The doctrine of forgiveness may be defined as: letting go of resentment; excusing a guilty person of trespass; release from payment; forgetting an offense, never throwing it back on the person again; and finally, it means loving those who mock us, bully us, talk about us, and malign us behind our backs. Forgiveness is contrary to our nature – we…
I will always be your father; no one can take that away I will always love you more than the words for love can say If I could only turn back the clock to begin all over again Back to the days when we could play together and pretend When I could hold you in my arms and make you…
My children, when you read my rhymes Think of all the good family times For as I write this poem I hear once more Your little feet across the floor. Sweet little voices still echo in my mind Calling Daddy, Mommy from once upon a time I can still feel the hugs and kisses too And see your trust and…
Oh, wind, speak to me Why are you such a mystery Tell me what it is like to be Free as a breeze Oh, wind, where do you go Why do you intrigue me so Tell me, do you ever stop blowing I’m sure the answer is worth knowing Oh, wind, of restless wonder Do you cause the lightening, the…
Life is mysterious, inquiring, amazing Paradoxical, contradictory, always changing Throughout history, only three perfect definitions have ever been expressed, and they were expressed by one person – Jesus Christ: “I Am, that I Am” (Exodus 3:14). “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
Hiding his insecurity by overstating his greatness The fool denies his ignorance, his weakness What is pride, is it not where we hide Is it not the advance of depravity from inside When all is said and done Man is the self-centered, fallen one There is no structure of justice Which can cancel the injustice within us So where does…
I’d rather be taught by the pastor-teacher Than preached to by the preacher; I’d rather one would walk with me, Than tell me where, and how, I ought to be. Sermons give advice for everyone But I’d sooner see it lived and done; My eyes listen better than my ears Vision seems to make hearing clearer. C. S. Craig –…
When God created the universe, it was instantaneous (Genesis 1:1). At some point thereafter, in eternity past, God created angels. Then, after an indeterminate amount of time, God created man. There are perhaps billions of angels (Psalm 68:17; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:11; 7:11). Angels are spirit beings (Psalm 104:4). Angels do not have physical bodies as we do,…
“Spiritual compassion is not measured by how well we expose another person’s sin issues, but by how well we stand with them to resolve their issues, gently.” – C. S. Craig Define Compassion in two words: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). “Jesus wept” says it all. Jesus in true humanity was so compassionate (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; 23:37; Mark 1:41)….
TOLERANCE If disagreement did not exist, then tolerance would be unnecessary. Real differences exist between real people, therefore real, authentic tolerance is a necessity to co-existence. Dialogue between persons of differing viewpoints requires respect, not agreement. Tolerance, as used here (and not how it is used and abused today), is best defined as: we agree to disagree with respect. The…
God’s Covenant To Israel (Genesis 17:1 & 2) – Origin of the Jewish Race From the sons of Noah, God chose one branch of the family – the descendants of Shem – to start a new race of people on the Earth. Ninth in line from Shem was a man named Abram. At the age of ninety-nine, God appeared unto…
“Universe Be” and the universe became Eternity will never be the same Out of the void a shout was heard From light’s explosion, the universe emerged When God spoke, nothing listened And nothing became the something missing Fireballs flashed across an endless space God set in motion His plan called Grace “Angels, Be” and angels became Heaven will…
As God speaks quietly to my soul, I am listening and writing. Although my hearing is such that I have much trouble distinguishing sounds, I will always know the sound of my Master’s voice. These words are God’s song of inspiration in my heart and I will share them with the world. As He exhales, I inhale – my life…
Arrogance distorts Truth. Ego has certain skill-sets manifested from the arrogance patterns of the sin nature, such as: self-absorption; self-deception; self-justification (Galatians 6:3; James 3:14-16). Be sure to see our categorical studies on the Sin-Nature. It is the epitome of arrogance for finite mankind to think they are impressing infinite God. It is also one of satan’s most successful campaigns…
The Cross is the Centrality of Life Philosophy insists on the power and virtue of man by reason. World religions promise favor by the gods for virtuous acts (people earning favor from the ‘gods’). Christianity on the other hand is God’s plan for the human race, which has three phases: Phase One: God provided salvation for the human race by…
God’s Principles By Categories (Topics & Concepts) The purpose of teaching categorically is to help you (the born-again believer) erect a Grace Place in your soul for application of Bible truths to the details of life. Categorical study organizes God’s Truths into a systematic format. In other words, we learn different pieces of the puzzle, one piece at a time…
In an old picture once, I saw a bridge of the cross People were crossing safely over a great chasm fixed Far, far below were the flames of a bottomless pit. I searched for years to find that painting again My yearning for it shall never end Till the day I cross it to my heavenly home Face to face…
Clutching your hand in mine I knew it was your time Then, you took the plunge That joins the rushing winds above I’ll find you there, hold you there, my love Somewhere between eternity and time As the sun faithfully warms the earth Spring resurrection ends the winter curse Now, I too, must take the plunge That joins…
The forest trembles, the sands shift Water plunges from the cliffs Stars shoot across the night skies In the distance the wolf cries And knows not why – C. S. Craig August 15, 2004
“Grandparents help us with zippers and shoelaces and stuff like that. They send birthday cards with money, too.” When I was a kid, I loved going to grandma and grandpa’s house. When we arrived they were always waiting with open arms, hugs and loves, and lots of attention. Yes, that’s it… we got lots of attention. They made us feel…
