Author Archives: Steve Durkac

Christians, Politics, and Satan’s Work

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I am beginning to wonder if Satan is hijacking our political outrage as a scheme to take our eyes off the Lord, the coming Kingdom of Heaven, and what Scripture warns us about end-time deceptions. Thanks to social media, I am seeing some of my minister friends getting obsessed with the current political situation in Washington and sounding almost exclusively like politicians on a campaign trail and not like gospel workers in a lost world. Some of these ministers have … Continue reading →

Edith Waugh, Death, and Maranatha

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I’m contemplating death today, because I just learned of the passing of Edith Waugh, a former church member from my Rock Hill, South Carolina days and wife of Les Waugh, whom I wrote about in a previous blog post. Edith was also the sitter for my children and allowed me the opportunity to be out and involved with church ministry, most times that was with Les as we both stuffed ourselves in my Suzuki Samurai. In fact, here’s a picture … Continue reading →

Revelation 13:11 and The United States of America?

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I realize that many Bible prophecy teachers are quick to say that the United States of America isn’t in Revelation. Many of these preachers pinpoint other countries in prophecy but emphatically conclude that the United States is not even mentioned. While I hold a great deal of respect for the ministry of those who are doing all within their power to keep the great themes of prophecy before God’s people, I am not so quick to agree with them on … Continue reading →

Don’t Lose Heart

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The disciples had lost their confidence that their Master was going to rise to prominence in the land, and that meant their hope of being exulted with Him was fading. Jesus was talking about dying, and within a few days He would. The mood among the band of followers was turning grim. The opposition of the pharisees and the elite class seemed to have gained a following of their own against the One who claimed to be the Messiah. This … Continue reading →

Gratitude and Philippians 4:6-7

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This past Sunday I shared with you about Philippians 4:6-7 which states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV). I pointed out that this promise of God gives us the antidote to worry and it is gratefulness. When we are intentional about being thankful, about looking … Continue reading →

NIV, ESV, and Translations

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If you follow my Today’s Daily Promise devotionals you have likely noticed that I have recently been using the New International Version, having recently switched from using the English Standard Version. In this post I want to explain why I have been using the NIV again. This story has to begin in 1980 when I became a born again believer in Jesus Christ, (you can read about my miraculous conversion at my Adopted by God page), I was given a … Continue reading →

10 Years of Fellowship Celebration

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We are about a month away from our 10-year anniversary as a church fellowship, which we’ll be celebrating on January 3, 2021 at the Chapel in west Mobile. Please mark your calendar to attend or if it looks like you may not be able to attend, please consider sending us a note to be read on that day to your friends and family at CrossHope Chapel. In some ways it doesn’t seem like we are at this decade long milestone, … Continue reading →

When Brides Get Bamboozled

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I don’t have any survey or research study to confirm my opinion, but I think brides tend to get bamboozled by the groom more than a groom gets bamboozled by the bride. I have some horror stories in my experience that point to the bride as intentionally deceiving the groom in order to get married, but generally I think the groom is more apt to deceive the bride into marriage. My opinion is based on the nature of guys and … Continue reading →

God Knows, Even the Hairs of your Head

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There is a verse in Matthew 10:30 that says that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” The context of the verse is Jesus telling the disciples to have no fear for those who oppose them. Jesus says, and I paraphrase, don’t fear those that can kill you when your Father God cares for even the sparrows, and knows even the number of your hairs, and you are more valuable than the sparrows. I think in today’s uncertain … Continue reading →

Keeping Us From Evil

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I’ve been thinking about Psalm 121:7-8, which says, “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” This has been comforting to me because frankly my mind is conjuring up all kinds of evil that could be perpetrated against Bible believing Christians if the godless progressive politicians gain control of America. I know that our God is … Continue reading →

Premarital Conflict Assessment

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I like assessment tools that are simple and not crazy complicated just to tell you something that you already know — marriage is going to have conflicts. I am a big believer in the 5 Love Languages, the 1 Corinthians 13 Practices, and the assessment tool that I developed below, using the word FORGIVE as a guide to work through in your mind the potential areas of marriage conflict that likely lies ahead. It provides an outline of issues to … Continue reading →

Approaching the Apocalypse

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The first verse of Revelation sets the approach for the prophecy we sometimes call the Apocalypse. It begins, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1). Revelation 1:1 points our attention to the Lord Jesus Christ as the focal point of the book and all that John was about to receive in vision to put down in writing. This final book of the Bible … Continue reading →

Popery, Antichrist, & Reformers

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Many Bible teachers today point to the Antichrist of Bible prophecy as a very devilish character with obvious ill motives, but the understanding in Christian history is different. The word “anti” doesn’t just mean “against,” it means “in place of” so the more accurate view of an Antichrist would be one who puts himself in place of Christ.   Martin Luther I German Protestant Reformer “The Pope is the very Antichrist who has exalted himself above and opposed himself against … Continue reading →

Luke 16:19-31 and Story of Lazarus?

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In Luke 16:19-31 we have story that Jesus told about a rich man who went to hell and Lazarus, a poor man who went to heaven. At question is, using this account as a literal story or example of what happens after we die? I frequently hear ministers point to this story as evidence of what happens after we die or preachers who point toward this story as if it is literal and not figurative as most parables are. The … Continue reading →

Election Outcome and Knowing God Reigns

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There is a verse in Psalms that comes to my mind today, it is Psalm 47:8 which says, “God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.” If you look up Psalm 47:8 in the ESV it uses the word “nations” instead of “heathens” but in the Psalmist’s day there was no difference. The nation of Israel was a witness to the heathen nations around them. Today, our American media has stirred the pot of strife … Continue reading →

The Mom I Knew

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My mother passed away on October 21, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer/Dementia. I wrote about my mother and the smile I miss at my previous blog post titled Irene H. Durkac. Her Catholic funeral mass was conducted on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 in Rossford, Ohio and the funeral home’s obituary was published a few days prior to that service. I’m writing this post because the mother I knew and wanted to be known was not referenced in the … Continue reading →

Love in Marriage

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Love can mean different things to different people, but 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a clear definition of what love is. All we need to know for how to love our spouse is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, and I want to share the sixteen points mentioned in this passage of Scripture of what love means. At most of my weddings I usually conclude by reciting these words from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, and I usually give each newly wed couple a … Continue reading →

Irene H. Durkac

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My younger sister and I sat in the living room of our childhood home where my mother laid in her hospice bed. As we talked quietly, trying not to disturb our mother’s rest, I could see my mom open her eyes and fix her gaze toward me with a slight smile. I smiled back and continued the conversation with my sister, not really sure if my mother knew it was me or if her Alzheimer/Dementia was overruling her cognitive abilities. … Continue reading →

Revelation 1:10 and The Lord’s Day?

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In Revelation 1:10 John makes mention to “the Lord’s Day” and the question is, Is John referring to the seventh-day Sabbath or the resurrection day? My answer is, I don’t know because the text doesn’t give us enough detail to know. However, there is a relevant societal issue that may be at the heart of John’s mention of “the Lord’s Day.” During John’s time the Roman Empire had a day of honor and worship dedicated to the Emperor, which was … Continue reading →