“He is not here.” Those words are only used 3 times in the Bible. Each instance was from 3 versions of the same story. It is a group of ladies who were looking for Jesus. That is not normally the phrase you would hear when you are looking for Jesus. We actually are told to believe the opposite. Paul said that Jesus started from scratch and “he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near” (Acts 17:26-28). If you seek for God you will find Him. Read the rest of this entry
A Scarlett Thread
Posted by Chad HarperMar 15
In Joshua 2 we see the beginning of the story where the Israelites are heading into the promised land. Their first stop is Jericho. Jericho was a heavily fortified city with giant walls so Joshua sent spies into the land to scout out the lay of the land. The king finds out about the spies and tries to hunt them down but the spies are given shelter by a harlot named Rahab. She knew that God had already delivered the land into the hands of the Israelites so she made a deal, she would hide them and they would save her and her family. To signify to the warriors who they should protect, she was to hang a scarlet thread from her window. The red thread became her identification and her salvation. Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: Christian Living
I Beleive In Evolution
Posted by Chad HarperFeb 1
I have a confession. I believe in evolution. We evolve. Not as a race but in life in general. I do not believe I came from a protein that was able to form on the back of a crystal. I did not used to swing from trees. My great, great, great grandfather never had a tail or lived in the oceans. Yet we have evolved. Evolution is defined as, “A process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage; especially a more advanced or mature stage.” Read the rest of this entry
Finding What You Lost
Posted by Chad HarperJan 29
It happens to everyone at some point in your life. You are walking around the house, about to leave, and you realize you do not have your keys. You had them just 1 minute ago when you were about to walk out and remembered you forgot to load something in the car. Now you are ready to go and you can not find your keys. There are different tricks we use to find out lost items. Read the rest of this entry
Last Leg
Posted by Chad HarperJan 18
In the book of Isaiah we see a prophet trying to correct a nation who has turned their backs on God. Isaiah is prophesying over them and says, “Jerusalem’s on its last legs. Judah is soon down for the count. Everything people say and do is at cross-purposes with GOD, a slap in my face. Brazen in their depravity, they flout their sins like degenerate Sodom. Doom to their eternal souls! They’ve made their bed; now they’ll sleep in it.” (Isaiah 3:8-9, The Message). This is oddly too familiar. Jerusalem could easily be replaced with America. It seems everything this nation does is going against God’s purpose. Each day some news article posts about something being done that removes this nation from where we once were, One Nation, Under God. Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: Uncategorized
A Habit of Prayer
Posted by Chad HarperDec 17
We, by design, are creatures of habit. There is a specific routine that we follow every morning. We reach out automatically to turn on a light. We do not think about where the light switch is, we just reach out to where we know it is. It has been proven that it takes about 21 days to form a habit in your life. When you move into a new house after 21 days you automatically reach for the light switch without thinking about where it is at. Before then you rummage around in the dark until you find it. Read the rest of this entry
God Is With You
Posted by Chad HarperDec 7
The first week of December is here and Christmas is just around the bend. With the onslaught of the holidays there is much to do and much to remember. There are Christmas presents to buy, trees to decorate, parties to attend, family to entertain and on and on the list goes. Through the hustle and bustle it is clear that the Christmas message still thrives. As families gather to eat their feasts, a blessing will be said that reminds everyone the understated reason for the season. Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: Christian Living | Tagged as: relationship
Let Winter Pass
Posted by Chad HarperNov 30
Thanksgiving is now a few days behind us and Christmas is approaching fast. We are headed into the dead of winter. Winter is often associated with a time of dormancy. The bears are hibernating, the trees lose their leaves, the ground lays inactive waiting for the cold to pass. The same concept applies in our lives. There is a time in our lives that we know as winter. Its those times when nothing seems to have any life. The world around us is cold. Read the rest of this entry
Love The Fiery Trials
Posted by Chad HarperNov 30
When reading the words of Peter in 1 Peter 4:12 it should cause an alarm to go off in your head. Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” The next verse is even more alarming. Verse 12 alone though should make the hair on your neck stand on end. Peter said do not think it weird if you are in the middle of heavy trail. This is not a strange thing that has happened to you. Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: Christian Living | Tagged as: trials
The Scaffolding Is Up
Posted by Chad HarperNov 30
In the building where I work they have begun to do some remodeling. I am an avid remodeler. Every house I have bought needed remodeling done to it. But something caught my attention about this remodeling. These men have been working for a week and have yet to rip out one piece of sheet rock, cut one piece of wood, or demolish a single old structure. It is not their lack of accomplishments that have me intrigued, but rather their preparedness. Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: Christian Discipline | Tagged as: preparation