Applied Wisdom Blog

1

Learning to Be Thankful for Thorns

Several years ago I planted three Double Knockout rose bushes in my back yard. These roses continually produce a high volume of unique blooms that are twice as full as normal roses. They also require substantial pruning several times during the growing season. While the blooms are beautiful the pruning is not fun. They produce twice the undergrowth and have...

Share Button
0

Trusting God in the Darkness

Spiritual understanding is not man’s strong suit. We are constrained by our circumstances and limited by our humanity. A believer’s faith should provide comfort and assurance in times of anxiety and confusion, but it often doesn’t. We eagerly claim the promise of Romans 8:28 to help explain God’s actions and remind us that our heavenly Father is consciously manipulating events...

Share Button
1

3 Reasons why not voting in the coming presidential election is a wrong choice.

The 2016 Presidential Election is less than 3 months away and most faithful Christians are understandably disturbed by their choices. One candidate is a career politician who is essentially amoral and will sell her soul and destroy as many others as necessary to reach her political goals. The other choice is a shamelessly arrogant businessman who assumes his “deal making”...

Share Button
0

When Honor Disappears: Five Consequences of a Society without Shame

I love my country. I am grateful that I have the privilege of living in a country where I can worship as I please without fearing condemnation or persecution. I am thankful for the generous nature of most Americans who eagerly provide aid to those in need in a time of crisis. I grew up emulating leaders who lived their...

Share Button
0

Justifying Sin

Satan is a master at influencing men negatively. If an individual does not know Christ as Lord and Savior, the devil will do his best to convince him that it is a waste of time to pursue such a relationship. After all, most men are not so bad. While guilty of some minor failures, they generally treat their fellow man...

Share Button
0

Wealth… and the Blessing of God

Hugh Hefner is 90 years old. His Playboy Empire was, at one time, valued at more than 400 million dollars. He has enjoyed a great measure of fitness, fame, fortune, and, in the minds of a very specific subset of our society, favor. Yet no believer would ever, under any circumstances, contend that Hefner’s prosperity was the result of God’s...

Share Button
0

Unbridled Anger – 6 Reasons Violence has Escalated in America

One of the great testimonies to the character of our nation has been the peaceful transition of power every time a new president is elected. We do not select a leader based on who has the strongest army (as least not in a physical sense), nor do we use physical force to accomplish the transition. Political candidates have always sought...

Share Button
6

Identifying Authentic Christianity

In a Presidential election year where every remaining candidate except Bernie Sanders claims to be a Christian, Donald Trump has apparently won the grand prize; the support of those who call themselves evangelical Christians. Why he has their support, however, has little to do with his declared Christianity; it has everything to do with his outrageous display of character traits...

Share Button
0

7 Mistakes Believers Should Avoid when Choosing a President

  Like most Christians in America, I believe our country is at a crossroad. The President we elect this year will either turn our country back to our conservative, Judeo-Christian roots or take it beyond rescue. I am disgusted with the high-handed, hypocritical display of intolerance shown by those in leadership who pretend to celebrate its value. And I am...

Share Button
0

Four Keys to Biblical Unity

Nothing is quite as sweet or pleasant as a fellowship of believers who are able to live, work and worship together peacefully. David rejoiced in observing such a gathering when he stated in verse 1 of the 133rd Psalm “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Sadly, many believers have never had...

Share Button