Articles

The humanist religion, and I believe it is a religion, is based almost completely on the idea of following your own heart. It has pervaded almost every level of society from movies to politics and even religion. The idea is that our own conscious, our own heart, is the best judge of right and wrong in the world, that no authority can actually dictate to you what is right and what is wrong. The lyrics of one rock song say, "how can it be so wrong when it feels so good!". This is nothing but the core of the humanist religion. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 28:26 "He that trusteth in his own heart...

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If someone were to ask me what I thought the single most important factor was to gain happiness, I would have to say that it was purpose or vision. You can have a lot of money, be popular, have decent relationships, possess power, have friends, even have a walk with God and find yourself unhappy. The reason for that, is that none of these things have full value until you have purpose behind them. Having a spiritual walk with God brings protection and peace, but without reason or purpose it'll grow old and stagnate. You could marry the kindest, gentlest man in the whole world, but if your...

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Thirteen year old Dan circled the five foot tall cactus carefully. He stayed well away from the long skinny arms that seemed to reach out for him whenever he got too close. He grinned mischievously, rubbing his hands together in glee. This is perfect, he thought to himself. Looking carefully around to make sure no one could see him, he pulled out a pair of long tongs his father used to turn hotdogs on the grill. Slowly, for he certainly didn’t want to get stuck by the barbed cactus himself, he grasped the topmost section of the long cactus arm and twisted. With hardly any effort at all,...

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Breaking life down to its most basic physical components, the meaning of life is merely survival and reproduction. From a purely evolutionary perspective that is all there is. It leaves us, however, meaningless. For thousands of years humans have been asking themselves if there is something more to life than mere existence. Many do good, help others, donate to charities, participate in community needs, and love others in an effort to fill a void in their souls--to make life meaningful. Yet many struggle to maintain this level of goodness over a long period of time without becoming disillusioned...

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I am a Christian, but I believe that the attacks on Christianity and everything Christian is actually a good thing. Find out why. Of course, in one sense, it is very difficult to hear something you love attacked, ridiculed, and abused. Ideally, as far as I am concerned, there would be total acceptance of what I believe and who I am, that my desire to display publicly symbols of my faith, to be able to carry and read my Bible without condemnation, to be able to pray at public events would be not only accepted but encouraged by everyone around—regardless of their particular beliefs. When...

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Humility is often an unrecognizable quality in one's self. You cannot achieve humility by trying to be humble, simply because the effort to be humble requires you to be anything but humble. Humility is the absence of pride and ego. Achieving humility is not about suppressing your pride, or hiding your ego--which is what most of us do in an effort to be humble. But merely hiding it is not true humility. This, interestingly enough, really struck home one day while I was watching the old TV series 'Gomer Plye USMC'. They portray Gomer as somewhat of an idiot, but a happy, joyful, and fun loving...

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Taking your personal spirituality to the next level requires sacrifice. Until the Christian can begin to understand the importance and proper place of making a sacrifice, he cannot move to the next level of his spiritual growth. The Bible is full of principles regarding sacrifices and the importance of sacrifices. We shall examine a few of them to get a general sense of the importance of the sacrifice. A SACRIFICE MUST COST YOU 2 Samuel 24:23-24 - All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king said...

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Change can be both a good and bad thing. On one hand, improvement, and becoming stronger, more Christ like, more principled, and more loving is something we all should strive for. On the other, changing in the wrong direction often leads to peril and misery. We know that God doesn't change. Malachi 3:6 - For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. And then there is the following verse of warning: Proverbs 24:21 - My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with...

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Taking your spirituality to the next level requires certain ingredients. Without these, we can't achieve the level of spirituality that makes Christianity meaningful and profitable to both the Christian and the Kingdom of God. This element of spiritual growth depends on making the relationship you have with Jesus the focus. Making the relationship with Jesus your focus is not as easy as some make it to be. I recall vividly a young man who became almost arrogant in his proclamation that he would love God with all his heart and never stray from it. Unfortunately, as long as we are encased in flesh,...

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It is a common complaint among unbelievers and believers alike that they struggle to understand God and therefore to identify with Him. In some cases, it produces a feeling of disbelief and in others detachment. There is however, a solution. God provided a means by which we could, in some way, both understand Him and identify with Him. That means is faith. Faith is so much more than a measure of trust in a Being we can't see and can't touch. Faith is the medium that God chose through which He will interact with us. Faith is a gift. Faith is a miracle. Hebrews 11:3 -- Through faith we understand...

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