Scripture & Thought Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” I watch the evening news and I’m convinced they should no longer call it […]
Without a doubt, Easter has looked a little different these last two years than it has in years past. Like never before, we’re forced to strip down the manmade version of the holiday filled with fancy Sunday dresses, Easter egg hunts and big family gatherings to the bare essentials: the cross, an empty tomb and […]
Scripture & Thought Exodus 3:6 – “Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” Moses was 80. He wasn’t the young prince of Egypt anymore, […]
With everything we’ve been going through, I’m SO GLAD that God has promised He would always be with us, through it all! He will never leave us, not forsake us! As He said to Moses, in Joshua 1:5 – “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor […]
Scripture & Thought Exodus 3:11 – “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” If you were God, would you have chosen Moses to lead His people out of Egypt? He was a has-been, a failure. But […]
Since we are currently in the season of Lent, I’ve been thinking about what I’m doing, or not doing, that can be pushed away or stopped. Or something I might should start doing, which would lend itself toward more depth spiritually speaking, etc. This scripture came to mind: Isaiah 61:1-3 – “The Spirit of the Sovereign […]
Scripture & Thought Isaiah 52:7 – How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! Missionary George Smith died on his knees praying […]
I have been pondering over something recently. A question: “What kind of a ‘Friend’ am I?” What kind of a friend are you? Have you ever stopped to think about that question? Especially with social media these days, it seems like the term/concept of “friend” doesn’t really mean what it used to mean. Consider Facebook, […]
Scripture & Thought Hebrews 9:27-28 – “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation […]
In a conversation I had this week, we were talking about how do we know if what we do and say really has any impact on how other people live their lives. After that conversation, I read an article by Professor Mike Gough (Mid America Nazarene University) that spoke to exactly that issue. It really […]
Are we really living our lives for God’s glory? Or, is that just “church talk” and it really doesn’t affect us? I have been pondering that question over the last couple of weeks. Then I read an article by Scott Heitzig on this topic and it made sense to me. Even though the practices of […]
Scripture & Thought 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There was a man who had the unique opportunity of reading his own obituary. One day over his morning toast, he opened the paper and saw his name in the obituary column. […]
Scripture & Thought Judges 6:6 – “So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help.” John Wesley said, “Give me a hundred men who love God with all their hearts and fear nothing but […]
I read something last week that really resonated with me, and I wonder if you can relate as well. Thinking about how overwhelmed we all can get with everything that’s been going on in our world over these last few months, with the COVID-19, the social unrest, the political climate and people trying to force […]
I was reminded this week, about a story that John Wesley told in one of his sermons… John Wesley tells a scientifically implausible story about a frog who lived its life trapped inside a tree. Evidently, there was just enough moisture and sustenance in the tree to sustain this unfortunate frog’s life. Upon being released […]
Scripture & Thought Matthew 16:24-25 – “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” What comes to mind when you see a cross? […]
Scripture & Thought 1 Corinthians 15:53 – “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” Someone once asked Billy Graham what the greatest surprise of his life had been. He responded, “The brevity of it.” As you get older, it seems […]
I read an interesting devotional in “Coffee Break” by Sally Noe, which really grabbed my attention. I always appreciate articles that do that. Here’s what she said: “I was thinking today (I am sure the Lord put the thoughts there) of a car that my mother and I had given to someone. When they first […]
1 Corinthians 16:13 — “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” A few years ago, Hawaiians were preparing for a huge storm that supposedly would devastate their state. It was coming directly toward them. But then it took a hard turn. In the end, there still was some bad weather, but […]
While I’m giving praise to God…it reminds me of some of my reading lately, especially from Anne Graham Lotz, from her book, The Joy of My Heart, in which she writes about getting your praise on. She states that “Praise defeats the enemy! Psalm 22:22 (NKJV) – “I will declare Your name to my brethren; in […]