C.M. Alvarez's Blog, page 16

What’s the Name of Your Golden Calf?

On Deceptive Experiences: A Review of “Dodging Evil”

Dodging Evil is the memoir of P.C. Field and her encounters with two worlds, the physical world and the unseen world. Born of part Yaqui heritage, she inherits abilities of her people to see into the unseen world and recognize spirits in operation.The book gives an account of her life from her youth when she is in communion with the Spirit she identifies as God, to her rejection and going her own way, experimentation with evil, and coming to know Jesus as Redeemer.The story is told as first-...

Lent Read-Along: John Ploughman’s Talks by Charles Spurgeon

What it Looks Like When God Tries to Get Your Attention

What does it look like when God is trying to get your attention? I’ve been thinking about that lately, especially now that we are three-quarters of the way through this crazy and surreal year.2020 has been the year of disruption.  We’ve had fires, floods, riots, and a historic pandemic. So much has happened, I feel like I need to go back and recreate a timeline to remember what has happened in this unexpected year.The natural disasters have been one thing, but it is the human dis...

When David Chose the Plague

We are in the middle of a pandemic right now that many believe isn’t really a thing. Or maybe it is a “thing,” but since it isn’t their own particular thing . . . it’s not important and doesn’t matter. Over the last weekend, there were protests in different cities across the country by people who want social distancing to end because it’s time for them to get a hair cut. For others, it is the concern for the almighty economy that takes precedence over all.Jesus said that you would know his ...

When We Count the Days: Mental Health Bible Verses

The world is in a holding pattern right now. We are all counting down the days to when we can get on with life, when our focus can be on other things rather than infection rates, hospital capacity, and ventilator supply.So we wait.This time also commemorates another waiting, another counting down for both Jews and Christians. For Jews, it is known as the “Counting of the Omer,” it is the time between the First Fruit offering of the Passover celebration to Shavout, or Pentecost, 50 days later...

Habakkuk’s Prayer for Fear in Times of Trouble

In times of trouble, how do we pray against fear? What is our response to be when unexpected disaster, or even worse, when pending disaster looms for an indefinite amount of time?Those are the times we are in right now. We sit and wait in voluntary (for most of us) lockdown hoping that this restriction will be enough to slow the spread of coronavirus so that our healthcare workers can help those who succumb to the virus.As we wait, the projected time seems to extend. When Houston canceled ...

God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear – or Coronavirus

America, the City on a Hill, and the Pursuit of Happiness

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14

With these words during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus inspired his followers to be a new people, to create a Kingdom of goodness for God’s glory. He was signaling to...

What was the Reformation and Why Did it Happen?

What was the Reformation, why did it happen, and what role did Martin Luther play?The Reformation is a period of time between 1517 and 1648 AD in which a group of people, known as the “Reformers” rejected the authority of the Catholic church as the sole arbiter of doctrine and behavior believing that Scripture alone should be the foundation of the Christian faith.Subscribe on YoutubeThe Protestant Reformers had very different answers to four important questions. How is a person sav...