Oak Ridge Today

Faith column: Change the world like it really matters

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What an amazing sight! A middle-aged woman and a man sitting at a picnic table surrounded by fascinated young people all listening attentively to what she was saying. I wanted to go over there but didn’t. I waited to see what would be said afterward.

Revonna has had visions. You might ask, “Visions? Were they about the past? The present? The future?” The answer is yes. They are as ancient as the earth and as modern as tomorrow. These kids wanted to hear about it.

We don’t do church like everyone else. We didn’t even mean to start a church, and I’m not sure we should even call it a church. One night with seven people present, after three hours of nothing but prayer and scripture, suddenly the Holy Spirit broke in and spoke to us that we were to meet in our basement on Sunday morning, and have Rich Bean bring the message. We were shocked honestly because none of us had talked about it. Rich didn’t even answer whether he would do it or not. One woman said, “Yes, please.” I responded as any gracious hostess would, though tentatively, “Ok.” Everyone then left. [Read more…]

Faith column: Laying up treasures in Heaven

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By Sarah Jane Carson

It’s frustrating when you choose the godly road but seem to see other Christians acting any way they want, seeming to never get chastised for it. However, we should never allow other people’s actions to dictate our actions.

  1. Our actions aren’t pending on the actions of someone else.
  2. You will reap what you sow, so some day if all you have planted in your garden is cauliflower, you will eat cauliflower. In other words, if everyone seems to be grouchy to you all the time, quit being grouchy to others, especially the family God placed you in. God’s Word teaches: Treat others how you want to be treated. It doesn’t say except if they’re your family then it doesn’t matter. Remember, Jesus said He was sent to His family first (the Jews). God has His eyes right on how your attitude is around the family God placed you in. Why? Because you are your real self around family you are not trying to please, impress, or win; you are you, and that’s what matters most. [Read more…]

Faith column: It all starts here

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The message of humility is foundational to the advancement of the church in this day and age. God is calling His church to take on humility. Humble is the word that we as Christians should want Christ to write over us. As I looked up the meaning of the word humble, I found such definitions as modest, low in rank, not proud, modest opinion of one’s own importance or rank. As I look for a biblical definition, this is what I like, “When you are humble, you are free from pride and arrogance, you know that your flesh is inadequate, yet you also know that you are in Christ.”

2 Timothy 3 says that in the last days men will become proud, arrogant, and boastful. It goes on to say that they also lack the power of God. Could it be that the lack of power in today’s church is because it has lost humility? Could it be that the church has put more importance on education and intelligence and less importance on the infilling and power of the Holy Spirit? [Read more…]

Faith column: Fear vs. faith

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What is the difference between the fear mentality and the faith mentality?

It is important to know that there are three different types of fear. First, there is the Fear of the Lord, which is a deep and profound reverence and respect for God. Second, there is an instinctual fear that tells us to “fight or flight” when we are confronted with dangerous or adverse conditions. And thirdly, there is a spirit of fear.

Sometimes in the event of tragedy, life experience, home environment, or over the course of time, thoughts and feelings become skewed, leading to fearful perceptions and anticipations in life’s circumstances and relationships. This can be rooted deep in the individual’s spirit and could eventually take over one’s thought life, consuming every aspect of who they are if not addressed. [Read more…]