The Mad Preacher

                        American Idol                                    by The Mad Preacher, Rod Davis   This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” — God (Jeremiah 2:5) Idol: anything or anyone that inspires more devotion in us than God. It’s amazing how our society has embraced idols. They may not be made of wood, gold or silver, but they’re still idols. For example, I was watching a video that showed a mob of young girls surrounding actor Brad Pitt. Bodyguards fought to hold them back as these young fans frantically tried to get Brad’s autograph. Dozens of hands were stretching toward him trying to touch him, and hysterical girls were shouting Brad’s name. They we’re crying out, “I love you, Brad!” They were ...

  Words of Encouragement  from The Mad Preacher No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. (Deuteronomy 30:14)  [1] He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. (Isaiah 42:2) The following scripture from God’s WORD will fill your heart with encouragement. It will strengthen you, renew your mind and bring you victory through any attack the Enemy unleashes against you. It will also help you to fight your sinful nature. However, if you want these words to impact your life and invade your circumstances, you must in faith read and speak them aloud as a prayerful declaration that you are standing on God’s promises. Then your mouth will become a weapon to defeat disappointment, hopelessness, pride and sorrow. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and ...

  Sounding a Clear Call It has to do with   geres  and   Ketiv  by The Mad Preacher   Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?   So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.  (1Corinthians 14:8-9) “[A] variety of Translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures.”  - The KJV Translators “Do not give them a loaf of bread, covered with an inedible, impenetrable crust, fossilized by three and a half centuries. Give them the word of God as fresh and warm and clear as the Holy Spirit gave it to the authors of the Bible ... For any preacher or theologian who loves God’s Word to allow that Word to go on being misunderstood because of the veneration of an archaic, not-understood version of four centuries ago is inexcusable, and almost unconscionable.” (Edwin H. ...

  Forgiveness 101 by The Mad Preacher  Answering questions about forgiveness Occasionally I get an email or letter asking for my views on different subjects. Recently someone asked me some pointed questions concerning the different aspects of forgiveness. Perhaps you’ve considered some of these questions as well. Maybe you will benefit from my response.   Here are the questions she asked with my answer following: Question: What is your personal definition of forgiveness? My understanding of scripture shapes my definitions. So I’ll try to answer from that platform. I believe that forgiveness is a matter of choice. We choose to forgive someone out of, among other things, obedience to God. Jesus told us to forgive freely and often: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37) “So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against yo...

  The Great Cosmic Blackboard By The Mad Preacher, Rod Davis   As a believer, the most important thing in life is to focus on the fact that Jesus is Lord of our life. What this means is that He is Sovereign Lord over our past, our present and our future. The Enemy would have you forget that truth. He wants to gain a foothold in your life. So, in an effort to do this, he will try to distract you from this all-important reality. He often uses the problems that life offers in hopes of getting us to put our eyes on our circumstances rather than on Christ. If he can do that he has accomplished his task.   Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right  hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) If Satan can get you to focus on your past, he can make you miss out on your future. You see, the past can’t hurt a Christian. As far as the believer is concerned, ...