Leonard T's Blog (74)

We often hear people quote Jesus about casting stones, He who is without sin cast the first stone. Jesus said it and it is true, but many misunderstand this comment and then misapply it when they use it to tell others not to address their sin. Jesus is not telling us to ignore sin, He is telling us that we are not to condemn people, yet at the same time we cannot, and He did not, condone sin. Stones where meant for killing, truth is given to save. When we address people with the truth…

The Holy Ghost is the very life and power of Christianity, and without Him the Church is like a ship without fire in her engine, or steam in her boiler; like an army of soldiers lying lifeless; like Ezekiel’s vision in the plain; like a body without an animated soul.

The Church was never intended to be a natural and intellectual organization, but a supernatural…

Facing the Storms of Life

By Leonard Traina

We go through many trials in life varying in degree of difficulty. In order to effectively navigate the storms of life we need strive to understand the origin of each trial. There are four basic origins from which trials arise. These four are self, Satan, God, and the natural order of life. Therefore, when facing a difficult time in your life you need to seek to determine if this trial is self inflicted, initiated by Satan or…

Lessons from Rahab – Joshua 2

“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?” (James 2:25)

The story of Rahab is a wonderful illustration of the salvation process through Jesus Christ. What caused God to view her as righteous? Rahab acted to protect the spies because she believed that God could save her. She protected the spies and lied for…

Charles Spurgeon nails it (a must read)

“Grieve not the Holy Spirit.”

- Eph_4:30

All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies…

It is my opinion that too many people put so much emphasis on death that they forget to live. How we die, which one day we will, is of little importance. What really matters is how you live.

When I think of love ones who have passed on I do not focus on how they died, but I remember how they lived and touched my life. Those of us who have new life in Jesus look forward to seeing those who know Him again, for death really is not an end, but a transition with one of two destinations…

The perfect Christian is not perfect because of what he/she does, but rather because he/she realized they were …

… guilty needing redeeming

… broken needing fixing

… lost needing guidance

… blind needing sight

… deaf needing hearing

… weak needing strength

… spiritually dead needing spiritual life

ALL THIS IS FOUND IN JESUS THE HOLY ONE WHO IS PERFECT, THE ONE WHO DIED AND ROSE FOR US THAT WE MAY BECOME PARTAKERS OF…

When Life Seems Unfair

In our world today so many things seem to be spiraling out of control. Inflation and unemployment are on the rise. More people are losing their homes. War and rumors of war seem to be happening around the world. We often stop and wonder why these things are happening and to people who love God. If God is God why do the righteous face such struggles and often times the unrighteous seem to prosper in the midst of apparent chaos?

When life…

How God Sees You

February 14

Morning

“And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”

- 2Ki_25:30

Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king’s palace with a store to last him for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do not need tomorrow’s supplies; that day…

http://AllAboutGOD.com/AllAboutGOD-1215.pdf

DO NOT WEEP FOR ME!

Stand not at my graveside and weep for me, for I am not there.

I am with the Spirit of God as He moves into your hearts,

To remind you that our separation will be but a fleeting moment.

Stand not at my graveside and weep for me, for I am not there.

Think of me, when you remember my name for then,

I will be thinking of you,

As I…

July 19



Morning

“The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory.”

- Deu_5:24

God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is…

July 17



Morning

“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”

- 1Th_1:4

Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by “looking unto Jesus.” If you desire to ascertain your own election;-after the following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so, and…

I woke up this morning to the understanding that as a Christian man I no longer hold a valid opinion, or at least this is how it appears in our society today. When discussing any hot topic, including the one the Supreme Court of The United States recently ruled on, you will find that if a Christian stands for his or her beliefs that many authors of articles, bloggers and other talking heads will attack our beliefs and attempt to demean us by calling us names such as haters, homophobic,…

Taking a Journey with the Apostle John – Part XVI

1Jn 3:11-15 NIV84  This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  (12)  Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.  (13)  Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.  (14)  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we…

Taking a Journey with the Apostle John – Part XV

1 John 3:7-10

John emphasizes the fact that the people to whom he is writing, including us that are saved today, are children of God. This identification must forever be recognized and embraced by the believer in…

"First faith, then obedience. If by that we mean that it is faith which justifies, and not the act of obedience, all well and good, for that is the essential and unexceptionable presupposition of all that follows. If however we make a chronological distinction between faith and obedience, and make obedience subsequent to faith, we are divorcing the one from the other -- and then we get the practical question, when must obedience begin? Obedience remains separated from faith. From the point…