It recently occurred to me the spiritual significance of one word spelled and defined three different ways. First: “Rain” – to send down in great quantities. Isaiah 45:8 niv, “You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; …
Does the Lord have His rightful place in your life? Read the following excerpt from “And He Shall Be Called”, a favorite devotional book of mine: “Millions of people go to church each week having a passing acquaintance with Jesus of Nazareth, even calling Him “Lord.” But He isn’t at the center of their lives …
After Jesus was tempted in the desert and battled the devil, He began his earthly ministry. Matthew 4:17 says “from then on Jesus began to preach ‘turn from your sins and turn to God…‘” Which direction are you turned? Toward yourself and the world or toward God? I have found that the moment I take …
2009 is a new beginning – a do over; another chance to do it right. So why not make a commitment to follow God now and throughout the whole year? Speaking to his disciples in Matthew chapter 4, Jesus said “Come follow me.” And what did His disciples do? They followed Him immediately. In the …
“Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices. O night divine, O night when Christ was born!” Have you ever done that; simply dropped to your knees in worship? You have to be pretty overwhelmed or pretty thankful to actually get down on your knees. If you need a jump start, the words of …
Have you heard the Good News? It’s Christmas! Jesus was born for you and for me! It was foretold in the Old Testament: Isaiah 40:9 - O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!…‘Look! Help is on …
Recently, I wrote on a 3×5 notecard “practice saying no to your appetites.” Now, I’m not trying to make you feel guilty during the holidays, I’m simply reminding you (and myself!) that you don’t have to give in to your appetites just because they’re powerful. You can say no to overspending, you can say no to …
Don’t you just love singing carols at Christmas time? I do. I love singing carols and I love the words of the carols. The first verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” is one of my favorites. Will you ponder with me the picture this verse describes so that it’s punch line will be all …
Anticipating Christmas is something we all do. Just this morning I was day-dreaming about how excited my children are going to be when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. Knowing this to be a typical emotion most parents experience, Jesus used it to teach his disciples (and us) about effective prayer. In Matthew 7: …
I heard a song today that said “I called, You answered and You came to my rescue.” What do you need rescuing from? From apathy? From selfishness? From shame? If you want to even begin to grasp God’s desire to come to your rescue, read Nehemiah 9. Verse 28 says “…whenever your people cry to …