…free from your burdens!

Lest Anyone Should Boast
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

I recently finished Rosaria Butterfield's The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. This is not a review of the book. If you don't know who she is, she was a leftist, lesbian professor that despised Christians ... and then became one. Good story. She was redeemed and actually turned her life over to Christ. She has drawn a lot of fire from the LGBT community because she stopped being a lesbian and married a pastor. There was one part in her story, after she was a pastor's wife, that shocked me. It shouldn't have, but it did. She wrote about talking to a woman at a church that…

The School of Hard Knocks
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! – Js. 1:22 There seems to be a loss of connection between what student nurses are taught and what they need when they work in hospital wards. They find it difficult to bring together and make sensible their theory (school of nursing) and their practice (hospital ward). This gap between theory and practice is not a situation confined to social work and nursing. The same problem besets those who work in…

For Love's Sake (1-25-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

As an apostle of Christ, Paul had more authority (power) at his disposal than any person now living! He could heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, strike certain people blind (such as Elymas the sorcerer), and even raise the dead (see Acts 9.12; 13.11; 20.9-12). Yet to Philemon, he wrote, "Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you…" (Philemon 1.8-10). In spite of his tremendous authority, Paul refused to command Philemon to receive Onesimus back; rather, he appealed to him out of love…

God Undertakes a Big Job Setting His People Free from Babylon
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

We are reading in Isaiah Chapter 41 where Isaiah speaks specifically to Babylon, which lies 60 miles south of modern Baghdad. God is speaking to Babylon through Isaiah. I am stirring up someone from the east. God is raising up Cyrus of Persia to conquer Babylon, and set Israel free to return……

The Blame Stops Here!
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

I’ve heard it for years. The “Blame Game”. Family, friends and co-workers blame, blame, blame. I did it for many years. But what good does it do? Does it somehow solve problems? Does it strengthen relationships? Does it insure a strong future for you or others? Of course not. So why blame? v Blame can give us a false sense of self-confidence. + If we fail at a project or relationship, blaming someone else could make us feel as if we gave it our best shot. v It can shift negative attention off us and cast else where. …

Hard to believe people are human?
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

Job 11:12 For an empty-headed man will be wise when a wild donkey's colt is born a man. I have talked about this verse before in an earlier column. Can't you just hear the exasperation and the deep frustration? I can and it makes me laugh. It reminds me of Solomon saying "Living with a contentious woman is like incessant, dripping rain." (Loose paraphrase). And here is another one, Proverbs 11:22 As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion. That is so true and said with such a twist of humor I can't help but laugh at…

The Bible And You (2)
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

(The following was originally posted in 2010) The Bible and You (2) God’s written Word - the Bible - has been given through the Holy Spirit, as "light" to all mankind. It is the living Word of Jesus, who IS the light of all the world, as we saw in part one last week. It is THE "lighthouse" for the stormy and frightening sea of this world - the only way to the shore for safety.. It is the compass, the point of reference for all humanity. So many analogies could be made, and still not remotely express the importance of the Bible. It is the only way home…

Keeping Our Perspective Within A Materialistic Society
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

Christmas, and The Holidays in general gives us all an opportunity each year to reflect on the people, circumstances, and things we have to be thankful for. The energy in the air during December always seems to be (at least for me) very positive and uplifting; a little cleaner and crisp, and filled with that certain charisma and charm making us more lighthearted and hopeful. Perhaps, it's because I'm a believer, and feel that the days leading to the celebration of Christ's birth gives me renewed hope that I'll live again after my moments on earth are finally over. But more…

Bible and Quote - May 16
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the (stronger enemy). The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to confront the (weaker enemy). 2 Samuel 10:9,10 Maximize the potential that God has provided. Doug Sager, Christian Preacher Joab to Abishai, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 2 Samuel 10:11 We serve under…

Humility
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

Job 42:1-6 A study of the book of Job teaches us Job had been put through the mill; he lost his land, his animals and all his children. He questioned God but didn’t curse Him. His “best” friends try to reason why God allowed these events to happen. God finally spoke but He didn’t answer the questions Job and his friends asked. In the last chapter (chapter 42), Job says, “My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (:5-6) Job gained something by having been put…

God's Ballpark
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

One of my favorite times of the year is baseball season. Yeah, I know, it seems interminable. Spring training starts in February and the season ends with the World Series in October. That's nine months. But for a baseball junkie who once had aspirations of playing professionally (okay, so I was ten) it's nine months of heaven. My favorite team to live and die with, and I've died a lot the past few seasons, is the Reds. They're in a new ballpark now which seems a shame considering that they finally got the old one to where it was a decent place to watch a game. I hear the…