The longer I walk with the LORD, the more I realize the truth of this scripture. When we love God and are dedicated to His purpose, there is NOTHING we face that is wasted in His kingdom. My biggest childhood hurts are woven into my adult ministries. The hardships and…
I’m a wordsmith, and I have a fairly good vocabulary, but there are times when I find myself wordless. When the burdens of life press down so heavily, or a situation arises that seems hopeless, or I don’t know where to turn or what to do, words refuse to form.…
This verse seems to be full of oxymorons. We have hope but we can’t see the hope; we wait eagerly but wait with patience… But believe me, it isn’t oxymoronic. Our Hope is Christ. Even though we haven’t physically seen Him, we chose to believe in Him. We received Him,…
HYMN DAY! “We Have Heard the Joyful Sound” by Priscilla Jane Owens is a call to listen, to heed, to obey. If we’ve heard salvation’s call and experienced its changing power, we can’t keep it to ourselves! Sing above the battle’s strife, Jesus saves! 1 We have heard the joyful…
If you’ve ever been in labor (before epidurals came into use), this scripture probably brings back memories. I remember thinking in the middle of trying to give birth, “They don’t call it labor for nothin’! This is hard work!” Labor is extremely painful…but when they put the baby in your…
War, pestilence, plagues, strife… People in biblical times faced hardship, and we face hardship today. Evil runs rampant and has an affect on our world. BUT…there is a glory awaiting believers that will make the suffering of this life seem as inconsequential as a stubbed toe…and a judgment awaiting unbelievers…
Sin leads to death. Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death. We’re all dead men walking until that moment we receive Christ as Savior. Then life eternal is guaranteed! Not because of anything we’ve done to earn it, but because God gifts us with righteousness. If Christ…
When we talk about people “in the flesh,” we’re describing those who have no relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And we’re covering a lot of territory, from people who live upright, moral, basically good lives to those who seem to have no conscience or concern for other living beings.…
HYMN DAY! “New Life in Christ” by John W. Peterson isn’t a centuries-old hymn. It was considered contemporary when I was a kid. *wink* But I’ve always loved the chorus. If it’s unfamiliar to you, you can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eq1JJCDnHI 1. Gone is the guilt of my sin,…
When I was growing up, we had certain rules for our family. My parents didn’t care what the neighbor kids were allowed to say or do; as their child, I was expected to behave like a Vogel. A similar set of “rules” apply to children of God. Those who haven’t…
