THINK ABOUT IT

 In The Story of Redemption , Ellen White wrote of a conversation Satan had with Jesus after being cast out of heaven. In that conversation, Satan claimed he "repented of his sins and wished to be readmitted into heaven, into the presence of God." Jesus wept at Satan’s woe but told him—as the mind of God—that he could never be readmitted because the "seeds of rebellion" were still in him. I have often been puzzled by that phrase: "the seeds of rebellion." It suggests that God allowed the devil and his angels to live so that their true characters could be revealed to all. In heaven, Satan had been so deceptive that even the holy angels could not fully understand his nature; therefore, time was required for his character to mature and be seen for what it was. The issue of character development is fascinating. What is a "seed" of character? How do we acquire these seeds, how is character developed, and how is it revealed? Character is who you are. I...

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) If you think you are better, more important, or wiser than others, something will eventually happen to make you look foolish. The former president of Gabon has just discovered the dangers of pride the hard way. Military coups have been making a comeback on the continent of Africa; there have been approximately eight military coups in Africa in the last three years. A military coup is the overthrow of a government by a country's army or security forces. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, knew well the threat of military coups in his part of the world, but he swore one wouldn’t happen to him. “While our continent has been shaken in recent weeks by violent crises, rest assured that I will never allow you and o ur country, Gabon, to be hostages to attempts at destabilization. Never,” Bongo declared this month as the Central African nation marked 60 years of in...

What is my purpose in this world? Why am I here? These are vital questions that many are currently asking themselves. Some are even praying, "Lord, what is my purpose in this world? Why was I born?" These are excellent questions. However, for many, the conclusion they reach is: "I need to get a job, make money, build a large savings account, and be secure from financial ruin." Others conclude, "I am here to find love; if I can find someone who will love me just as I am, I will fulfill my purpose." Still others believe life is about fun and a good time, doing everything in their power to find the next thrill or the next high. Do you really believe that God put you on this earth to pursue selfish goals? Do I really believe God put me here so I can simply have a large bank account? Do I believe He gave me intelligence, health, and many other gifts so that I can selfishly use them to further my own ends? Friends, the answer is no. Herein lies the root of mu...

 A major story in the news recently is the presumed death of the Russian mercenary warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin of the Wagner Group and his deputy, Dmitry Utkin. The Wagner Group is a mercenary organization of soldiers and convicts who fought in Ukraine on the side of the Russians. They were instrumental in some of the key Russian victories in that theater of war and have also been vital to the Russian government's efforts to increase its influence on the African continent. The Wagner Group, a mixture of military and business ventures, was once very important to Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Putin and Prigozhin had been very close since the early 1990s, but they eventually had a falling out. On June 23, 2023, the Wagner Group staged a rebellion after a period of increased tension between the Russian Ministry of Defense and Prigozhin. Putin called it "a stab in the back" and labeled the Wagner leadership as traitors. Though a deal was eventually brokered and the...

 There is a story in Greek mythology about Hercules, the great hero, coming home to his wife and children. To his horror, when he opened the door, he saw what he thought were little monsters. He chased them and killed them, only to see more monsters and kill them as well. As soon as Hercules finished, his eyes were opened; he realized the "monsters" he had slain were actually his own wife and children. Hercules had been placed under a spell by the goddess Hera. He was spiritually blinded, and those he thought were his enemies were actually his family. Hercules was on "enchanted ground," and his actions proved disastrous. We, too, are under a spell. Humanity is under a spell. Ever since our first mother, Eve, stepped onto Satan's enchanted ground in the Garden of Eden and ate the forbidden fruit, the enemy of our souls has placed a dark covering over our eyes. If it were not for God's intervention, we would forever remain his captives. Praise be to God for pu...

 Being forsaken is tough and painful. Being forsaken by someone who claims to love and care for you is heartbreaking and devastating! You often read those Hollywood divorce statements where people say, "This marriage wasn't working for us anymore, and we have chosen to go our separate ways, but we still have deep love for each other." It sounds like a joke, right? But at least those statements are more straightforward than the way many of us as Christians treat God. Many in the church have forsaken the Lord while still claiming to love, cherish, and worship Him. What does it mean to forsake the Lord, and how can you tell if you are in the process of forsaking Him? God is love! He is the source of all love. We all seek someone to love us, so why would we forsake the Lord, who is the very fountain of love? Why would we "shoot ourselves in the foot"? In Jeremiah 2:13, God says: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living...

Self-help books and motivational speakers have their place in life, but when it comes to the regeneration of the human race, they are helpless. Mankind is in need of help, but no amount of our own effort will lift us out of the pit of corruption into which we have sunken. If you look at our society, you can clearly see that conditions are worsening. Mental health is declining, divorce rates are high, and homelessness is increasing across the land, especially on the West Coast. Miseries of all types are on the rise, and thinking men and women are perplexed as to the solutions to these problems. Throughout history, philosophers and thinkers have realized the human condition is dire and have sought different solutions to uplift humanity. Buddha believed that if humans sought enlightenment, the world would be a better place. Plato and Socrates thought philosophy would uplift the race. Karl Marx believed communism was the solution to the human problem. The founding fathers of the U.S. belie...

 Things break down! We break down. "The second law of thermodynamics describes basic principles familiar to us." It is a universal law of decay. Everything ultimately falls apart and disintegrates over time. Everything appears to change eventually and chaos increases. Humanity is on a downward spiral, mental illnesses and difficulties of all types are increasing. Stress and anxiety are increasing and many are asking why doesn't God do anything? Does God care of what's happening with my life, whats happening in the world ? My life is full of difficulties and I am stressed out. Why so much difficulties 😣? You buy a new car and motor is soon messed up. Buy a new house and soon there are leaks, mold etc.. and you have to fix things. You have relationship that are good one time and the next moment there is a break down in the relationship. You work out to be in shape but during the work out, a muscle is torn and now you at the hospital. Life seems like vanity, everythin...

 Man and woman are both made in the image of God.  Man and woman are both valuable and equal in worth but are not the same.I repeat, man and woman are not the same. There is an attempt in our culture to make man and woman the same, it's nothing but a Satanic assault to destroy the beauty of God's creation . Man and woman are different for a reason. Each reveal different qualities of the Godhead. When a man and woman come together in the way of God, real beauty will be revealed. Man and woman offer different things in a relationship. What do you bring to the table 🤔?  Is the question many are asking when it comes to choosing a spouse . According to the Bible the man is to provide for the woman and the woman is to be a help meet to the man. A help meet is a perfect match for someone. The woman is to match her husband,  completing him, making him stronger, being strong where he is weak . The man is supposed to provide financially, security,  stability. The ...

 What is the problem with this world ? Lack of love. The hearts of many are cold from lack of love. From youth up many are not accustomed to love. Many parents while proclaiming to love their children never uttered words of love, kindness and appreciation to them. So many of us grew up with cold hearts. We are accustomed to words of criticism but when it comes to love we are deficient, bankrupt. As we get older we  behave like our parents, showing no love because love is seen as a weakness. And when we come to the church and refuse to allow the Spirit of God to melt our hearts we become even worse than before. We act righteous but show no mercy. A loveless Christian is worse than an open sinner . A good friend of mine once told me about a story he read from a book. A husband was planning on divorcing his wife 🤵🏾💔👰🏽. He went to a counselor or a friend, and the counselor told him to give her 30 days. He said during those 30 days,  each day he should look for something ...

 America is an individualistic society! A society in which everyone look out for themselves,  a society in which everyone is preoccupied with themselves,  with their goals and aspirations and have little concern about others. Yes, in America we speak about love a lot, but the reality of love is lacking in our hearts. The American way of life is like this," me first, then my immediate family, then maybe some friends and that's it." "As long as me and my family are good, I could care less about the wellbeing of others." Then we wonder why is the world so evil 🤔? As goes the world, so goes the church 😔. The church is supposed to be a light to the world, but sadly the church as a whole follows the culture. There are individuals here and there who follow Jesus, but the majority of the church follows the world and when it comes to the individualism, many of our church folks are following the culture. The people in the world care mostly for themselves and many in the...

 Ezekiel 28:16," By the multitude thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones  of fire."  I love the book of Ezekiel, love its imagery, and their vivid portrayals. This verse right here is a verse I meditate on a lot. This verse is speaking about Lucifer. Chapter 28 speaks of the creation and fall of Lucifer. But one thing that always stuck out for me is the mention of "violence." The Bible said because of the multitude of Lucifer's "merchandise" in heaven, he became fill with violence. Lucifer in heaven became a merchant, a seller of merchandise. What was he selling? Falsehood and deceit. He was spreading lies about the character of God and the Bible said he became filled with violence. One thing we notice immediately is the things you do impacts you, the things you do to...

 Idolatry is the worship of idols. When we think of idols, many of us think of statues in a catholic church, a Buddhist or Hindu temple. These statues are the more crude form of idolatry.  Idolatry is much more than that. The essence of idolatry is putting someone or something in the place of God in our hearts, in our life. The essence of idolatry is to replace Christ as the great center and to put a person or a thing as the center of our lives, notre raison d'être , our reason for being. Idolatry began in heaven when Lucifer believed he could do a better job running his own life than God could. Lucifer believed he should center his life around his own will and not God's will. Lucifer replaced Christ as his center 🔘 and replaced it with self. Then Lucifer went and convinced 1/3 of the angels that he could do a better job than God, he could bring them more joy than God, he could bring them more satisfaction than God. These angels then replace Christ as their great center and p...

 People are suffering, loneliness is rampant in the land. Many people in the world look to marriage as a savior, an institution that will rescue them from their loneliness. They think finally i will have someone I can call mine, someone who will love me with all their hearts until death do us apart 🤗. But the increasing divorce rates tell a different story. A story of marriage being difficult, a story of many married people being miserable , lonely , bitter and see divorce as a viable option to escape the misery they find themselves in. A story of many preferring to live together instead of getting married.  Marriage has become a scary thing in the land. Marriage for many has become synonymous with losing half your wealth and your children. But why has marriage become so destructive to many ? Why has something as beautiful as marriage become such a terror to many 🤔? It is because marriage has become an idol to many. Marriage has become a god to many in the church and in the ...

 As a nation, as a society we are on our way down towards destruction. Every nation eventually collapse. If you look at the great empires of the past you would see this fact clearly. All great nations eventually collapsed when madness becomes the norm. Our society right now is one where madness rules .  No where is this madness more evident than in our women. In every great society women are protected. The body of a woman is treated as sacred, something to be hidden from the sight of the world. But when a society is on its way towards destruction, its women are devalued and treated as cheap. Nakedness is associated with sin and shame in the scriptures.  A woman celebrating her nakedness in public is a woman who is proud of her sinfulness.  The modern woman has no self worth and so the modern women seek validation from the streets. The modern woman is very cheap and is for the streets for the most parts.  Many modern women are displaying their naked bodies on soc...