Jesus had become close friends with a sibling group: Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Lazarus fell ill, which would have been very disconcerting to his dependent-upon-him sisters in that culture. They were distraught, they needed help, and they knew to whom to turn: Jesus. These days when we’re distraught and need…

When you think about it, you realize Jesus had the power to resist going to the cross. After all, He deliberately prevented the Jewish leaders from arresting Him before the time was right according to His and God’s plan. Even as the hour approached, He prayed for God to take…

Jesus laid down His life. Read that again: Jesus LAID DOWN His life. No one took it from Him. He willingly went to that cross, and He did it out of obedience to the Father and out of His great love for you and me. He knew we could never…

HYMN DAY! “Whosever Means Me” by J. G. Badger isn’t commonly known (it’s a fun bouncy tune worth listening to!), but the words are wonderful. Even if you don’t know the tune, let the words speak to you. 1 Wond’rous love of Jesus, spread the news around; Pardon freely offer’d,…

Father knows me, and the Father and the Son are one. He knows me…and even though He knew how imperfect and broken and worthless in the eyes of much of the world I am, He still laid down His life for me. That puts a lump in my throat. How…

Francesca Battistelli sings, “I don’t need my name in lights, I’m famous in my Father’s eyes. Make no mistake–He knows my name.” HE knows MY name. At the age of eight years old, I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and become my Lord. Consequently, my name is written in…

These religious Jews thought they knew the Father. They claimed to serve God. But their rejection of the Son spoke more loudly than all their supposedly devout words and religious practices could. We cannot know the Father unless we know the Son. No man comes to the Father except through…

Security is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? We all want to feel secure in our job, secure in our relationships, secure in our homes. But stuff happens. A new boss changes the atmosphere at work or companies close; relationships become strained or disintegrate; storms or burglars or mold affect our…

HYMN DAY! I love the words to “Blessed Assurance.” Fanny Crosby was unable to physically see, but she certainly had her spiritual sight! 1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine; Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.…

We have all had conversations with people who are so busy planning what they intend to say next they don’t really hear what we’re saying. The Pharisees who were so hung up on following the laws (and being so proud of themselves for following the laws) couldn’t (wouldn’t?) truly hear…