Obedience leads to blessing. Disobedience leads to trouble! Remember Jesus parable about the two builders who each built a house? One built on cheap, easy-to-access-sand. The other built on costly, difficult-to-reach rock. The second construction project demanded more time and expense, but when the spring rains turned the creek into a gulley washerguess which builder... Read more
The Spirit produces..patience. Galatians 5:22 If you find patience hard to give, you might ask the question. How infiltrated are you with Gods patience? Youve heard about it. Read about it. Perhaps underlined Bible passages regarding it. But have you received it? The proof is in your patience. Patience deeply received results in patience freely... Read more
When forced to stand at the crossroads of belief and unbelief,Gods people choose belief!Gods people risk believing! Nowhere is this better exemplified than in Joshuas story.You could argue that the central message of the book of Joshua is this headline: God keeps his promises. Trust him. Three times Joshua declares God did what he said... Read more
Some years back as I was driving my daughter Andrea to middle school, she noticed I was anxious. Why are you so quiet, Dad? I told her I was worried about a book deadline.She asked me, Havent you written other books? Yes, I replied.How many? At that point the answer was fifteen. She responded, have... Read more
Refuge is a favorite word of Davids. Youll count as many as forty-plus appearances in some Bible versions. But never did David use the word more poignantly than in Psalm 57. The introduction to the passage explains its background:A song of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Lost in shadows and thought,... Read more
Some of us have written our own Bible verse from Popular Opinion chapter 1, verse 1: God helps those who help themselves.Well fix ourselves, thank you.Well make up for our mistakes with contributions, our guilt with busyness. Well overcome failures with hard work.Well find salvation the old-fashioned way: well earn it! Christ, in contrast, says... Read more
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, Your Father will not forgive your sins ” Matthew 6: 14-15 Some time ago I was speaking about anger at a mens gathering. I described resentment as a prison... Read more
He has a price on his head. No place to lay his head. But somehow he keeps his head. He turns his focus to God and finds refuge! Refuge is a favorite word of Davids in the Psalms. But never did David use the word more poignantly than in Psalm 57a song of David when... Read more
How do you handle your tough times? When youre tired of trying, tired of forgiving, tired of hard weeks or hard-headed people how do you manage your dark days? With a bottle of pills? Alcohol? A day at the spa? Many opt for such treatments. So many, in fact, we assume they re energize the... Read more
Guilt sucks the life out of our souls. Grace restores it. No one had more reason to feel the burden of guilt than did the apostle Paul. He had orchestrated the deaths of Christianshe was an ancient version of a terrorist. Paul gave his guilt to Jesus. Period. He surrendered it to Jesus. As a... Read more
God moves us forward by healing our past! Can he really? Can God heal this ancient hurt in my heart? Of course He can. In fact, God cares about justice more than we do. Were reminded in Romans 12:17-19, Never pay back evil for evilnever avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for He has said... Read more
On a trip to the United Kingdom, our family visited a castle. In the center of the castle garden sat a maze. Row after row of shoulder high hedges, leading to one dead end after another. Successfully navigate the labyrinth and youll discover the door to a tall tower in the center of the... Read more
God is using your struggles to toughen you up! Its like viewing a movie after youve read the book. When something bad happens, everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. Not you. Why? Youve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot. God views your life... Read more
Calamities can leave us off balance and confused. Consider the crisis of Josephs generation as recorded in Genesis Chapter 47. Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. Joseph faced a calamity on a global scale. Joseph... Read more
Colossians 3:13 says, As Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Really, God? Begin the process of healing. How? Keep no list of wrongs. Pray for your antagonists rather than plot against them. Hate the wrong without hating wrongdoers. Turn your attention away from what they did to you to what Christ did for... Read more
Everything is being cancelled. The NBA games. The NHL games … Madness!!. Broadway plays. Flights. Cruises. Cancellations, everywhere! But can I tell you the one thing that has not and WILL not be cancelled? God will never cancel his promise to take care of us. Do not interpret the presence of problems as the absence... Read more
Live a life of love just as Christ loved us. Ephesians 5:2 Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. You are Gods children whom He loves, so try to be like Him. Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.... Read more
How many disasters have been averted because one person refused to buckle under the strain? Its this kind of composure Paul is summoning when he says,Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:5-6). The Greek word translated here as gentleness describes a temperament thats... Read more
Were your growing up years hard years? Family pain is the deepest pain because it was inflicted so early; it involves people who should have been trustworthy. You were too young to process the mistreatment. You didnt know how to defend yourself. Besides, the perpetrators of your pain were so large. Your dad, mom, uncle,... Read more
What would it take to restore your hope? What would you need to re-energize your journey? Though the answers are abundant, three come quickly to mind. The first would be a person. Not just any person. You dont need someone equally confused. You need someone who knows the way out. And from him you need... Read more
Everything is being cancelled. The NBA games. The NHL games. March Madness. Broadway plays. Flights. Cruises. Cancellations, everywhere! But can I tell you the one thing that has not and WILL not be cancelled? God will never cancel his promise to take care of us. Do not interpret the presence of problems as the absence... Read more
Jeremiah was depressed, as gloomy as a giraffe with a neck ache. Jerusalem was under siege, his nation under duress. His world collapsed like a sand castle in a typhoon. He faulted God for his horrible emotional distress. He also blamed God for his physical ailments. “[God] has made my flesh and my skin waste... Read more
Whatever it is thats troubling you,youll get through this. Cancel your escape to the Himalayas. Forget the deserted island. This is no time to be a hermit. Pray. Lean on Gods people.Be a barnacle on the boat of Gods church. Matthew 18:20 says, For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I... Read more
Weve all messed up. Said the wrong words, loved the wrong person, reacted the wrong waywalked when we should have waited, indulged when we should have resisted. Youll mess up more if you let yesterdays mistakes sabotage todays attitude! The Bible says, Gods mercies are new every morning. Receive them. Learn a lesson from them.... Read more
You know as well as I do, its one thing to start something. Its something else entirely to complete it. Relax! Dont start what you cant finish is not my point! To be honest, I dont believe you should finish everything you start. Every student with homework just perked up. There are certain quests better... Read more
The Bible says in Romans 8:28 that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. Do this simple exercise. Remove the word ‘everything’ and replace it with the symbol of your tragedy. How would Romans 8:28 read in your life? In hospital stays God works for the good.In divorce papers God... Read more
On my good days I begin my morning with a cup of coffee and a conversation with God. I look ahead into the day and make my requests. I am meeting with so-and-so at 10:00AM. Would you give me wisdom? This afternoon I need to finish my sermon. Would you please go ahead of me?... Read more
[ad_1] God repeatedly pledges his presence to his folks. To Abram, God mentioned, Don't be afraid. . .I'm your defend, your exceedingly nice reward(Genesis 15:1). God instructed Joshua, Don't be afraid; don't be discouraged, for the LORD your God will probably be with you wherever you go(Joshua 1:9). Within the final declaration of communion, God... Read more
[ad_1] Are you open to the thought of a Father, a heavenly Father, who is aware of you? A soon-to-be house that awaits you? Would you take into account this life- altering concept? The almighty and all-knowing God has set his affection on you. Everydetail about you he is aware of. Your pursuits, your hang-... Read more
[ad_1] God loves the sound of your voicealways! God by no means locations you on maintain or tells you to name once more later. He doesnt disguise if you name. He hears your prayers. For that purpose be troubled for nothing, however in all the pieces by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests... Read more
