Leaving Laodicea

169 - How to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit... For Real!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:25:01 EST

Essential Truths: We live in terribly trying times. Just check out the evening news. The prospect of war in the Middle East looms over our heads, the eminent collapse of our financial system and the fear of hyper-inflation keeps many awake at night and the rapid moral decay of our culture paints an incredibly bleak picture for our children and our grandchildren. What's a believer to do? Strive to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, so you've heard that before. Nevertheless, the reality doesn't change. You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. "But how?" you ask. Great question. Keep listening.

168 - God's Choice of You

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:59:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: What happens when a clear doctrine in Scripture assaults and comes into direct conflict with our personal conviction of right and wrong, or what is fair and just or what is unfair and needs to be corrected. What happens? Do we simply accept the clear teaching of Scripture as truth? Or do we somehow try to place the blame for this moral inconsistency on the head of God Himself? Unfortunately, my experience says the latter. Especially when dealing with issues like election, free-will and personal accountability. Want to know more? Keep listening.

167 - More That a Biblical Placebo

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:58:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Romans 8:28 is either one of the greatest statements of divine encouragement found in the New Testament or it is, hands down, the greatest excuse for our "stay at arms length, don't get too close" lack of ministry to others who are hurting. So, which is it? Encouragement or placebo? Listen and find out more.

166 - What Does Worship Really Mean?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:08:01 EST

Essential Truths: Question: What does worship really mean? Answer (and more questions): Is worship simply a style or type or genre of Christian music? Or, is worship just the singing part of our Sunday morning church routine? Does worship always have to be connected with music or can worship intersect other parts of our lives? And, if so, what parts? And how? In what way? What does true worship look like? How does it feel? What does it accomplish? What does it do for God and what does it do for me? What is the purpose of worship? Need more? Then keep listening.

165 - Sons, Adoption, Children and Heirs

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:10:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: When we tire of the constant struggle between the inner man and our flesh sometime we can begin to believe that maybe we aren't really saved, that maybe we're not one of the chosen ones... maybe we've just been fooling ourselves or maybe we just flat missed the boat. During those dark times it is encouraging to see the three confirmations of our sonship in Christ that are found in Romans 8. We can relish in the fact that being (1) led by the Spirit proves our (2) adoption, and if we are adopted then we are (3) sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

164 - Painting With a Narrow Brush

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:52:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: One of the dangers of living in the lukewarm, Laodicean church culture of today is that we tend to adopt the mantra of the world regarding sin and repeat it over and over again, as truth, within our church circles. For example, "Don't ask, don't tell." Or, in other words, if you won't ask me about my sin and lack of Christian virtue and holiness, then I promise I won't ask you about yours. Then we can both live under the deception that we are saved, living the "abundant life in Christ," and that the Lord is "mighty pleased with us." Really? But the Scriptures may say something quite different.

163 - What Does it Mean to be "In Christ"?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:12:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: "In Christ." Martin Luther puts it this way: "Everything which Christ has becomes the property of the believing soul; everything which the soul has, becomes the property of Christ. Christ possesses all blessings and eternal life: they are thenceforward the property of the soul. The soul has all its iniquities and sins: they become thenceforward the property of Christ. It is then that a blessed exchange commences." But there is much more. Being "in Christ" is... well, such a profound truth that it boggles the mind to even think about it. Keen listening...

162 - Slavery = Freedom

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:56:01 EST

Essential Truths: The Christian life is full of some strange, yet Biblical paradoxes. Consider the following: Salvation is both free and costly. To find your life you must lose it. Those who are last will be first. The least among men is the greatest. Those who give will receive. Those who are humble will be exalted. God is Three yet One. And the granddaddy of them all... True freedom comes only through slavery. Really? Oh, yes. It is the most marvelous paradox of all. Listen and find out why.

161 - Time to Man-Up, Dude

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:25:01 EST

Essential Truths: Sometimes when we view God we have a selfish, sinful, Laodicean tendency to think that He is just like us. After all, we bend over backwards to cut our kids slack because we want them to like us and... uh, I guess that's how God deals with us. Wrong. Then we continually make excuses for sinful behavior and just chuck it all up to the mantra of, "you know how kids are these days" or "boys will be boys" or "that's just the way I am"... and we think and pray that God views our sin the same way. Again, wrong. God is not created in our image. And it's high time to man-up.

160 - The Horrid Condition of the Human Heart

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:05:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Some people feel that the Scriptures no longer speak to us today. That the answers it offers are to questions we no longer ask. Really? Try this one on for size. Question from Romans 6: If it is true that the Law convicts and condemns, and if I am now free from the Law and under grace... then it would stand to reason that I am free from any moral restraint in my behavior. In other words, if the law no longer needs to be obeyed, and if God's grace covers all my sins, then I (and all Believers) are perfectly free to do as we please and sin to our heart's content.

159 - One Strange Word Changes Everything!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:40:01 EST

Essential Truths: Doulos. It means "slave, or one who is held in servitude as chattel (or property) of another." But there is much more. Doulos deals with a permanent relationship of servitude to another. It is one whose very existence is characterized by obedience, one whose own personal will is surrendered to the will of another. It depicts one who is completely devoted to and dependent on another. It is the exact opposite of what we honor and esteem in our culture today. And, most important, it is the type of "slave / master" relationship that we are to have with Jesus. Confused? Then keep listening.

158 - Sacrificing Our Children to Demons

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:27:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Psalm 106 tells of Israel's rebellion and sin and the bountiful mercy of God. But is also paints a prophetic picture of the church in America today. Consider the following: "But they mingled with the Gentiles (or heathens) and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons." Are you wondering how someone could sacrifice their children to demons? Then keep listening... because we do it everyday.

157 - The Persecution Promise

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:29:01 EST

The Holy Spirit: Did you know that one of the true signs of saving faith is the fact that you will face persecution? Consider the following: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-17 Are you wondering exactly what that means and how it plays out in our lives today? Good. Then keep listening.

156 - The Vine and the Branches, Part II

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:12:01 EST

The Holy Spirit: The players from John 15: One, Jesus is the Vine... all of the Vine. He is the roots, the stalk, the leaves... literally, He is everything. Two, we, as Believers, are the branches of the Vine. We are a part of the Vine, not separate and distinct from the Vine, but connected to the Vine to serve a specific purpose. And what is that purpose? To bear the fruit of the Vine. Note, we don't create the fruit for our own use, we just bear it. And why? For what purpose? Three, for the enjoyment and glory of the Vinedresser, God the Father. But there is so much more. Keep listening.

155 - The True Vine Stole My Heart

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:58:01 EST

The Holy Spirit: When the Scriptures speak about the terms of salvation, they always seem to frame the event as either right or wrong, with no wiggle room, no grey area. For example, two roads and two paths. One leads to destruction and the other to life. Notice, there is no third choice. Two fruits, one good and one bad. Nothing in between. And when Jesus calls Himself the true vine, doesn't that imply a distinction between a possible false vine? Absolutely! Listen and find out more.

154 - Every Letter Bleeds Jesus

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:55:01 EST

Sufficiency of Scripture: There is a cryptic statement Jesus makes to the religious establishment of His day that is startling if taken at face value. It goes like this: "You search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." Wow. What Jesus is saying is that all Scripture, even the genealogies of the Old Testament, testify and speak of Him. Really? Does that also include the "in your face" passages like Psalm 55? Listen and find out.

153 - Rewards in Heaven? Oh, Yeah!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:29:01 EST

Between Two Worlds: Just because we live in the age of grace doesn't mean that works do not play into the Christian life. After all, Scripture clearly teaches that we will be rewarded for our deeds done in the flesh... or, our works. Oh yes, there is a Bema seat judgment where we will be judged by the Lord for our works and we will receive our rewards. In fact, the promise of receiving rewards from the hand of Christ was an incredible motivator for the apostle Paul and countless other heroes of the Christian faith throughout the centuries. What? You think that sounds self-promoting and selfish? Then listen on.

152 - The Marks of Saving Faith

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:19:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: In the 3rd chapter of Romans we see the word "faith" repeated over and over again. Believers are deemed righteous by faith. Man is justified by faith. God justifies both the circumcised and the uncircumcised by faith. God is even called the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Everywhere we look it's faith, faith... and still more faith. But what exactly is this faith? What kind of faith are we talking about? And is this the kind of faith that saves? Is there another kind of faith that doesn't save? What is the difference? How can I know? Are you hungry for some answers? Then listen on.

151 - Time to Come and Die

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:47:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, before he died at the Flossenburg Concentration camp on April 9, 1945, summarized in his book, the Cost of Discipleship, the Christian life like this: "When Christ calls a man,He bids him to come and die." Is that true? Does Christ really demand total abandonment of self to follow Him? Is that what was portrayed in the gospels? Because it certainly isn't what is esteemed in current Christian circles today, is it? And why not?

150 - Goin' Down!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:00:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Sometimes life is just hard. Real hard. And sometimes it's hard to understand why the Lord allows things to happen to His children that, well... happen to his children. And when they do we are often left with the nagging thought that maybe God doesn't care as much as we care or maybe we've done something to make Him not love us anymore. Do you ever have thoughts like that? Maybe when the situation looks hopeless and dark? Maybe when you feel alone and forgotten? Or maybe when you're sure you're going down for the last time? If you have, you're not alone.

149 - Poison in the Stew

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:48:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Question: If we cannot be saved by keeping the Law, does that mean that we are no longer under any obligation to pay attention to the Law? Answer: No. When a person is saved or redeemed, there is never a separation between Law and grace. Christian grace does not remove the obligation from us to obey God. Question: Then, can I receive Jesus as my Savior and not my Lord? Or, can I get saved today and make Him my Lord at a later date?

148 - Heaven

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:45:01 EST

Between Two Worlds: In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn writes, "The climax of history will be the creation of new heavens and New Earth, (defined as) a resurrected universe inhabited by resurrected people living with a resurrected Jesus." When we think of heaven, do we think of the place where there will be no more sorrow and no more tears? Or, do we think of the place where our loved one who have died are now living? Uh, I thought they were the same place. Confused? Well keep listening.

147 - You Are Not the Apple of God's Eye

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:10:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Let me ask you a couple of questions: What advantage is there in going to church? What advantage is there in having Christian parents? In going to Christian school, listening to Christian music or only viewing Christian movies? What does it all matter if none of what we do on the outside brings an eternal change on the inside? This was the same question Paul put to the church in Rome concerning being a Jew and having the traditions and the Law. In fact, Paul's answer might surprise you. He says, "Much indeed!" Really? Want to know more? Keep listening.

146 - False Security

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:15:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Many people put their faith and security in things that are... well, insecure at best. The stock market, big government, political parties, their job, AIG or Bernie Madoff. And, in the world of investments, false security could be costly. But in the real world, false security can totally destroy you. Eternally. This is what Paul confronts the church in Rome about concerning the Jews but the lesson is also for us today. Do we place our eternal security in (1) our knowledge of the Bible, (2) our Christian heritage, or (3) our religious ceremonies and practices? Woe to us if we do!

145 - A Pair of All-Important Questions

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:19:01 EST

Preparing for the End: The following quote by DL Moody has been in my wallet for over 20 years. Do you think it's still true for us today? Or, do you think that maybe we've gone too far? "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that man." How can we be that kind of man? What soul-searching questions would we have to ask ourselves? And how would we answer?

144 - Moral People Skate Not

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:55:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: A simple summary of the first three chapters of Romans could go like this: Chapter One - lost, sinful pagans are deserving of God's wrath. Chapter Two - Lost, moral people are deserving of God's judgment. Chapter Three: Lost, religious people are also deserving of God's judgment. So where does that leave us? And if you preach a message assaulting the perceived goodness in lost, moral people... won't you be accused of being judgmental? Yes. But to quote Paul Washer, "People tell me judge not lest ye be judged. I always tell them, twist not scripture lest ye be like Satan."

143 - Dialectic or Didactic Reasoning

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:19:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: In the first chapter of Romans the Lord lays out for mankind, saved and unsaved, the inevitable death spiral of sin. He says that God gives man up to the (1) lusts of their hearts, the (2) vile passions (revealed in the sin of homosexuality) and finally the (3) debasement of their very minds. Pretty sobering stuff. But why does this teaching have so little effect on the church or the culture at large? Why do we read it and, pretty much, just blow it off? It could be that we are reading the Scriptures dialectically and not didactically which, by the way, is how it was originally written. Confused? Well, hang with us just a bit longer.

142 - "I Think it Means What it Says!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:17:01 EST

Believing Like a 12 Year Old: A couple of quick questions: Are you tired of living the high points of your spiritual life on the backs of long-ago, past dead Christian heroes? You know, we talk about the child-like faith of George Mueller, the courage of Corrie Ten Boom or the single-minded devotion of Jim Elliott... but what about us? What about you and me? What would you give to live the truly "abundant life" that Jesus held out before His disciples? Do you think a life like that is possible? For you? For anybody? And if it is, what must we do to enter into the realm of spiritual fervency that produces the kind of spiritual fruit the Lord longs for?

141 - "I have sinned against the Lord!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:11:01 EST

Preparing for the End: When we sin, there are three people we need to ask for forgiveness. The first, obviously, is the Lord. And He promises in 1 John 1:9 to "forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The second person is, of course, the one whom we've hurt. We are to go to our brother and ask their forgiveness for whatever we have done against them. And, they will either forgive us... or not. The last person we need to forgive is ourselves. And often this is the hardest. But if Christ has already forgiven us and we refuse to do likewise, does that make our standards of forgiveness higher than His? Great question.

140 - Salvation = Repentance + Faith

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:18:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: In 2 Corinthians 15:13 Paul tells us to: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified" or, quite literally, fail the test. When is the last time you took this personal inventory of spiritual fruits? When was the last time you checked to make sure your name is written in His book? When did you have that radical transformation that took you from where you were to where you now are? What happened when the Spirit of God took up residence in you? Don't you think it's way past time for you to look into these things?

139 - Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:48:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Modern, contemporary preaching seems to portray Jesus as a friend, a buddy, or a pal - someone we want to "build a relationship" with. And why not? After all, that's pretty much the way we taught Him via Sunday school flannel graphs and cartoon DVDs. But Jesus is much more than a good friend we joke around with and slap on the back. The Scriptures present Him as the One who will exercise wrath on unbelieving mankind during the tribulation. In fact, the Scriptures say much about the wrath of God and the wrath of the Lamb. Want to know more? Then keep listening.

138 - Dude, You Messin' With Dynamite!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:53:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Romans 1:16-17 states (my notation added): For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, (why) for it is the power (explosive, life-changing, transformational power) of God to salvation (deliverance from being molested by your enemies) for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For (where) in it the (what) righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." This, in essence, is the gospel reduced to a sound bite. And the rest of Romans simply elaborates on these words. Do you want to know more? Then listen.

137 - The Man Outside the Room

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:38:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: Sometimes we have questions about Jesus and salvation and the very nature of God that seem to elude rational thinking. For example: How can Jesus and the Father be one and He still be called the Son of God? How can Jesus be the "express image of His person (the Father)" yet claim that He didn't know the things the Father knew and that He only did what the Father commanded Him to do? Or, when Jesus was praying to the Father, was He really praying to Himself? Geez. Some of these will give you a headache. Do you want to know the answer? Then keep listening.

136 - God's Waterboy

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 23:31:01 EST

Roaming Through Romans: When Paul began his letter to the church in Rome he called himself a "bondslave" to Christ. Did you ever wonder what that phrase meant? Bondslave? Voluntary slave? One who places himself in total submission to another... voluntarily and for love? That's exactly how Exodus 21 describes him. So, what is your relationship to Jesus? Are you a servant of His... you know, where you work 9 to 5 with weekends off? Or, are you His slave... where every action, thought and possession of yours belongs to your Master, the One who bought you for Himself for a great price?

135 - The Great Apostasy

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:41:01 EST

Preparing for the End: One of the tell-tale signs that must take place before the "man of lawlessness" is revealed is the great "falling away" or the great "apostasy." This is when the visible church, by and large, rejects the true Gospel and substitutes in its place something man-centered or man-exalting. Need I say more? If you will take a careful look at church in our culture today you will see us falling headlong into the great apostasy. In fact, we may be in the middle of it right now. What does that say about the need for discernment? Listen and find out.

134 - Choose Life

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:55:01 EST

Believing Like a 12 Year Old: Life is full of choices: What to eat for dinner? Where to go on vacation this year? Who should I marry? What college do I want to go to? What do I want to do with my life? The Scripture is also full of choices: Whom will you serve? Which path will you take? Will you follow the call of the Lord? There is also a choice we must make between life and death, the blessing and the curse. Listen as we learn to choose life.

133 - No Unity, No Ministry

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:36:01 EST

Believing Like a 12 Year Old: When we look at the book of Acts we are confronted, over and over again, with summary statements that show how the church is growing, multiplying, expanding... experiencing something we seem only to be able to dream about. For example: "But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied." - Acts 12:24 Did you ever wonder what caused that great growth? We did. And the answer will surprise you. Join with us as we take a look.

132 - The Shelter

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 21:05:01 EST

Believing Like a 12 Year Old: What happens when the very people the Lord puts in our lives start to irritate us? Or, better yet, continually annoy us... to death? What happens when we begin to question the logic behind the Lord's choosing of the other parts of His body? What happens when we feel that maybe the Lord made a mistake? Maybe He didn't think it through. Maybe He should have asked us for our input. Then the body of Christ ceases to function as a team but instead seems more like a bunch of spoiled free-agents all trying to demand what they think they're worth... and it's not a pretty sight.

131 - What to Give When You Have it All?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:34:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Christians should be familiar with grace. After all, it is more to them than the proverbial "unmerited favor." In fact, three of God's greatest attributes are centered around grace. First, there's God's mercy. Then, His grace. And finally, God's unfathomable patience. Grace then, to a forgiven believer, is "God's goodness given to those whom is due only punishment." Yikes! Makes us realize just how blessed we are. So, what do we give to others when we have it all? Listen and find out.

130 - Another "Ah-ha" Moment

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:07:01 EST

Preparing for the End: What happens when the everyday garden variety Christian starts believing and living the Sufficiency of Scripture? Simply this... "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (how so) For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother... (meaning) a man's enemies will be the members of his household." Oh, and you thought this only applied to lost people? Think again...

129 - The Coronation of Christ

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:27:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Remember John 5:39 (and also remember, when Jesus was talking about the Scriptures, He was referring to the Old Testament): "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these (specifically the Old Testament Scriptures) that bear witness of Me." And never is this more clear than in the 7h chapter of Daniel. Here we have a picture of the coronation of Christ at the end of time. Absolutely, amazing. Unbelievable.

128 - The Difference Between "With" and "In"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:05:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Two small words: "in" and "with." They almost seem insignificant. Helpless. Unimportant. Just two tiny dots on the landscape of the English language. But these words, uttered from the mouth of Jesus, have profound meaning and importance. Consider the following: "Abide in (not with) Me, and I in (not with) you... If you abide in (not with) Me, and my words abide in (not with) you..." You know, there may be something to these two tiny words. Listen and find out..

127 - The Coming Darkness

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:05:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Be warned. The judgment of God is coming to America... and may already have begun. When God brings judgment (calamity) it often helps to remember the big picture: 1. All calamity is the result of sin. 2. Sometimes God brings special calamity as a judgment of sin. 3. Before calamity strikes, God always warns His people. 4. God is patient. So patient that many begin to feel that judgment won't happen. 5. Before judgment, God is ready to forgive those who come to Him on His terms.

126 - What Would a 12 Year Old Think?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:55:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Jesus, in Mark 10, told His disciples that unless they received the kingdom of God as a "child" they could not enter into it at all. "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." Strange, sobering words. But what did they mean back then? And do they mean the same thing today? Listen and find out.

125 - The Faith of Just One Man

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:35:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Often the Enemy tries to make us feel like we are nothing... just a single, lonely, isolated individual trying to faithfully stand against a massive and formidable Satanic kingdom. Did you ever feel like that? Maybe you've uttered some desperate words like, "What's the use? Why resist." Or maybe you've looked at the mountain in front of you and the small shovel in your hand and asked, "Why did you make life so hard, Lord?" Reality speaks different. Think about it: One man, in his nineties, literally changed a nation and caused a pagan king to offer praises to God. How? Listen and find out.

124 - Don't Count Me Out Yet!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:12:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Sometimes we allow Satan to sell us the lie that our time of usefulness to the Lord is over.. You know, it's done. Finished. And sometimes we hold on to the lie that because of our squandered youth, or nagging sin, or maybe just the sheer number of missed and lost opportunities we've had to be faithful to the Lord - that He has benched us, like an expansion team coach, in favor of a younger, faster rookie.. And then we often allow Satan to rob the church of the wisdom, insight and perseverance that only time and experience can master. Did you know that Daniel might have felt the same way? Let's talk about it.

123 - Can You Trust the Church?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:20:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Question: Can you trust the church to always communicate the truth? Can you trust the church to always do and teach what is "right, true, honorable, pure, lovely, of excellence, worthy of praise, or of good repute?" Answer: No. Why? Because the church has been infiltrated and compromised. The enemy, like the birds in the parable of the mustard seed, are now within the walls - making nests in the branches. The church as we know it today has a "form of godliness but has no power." She is impotent. Apathetic. A dry stream. So what are we to do? Listen and find out...

122 - The Werewolf Chronicles

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:35:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Did you ever take the time to see just how much the Scriptures say about the sin and consequences of pride? It's overwhelming. Convicting. Down right scary. First, the Lord Himself calls pride an abomination. Then the Proverbs are chocked full of warnings to the proud, the arrogant and the boastful. Adam and Even fell because of pride. Satan was cast from heaven because of pride. And the Old Testament gives us, over and over again it seems, detailed personal portraits of great leaders brought low... real low, because of the sin of pride. Nebuchadnezzar was just one. This is his story.

121 - No More Lame Excuses

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:15:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Did you ever wonder why it is so easy for us to trust the words of the Lord for our eternal security, yet not trust Him for our daily bread? Think about it: When Jesus says He is "preparing a place for us and will come again to receive us to be where He is" - we have no problem with that. We hold on to those words, cherish those words, are encouraged by those words. But what about when He also says "to seek His kingdom and all these things (food, shelter, clothing) will be given to us?" Do we have the same faith in temporal promises as we do in eternal ones? Daniel did.

120 - Biblical, Non-Osteen "Favor"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:05:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Sometimes, with just the passing of time, the meaning of words change. For example, "cool" goes from meaning "chilly" or "the opposite of warm" to... well, cool. "Gay" no longer means "happy" or "carefree" - but now means something different altogether. Even Biblical words can be twisted when interpreted through the lens of a perverted, compromised culture. Take the word "favor" for instance. Because of TV preachers it now means that God will give you stuff, trinkets and toys, because you are special or He likes you more than other people. But that was not its original meaning.

119 - The Obedience that God Honors

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:45:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: What do you think happens when a 15 year old boy who has been forcefully taken from his home determines in his heart and mind that he will not compromise or acquiesce to the foreign, pagan culture that wants to rob him of his heritage, faith and future? What happens to a young man like that? A brutal beating? Years of unbearable imprisonment? Painful torture? Death? Well, not if that young man is named Daniel and not if his God is the Lord Most High. God has a way of honoring those who honor Him. Just like He did Daniel.

118 - The Sin of Compromise

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 23 May 2010 22:36:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Have you ever considered how pragmatic we are as a society and as a church? How the mantra of "expedience" seems to be the law of the land today. "After all," we reason, "if it works for you, go for it." Now compare that to the mindset of the likes of Daniel, Job, Noah, Moses, Paul, Stephen and other who counted life in this world not worth living if they had to compromise their faith and obedience to survive. Where are these men today? Where are those who will stand for truth, no matter what? Come what may? Oh where, oh where have the real Christians gone? Oh where, oh where can they be?

117 - The Consequence of Ignored Warnings

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:18:01 EST

The Prophecies of Daniel: Time and time again, in the Old Testament and even today, God's people warned the government and religious authorities about impending danger and the coming judgment of God. And time and time again those words were ignored. From the destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC to the deportation to Babylon in 605, 597 and 586BC. From the revival under Josiah to the preaching of Isaiah and Jeremiah, all the tell-tale signs were ignored. Can you see any parallel for today? I sure can. Listen and find out more.

116 - What's in a Name?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:07:11 EST

Preparing for the End: In our culture we spend a lot of time fretting over names - names of our children, common nicknames, hyphenated names, even the names of our pets. Our literature reflects the same fascination we have with what we choose to have others call us. Take Shakespeare, for example: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." Did you know that God is also concerned about His name? Listen and see why...

115 - The Wall, the Valley and the End of Days

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:07:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Let's review some of the history of Jerusalem: First, Pompey captured the city in 63BC and destroyed part of the walls. Then, nine years later, Crassus ransacked the temple. In 40BC, the Parthians also came and plundered Jerusalem followed by King Herod who captured the city in 37BC. Finally, in 70AD, Titus laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed the city and the walls, with the exception of the western wall and three towers. Wonder where we are going with all this? Then keep listening...

114 - What Happened to the Molten Sea?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:59:01 EST

Spirit and Truth Worship: Jesus said that those who worship the Father "must" worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Why? For such the Father seeks to be His worshipers. So, what does all this have to do with a huge bronze vat of water found in Solomon's temple? And, by the way, I mean huge! We are talking about 15 feet wide from brim to brim, over 7 feet deep and holding close to 17,500 gallons of water. What does Spirit and truth worship have to do with the Molten Sea? Listen and find out.

113 - Last Call

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:04:01 EST

The Revelation: Question: With all this talk about the imminent return of Christ, how then are we to live? Or, in other words, how are we to respond to the certainty of His coming? Does the book of the Revelation reveal any answers to our pressing questions? Answer: Absolutely. For the Believer, we are to respond with immediate (1) obedience, (2) worship and (3) the preaching of His Word. Does it say anything about the unbeliever, the lost? Oh yeah. And that's another story entirely.

112 - Sunday School Faith Just Ain't Gonna Cut It

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:07:01 EST

The Revelation: Over and over again in the last chapter of the Revelation we see the red ink words of Jesus saying, in effect, "I am coming soon." But do we really believe that? Do we really think His return is imminent or do we push it off into the dark recesses of our minds to worry about another day? But look around. Can't you see the signs of the times? Don't you see our society unraveling at its core? And if He is coming soon, then we can expect dark, perilous times ahead. Are you ready? You need to be. 'Cause Sunday School faith ain't gonna cut it when the great deception comes.

111 - Metric System in Heaven?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:07:01 EST

The Revelation: Want some proof that the words in the Revelation are to be taken literally? Try this on for size: "And he measured its walls (of the New Jerusalem), seventy-two yards, according to human measurement, which are also angelic measurements." Revelation 21:17 Uh, excuse me. Does that mean there is no metric system in heaven or could it mean that what the Bible says is exactly what the Bible means? Listen and find out.

110 - Why I Worry About You

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:01:01 EST

Preparing for the End: Kellene Bishop makes some startling observations when she says that studies have shown that less than 2% of the homes in our nation are prepared any differently than those persons were who were involved in Hurricane Katrina... even after we all witnessed their suffering as a result of a lack of preparation. It's just as ludicrous as watching the 10th season of Survivor and seeing that they STILL can't start a fire. You would think after a couple of seasons these so-called contestants would have had enough time to figure out how to build a fire in the wild. That's why I worry about you.

109 - The New and Improved

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:59:01 EST

The Revelation: Do you realize how hard it is to imagine the new heaven and the new earth the Scriptures talk about? And even if we could get our finite minds around the idea of something new (better, improved)... I mean, how can it be better than the one we see described by John in the Revelation? It just boggles the mind. And more than that, once we get a glimpse of all that heaven includes, life on earth seems like, as Keith Green once said, "livin' in a garbage can." I want to go there. Do you?

108 - He (Jesus) Will Be Your Judge

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:01:01 EST

The Revelation: I know we often see Jesus as nothing more than a guy who lived a long time ago with long hair, an earth-tone robe and maybe a bad English accent who walks around the barren Judean countryside doing Bible kinds of stuff... like feeding the hungry, healing the sick and preaching really long sermons. We may even view Him as someone who understands our desire to sin to the point He just winks and looks the other way. Like we would do if we had to change places. But Jesus is not like that. In fact, Scripture says He will our Judge. Sobering, isn't it?

107 - You Can't Have it Both Ways

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:17:28 EST

Absolute Surrender: If you and I desire to live a Godly life in Christ... every aspect of our life must change. Everything. We cannot be or live the same as we did yesterday and expect to reap differently today. It just doesn't work that way. Everything must change!The way we view each other must change. The way we forgive each other must change. Even the way we fill our idle hours must change. Everything must change!And the reward? Ah, living in His kingdom and being free from the trappings of this fallen kingdom. And it is absolutely incredible.

106 - Small Steps to Complete Surrender

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:22:41 EST

Absolute Surrender: The thought of leaving all to follow Christ like Peter, Matthew, James and John, and a multitude of others can seem somewhat overwhelming. In fact, most of us have been taught to hedge our bets by following Christ with guarded optimism and not reckless abandon. Why? Because for us to jump from Point A to Point L in one great leap seems impossible... especially considering our desire for self-gratification and being loved by the world. What if I told you that you could go from Point A to Point B and still move on to complete surrender. Want to find out more?

105 - Did You Miss the Boat?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:00:39 EST

Absolute Surrender: When the Spirit came at Pentecost, those gathered and waiting were changed. They were already saved, but now they were changed. Really changed! Their fears now became boldness. Their carnal thoughts became spiritual. Their desire for living in this world changed to living in His kingdom. Their sin was cast out by the inflowing life of Christ. Defeat became victory. Weakness became strength. In other words, everything changed. Just like you and me and all the people we have ever known in church, right? Well, why not? Listen and find out.

104 - The Gift that Keeps on Giving

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:19:37 EST

The Revelation: Think about how wonderful it would be if we lived in a society where our governmental authorities legislated morality... uh, that's Biblical morality. Think about what a wonderful place that would be. It would almost be as if evil had been vanquished, Satan bound, and righteousness now ruled, with a rod of iron, from on high. Sounds great, doesn't it? You know, there is a time like that spoken of in Scripture. Do you want to find out more?

103 - Homogenized Spiritual Milk

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:01:43 EST

Absolute Surrender: Does it seem strange to you that we're more comfortable hearing God from the lips of a preacher or the pen of an author than we are from God Himself? Did you ever wonder why? Why did the children of Israel run from the voice of God when He spoke to Moses at the mountain? And why did they beg Moses to speak to God for them? What did they fear? What were they afraid God what going to discover about their lives? What were they hiding? Probably the same things we're hiding... sin. No wonder God doesn't speak to us like He did in the past... we really don't want Him to.

102 - Repentance or Remorse, Heaven or Hell

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:16:08 EST

Absolute Surrender: To get a better understanding of the eternal danger of confusing heart-felt remorse from true repentance, let me encourage you to listen to the following podcast. And next time you are about to partake of the Lord's Supper, examine yourself first to see if you have repented of your sins, or are you just sorry for them. Your answer could indicate which road you are on and where you will spend eternity. Confused? Then let me invite you to listen.

101 - Pre, Post, and Open Wide and Say, "Ah"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:21:05 EST

The Revelation: Let's see, first you have the Premillennial View of the 1,000 year reign of Christ as described in Revelation 20. Then there is the Postmillennial View and the Amillennial View of the same event. Uh, say what? Oh yes, and only one of these views believes the 1,000 years spoken of are actually a 1,000 years. The other two views either don't believe that 1,000 means 1,000 or that years don't mean years. Maybe years means, "ducks" or "cars" or "ham sandwiches" or something crazy like that. Confused? Then let me invite you to listen.

100 - The Battle that Never Was

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:21:25 EST

The Revelation: If Satan is really as powerful as we like to think he is, then why does it take only one unnamed angel to bind him and throw him into the abyss for close to a thousand years Think about it. It wasn't Michael or Gabriel or a legion of angels. No, it took just one. Just one unnamed angel. Why? Because God is supreme and powerful and beyond description and Satan is a defeated foe... already. Nuthin' but chump change in the great scheme of things. So, why do we fear Satan? We don't. Not any more.

099 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:16:15 EST

The Revelation: Marriage was the single most important social event in the Biblical world - one that was eagerly anticipated by everyone in the community. It was generally divided into three phases: One, the betrothal or engagement. Two, the presentation of the bride. And three, the actual ceremony where the vows were exchanged. "So, why the history lesson?" you ask. Because this is exactly like the marriage spoken of in the Revelation... and you and I are not just invited, we're the bride!

098 - A Call to Fast and Pray

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:23:00 EST

Preparing for the End: During the days of Joel, when God was raining down judgment on Israel because of their great sin, the people either ran towards Him or away from Him. Those that recognized His hand in all their trouble did not blame or curse His name. Do you know what they did? They said: "Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD."

097 - Meditation on God's Attributes

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:57:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Often our chaotic world is overwhelmed with the sounds of everyday living: the radio blaring, the constant noise of the TV playing in the background, the hum of people talking, the thump, thump, thump of a teenager's car stereo, a sea of cell phones, ipods, video games, Muzak and the like. And often this doesn't allow us the opportunity to sit quietly and listen to the still, small voice of the Lord. Did you ever wonder why? We have heard sermon after sermon about what we should not fill our minds with but seldom about what we should. Today, that will all change...

096 - A Picture of True Salvation, Part Two

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:05:00 EST

The Revelation: Remember the story of the prodigal son? Picture the younger son coming to the father, contrite, repentant, and begging for forgiveness. Now, do you remember the older son? The one who was dutifully working in the field, the one who became angry at the father's display of lavish grace, and the one who refused to come in and share in the father's joy? Do you also remember how this story ends? How the conflict was resolved? I think you'll be shocked to find out how this parable actually ends.

095 - A Picture of True Salvation, Part One

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:37:00 EST

The Revelation: You know, some of the most complex and influential stories actually begin in the simplest ways. Take this one for example: And He said, "A man had two sons." That's it. "A man had two sons." And from this small beginning, Jesus weaves a master parable that will challenge and change the way you view salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. And He will change them totally! Are you interested in hearing more?

094 - Your Best Life Now! Not even close, dude.

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:45:00 EST

The Revelation: Did you know that in the Revelation there is a command to rejoice in the destruction and damnation of the wicked, the lost? How intolerant of God, our culture would say. Nevertheless, truth is truth: "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her." Kind of flies in the face of the Laodicean, "Your Best Life Now!" crowd, doesn't it?

093 - Two Sets of Jones'

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:35:00 EST

The Revelation: What happens when the Word of God confronts the very core values of our society... and our own sincerely held beliefs? You know, when it confronts our views on sacred cow subjects like: The history and founding of our Nation. Capitalism and the accumulation of wealth. The relationship between husband and wife. The responsibility of parents to their children. The concept of "success" in our culture. What do we do? Usually, we pitch the Word of God overboard. Listen and find out why.

092 - Our Greatest Ministry Opportunity... Ever!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:38:00 EST

Preparing for the End: With what looks like the coming collapse of our economy, or Israel's preemptive bombing of Iran, or Iran's bombing of Tel Aviv... or any one of a hundred different things that could send our nation and the world into cataclysmic upheaval and chaos... it is good to know that in times like this the church may rise to her finest hour since the days of the Acts. Does this seem like a strange statement coming from one who wrote, Love Jesus, Hate Church? Listen and find out.

091 - Why are we making peace with the Beast?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:59:00 EST

The Revelation: Contrary to what has been the popular position for the last 40 years or so, the anti-Christ may not come from the revived Western segment of the Roman Empire. No, he may actually come from the Eastern segment. And he may be a Muslim. Does that sound politically incorrect? Well, it is. It flies in the face of much of what our compromised media, the Laodicean church and our president is telling us. And if that is true, then we as a nation are doing our best to make peace with the Beast. God help us all.

090 - Where is Our Supernatural Power?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:05:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: Do you remember when Jesus rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit? At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight." Do you remember what prompted this in Him? Listen and find out...

089 - The Harlot and the Beast

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:35:00 EST

The Revelation: The Revelation tells us about a strange relationship between a harlot and a frightening scarlet beast. In fact, for a season, the harlot actually rides the beast... until, that is, the beast tires of her and: "Hates the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire." Wow! Talk about a first-class dysfunctional relationship. But there's more. Listen and find out...

088 - Who is the Mother of Harlots?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:58:00 EST

The Revelation: And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

087 - Living in a Parallel Universe

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:43:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Our society views truth as an accurate telling of simple facts. No commentary. Just facts. Remember these words: "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" But does truth, for the Believer, mean more than reciting simple facts? And, if so, how can we glean spiritual truth from the Scriptures when they are camouflaged as simple facts? Listen and find out.

086 - They Deserve It!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:15:00 EST

The Revelation: God never has to explain or defend His actions to us. Never. For He is God and we are... uh, stuff. But in Revelation 16, God does explain the horrific judgments He brings upon the earth. And His reasons are scary and sobering. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."

085 - Behemoth and Leviathan... no, Literally

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:53:00 EST

The Revelation: In the book of Job we read... "Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you." And later, "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?" Ok, so God is talking to Job about some really strange and scary creations. But what does any of this have to do with the last two bowls of the wrath of God? What do Job and the Revelation have in common? Listen and find out.

084 - A Long Walk on a Short Pier

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:45:00 EST

Preparing for the End: John gives us a word about those who abandon the faith, those who simply walk away. His word: You can only lose what you have. They (what) went out from us, but they (what) were not really of us; (why) for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:18 What does this all mean? Listen and find out.

083 - "Batter Up!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:51:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: Church offers the things women crave: safety, relationships, nurturing, and close-knit community. The rules are: be nice. Be sensitive. Be gentle. We promise a personal relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally. On the other hand, men need adventure, challenge and risk - but these things are discouraged in church. Any man who tries to bring risk into his local congregation will quickly find himself in the gun sights of a longtime member. Sound familiar? I thought it might.

082 - Breaking Our Addiction to Acceptance

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:25:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: Have you ever wondered why we strive so hard for the adulation, attention and acceptance of the world? Did you ever ask yourself why we want so desperately to have the world love us, think highly of us, invite us to their parties, or call us their best friend? Why would we want the world to do that? What would be our motivation? What do we want to achieve? Why would we want the world to say things about us that they would never say about our Lord? Never. Gulp.

081 - What I Want My Children to Know

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:17:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: If you received the dreaded results from your medical test and found out you only had a couple of weeks to live, what message about Christ would you want to leave to your kids? What truths about your relationship with the Lord would you want to instill in your children while you still can? What are the bedrock beliefs you have that cannot be shaken, that have stood the test of time? Do you have any? And, if you do, what are they?

080 - The Prelude to the Wrath of God

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:00:00 EST

The Revelation: As bad as this stuff sounds to those who survive this far in the book of the Revelation... "And men were scorched with fierce (or great) heat...and they gnawed their tongues because of pain." Hell will be infinitely, unbelievably worse for those we know and love. God is full of mercy and forgiveness and does not desire any to perish but all to come to faith in Him. But that time doesn't last forever. And what are you prepared to do about it?

079 - The Need for Intolerant Preaching

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:31:00 EST

Preparing for the End: This is a sample of Biblical preaching that we never hear much of today: "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance." And we don't see this kind of response to that kind of preaching much today either: And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?"

078 - Jesus says, "That's Not who I am."

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:55:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: One thought... I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants. Deuteronomy 30:19 Oh yes, choose life! Choose wisely! Just choose.

077 - Two Words Worthy of Life and Death

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:45:00 EST

Absolute Surrender: Jeremiah presents a better summary of this podcast than I ever could. So, I'll defer to him. Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I (what) delight in these things," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24

076 - Murphy's Law and the Church at Antioch

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:05:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Murphy's Law states: 1. Nothing is as easy as it looks. 2. Everything takes longer than you think. 3. If anything can go wrong, it will! First, there were five special guys in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manean and Saul. Then, these guys spent some time fasting and praying and laying hands on some. And what does all this have to do with Murphy's Law. Good question. Listen and find out...

075 - The Perseverance of the Saints

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:26:00 EST

The Revelation: Right in the middle of these three angels who (1) preach the gospel to all the world, and (2) pronounce judgment to Babylon the great, and (3) those who worship the beast and receive his mark, we have these words: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!" Gulp. What does that mean? And what does it have to do with the perseverance of the saints? Stay tuned and find out.

074 - Praying for Judgment to Fall on America

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:31:00 EST

The Revelation: Did it ever dawn on you that, like Elijah of old, God may have some of His holy ones praying for judgment to fall on America in order to bring her back to repentance? That maybe, after a three year drought, we as a nation may experience our own Mount Carmel encounter with God? Remember the words of Elijah to the nation of Israel, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." In other words, now is the time to choose... for them and for us.

073 - Your Kids are Not Your Kids

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:59:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Parenting and, better yet, grandparenting is an incredibly wonderful thing. But what happens when you love your kids more than you love the Lord? Are you doing them a favor? Are you being unloving to your children and family when you place your affections towards them before your devotion to the Lord? I mean, is that a good thing to do? Have you ever thought about the dire consequences of that kind of misplaced love? Scripture has some frightful examples of just this kind of misplaced love. Want to learn more?

072 - The Long Slide from Ephesus to Laodicea

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:51:00 EST

The Revelation: You do know, don't you, that the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 accurately picture all of church history in startling detail? Well, if not... you should! After all, we spent tons of time and type on it. But did you also know that the same seven letters also paint a sad, harrowing portrait of a church's, or an individual Christian's, slide from spiritual fervency to... well, lukewarmness. From being the beloved to being what the Lord vomits out of His mouth. Ouch. Want to learn more? Just listen...

071 - The 144,000 Revisited

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:41:00 EST

The Revelation: How do you describe these 144,000 unbelievable overcomers? Do you call them dynamic? No, they are much more than that. How about kinetic? Or, charismati? Maybe they are just natural born leaders, you know, those destined for success and victory? I don't know. All these terms reek of worldly praise and not heavenly praise. Seems somewhat shallow. Scripture calls them, among other things, blameless. Blameless! Did you ever wonder what that means? Stay tuned and find out.

070 - What Can You Control?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:16:00 EST

The Revelation: In these times of economic upheaval, do you find yourself anxious about what tomorrow will bring? Do you wonder if you'll have a job this time next month? Do you lose sleep at night worrying about the sub-prime mortgage collapse, the ill-advised bank bailouts, or the simple fact that the Social Security Trust Fund is as empty as a poor widow's pantry? You do know that you can't control any of those events, don't you? Not one. Want to know what you can control? Good. Stay tuned and find out...

069 - Lot and the Postmodern Train Wreck

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:15:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Definition: Deconstruction - The desire to tear down orthodoxy, institutions, traditions, understandings, etc., in order to reconstruct, or reinterpret them in a postmodern world. Ok, and what does any of this have to do with Lot? Or with his living near, or next to, or in the city of Sodom? Why is this even an issue? And what about the whole problem of hypocrites in the church? What does deconstruction and postmodernism say about hypocrisy? Great questions. Stay tuned and find out...

068 - Tom Winn is Not the Antichrist

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:35:00 EST

The Revelation: The Hebrew, Greek and Latin language each have a gematria associated with each letter of their alphabet. What is a gematria? you ask. A gematria is basically a system that is designed to assign numerical values to each letter of their particular alphabet. For the prophecy buff, this would naturally lend itself to the task of trying to determine the identity of the antichrist by finding a man's name whose numerical values add up to the infamous 666 of Revelation 13. Sound far-fetched? It's really not. Spend a few minutes with us and you will see that Tom Winn is not the antichrist.

067 - The God of the Nativity and the God of the Cross

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:45:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Some people see Jesus as the tiny Christ-Child peacefully sleeping in the manger. Others see Him as the story telling Jesus pictured on the Sunday School flannel graph - feeding the hungry, blessing the children, walking on the water. Still others see Him as a friend that is closer than a brother. Ahem. All of this is true about Jesus. But He is much bigger than the box we try to put Him in. He is much bigger than anything we can imagine. Much, much bigger.

066 - Lessons Learned from the Death of Edna Cannon

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:33:00 EST

Preparing for the End: On Friday, December 5th, Edna Falls Cannon, 91, formerly of 3809 Linwood Road, passed away at the Robin Johnson Hospice House of Dallas. She was a native of Gaston County and the daughter of the late Bruce and Sarah Elizabeth Foy Falls. "So what?" you say. "I didn't even know her. What can I learn from the death of Edna Cannon?" Ah, much. Listen and find out...

065 - The View from Inside the Tomb

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:33:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Lazarus was dead and in the tomb for four days before Jesus made His way back to Bethany to raise him from the dead. Four days! That's like a really long time! Did you ever wonder what Lazarus did during those four days? Or maybe what it must have been like to wake up in the tomb, strapped to a gurney, wrapped in rotting grave clothes? Sounds like the making of a B rated horror film, doesn't it? Take a listen with us and let's see Lazarus' view from inside the tomb.

064 - What Happens When False Prophets Deliver?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:03:00 EST

The Revelation: Have you ever read these words from Moses? If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you (what) a sign or a wonder, and (what) the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; (why) for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

063 - How to Survive a Church Fight

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:46:00 EST

Preparing for the End: When it comes to a fight, especially a church fight, we often try to act like this American icon, don't we? We strap on our Rambo headband and prepare for war. "Well, we have to!" you insist. ""f we don't take it to the other side, we'll lose. And we can't have that. Heck, no. This is our church. We were here before those other people came and we'll be here when they leave... which, I hope, is pretty dang soon." Want to know they handled these kind of things in the early church? Then listen on...

062 - The Creed - Doctrine vs. Deception

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:21:00 EST

The Revelation: The following podcast presents what I like to call my personal doctrinal statement. It is a statement of what I believe about the essentials and how that belief impacts my life. I guess you could call it my Creed. It is something that I believe with all my being, something I am passionate about, and something I will not compromise on. What is your Creed?

061 - Seven Heads, Ten Horns and Blasphemous Names

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:43:00 EST

The Revelation: You have the dragon, the devil or Satan being revealed in Revelation 12. Then we are introduced to the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth in chapter 13. And then these chilling words: If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Ever wonder what they mean?

060 - The Night Visions

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:55:00 EST

The Revelation: First we have Daniel and his night visions. Remember them? The vision of the little horn, the terrifying fourth beast, and the Ancient of Days. Then, we fast-forward to the Revelation and we see the same imagery of the night visions, but now they are from the pen of John in the Revelation. Could there be a connection? You bet. Sit down and let's talk about it, shall we.

059 - Ever Wonder Why So Many People Hate the Jews?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:28:00 EST

The Revelation: Come on, sure you have. Everyone has secretly wondered why the world hates the Jews. What did they do to deserve the wrath of the world? What was their crime? From Haman to Herod. From the Crusades to the Third Reich. From Ahmadinejad to the coming Anti-Christ. Hey, the world's history can be divided up by its systematic efforts to destroy the Jews. Want to know why? Take a quick listen...

058 - Future Events in Past Tense

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:18:00 EST

The Revelation: What happens when the Scriptures talk about a future event in the past tense?\? You know, like it has already taken place? We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken (past tense) Thy great power and hast begun (again, past tense) to reign. Revelation 11:17 God once again reveals His amazing sovereignty, tha's what!

057 - Religious Affections, Part 2

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:20:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Let's cut to the chase... This is Part 2 of our look at Jonathan Edwards' message, Religious Affections. It helps us come to grips with what John the Apostle said in 1 John... These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 And the operative word is, know!

056 - Religious Affections, Part 1

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:05:00 EST

Preparing for the End: Do you remember Jonathan Edwards? Yeah, the guy who sang, "Sunshine." Uh, no. Same name, wrong guy. What Jonathan Edwards are you talking about? I'm talking about Jonathan Edwards of the Great Awakening fame. The Jonathan Edwards who, on July 8th, 1741, preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." You know, the Jonathan Edwards who wrote Religious Affections back in 1746. Do you remember that Jonathan Edwards? If you don't, you should.

055 - Second Verse, Same as the First

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:25:00 EST

The Revelation: They seemed to come from nowhere, proclaiming the dire warnings of God. And then, overnight, they were everywhere! Who are these guys? "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy (lit: to speak forth, to proclaim, to preach) for (how long) twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." Let's learn about these two guys.

054 - It's Time to Kick Some Honey Bun!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:55:00 EST

The Revelation: You could hear their voices, those who cried out from under the altar, those who have been slain because of the word of God and for the testimony of the Lord they had maintained. Their cry and their question was simple. "How long, O Lord? How long will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" The answer? Both sobering and frightening.

053 - Satanic Attacks on the Early Church

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:35:00 EST

Preparing for the End: You could hear their voices, those who cried out from under the altar, those who have been slain because of the word of God and for the testimony of the Lord they had maintained. Their cry and their question was simple. "How long, O Lord? How long will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" The answer? Sobering. Frightening. As the church strove for unity, the enemy tried to bury her in the ground. Just like he continues to do today. That ugly, ignorant jerk! But the church has a secret weapon... and, unlike us today, they weren't afraid to use it. They weren't afraid to go nuclear, as we say. Ever wonder what that secret weapon was? Ever wonder how we can recapture some of the power and awe of the early church? Ever wonder "what the heck is going on" on Sunday? Stay tuned and listen...

052 - The End of Pride

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:15:00 EST

The Revelation: Some of the most chilling words in all of the Revelation... at least up to this point. "And the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see or hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts." Pretty dang stupid, if you ask me.

051 - Vica Versa and Versa Vica

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:08:00 GMT

Preparing for the End: We like to live in a Two Stage Christian arena. Stage One, you become a Christian. Stage Two, you become a Disciple. Actually, that's just a bunch of bunk. The book of Acts states about those in Antioch, "and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Note the order. Note the sermon. Why don't you have a listen.

050 - A Minister of Reconciliation

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:58:19 GMT

Preparing for the End: A couple of days in Nashville for the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and I feel like a new man. And it had nothing to do with the music, the artists, the seminars, or even the six meals per day we ate or the 50 bands or so we saw. No, it had everything to do with the Lord speaking to me about a ministry I had misplaced. Actually, I had lost it. He helped me find my lost ministry of reconciliation. And it has rocked my world!

049 - And We Will All Go Down Together

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:08:19 GMT

The Revelation: Can you imagine being in so much pain and torment that you longed for death, prayed for death, begged to die? Can you imagine trying to kill yourself, repeatedly, to no avail? I can't imagine much worse than that, can you? Well, be warned, that day is coming. And it's coming to all that don't have the seal of God on their forehead. Sound strange? Confusing? Why don't you join with us and listen...

048 - Remember the Disaster at Chernobyl

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:28:00 GMT

The Revelation: On April 26, 1986 at 1:23 in the morning, the reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant located in the Soviet Union near Pripyat in Ukraine exploded. Further explosions and the resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area. Nearly thirty to forty times more fallout was released than Hiroshima. Do you remember? You should. You need to.

047 - The Turnstile or the Super Highway

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:28:00 GMT

Preparing for the End: This is a small statement often neglected from contemporary Gospel presentations. Just three small requirements that will literally change everything! "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must (1) deny himself, and (2) take up his cross daily and (3) follow Me." Luke 9:23 Do you wish to come after Him? Really?

046 - Lessons Learned from Y2K

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:25:00 GMT

The Revelation: Most people scoff at those who bought into and prepared for Y2K. Remember? "Aw, it was a real non-event. Much-to-do about 'nuthin." "Just a money-making scheme by those radical survivalists types." "Yep, sure shot Biblical prophecy in the foot, didn't it?" Well, not really. Care to take a listen?

045 - Praying for Vengeance... with a Vengeance!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:55:00 GMT

The Revelation: James says, the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. But, what kind of prayer is he talking about? Just think, the prayer of Revelation 6 becomes the judgment of Revelation 8. Oh, forgot what that prayer was, did you? How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Revelation 6:10 In other words, party time! Doesn't sound much like our Wednesday night prayer meeting kind of prayers, does it?

044 - Drapes, Darkness and Dead Guys

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:18:00 GMT

Preparing for the End Can I get a witness? shouts the house. Sure. How 'bout this... Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:45, 50-53 Don't get no better than that!

043 - To Err is Human, to Forgive... uh, What?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:08:00 GMT

Preparing for the End Jesus had some really scary words to say when He talked about forgiveness. Oh, not the Lord's forgiveness of our sins, but the sharing of the same grace we received to others. And I mean really scary. Consider this... For (condition) if you forgive others for their transgressions, (result) your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But (condition) if you do not forgive others, then (result) your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15 Need we say more?

042 - The Sands of Iwo Jima

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:28:00 GMT

Preparing for the End Often our spiritual life can be compared to a John Wayne movie. Oh, really? Yeah, really. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Sounds like the battle of Iwo Jima to me.

041 - Radical Christian Living

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:17:00 GMT

The Acts! The Acts record the church life of the early church as being radically different than church life today. Consider, for example... And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. You know, that's pretty radical living! Can I trust you enough to live that way? Or, if I do, am I going to end up abused, forgotten, abandoned and alone? Good question. You got a good answer?

040 - No "Psychobabble Rap" Found Here

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:59:00 GMT

The Acts! You know, all this preaching on the selfish "felt needs" of fallen man gets a little old, especially when you compare it to the preaching of Peter in the book of Acts. Sounds, as Alan Parsons would say, "like psychobabble rap to me." I don't know why I'm scared of the lightning Trying to reach me Help me to find what I don't wanna know You're taking me there but I don't wanna go I don't care it's all psychobabble rap to me Psychobabble all psychobabble Psychobabble all psychobabble I don't care it's all psychobabble rap to me

039 - "Who are those guys?"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:53:00 GMT

The Acts! Just a couple of quick quotes from the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Butch Cassidy: Ah, you're wasting your time. They can't track us over rocks. Sundance Kid: Tell them that. Butch Cassidy: (after looking for himself) Who are those guys? Butch Cassidy: (about the trackers following them) I couldn't do that. Could you do that? Why can they do it? Who are those guys? Sundance Kid: Hey, Butch? Butch Cassidy: What? Sundance Kid: They're very good.

038 - Trick or Treat

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:05:00 GMT

The Revelation! I know it's very unpopular to talk about the two, dual natures of God. You know, His mercy side and His wrath side. That's right, wrath. The wrath of God. And the wrath of the Lamb. Remember, from the Revelation... "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Won't hear about His wrath on TBN, will you?

037 - The Infinite God of Finite Numbers

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:08:00 GMT

The Revelation! When faced with the choice of exalting God's sovereignty or demanding my free will, I choose to choose God. Always. Without fail. Why? Think about Psalm 115:3. Our God is in His heavens, and He does what He pleases. Pretty powerful stuff, isn't it?

036 - The Eve of Destruction

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:41:00 GMT

The Revelation! Classic Barry McGuire. Remember? Like way back when in 1965? And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, that you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. But we are. Big time! Let's talk about it, shall we?

035 - They were all in one Accord...

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:39:00 GMT

The Revelation! Remember "One" - the Three Dog Night song of the late 60's? I think the lyrics went something like this... One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do Two can be as bad as one It's the loneliest number since the number one Ahem. Not too deep or profound, but sure fitting for the church age in which we live.

034 - The Final Checkmate of the Final Game

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:55:00 GMT

The Revelation! It's like playing chess with Bobby Fischer. Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn... all power pieces in the Grandmaster's end game. Gog, Magog, Meshech and Tubal... huh? Like what kind of chess pieces are these? And who exactly is this Grandmaster? Stay tuned and find out...

033 - The Bait and Switch

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:55:00 GMT

The Revelation! "You ain't never seen nuthin' like the presto-chango, big Lion to the little Lamb, bing, bang, boom thing, that ol' John saw. No sir. It take yo' bref away." Excuse me? "Oh, yea. It say that John saw a Lamb as if slain when he spose to be seein' a Lion or a Root or somtin' like dat. It be outta 'dis world! It be like a Houdini or somethin'. Really powerful."

032 - Time, Times and Half-Time

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:55:00 GMT

The Revelation! How many ways can the Bible teach us about the same thing? For example... Daniel calls it "time, times and half time" and the "middle of the 70th week." John in the Revelation refers to it as "42 months" and later as "1,260 days." Jesus calls it the Great Tribulation... and it's right on our doorstep. What is? The 3 1/2 year period known as the Great Tribulation, that's what. "Ain't you been reading the papers or watching the news? What, you been raised in a barn?"

031 - John, Paul, George and Ringo... Not!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 01:10:00 GMT

The Revelation! Let's see, "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" or... "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come." Wow. Some difference. The Fab Four, the Mop Tops, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band... or the Four Living Creatures before the throne. Geez. This deserves a bit more investigation.

030 - "Squeeze Me... uh, on second thought, don't!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:13:00 GMT

The Revelation! I think Steve Camp says it best... The world was a very good friend of mine It promised everything I wanted in life It came to me with its passion and gold I bought it for a while it nearly cost me my soul. Don't you know the world will tease you, it will seize you, it will squeeze you until you are in to its mold Love the world and the love of the Father is not in us. Pretty strong, but true, words.

029 - "Believe what I Say, not what I Do."

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:11:00 GMT

The Revelation! Reminds me of the classic, Bill Clinton, "I'm only lying when my lips are moving" mantra of denying marital infidelity. "I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. I've never had an affair with her." Really? Should we believe what you say or should we believe what you do? Great questions for a President facing impeachment. Better question for us, the church.

028 - "Beam me up, Scotty."

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:55:00 GMT

The Revelation! Do you remember Star Trek, the transporter room, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock? Do you also remember these words: "I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Is there a connection? You bet! Let's take a look at it together.

027 - "You know, it is what it is!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:01:00 GMT

The Revelation! Ah, classic, American Idol, Paula Abdul pop logic. But, it's true when applied to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures. Or, let's put it another way: When the literal sense makes good sense, Seek no other sense, Lest it lead to nonsense. Why don't we take a look at the importance of the literal interpretation of the Bible together. Shall we?

026 - Ivan Drago: "You're Dead!"

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:09:00 GMT

The Revelation! Remember Ivan Drago, the Russian boxing machine in Rocky III? Sure you do. Do you remember his chilling words to Apollo Creed and the Italian Stallion? To Apollo, right before their first fight, "I must break you." Then, to Rocky, at the beginning of their last and final round, "You're dead." Chilling words. Kinda like what the Lord said to the church at Sardis. Really. No lie. Why don't we take a look at them together.

025 - The Downside of Love

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:41:00 GMT

The Revelation! "Downside? What downside?" you ask. "How can there be a downside to love?" Simple. Sometimes love, if wrongly focused, can turn into misplaced loyalty... uh, which almost always leads to a profound tolerance of sin. And just think, we do all this under the guise of "love". Does that seem harsh to you? Maybe heartless? A bit intolerant? Well, it is. And it comes from the very lips of the Lord. Tune in to find out more...

024 - Living in the Shadows... like a Slug!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:45:00 GMT

The Revelation! Oh yeah, this one gets a bit nasty... makes us somewhat uncomfortable. Just like we feel when we uncover the slimy body of a North Carolina slug lurking under a rock or a kid's toy left out overnight in the backyard. Yuck! You know, there are some strange things that live in the shadows. In life, as well as in church. Tune in to find out more...

023 - The Anti - Richie Rich Church

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:27:00 GMT

The Revelation! First, Jesus' description of the church in Laodicea: "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing..." Then, His words to the church in Smyrna: "I know your tribulation and your poverty..." Where would you like to attend? What church do you think would have the best Youth Group, a kickin' Praise Band and a state-of-the-art new Family Life Center? Which church appeals to you? Exactly!

022 - Remember, Repent and Return... or Else!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 13 May 2007 23:04:00 GMT

The Revelation! This from the Didache (AD 50-70) and deals with the subject of false prophets and apostles. It is like a policy manual for the early church: Welcome every apostle on arriving, as if he were the Lord. But he must not stay beyond one day. In case of necessity, however, the next day also. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet. On departing, an apostle must not accept anything save sufficient food to carry him till his next lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. Kinda puts TBN in a bad light, doesn't it?

021 - Dropped Like a Bag of Rocks!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:50:00 GMT

The Revelation! Listen to the words of John when he turned to see Jesus for the first time in 60 years... "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man." And all this from the lips of one who was known as the disciple Jesus loved. The very one who placed his head on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper and asked, "Who is it Lord? Who will betray You?" Kinda makes us seem somewhat flippant, doesn't it? Stay tuned and find out.

020 - Clothes Do Make the Man

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:20:00 GMT

The Revelation! No, we're not talking about Armani or Gucci or even something from the Versace Collection. These clothes speak of something far greater than mere fashion. Oh, much, much greater. "I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash." It gets better. Check it out!

019 - Do You Have Ears?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:16:00 GMT

The Revelation! Yeah, you heard right. Ears. Do you have ears? You know, the fleshy, shell-shaped knobs glued to each side of your head. Do you have ears? If so, great! But do you have ears to hear what the Lord says? Sure hope so... Why don't we find out together, shall we?

018 - Behold, He is on the Way!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 01:00:00 GMT

The Revelation! That's right. He's not just coming. He's on the way! Know this first of all, that (when) in the last days (what) mockers will come with their mocking, (why) following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." - 1 Peter 3:3-4 May I simply say...uh, like not!

017 - Who Was, Who Is and Who is to Come

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:37:00 GMT

The Revelation! Breathe deep and remember... You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me. - John 5:39 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

016 - The Revelation - An Unveiling of Christ

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:22:25 GMT

The Revelation! You've got to be kidding! We were never to read the Revelation. Never! Why, you ask. Because it was mystical, cryptic, puzzling and kind of scary. In fact, as kids we were all warned by our Sunday school teachers, an old, solemn man with a Vincent Price look about him, to never read the Revelation alone, or at night, or on the third Tuesday of May every other leap year. If we did, we could go blind or crazy or even worse... we could end up wearing our whitie-tighties on the outside of our pants. Arrgh! That thought still keeps me up late at night.

015 - The Last of a Dying Breed

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:52:15 GMT

Every Saturday afternoon when I was a kid: John Wayne, in Technicolor, bigger than life! He always stood for what was right, just, strong, and I guess, oh, just plain manly. On Sunday mornings, however, I never seemed to find a John Wayne type of figure in my church. You know, God's man that stood for what was right, just, and strong. Ever wonder why? You know, there are still some men of God out there that say what needs to be said and who live to please their Lord. They, I guess, are those I look up to... my spiritual heroes. Wanna meet one...

014 - Patch: Spiritual Truth from the Death of a Dog

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 01:28:03 GMT

On Sunday, January 7, 2007, my son Justus discovered that his beloved pet, Patch, was dead. She was old, real old. In fact, we're not exactly sure how old she was. Saturday night... everything's the same. Sunday morning... life changes forever. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that there's no way you can derive some spiritual truths from the death of a dog. Especially when that dog is your son's beloved pet. Well, you're wrong. Dead wrong.

013 - One Way or Another...

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 17:46:03 GMT

It is amazing how close we think we can get to the edge of sin and still wonder why we struggle with our flesh. Like, duh! Like, how stupid is that! And, sadly, the church reflects that struggle, compounded by the millions. Do we really think we can "claim to have fellowship with the light and yet walk in darkness" and believe that Jesus is OK with that? Ugh. Stay tuned and find out...

012 - Made it, Ma! Top of the World!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:16:45 GMT

"'Come out with your hands up,' the man says. How do ya like that, Ma? Here's my answer, ya dirty..." He fires his tommy-gun at the police. "That was Cody Jarrett talking! They think they've got Cody Jarrett. They haven't got Cody Jarrett. You hear? They haven't got him. And I wanna show ya. They haven't got him. Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" No, actually wrong. Big-time wrong. Let's talk about it, shall we?

011 - The Portal Potty Preacher

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:58:45 GMT

With the new year dawning... actually, with it just in its infancy, don't you think it's about time we took seriously our walk with Christ? We sure do. And in order to embrace what is real and of Christ, you know, to cling to what is found in the pages of Scripture, we first need to take a minute or two and look at what is NOT real and what is NOT of Christ and, obviously, what is NOT found anywhere in the pages of Scripture. Hence, The Portal Potty Preacher! Got your interest? Good. Let's talk about it, shall we?

010 - Spiritual Gifts: How Can We Tell the Difference?

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 06:03:00 GMT

Question: "Hey, I've got a quick question for you. With all the confusion about spiritual gifts, how can we tell the difference? You know, the "slap on the forehead" and the "slain in the spirit stuff"... is that like for real? Cause it looks pretty strange to me." Answer: Well, if you really want to know how to tell the difference between true spiritual gifts and... uh, ka-ka, you'll have to spend some time with us as we examine 1 Corinthians. You got the time? We sure do. It's gonna be quite a ride! Let's talk about it, shall we?

009 - Defining Moments Define... uh, Who We Are. Like, Duh!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 11:13:15 GMT

Question: What is a defining moment? And what does it have to do with stretchy pants? Answer: Are you serious? Have you never experienced a defining moment in your life that defines who you were and who you will become? Have you never faced the proverbial "fork in the road" that leads to two entirely different futures? Have you never had to make a defining moment choice in your spiritual journey? You know, the "as for me and my house..." kind of choices. Oh, and a defining moment has absolutely nothing to do with stretchy pants...just in case you were still wondering. Ahem. Let's talk about it, shall we?

008 - It's a Little More than Bowing to a Stupid Stone!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:21:45 GMT

"Idolatry? No Joe, say it ain't so!" As Christians living in the age of apathy, opulence, lukewarmness and compromise, we are just as guilty of the sin of idolatry as the church of Corinth was two millennia ago. And you would think that we would know better. Ugh! Come on, you know it's true. Consider the church's compulsion, no... it's lustful addiction for prosperity (always defined as stuff), popularity, ease, wealth, and physical health. And what are we willing to do to secure these "prosperity rights" as we call them? Just about anything. We will create and bow down to any idol (teacher, theology, experience, etc.) that holds out to us the vain hope of self-determination. Oh, but there's more. Let's talk about it...

007 - Christ in Christmas? No Way!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:14:03 GMT

Well, are you ready? Ready for what? you ask. You know, Christmas. The crowded shopping Malls. The extra five pounds we put on from boatloads of cookies and cakes and peanuts covered with a caramel glaze that we shove in our faces. Oh, and how about all the Living Nativities and the Singing Christmas Trees and the countless Christmas Musicals and Cantatas that we sit through. Well, are you ready? Really ready? Is that how we try to put Christ back in Christmas? Well, stay tuned and let's find out.

006 - The Truth About Persistent Prayer

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 10:41:31 GMT

Truth. You want truth? Boy, do we have truth! Well, stay tuned and let's talk about Love Jesus, Hate Church and the truth about persistent prayer.

005 - Love Feast... My Butt!

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 08:36:12 GMT

Come on, don't get offended by the "My Butt" part of the title. Geez. And don't get all huffy at the picture, either. But if you've really got your heart set on getting mad, you know, if you're just dying to get your panties all twisted up in a wad... well, then get offended... no, get flat-out stinking, red-faced mad at what the church has done to the love feast. Oh, you've never heard of the love feast? Really? That's kinda sad. Well, stay tuned and let's talk about Love Jesus, Hate Church and the love feast.

004 - Stupid Is as Stupid Does

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 03:51:14 GMT

Stupid Is as Stupid Does? You got that right! It is amazing how close we think we can get to the edge of sin and still wonder why we struggle with our flesh. Like, duh! Like, how stupid is that! And, sadly, the church reflects that struggle, compounded by the millions. Come on, do we really think we can stand close to the fire of sin and not have our clothes smell like smoke? Do we really believe the world doesn't see? Do we really think we can claim to have fellowship with the light and yet walk in darkness, and believe that Jesus is OK with that? Ugh. Classic denial. Plain and simple. Stay tuned and find out...

003 - Church in the Two Kingdoms

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 04:41:59 GMT

Oh yeah, Church in the Two Kingdoms! Or, should I say, "How we do church in the Two Kingdoms?" Do we follow the rules of this kingdom? You know, the "all we want you to do is feel good about yourself" and "Jesus suffered and died to give you more stuff... just like your own Santa Claus in the sky!" Ugh. Classic, late night, TBN sort of junk. Or, do we do church by the rules of His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God? "And what are those rules?" you ask. Stay tuned and find out...

002 - Life in the Two Kingsoms

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:12:00 GMT

As a point of reference, a study on our life in the "two kingdoms" seemed appropriate at this time in our Love Jesus, Hate Church journey. "What are the two kingdoms?" you ask. Good question. In a nutshell (Cliff Notes style), the two kingdoms are the two realms of existence all Believers own real estate in. You know, the kingdom of this world with all its rules and definitions of success and the Kingdom of God Jesus continually spoke about. Let's see how we are to live in these two divergent kingdoms, shall we?

001 - The Place to Begin

stevemccranie@gmail.com (Steve McCranie) — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 03:44:00 GMT

Ah yes, the best place to begin anything is always at the beginning. And that also holds true of Love Jesus, Hate Church. I mean, how did all this come about? Where did it start? Where did it all begin? And, what about the purpose? You know, the overriding, spiritual, "this is why I get up in the morning" type of purpose? What are you trying to accomplish? What, if anything, are you trying to prove with Love Jesus, Hate Church? Excellent questions. Now, let me see if I can begin by answering your questions with our first podcast.