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Grace Upon Grace
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8) A series of burglaries highlighted a fictional TV story of a small midwestern farm town where items from the general store and several farms have been among the missing. Two
An Altar of Natural, Uncut Stones
God said to Israel, “If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.” (Exodus 20:25) God had just led Israel out of Egypt and to establish them a holy nation under Him. To protect th
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Our world is fashioned with fears of economic collapse, pandemics, wars, global warming, ex
“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” (Proverbs 15:18) While engaged in the task of sweeping the carpet in the family downstairs’ game room, the vacuum I was using suddenly shut off. I thought maybe the dirt bin needed emptied, so I did that. Perh- A Tola’ath
I Am a Worm “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despi
“Don’t jump to conclusions – there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.” (Proverbs 25:8 in The Message) Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude, offering the angels a small space in the cold basement instead of th
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.” (Proverbs 27:2) I recall a story about a man being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. As the traffic light turned yellow just in front of him - he did the right thing by stopping at th
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9) As we anticipate the celebration of another Independence Day weekend, we find ourselves at a time when there is a movement to fundamentally rewrite our history. Not l
“The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Psalm 84:11) A story has been told by Christian speakers as far back as 1955 when Billy Graham told a variation of it early in his ministry. Two men were wandering through a museum gazing at a
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 11:15) If you purchase one of his books, you will also get his personal cell number located at the back of the book. Bob Goff, author of Love Does, Everybody Always, and Dream Big believes i
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9). Why can’t men ask for directions when they are lost? Why can’t they read an instructional manual when they don’t know how to do something? These are questions that have been asked by women for some time.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"(Mark 4:40) A siren-like alarm was sounding in a nearby room of our home. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, and then it occurred to me that it might be the NOAA weather radio which had not activated for some time. The
“Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) When restrictions on the COVID-19 pandemic began to lift, I made an appointment for my car at a local dealership to have some work done. Not knowing how long I would be, I decided to take my laptop along to help pass the time.
“For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5) A friend of mine once told a story about her teenage son who many years ago was planning a graduation party for his high school classmates. In addition to the food and pool games, there would most likely be the pr
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5) No doubt you have at one time or another been criticized for not listening. When you were a teenager - you were probably told when asked to look for something that you failed to see what was right in front of you. Even as
“When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.” (Proverbs 31:26) It’s hard to escape childhood without participating in at least one game of “Mother May I.” More gender-neutral variations on the theme have included “father” or “captain” as the leader. The g
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) In the storyline of an old Little House on the Prairie episode titled “If I should Wake Before I Die” - an 80-year-old widow feels
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” (Luke 16:10) Let your mind wander back to the day you first learned how to ride a bike. You are nervous as you hop onto the seat of your shiny new Schwinn, but you trust the adult who stands at your side—and, of co
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthains 5:17) How dramatic does an event have to be to bring about permanent change? It is a question often asked following a human tragedy or otherwise c
“A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.” (Ecclesiastes 3:5) Months ago, I bumped into a lady I had gotten to know through a local business which I frequented. She no longer worked there, and it had been awhile since I had seen her. Throu
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) It’s always enlightening to me that whenever there is something novel, unique, or otherwise trending – people will be drawn toward it. When this occurs, we may
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25) It takes something rather dramatic to bring a society together. Certainly events like the Great Depression, the attacks of Pearl Harbor and 9/11, as well as the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 are good examples where th
“The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.” (Psalm 41:3) It’s interesting to see how people react when life as they knew it yesterday is suddenly different today. When we have to exp
“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’" (Luke 12:15) Years ago, I went to a birthday party for a young child. In attendance were several neighborhood children and some adult relatives. So, there
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” (Matthew 4:10) When wars become prolonged, thousands of lives have been sacrificed, and it seems as though there is no rational conclusion to an otherwise endless conflic