LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND
Even today, there are still “tax collectors” among us who hear Jesus say, “Follow Me.” and, by grace, they leave it all behind to follow the One, True Savior.
Hope
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE NEW YEAR!
Before delving into my thoughts for this new year, I strongly urge you to read this passage (Luke 8:36-50) carefully and consider what is being said and all that transpires. The story, in brief: – Jesus is invited to dine with one of the Pharisees. – A woman sits at Jesus’ feet, weeping. = She …
COURAGE IN THE FACE OF ________
Sadly it’s too easy for us to think of Jesus as a ‘superman’ of sorts (which is a terrible analogy any way you cut it!). When it comes to some of His miraculous works and His encounters with demons, we readily label Him “fully God”; whereas, other times, when He is troubled, or pensive, we see Him as “fully man”.
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
AUDIO VERSION for your convenience CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS The virgin birth of the child known as Jesus is, without a doubt, one of the monumental pivot points in all of human history. Prophesies of the Messiah’s birth are recorded long before His arrival. Despite His humble beginnings, born in a manger, surrounded by shepherds, …
PONDERED IN HER HEART
Luke’s gospel account is unique from the other 3 gospels in that it expresses the emotional depth surrounding Christ’s incarnation. So many people were directly affected by His birth: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Anna the prophetess, and Simeon the Godly priest who served at Jesus’ dedication, and they all show up in Luke’s account. One …
PEACE, a biblical perspective for Christmas
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14 Boy, do we love the words of the heralding angels on the night of our Savior’s birth! Peace on earth! Peace. We all need it, want it, and desire it deeply. Regardless of who we are, …
IF HAMAN AIN’T HAPPY…
Positive emotions are so easily derailed by things that grate us the wrong way. Much of the time the reason our happiness is stolen is due to our expectations not being fulfilled. In order to have spiritual happiness we must acknowledge and fully depend upon our God. Without a permanent relationship with God we can never be eternally happy.
FREE TO PRAISE
Despite Israel’s incessant rebellion, chasing after foreign gods, disregarding of God’s laws, disgracing His name among the people of the earth, and forgetting all of His promises, and disregarding all of His warnings, God’s grace remains.
The same holds true for us!
RADIANT HAPPINESS, JOYOUS HONOR
In the 8th chapter of the much-loved book of Esther, the Jews—who had been marked for annihilation—have received an edict allowing them to defend themselves against any aggression at any cost.
The English Standard Version of the Bible reads like this: “there was radiant happiness and joyous honor”.
It’s hard to imagine what this phrase means to us today, especially since….READ MORE
Be Alert, Stay on Guard!
Claws slashed across our hearts, razor-like teeth dug deeply into flesh, tearing bone from sinew, hot, putrid breath spread through every wound, leaving us damaged, bleeding and diseased. This is just one instance of the carnage that occurs when Christians “let down”.
Praying God’s Will
One of the features that makes the LORD’s Prayer so revered is that it is completely aligned with God’s Will and His Word. That is how we should pray!
Spiritual Distancing
There was no similarity between John the Baptist and the religious leaders of the day. So, why would God choose such a disheveled man to spread His message of hope?
Perfection from Imperfection
The true redemption in this account comes from this union between Boaz and Ruth. Obed becomes the grandfather of David, king of Israel – and – forerunner of the King, Yeshua (Jesus).
THERE IS NO ‘PLAN B’
In the book of Ruth, it’s easy to understand Naomi’s belief that God is “opposing” her desire for a pleasant, peaceful life with a full family. It isn’t as if living her idyllic life was God’s Plan A, and now He has to resort to Plan B. There is no Plan B.
Ahh…Perfect!
Ah…Perfect!
I truly believe one of the greatest deterrents to happiness is the propensity we humans have for perfection. Often, when we say something like, “…it was perfect!”, we really mean that it easily met our expectations… at that moment. When something exceeds our expectations it falls into the category of once-in-a-lifetime (which in itself is sadly an example of our limited thinking).