…you serve a risen Savior!

Bible and Quote - March 9-13
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

Give me understanding according to Your word. Psalm 119:169b Word of God and inward light, Wake my spirit, clear my sight. Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92, American hymnwriter, brother to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ordinances help me. Psalm 119:175 God fills our soul full of life, preserving it from wandering, giving it to enjoy the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and letting it live to the fullness of life to the utmost possibilities of its new created being. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834-92 Deliver…

Is Jesus Enough?
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

The women’s small group I participate in is reading and discussing the book, Wounded Women of the Bible. The book deals with different Biblical stories involving women who have faced unusual or difficult circumstances. In reading our first selected chapter, we each, independently, were caught by a question posed by an NFL quarterback at a sports banquet. The question: If everything immediately changed and all was taken away, would Jesus be enough?” Think about it. We see this question floating around cyberspace…

Drowned
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

I love little children. My wife says its because we're on the same mental level. I remind her that it's not nice to insult little children that way. Little children can ask the most womderful questions and do so with an honesty and curiosity that is refreshing. Plus, they can keep you on your toes. Take the instance of little Peyton this past Sunday morning. When Peyton and his family came in and sat down I went back to greet them. After all the greetings were out of the way Peyton looked up at me and asked, "Why did you drown that little boy?" His mother and father were…

Confused Christianity
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

For a major portion of my Christian life one of my biggest concerns and prayers have been for the Christians who aren't. We don't have to name names. I wouldn't want to try. But you know the type. They go to church or went to church. They often call themselves Christians. They're often quite sure they are. They may even be really nice people. But there's something ... missing. Something absent. They don't seem to actually have a living, active relationship with the living Christ. It's more of a system or even an unconscious thing with them. They nod and they go through the motions…

Why Choose a Lie?
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep…

Stop, Look, and Listen (3-18-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

The Galatian Christians were making some very bad choices. They were choosing bondage to the Law over servitude to Christ and in so doing were choosing fleshly appetites over spiritual matters. Hear another of Paul's indictments: "You observe days and months and seasons and years." (Galatians 4.10). The context makes plain the substance of Paul's indictment as we will note in continuing to examine this text. The Law of Moses had many ordinances which had to be remembered. Many of these things were done with specific regularity either having a weekly, monthly, or yearly…

Daniel The Young Hebrew Man with a Bright Future
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

From Habakkuk we turned to Jeremiah – now let us turn to the book of Daniel and read something of what happened to one group of Hebrews as they went off to Babylon. Daniel Chapter 1. There is more in this book than the fiery furnace and the lion's den. These Chapters cover some 75 years……

Instantly!
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

There is a very interesting story in John 5:1-9. 1LATER ON there was a Jewish festival (feast) for which Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem a pool near the Sheep Gate. This pool in the Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porches (alcoves, colonnades, doorways). 3In these lay a great number of sick folk--some blind, some crippled, and some paralyzed (shriveled up) waiting for the bubbling up of the water. 4For an angel of the Lord went down at appointed seasons into the pool and moved and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up…

Discussion of Goodness
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

Several years ago I wrote several stories , one for each part of the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The story on goodness gave me pause. The idea of goodness is not foreign, but to define it was difficult for me. I’m talking about the biblical definition. If you recall, Jesus said, “There is only One good.” (Luke 18:19) What did He mean by that? There are two Greek words for good. Agathos (ag-ath-os’), a primary word meaning intrinsic benefit or well; kalos (kal-os'),…

Aging
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

There is one reality none can deny or escape if they live long enough. Getting older. When I was growing up, getting old never crossed my mind. In fact, it never occurred to me until many years had come and gone. The reality for me now is the gone. Last time we showed the futility of life when it is lived just to have a good time without God. Those who refuse to respond to God's offer of eternal life for those who will not surrender their lives, and live His way. They just as well "live it up". At the end they may ask, "is that all there is"? Yes - that is…

True Success Is A Team Effort
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

Are you successful in your career, home life, love life, and being in general? Were you always this way, or did you have circumstances and people which helped make you who you are? No matter our positions in life, all of us have had others to help, nurture, support, and pay for our success along the road regardless of achievement. From giving birth to a child to our daily work as being loyal, caring, sympathetic, and encouraging to those we love, the devotion should never end on both sides of the equation. But, do we pull them along with us as we grow and surge forward, or conveniently…