January 2026
#49 Common Themes of Many Religions (1/04/26)
Please consider:
They seek to conform to their perception of Godly standards by strength of flesh (including the mind) and not a change of heart. This includes much of contemporary Christianity.
Matt 15:7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely
human rules.' "
#50 Godly Standards (1/11/26)
Please consider:
Let's not confuse Godly Standards and Godly Means
The great commission: Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Many have suggested that Love is a choice. I wholeheartedly disagree. If we seek to implement the Standard of love by way of the strength of our flesh, we at best can only love conditionally.
Unconditional love entails freedom in and of the Spirit of God. It is the ultimate of Godly Standards and can only be attained by Godly Means.
Godly Means pertains not only to the Ultimate Standard of Love, but it also includes any Godly Standard or Policy
The Godly means are inclusive of, but not limited to:
• Praying without ceasing
• Forgiving
• Seeking God first
• Asking and Seeking and Knocking
• Avoiding reliance on mere knowledge of God's written Word or the wisdom of men, which merely puffs up
#51 Jesus Christ (1/18/26)
Please consider:
Jesus is the presence of God, and Christ is the Spirit and power of God. In Jesus of Nazareth, God chose to dwell among us as the perfect expression of divine presence and power. We are made in that image and likeness and are called to reflect both who God created us to be and what He inspires us to do. Yet because of brokenness and the fragmentation of denominational divisions, we have lost the pathway to a fuller, more perfect expression of that reality.
The good news is that Salvation, Forgiveness, and Restoration are only the beginning. Through Jesus Christ, God provides a path back—leading us into an ever‑greater manifestation of His presence and power in and through our lives.
Each prayerful step of Forgiveness, Repentance, Surrender, and Obedience invites the Spirit to reclaim more of our lives—shaping our hearts, renewing our actions, and deepening our witness. As Christians, through our collective and cooperative participation, we can cultivate and manifest the Gifts of the Spirit. Together, as one body, we can accomplish what we cannot achieve individually or apart in denominational isolation.
Let us prayerfully seek how to unite as one body and function as one body. Let us work together to recognize and nurture the full spectrum of the gifts of the Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. United, we are called to be a light on the hill; divided, we remain fallen and see only through a darkened mirror.
#52 Taboo Topics (1/25/26)
Please consider:
As a Christian counselor for more than 35 years, I am convinced that relationships bring out the best in us and the worst in us. And individually or collectively, we can discern, not judge, the worst. And individually, or collectively, we can avail ourselves of God's provisions to eliminate the worst and anoint us with the best. I know this because it has been repeatedly demonstrated in my many years of marriage counseling.
With that in mind, I believe that there is absolute merit in seeking to encourage relationships.
Incidentally, the great commission is to "Love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, body Soul and Spirit and Love our neighbors as ourselves." It is ultimately all about relationships.
It is our fleshly nature to avoid challenging relationships. This is conspicuously true when it comes to politics and religion. These seem to be "taboo topics".
In my opinion, when we do not know God's provisions for discernment and prayer, it is best to continue in those ways of avoidance. However, if we know God's provisions, we have a profound opportunity to become ever more Christ-like and experience more fully "heaven on earth."