Has our identity as a nation gotten so lost in political correctness that our founding fathers would not even recognize us? If we are going to survive – much less thrive – as a nation, we must peel back the false ideologies that have hijacked the United States of America and re-examine those things that are truly important.  
 
Do we even know what America is anymore? America is not just a geographical location; it exists within the heart of true Americans.  
 
America is not a political system; it is built on the freedoms acknowledged by the Declaration of Independence and protected by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.   
 
America is not an economic philosophy; it is run by the engine of hope for the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 
 
A true patriot can proudly proclaim, “I don’t just live in America, America lives in me.”  So then, when we recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag, what exactly are we pledging allegiance to?   
 
Are we pledging our allegiance to a piece of colored cloth? Are we pledging allegiance to a set of political policies? Are we pledging allegiance to a geographical piece of ground? Are we pledging allegiance to an economic system? 
 
Or, more importantly, are we pledging our allegiance to the principles, values, and ideologies that guided our founding fathers? 
 
In other words, it’s not the flag, but rather, it’s what the flag stands for that is worthy of honor. It’s not the flag, but those who died defending it that deserve our respect. 
 
We stand for our national anthem because it has stood for us. We salute the flag because of those who saluted it while fighting for our freedom. And we recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag because we pledge to defend our freedoms and pass them on to the next generation. 
 
Our founding fathers were first and foremost, Christians. The main reason America is a Christian nation is that Christians founded it for the purpose of the advancing the Christian faith. 
 
Before disembarking on our domestic soil for the first time in November of 1620, the Pilgrims crafted a strategic document to define and direct their actions. It was called the Mayflower Compact. They knew that even before they landed in the New World, it was essential they understood the purpose and direction of this nation. Here are some key lines in that document: 
 
“In the Name of God Almighty, we whose names are underwritten . . . having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, . . . a voyage to plan the first colony ... do by these present, solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil governing body . . .” 
 
I’ll unpack the meaning of the Mayflower Compact in the next few weeks. Get ready to discover some powerful patriotic principles.

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This blog is written by Pastor John Raymond, pastor of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

When the Pilgrims came across on the Mayflower, they were wise enough to recognize the need for a philosophical foundation for our new nation.  Before they disembarked, they wrote the Mayflower Compact. Here are some of the main exerpts:
 
“In the Name of God Almighty, we whose names are underwritten . . . having undertaken for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith, . . . a voyage to plan the first colony ... do by these present, solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil governing body . . .”
 
Let’s note some key phrases. “In the name of God Almighty” recognizes the authority of our Heavenly Father over our country.
 
This is the same as saying, “Under the authority of God Almighty.” Our Christian forefathers recognized immediately that they had no authority to be free or own property or govern themselves outside of the authority provided them by God Himself.
 
Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.”
 
Next, they stated their purpose for inhabiting this New World. “For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”
 
Their desire was to be free to worship and serve God according to the dictates of their heart as taught in the Bible. And this is still the fight we are fighting to this day.  The protection of our religious liberty is being attacked on a daily basis.
 
We have always been a Christian nation and we need to continue to fight to protect our Christian foundation.
 
Joshua drew a line in the sand for the Israelites before they entered their Promised Land. “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (NLT),
 
Early American hero, Patrick Henry proclaimed, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
 
Finally, they proclaimed their mutual resolve to form a “civil governing body.” A “civil” government” was a new concept. It forms the core of our freedoms.  
 
That means they pledged their honor and duty to form a government of the citizens rather than of royalty. They would no longer be ruled by a king or a dictator but rather by themselves under the submission to the authority of God.
 
As President Abraham Lincoln clarified many years later, it was a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.”
 
Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV), “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
 
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This blog is written by Pastor John Raymond, pastor of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

Our country was built with the help of perhaps the greatest political document ever written. Here is an excerpt, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
 
Let’s unpack a few key points in this powerful paragraph.  First, our founding fathers believed in God.  “All men are created equal.” They recognized the divine hand of their Creator. They didn’t say all men “evolved” equally. We must never forget God’s role in our existence.
 
Benjamin Franklin stated, “Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence, and that He ought to be worshipped.”  
 
Secondly, they believed that our rights were granted to us by the divine authority of God himself.  “That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”  We cannot overstate the importance of this philosophy in our freedoms.  
 
The Constitution doesn’t give us rights. It simply acknowledges the rights that God has already given to us. That’s an important distinction that the founding fathers understood very well.
 
Our founding fathers never assumed the lofty position of granting us rights as if we were their subjects. As men of God, they acknowledged that everyone had rights granted solely by God that could not be taken away by anyone except for God.
 
Finally, our nation was founded on the promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  America is unique in the way we protect these freedoms. We must vigilantly protect these divine rights, or we can suffer the same fate as so many countries before us.
 
President Ronald Reagan said, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”  
 
We have allowed the public-school system to teach an entire generation of Americans that:  

• There is no God – and we wonder why they cannot discern right from wrong.  
• That they are not created with a divine design – and we are baffled at the rapid advancement of the transgender confusion.  
• That their lives have no plan of purpose – and we wonder why the suicide rates have skyrocketed.  
• That they are not loved by a Heavenly Father – and we are surprised that they have murdered over 60 million babies through abortion.  
• That there is no dignity to life because we have evolved from animals – and then we are shocked when they act like animals. 

 
2 Chronicles 7:14 urges us, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana. 

It is often said that freedom isn’t free. True words, indeed. Our American freedoms cost the lives of many thousands of patriots through the centuries. Thousands more have sacrificed greatly to protect those freedoms through the years.
 
My main point today is that our freedom is worth defending – against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. The ol’ country preacher used to say, “You don’t know what your living for, until you know what you are willing to die for.”
 
Evil doesn’t rest. Evil doesn’t give up easily. Evil doesn’t play fair. Evil doesn’t play nice, Evil doesn’t care who it hurts. That’s why we call it EVIL.  
 
And if you put a “D” on the front of evil, you get the word “Devil.” There is a mastermind orchestrating the demise of our religious liberties in America - the Devil himself.  
 
If Christians think we can sit around and sing our hymns and wait for the rapture and everything’s going to be okay, then we are in for the shock of our lives. I’ve often said that if we take our freedoms casually – then we will become a casualty.
 
The Irish Statesman, Sir Edmund Burke, proclaimed, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”  
 
The Christian community has largely abandoned our civic responsibility.  We have ignored our duty as Christians to elect godly leaders. Then we complain about so many evil people being in positions of power who do not represent those of us who honor God and His word, but rather choose to represent those who have no fear of God or recognize the authority of His word. Track this for a decade into the future and you’ll be shocked at the laws that will be passed.
 
George Washington resolved, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey His will...and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”
 
The Christian majority got lazy and thought we would automatically remain in charge of this nation because we had Christian forefathers. But our laziness and apathy has given up the steering wheel of our future to those who mock the beliefs and values of our forefathers.
 
The Bible is taken out of schools and the workplace.  Christian business owners are forced to business that violates their faith. Prayer is not allowed at public events. Creation is illegal to teach in public school.
 
Over 60 Million unborn American children have been murdered through abortion since the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. Transgender confusion has taken our culture by the throat and will not let go until all moral decency has been strangled out of our society.
 
Proverbs 14:34 says, “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
 
Thomas Jefferson warned, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."   Well, I wrote this article because I’m not remaining silent. How about you?
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.  

We all have faced disappointment.  Whether you were innocent or at fault, you know the pain and sadness of disappointment. Maybe you overcame it quickly or maybe you are still dealing with it years later.
 
This month, I want to give you a new perspective on dealing with disappointments in your life so you can use them as stepping stones instead of a grave stone.
 
The first thing I hope you will recognize is that disappointment is internal. In other words, disappointment is something that exists inside of you rather than outside of you. Disappointment does not exist in the physical world. It only exists in your mind. The good news is that you can change your mind.
 
Let’s define Disappointment. “The feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.”
 
The main component in disappointment is unmet expectations. Disappointment is the distance between your expectations and your experience. Disappointment is simply the meaning or the interpretation that you add to a situation.
 
Before David became King of Israel, he was still in the wilderness with his band of men waiting for the time when God would place him on the throne to replace King Saul. One day, David and his men returned home from one of their military exploits only to find that their enemies had burned their town and kidnapped their wives and children.
 
1 Samuel 30:1-2, “When David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid and crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.”  
 
They came home expecting to see their homes and families; but what they found was devastation and only the hope that their families were still alive.
 
1 Samuel 30:3-4, “When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4 they wept until they could weep no more.”
 
Your disappointment might have broken your spirit, or it could have been the wind beneath your wings to make you soar to a new level in life.
 
The old saying goes, “It’s not what happens to you in life that matters as much as how you respond to it.” God loves you and feels your pain. He knows how bad your heart hurts and he is there to comfort you.
 
Psalm 56:8, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.
 

Disappointment can be so debilitating that it turns into devastation and then depression. It becomes like a runaway train and you have to find a way to stop it or derail it because if not, it can utterly destroy you.
 
In our story about David from last time, their town had been burned and their wives and children kidnapped.  
 
1 Samuel 30:4 & 6, “They wept until they could weep no more. David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”  
 
How about that? David was grieving for his own losses and had to face the fact that even his closest allies were blaming him and wanted to stone him to death because of what happened.
 
When disappointment is not dealt with properly, it can cause you to blame others and even want to make someone pay for your pain and loss.
 
But you can’t let your disappointments define you.  You can choose how to view and process that disappointing situation.   Nobody but you can make that choice. Nobody but you can take ownership of your own thoughts and feelings.
 
Don’t let the devil steal the joy of your future because of a disappointment in your past. Let’s see how David responds to this internal disappointment.
 
We read, “But David found strength in the Lord his God.” Another translation says, “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” David took responsibility for his feelings. You need to find a place of strength in the midst of the disappointment.
 
Here’s a funny way to look at it; The first mate says, “Captain, a pirate ship is approaching on the horizon.”  “Quickly bring me my red shirt.” “Why do you want your red shirt?” “If I am wounded in battle, the men won’t be able to see the blood and they will fight on.”  He brought back the shirt and said, “Captain there are 100 pirate ships approaching from the stern.” The captain thought for a moment and said, “Quickly, bring me my brown pants.”
 
Sometimes you just have to control your emotions. You’ve got to dream again. You’ve got to strengthen yourself in the Lord your God and turn your focus away from those missed expectations and look to God for a new vision. Don’t give up!
 
A.W. Tozer, the famed Christian author, wrote, “It is doubtful that God can use anyone greatly, until he has been hurt deeply.”
 
The only way to completely avoid disappointment in life is to never expect anything in life. And that’s a very sad way to live. God can turn your test into your testimony.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.
 

Disappointment is directional. When you don’t handle disappointment in a healthy way, the fear of disappointment will cause you to give up before you even try.  You have to bring your disappointments to the Lord in prayer.  
 
Missed expectations in life are often the best directions in life; because they drive us to our knees and into the arms of the Savior.
 
David sought the Lord’s insight in 1 Samuel 30:7-8, “Then he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod!” So Abiathar brought it. Then David asked the Lord, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the Lord told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”
 
God uses our disappointments to steer us in a better direction and teach us important life lessons. Without some disappointments in life, we would never learn what not to do.
 
I was talking to an elderly lady in church one day and she told me about how her grandparents came over to this country from England without anything and they worked hard and built a great life for their family.
 
But she told me that it almost didn’t happen. The couple had just gotten married and they had saved up a lot of money for their honeymoon cruise but her grandmother became very sick, so they had to miss their trip on a luxurious ocean vessel.  
 
They were so sad and they couldn’t get a refund for their trip so they lost all that money.  They were truly devastated.
 
The name of that ship was the Titanic. And with tears in her eyes, this elderly lady told me how grateful she was that the Lord caused her grandmother to become ill or else they would have never come to America and she would have never been born.
 
1 Samuel 30:16-20, “And they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.”
 
When life throws you a stumbling block to knock you down; you just need to use it as a stepping-stone to climb to a higher level.
 
The quicker you can deal with disappointment, the happier you will be.  When we experience disappointing consequences, it could be God’s way of exposing things that don’t belong in our life. Pain gets our attention even more than pleasure.
 
Proverbs 24:16 tells us, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

Disappointment is temporary. Disappointment is not permanent unless you make it permanent. Disappointment is designed to get your attention, teach you a lesson, and then go away.
 
In our story about David and his men rescuing their wives and children, they had to overcome their disappointment or else they would not have been able to focus on the rescue mission.
 
1 Samuel 30:18-20, “David got back everything the Amalekites had taken. Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. “This plunder belongs to David!” they said.
 
I remember vividly after Hurricane Katrina helping people in our community clear the fallen trees from their yards. There were huge oak trees that were uprooted all over town.  And there were tall pine trees that snapped like a pencil in those hurricane force winds.
 
But do you know what kind of trees are on islands where tropical storms and hurricanes are common?  Palm trees. And the reason the Palm trees survive is because God made them to be incredibly flexible.
 
The same thing is true of you. If you will let God set your expectations and if you will have faith in Him, you will be amazed how flexible you can be when the winds of disappointment come your way.
 
People all around you might be snapping like twigs or their lives might be uprooted, but you just roll with the punches. And when the storm is gone, you’re the one left standing.
 
Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
 
The Palm Tree is designed to bounce back – and so are you.  You can bend but you don’t have to break.
 
Psalm 92:12, “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.”
 
Disappointment is like a hurricane. The winds are going to blow and the rain is going to come; but the winds will subside and the rain will stop and there you will be standing straight and tall.
 
God will often steer us in a better direction by putting up a roadblock where we thought we wanted to go.
 
Instead of dwelling on the hurt of the past, you can put your faith in God to restore you and He will give you back more than the enemy has taken from you. The Bible says that, “Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

2020 seemed to unlock some sort of craziness in our world. While the calendar may have changed, the fallout of 2020 in not in the rearview mirror yet.  
 
With the Coronavirus pandemic to economic collapse and stolen elections, we are still neck deep in the fallout of the year from the Twilight Zone. New wars have begun, new elections are upon us, and the world still looks dark.

The timing is always perfect to dive into the Word of God – the Bible – and look at it from a few different perspectives, but I'm excited to take the time to do it in detail through the next few posts.
 
I promise you that if you will stick with us through these, you will have a major understanding of the Bible and how to study it, apply it, and use it to find the answers that can give you hope and peace of mind.  
 
Like the old gospel song says, “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”
 
I’ve seen chaotic times in my life but never to the degree that we are in right now. Everybody has questions but few people seem to offer real answers. And a big part of the problem is that you can’t believe anything the news media is telling us.  
 
But the Bible does have the answers. The Bible is true and relevant and reliable.
Yes, the Bible is an accurate historical record. But that’s not all it is. The Bible is a wonderful spiritual guide. But that’s not all it is. The Bible is a tremendous moral compass, but it is far more than that.
 
You see, the Bible is not simply a great reference book, to be studied for its contents. It is alive and it is to be embraced for its power.
 
Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
 
The Words that Christ spoke give life to every situation. In fact, the Bible says that unless you are born of the Spirit, you cannot even understand the Bible because these things are spiritually discerned.
 
John 8:31-32, “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
 
This word abide is a very intimate term. To abide in the Word of God is to make your home there.  When we read the Bible, we don’t do it just for the information we get out of it, but for the time spent with the Lord. When you read the Bible with an open mind, you will see it come alive within your spirit.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

Before we had the Bible in written form, there was the word of God. It was the very first thing that existed and was the force in creation.
 
John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
 
The Greek word for “Word” is Logos. It means the essence of, the complete embodiment, the fullness in encapsulated form.  
 
God’s word is the foundation of creation. It is the full essence of who God is. Without God’s word, there would be no God because God IS His word.  And this is the foundation for everything. Thankfully, we now have God’s word in written form. It’s called the Bible. And it contains the revelation of who God is.  Have you made the Bible your foundation in life?
 
Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
 
The Dark Ages refer to the 900 years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Modern Age of civilization. In those times, formal education was not commonly available, most people couldn’t read or write, law and order were almost non-existent, medical myths and religious superstitions were commonplace.  
 
During this time, the Bible was not available to the common man, and since it was only handwritten in Latin, the common man could not have read it anyway.  
 
It is historically important to recognize that the Dark Ages coincided with the absence of the Bible being readily available.  
 
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in Germany during the 14th century for the primary purpose of printing Bibles more quickly.  He also printed the Bible in the common language rather than Latin so people could actually learn to read it.
 
The Bible and other books became readily available and affordable. Literacy began to rise. Greater learning, new ideas and thoughtful discussion quickly became the order of the day.  The public was being educated and the Modern Age of Civilization was born – all thanks to Gutenberg’s desire to print Bibles for the common man.
 
In 1995, a single page of an original Guttenberg Bible containing the Ten Commandments (Exodus, 20:1-17) sold at an auction for $75,000.00. Because of his invention of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg was named Time Magazine’s Man of the Millennium.  
 
Psalm 119:105 (NASB), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
 
The Bible is the best-selling book of all time by far. The complete Bible has been translated into over 700 languages and the New Testament has been translated into over 2,200 languages.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

As we examine the significance of the Bible, it is crucial to understand that the Bible is revealed in Christ.
 
John’s gospel was written for the primary purpose of letting a non-Jewish audience understand the relationship between Jesus – the Son, and God – the Father. The most accurate term he could use for his audience to understand was “Logos.”  
 
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word (Logos) and the word (Logos) was with God, and the word (Logos) was God.”
 
He went on in verse 14 to clarify, “The word (Logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
 
Here is where it gets fascinating. The term Logos is a very technical term. It indicates the true essence of something – the accurate data, mindset, fullness, purpose, and personality. The Greek concept of the Logos is where we derive the terms Logistical, Logical, and Logo.  
 
In today’s terms, a logo is a symbol that conveys the complete essence of a company in a single glance. Like the Nike swoosh or the bite out of the Apple logo, we know in an instant what it represents.
 
In the same way, the Bible is God’s Logo in written form, and Jesus is God’s Logo in human form. When we see Christ, we see God. When we embrace the scriptures, we are embracing God himself.
 
Ephesians 1:17 (NIV), “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
 
When you study the life of Christ in scripture, you receive wisdom and revelation that can transform who you are and how you live.
 
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV), “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
 
Notice here that the power of the word is for us who believe.  The power of the Word of God and our belief in it have to go hand in hand. You cannot claim to love Jesus and not obey God’s Word. A lot of people say they love Jesus. Why wouldn’t they? He’s so nice and sweet and good natured, right?
 
But then they reject the Word of God, which is Jesus in written form. People fall in love with the picture of Jesus on the wall with his long flowing hair gently holding a lamb – but they don’t want anything to do with the Jesus who speaks the commands of God in the Bible.
 
If you want to truly embrace the person of Jesus Christ in your life, you must first recognize that He is the Logos, the revelation of God’s Word in human form.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

There are over twenty million Bibles sold in the United States every year. It is by far, the greatest selling book of all time. Nothing else even comes close. The Bible has been translated into over 3,400 different languages and dialects. The Bible is banned in certain countries, but it is eagerly embraced in other countries.  
 
So, what’s the big deal about the Bible?  Why is it so popular? What does the Bible have that billions of people want to know?  The bottom line is this – the Bible leads to life.
 
Jesus said in John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”  
 
The Bible is the word of God and contains the secrets to an abundant life now as well as eternal life in the future. No wonder it is so popular. No other book can make the guarantees set forth in the Bible.
 
Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  
 
When you understand that the Bible is the main source of truth and guidance for your life, you begin to have faith that it will work for you.  The component of faith is vital to having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and living a fulfilled life.
 
Hebrews 11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
 
You see, when you seek God sincerely with faith, then He will reveal Himself to you in undeniable ways.
 
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  
 
The more you apply God’s Word and experience it, the more your faith grows. God’s Word has to move from intellectual theory to practical application. But without genuine faith, the word of God cannot gain traction in your heart. In order for it to work in your life, God’s word has to be combined with your faith.
 
Hebrews 4:2, “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”  
 
Your faith – combined with God’s word – creates an upward spiral that continues to grow. When you believe it, you use it. When you use it, you see it work. When it works, you believe in it even more.
 
If you don’t have faith in God’s word, you won’t understand God’s word. Faith takes the natural and turns it into the supernatural because the Bible leads to life.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana. 

When asked about the authority of the Bible, the late Reverend Billy Graham said, “Millions of people today are searching for a reliable voice of authority. The Word of God is the only real authority we have. The Bible is old; yet it is ever new. It is the most modern book in the world today. There is a false notion that a book as ancient as the Bible cannot speak to modern needs. People somehow think that this ancient book is out-of-date, but it is relevant to our generation. One of the greatest needs in the church today is to come back to the scriptures as the basis of authority.”
 
The percentage of people who believe in God and the Bible is decreasing drastically every year. I remember growing up when everyone knew the stories of the Bible like Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and David and Goliath – even if they didn’t attend church.
 
But it is very different now. We are living in the first generation since the Dark Ages that is biblically illiterate. You can no longer have a reasonable assumption that someone believes in God or the Bible.
 
The Entertainment industry, the news media, and the majority of college professors now mock God and the Bible and use intimidation tactics to shame Christians into hiding their faith or even renouncing it altogether.
 
Only 6% of college teachers say that the Bible is actually the word of God. A recent study shows that over 2 out of 3 young adults who attended Protestant churches regularly growing up, drop out of church completely during their college years between the ages of 18 and 22.
 
Is the Bible just a religious relic that shoves an outdated religion down our throats to steal away any fun we have in life and give us guilt and condemnation? Is it a book of spiritual fairytales and fables designed to keep society in line?
 
Or is the Bible what it claims to be – the written revelation of Almighty God that not only teaches us how to live in this life, but also shows us the path to eternal life?
 
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV), “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”
 
So, I want to encourage you to NOT look at the Bible as just another book – but to take a second look – a reverent look – and Accept the Authority of the Bible as God’s Holy Word.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

The Bible is many things. It is a handbook of human history. It is a medical manual. It is an almanac for astronomers. The Bible is an encyclopedia of ethics. It is a plethora of poetic prose. The Bible is a religious reference, a discourse in discipline and its even a study in science.
 
But so what? Despite all of this, there is really only one thing that is ultimately important. The critical question is simply this: Is the Bible the Word of God?
 
If the Bible is NOT God’s Word, then we should all leave now because there is no eternal power in a man-made religion.
 
BUT, on the other hand… If, in fact, the Bible is true; if it is actually the Written Revelation of the Living God, then we had better read it, understand it, believe it, and live by it.
 
Psalm 12:6 (NIV), “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.”
 
The Bible has been proven to be accurate by science, medicine, psychology, geography, astronomy, history, and archeology.
 
The renowned Jewish archeologist, Dr. Nelson Glueck, stated, "No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."
 
Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled even centuries after they were written. These prophecies include political prophecies, world event prophecies, and religious prophecies.
 
2 Peter 1:21 (NASB), “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
 
The Old Testament, written over a span of 1,000 years, contains over 300 prophecies of the Messiah referencing everything from his birthplace, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. All of these were fulfilled by Jesus Christ – and they confirmed His credentials as the Messiah.
 
2 Peter 1:21 (NASB), “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
 
Only the Bible manifests this remarkable prophetic evidence, and it does so on such a tremendous scale that any explanation other than divine revelation is completely absurd.
 
Matthew 26:56 (NLT), “But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.”
 
The Bible is accurate in every sense. Those who dispute it’s accuracy have not examined the scriptures closely and cross-referenced it with other authentic words. You can trust the accuracy of the Bible.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

In this series of articles, we have examined the Bible from many angles. The Bible is not just a book of religious rituals or philosophical fables. The Bible is the living revelation of God Himself.  The Bible is alive; and when you read it with faith, it comes alive inside of you and changes the way you think and live.
 
The Bible is our foundation for understanding who we are because it helps us understand who our Creator is.  The earth was not a cosmic accident and you are not merely a product of random evolution. You were born “on” purpose and “for” a purpose.
 
When you allow the Bible - God’s word - to have authority in your life, you will begin to see your life from an entirely different perspective. God’s word living in you changes everything: your identity, values, ambitions, relationship, etc.  You can trust the Bible to lead you down the best path in your spiritual journey.
 
So, why is the Bible so powerful? What is it about this book that separates it from every other piece of literature ever written? First of all, the author is God, who dictated His word to righteous men in history.
 
But the main reason that the Bible has such a powerful impact on our lives is that it is the biography of Jesus Christ. The Bible is His story. The central character in scripture is Christ - even in the Old Testament before He was born.  
 
In John 5:39, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!”
 
The Bible is the greatest love story ever written. God loves mankind so much that He made a way to reconcile us back to Himself after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. When sin entered the world, there was only one way to rectify that problem. Our sins had to be forgiven. A ransom had to be paid. But no one was qualified to pay that ransom because everyone has sinned.  
 
Only Jesus Christ was sinless, so He was the only one in history whose death could pay the price for all of the sins of mankind.  On the cross, Jesus paid for our sins. In the resurrection, Jesus conquered death and the grave. The Cross and the Resurrection changed everything.
 
The entire storyline of scripture is about our Creator implementing His plan to make a way for you and me to live with him forever in paradise. It’s true. It’s going to happen. Will you be there?
 
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16
 
Just think about it – eternal life – immortality – no sickness – no heartache – no death. This is how the story ends. This is the purpose of the Bible. This is the story of Jesus. The Bible is the greatest love story ever told.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.

The devil will attack you at your most vulnerable point and when you are least expecting it. That’s why the Bible warns us, “If you think you are standing firm, watch out or you may fall.”
 
After Jesus was baptized by John, he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for his earthly ministry. During this time, the devil tempted him by misusing scripture against Him. But Jesus knew how to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 
Matthew 4:3-4, “And the tempter came and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But He answered and said, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
 
Satan was bringing up the fact that God fed the children of Israel in the wilderness with fresh manna on the ground every morning. But Jesus referred to that very story from Deuteronomy 8:3 and quoted it right back to him.
 
Matthew 4:5-7, “Then the devil took him into the holy city; and he had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: 'He will give his angels charge concerning You; and on their hands they will bear You up, lest you strike Your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘On the other hand it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Deut. 6:16)
 
Did you notice how the devil was twisting scripture to tempt Jesus? Did you know that the devil has the Bible memorized?
 
The devil was quoting Psalm 91:12, which talks about God’s protection over his people. But Jesus once again fended off his attack by referring to a scripture from Deuteronomy 6:16.
 
Matthew 4:8-10, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things will I give you if you fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
 
Satan knew that Jesus was the Messiah and eventually he would reign with God in heaven, and he was trying to make Jesus impatient; but Jesus didn’t fall for it. Jesus again quoted the Law in Deuteronomy 6:13.
 
Matthew 4:11, “Then the devil left him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”
 
Finally, the devil knew he wasn’t going to win this battle, so he retreated. The same thing will happen for you if you know how to sword fight.
 
James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
 
That conversation looked like a sword fight, didn’t it? The devil attacked with his sword, but Jesus countered with his sword. He knew the exact scripture to use for every situation.  The more we know scripture, the more precisely and effectively we can apply it when we need it most.  Never be afraid to fight the devil using the word of God as your weapon because the Bible has authority.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.