved into walkways, glorified in books, music, plays and movies, and litter the aisles of nearly every shopping center you visit. You might even find them within your own homes, because so many Christians have let themselves be conned into accepting things offered to demons.

Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. —1 Corinthians 10:19-21
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As Clara, the kids and I count our blessings, having received by the Lord’s Hand a one bedroom apartment for Thanksgiving, we were reminded yesterday that not everyone in the United States will be enjoying a Thanksgiving feast within the comfort of a warm roof. While making a stop at a marketplace in a poor part of Austin, I spotted a man out of the corner of my eye, sitting in the shadow of a dumpster. He smiled and lifted his hand with a slight wave, as if to simply say ‘Hi.’ I instantly knew this was the Lord’s appointment.

Without delay, I walked over to him, crouched down and held out my hand. “I’m Thomas,” I introduced myself, taking notice of a pair of crosses, one wooden and the other metal.

Reaching out with his dirt-stained hand he shook mine and replied, “Felipe.”

“Tienes Jesús?” I asked him.

“Si, Yo quiero mucho Jesús,” he replied patting his crosses and looking up with a heartfelt expression of devotion. I ...

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The other day as my family drove north on I-17 from Phoenix we witnessed a spectacle in the sky we could not explain. It was at the time of sunset, but in the eastern sky was what appeared to be a sunrise! It was beautiful, like the glory of the Lord, but we wouldn’t come to understand what He was showing us and why for nearly a month.

After a few weeks had gone by, Clara had an unexpected (though appointed) encounter with a couple that owns a retail store in North Phoenix. They invited us both to visit with them the following day, a Sunday, to share the Word of the Lord with them in their time of need. As we sat down with them in their store and began to fellowship, a steady stream of customers poured through their doors.

“I just knew it,” said the woman. “Sunday’s are always dead, but the moment you arrive it gets busy.”

Understanding the witness the Lord was bringing before us all, we were patient with the frequent interruptions...

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Once upon a time in America, darkness was bound in the closet and our light shined from upon a hill. The source of that light came before the Declaration of Independence, before the Constitution, even before the American Dream. The source was Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, everywhere my family goes we run into Christians who are timid about Christ. We’ve become so afraid of offending non-believers that we’re not only hurting ourselves, we’re hurting everyone. Is there anyone who does not benefit from having even a little Truth? Long ago, Christ established an order that Christians today have forgotten. If we applied this simple rule once again, it would completely reverse our nation’s rapid descent.

A Canaanite woman came to Jesus while in the region of Tyre (southern Lebanon) and fell at his feet. She begged him to drive out an evil spirit from her daughter. In one of the rarest moments of Jesus’ Gospel journey, he refused:

He replied, “It is not right to ...

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Yesterday, my wife, Clara and I went to a local shopping center near Sedona, AZ so I could get a much-needed update on my contact lens prescription. While I was busy reading fuzzy letters on the wall, Clara kept an open eye for possible work the Lord might be sending her way. Sure enough, she observed an older woman named Nancy who was seated on a nearby bench, struggling to reposition her shopping cart. Without hesitation, Clara walked over and offered to help her. Although Nancy politely declined, she did express her gratitude and suggested that most people wouldn’t have bothered. To this, Clara replied, “But isn’t this the way Jesus teaches us to be?” Nancy’s face came alight and the two engaged in a discussion about serving Christ, to whom we owe our full attention, especially this time of year.

Truly, there is nothing more fulfilling than that bright light which glows warmly inside of us when we reach out with a helping hand to one another. Even the simplest o...

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Late one cold winter night, after sharing our testimony at a nearby church, our family went to a Denny’s in Findlay, Ohio to get the children a treat. We were tired and longed for some quiet family time, but the Lord had other plans. Sitting at the breakfast bar was a man named Stanley. As our family passed by, he spoke out ostentatiously, “God bless the children! God bless the children!” Stanley was a homeless drunk, ravaged by the world, hopeless and lost. Nonetheless, Stanley was blessed.

As the holiday season ensues, those more fortunate in the world gather by the fire in warm living rooms and at dining tables loaded with the trappings of a feast few kings of old enjoyed. With full stomachs, some will recline before the television, captivated by athletes whose exploits will add not one measure to their lives. Others will play family games that will also add not one measure to their lives. Some will eat too much, some will drink too much and some will pla...

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After the fall of man, when Adam and Eve chose the tree of death over life, Almighty God repented of His creation, seeing that every thought and inclination of man was evil. However, the Lord reserved for himself a remnant in Noah and his family. In faith, they built an Ark and survived the great flood. Later, the Lord again chose for himself a remnant in the children of Israel, to which He entrusted His Law. The Law called for regular sacrifices of blood to purify the land from its sin, even that sin to which they were unaware. However, the Laws of Moses were an imperfect rendering of the perfect Law that exists in heaven at the right hand of Power. The most perfect Law was introduced to mankind in the body of the Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born to lead all mankind to the only way the truth and the Life. Through His blood alone are we cleansed of our sin, but if we reject Him, the stain of sin remains and the wages of sin are death. Therefore, a people who appo...

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