God does have a plan for our lives. He ordained Jeremiah a prophet even from the womb. However, God does not dictate the steps... he directs them. If God dictated every choice and decision we would be without freewill. Even if we make a mistake, he has the ability to take all things and work them for our good if we are seeking to please him.

In the closing verses of some of the Gospels the mandate to the disciples was "go". However, when we look at the first chapter of Acts, the command is to "wait". We have to hurry up and wait. Why? There can be no distribution until the priest shows up... it's worth waiting for.

There are examples in the Bible where a godly home produced godly kids and where a godly home produced ungodly kids. Therefore, godly homes may not guarantee or promise godly kids but they may increase the likelihood for such and decrease the risk factor of the other outcome.

Generations of people from the earliest of times have been awestruck and enamored with the stars. What was presented as an after-thought of God has been an unsolved mystery to tens of thousands. Men and women alike have devoted their lifetime to unraveling what God devoted two Hebrew words to... that translate "also stars" or in our KJV Bibles "he made the stars also".

The phrase "forgive and forget" is not in the Bible. Many believe it is and tout those words in moments where wrong has been done. Does the omniscient, all-knowing God forget or not know something about us after forgiveness? It's not that God doesn't have the ability to remember, it's that he remembers but chooses to refrain from taking action on us for our sins.

John the Baptist did his job so well as the forerunner of Christ that when Jesus showed up all John had to do was indicate it to his disciples and they followed Christ. The Church of our age must be guilty of the same as we herald the second coming of Christ. We must decrease. Rather than building our kingdom, we must be building the kingdom of God.

This is a Mother's Day message shared by the First Lady of First Apostolic Church. We must teach our children to value the things of God more than the things of this world. It won't happen by accident. We must do it with intent and purpose. These treasures may be unseen but they have the greatest value.

Revelation - Part 20: The description of the New Jerusalem is finished in the opening verses and then the rest of the last chapter is a post script to the book of Revelation but more importantly the Word of God. The tone is set by Jesus himself... Behold, I come quickly. Let the reply of the church be the reply of John... Even so come, Lord Jesus.

A continuation of "The Epistles" series.

Revelation - Part 19: Chapter 21 is very descriptive about the New Jerusalem. It begins speaking about some other things new such as: a new heaven and a new earth. The angel plainly informs John that God will make all things new.