“The birth of Jesus Christ came about when his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, …
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6) Dear Friends – The Great Artist has once again swept His brush of vibrant autumn colors across my mountain community and I am left spellbound. The natural world has exploded with sunlight brilliance that can only shock one into looking at His majestic powers with wonderment… such …
“New wine is poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, The old is better.” (Luke 5:38) Dear Friends – This tagline to Christ’s parable on The Patches and Wineskins provides insight into His teaching to the Apostles that while He was the “new wine” with all His great theology, they must be like the new wineskins ready, able, and strong enough to receive His new …
“They took Jesus with them in the boat… and other boats were with Him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, …
”Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Dear Friends – When Christ knew His ministry was shortly coming to a horrible end, He commanded His followers to go out into the whole world, baptizing and teaching all people what He had taught them. To fortify their perseverance, He made the above statement to assure them, that while He would be returning to …
Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Mark 12:17) Dear Friends – Christ’s statement above kept church and state separate long before any government made that decision. Elected officials may not affect in any manner, religious belief in God, however, Christians may and should by Godly conduct, moderate and affect the positive Christian behavior of politicians no differently than any other individual …
“The Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.” (Genesis 2:18) Dear Friends – Right away, in the opening pages of The Bible, we find God discovers after creating a spectacular environment for man to live in, the material world alone would never meet man’s needs. Oh yes, Adam had food, shelter, and work to accomplish, …
“Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said, why are you troubled? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch Me, and see because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have. Have you anything here to eat? …
“The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.” (Matthew 20:18-19) Dear Friends – No words from me to ponder this month except the above quote for you to meditate upon …
“We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) Dear Friends – Many of us have experienced the above words of Saint Paul in some manner or another; when a burden has entered our life that …
Jesus said: “A wise man built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. A fool built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” (Matthew 7:24-28) Dear Friends – The …
“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38) Dear Friends – Whatever God asks of us, however severe or demanding His request, could we be so quick to respond as Mary did and reply: “Okay God, whatever you want, I’m totally yours. Take my life and use it as You …
“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Dear Friends – Oh, how easy it is to spontaneously shout out a “Thank You God” when your heart is about to burst with joy over a miraculous occurrence that just happened for your benefit. It can be one of those beautiful occasions we all encounter like the ecstasy of seeing your first-born …
“Praise be to the LORD for He showed me the wonders of His love.” (Psalm 31:21) Dear Friends – Brilliant autumn colors have set my mountain community ablaze with spectacular vistas through the pine trees, and with every bend in the road. The variety of colorful maple trees will stop you in your tracks humbly begging for a compliment, and you spontaneously offer one up, for a breathtaking reaction to …
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son; But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” (Proverbs 13:24) Dear Friends – I love the poetic wording of this quote from an earlier edition of Proverbs because of the richness in sound and meaning. A more current, common rendering would be, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” The curtness of that rendition gets the message across superficially, but our immediate …
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: ‘NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU, NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU.’ So we say with confidence: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” (Hebrews 13:5-6) Dear Friends – God’s words are concise and always trustworthy, so when He says, NEVER, He means exactly that! Just because things are …
“The time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Dear Friends – I am still fuming over the many lewd and lascivious images hurled at us from the vulgar events initiated in June from its designation as “Pride” month. Diabolical demonstrations were …
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16) “Dear Friends – This is the month we spotlight fatherhood and all the earthly things our Dads do for us, overtly mainly, for we may never know all the hidden things and sacrifices that parents endure on our behalf. Genuine love doesn’t always come with the details of the …
“A person will reap only what he sows. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Dear Friends – Experiencing consequences for one’s actions has fallen by the wayside in a secular materialistic world, but never so in God’s world. The very ones who need to …
“Send forth flowers as the lily, and be fragrant; bring forth leaves in beauty, and with songs of praise bless the Lord in His works.” (Ecclesiasticus 39:19) Dear Friends – In California we are recovering from a horrendous winter of record precipitation; wonderful for the rain and snow that brought us out of our years of drought, but exasperating for the physical damage incurred, and the claustrophobic anxiety that kept …
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? You are the light of the world. Your light must shine before people in such away that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 13:14,16) Dear Friends – Jesus sent His disciples out with the above words to fortify their endeavors, …
“They did not accord Him glory as God or give Him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the Creator.” (Romans 1:21-22,25) Dear Friends – Nonbelievers in God are currently in the majority, and that is a depressing …
“The children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” (Luke 16:8) Dear Friends — The secular world is quite deft in dealing with its own kind and not always by the politest of manners. Politicians, celebrities, and pundits become users of negativity, sensationalism, and mistruths stretched to the point of deliberate lies to get and maintain their fifteen minutes …
“Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed.” (Exodus 22:19) Dear Friends – Humankind has managed over the centuries to create a voluminous amount of gods to be admired and worshiped, all of which are primarily beneficial to one’s own needs and interests. They have supplanted the respect due Almighty God with material idols of fame, fortune, and power, and the means to those …
“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Dear Friends – Christ labels the Devil a thief because all that Satan does is in vile opposition to a loving God who gives life; Satan is dead-set on destroying everything that God made, and his hatred and jealousy of God are unyielding. When the …
“Blessed are we, O Israel, for what pleases God is known to us!” (Baruch 4:4) Dear Friends – All knowledge begins with Almighty God. The Author of life set about the rules and regulations for material existence. In time, humankind came to understand how some of the natural world operates; the infallibility of its design only reveals God’s greatness. That same perfection was implemented by Almighty God in His rendering …
“No man can pay a price to God for his life. The ransom of his soul is beyond him. He cannot buy life without end, nor avoid coming to the grave.” (Psalm 49:7-9) Dear Friends – The horrific brutality inflicted upon Jesus during His passion and death by crucifixion is upsettingly difficult to read in the Gospel accountings. One of His own disciples betrays Him to the enemy, …
“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before Him.” (Psalm 68:1) Dear Friends – There is such a wishful elegance to those words, that a devout believer can see the possibility of hope escalating when they are pronounced as prayer before Almighty God. As His beloved children, Christians experienced in the extent of His powers realize that whatever is prayed for He …
“God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Dear Friends – Our outward appearance conveys very little past our ability to dress appropriately while employing proper grooming habits. We notice the disheveled and wonder if they are homeless. The body language of another squirming in their chair at a public meeting depicts one about to …
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Dear Friends – The majestic power of Almighty God is revealed in the first part of the statement above: “I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU…” and what a humungous power that is, with the mechanics of that power far beyond our capacity to understand. …
“God so loved the world that He gave His only son…” (John 3:16) Dear Friends – The birth of Christ should make us realize more than ever, that no matter how bad the world was or gets to be, God will not see His creation destroy itself, and thus, by His supreme love He intercedes on its behalf. Divinity descended to earth as a newborn babe with the humblest of …
“Wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey The Truth and obey wickedness.” (Romans 2:8) Dear Friends – Ignorance of God prevails in all the neighborhoods of the world as we watch crime and immorality rise to such unprecedented heights; tolerance of evil, and its jaw-dropping moments, has become the new norm, exacerbated by the pandemic. Egotists are thriving in this social-media-fed frenzy of critical exposures, hateful speech, and downright …
“If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39) Dear Friends – The immense zeal of the Apostles couldn’t be contained after Christ’s resurrection, for they were inflamed by the Holy Spirit to announce the Good News to the whole world, …
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (John 4:48) Dear Friends – There is a subtle note of exasperation and disappointment in Christ’s voice as He utters those words above… it’s as if He were saying: “Couldn’t you just believe My Words and reason with your minds that what I say is logical and true… must I perform Divine magic in order to get your …
“Whatever is true – whatever is honorable – Whatever is right – whatever is pure – Whatever is lovely – whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy – THINK ON THESE THINGS.” (Philippians 4:8) Dear Friends – Everybody has those days when their limits are pushed way too far; the daily news reported is mostly disgusting… the weather has gone berserk and overwhelmed vast areas of the country with misery… the claustrophobia from the pandemic quarantine has you …
“When I found him whom my heart loves, I took hold of him and would not let him go.” (Song of Solomon 3:4) Dear Friends – At a very young age, upon the death of my father, I painfully became aware of the reality and surety of a loving Almighty God. It was revealed to me by another, that while my father was in the hospital recovering from a heart …
“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Psalm 127:1) Dear Friends – A New Year starts with resolutions, and whether we keep them or not, we always think that this is the time to review and drop the less desirable traits we have acquired, usually to our …
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:30-31, 38) Dear Friends – Imagine being told, …
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) Dear Friends – The breath of life spanked into us at birth, gives us physical life, and, through maturation we ascertain another being to our existence that generates our real-life modes, our spiritual being. Nature and nurture are …
“No trial has come to you but what is human.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Dear Friends – All the miseries of life are man-made. Almighty God created a perfect world, material and spiritual, but we humans have managed through ignorance and evil to affect constant turmoil of one kind or another into daily life. Decades of misuse to our environment has resulted in a climate change that has brought forth …
“A Canaanite woman came and called out, ‘Have pity on me, Lord. My daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But He did not say a word in answer to her.” (Matthew 15:22-23) Dear Friends – The idea that Jesus ignored this begging mother, and didn’t even reply to her request immediately, seems very rude and ungodly to us at first glance. To make matters worse, the disciples came up and …
“Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) Dear Friends – One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is the accounting of the Wedding Feast at Cana; it is abundantly rich with theological insight and the symbolism so openly displayed makes understanding apparent. Jesus, His mother Mary, and His disciples were all invited to a wedding feast at which Mary noticed at some point, that they ran out …
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Dear Friends – Jesus is the Gate to heaven, and all Christians who incorporate His Holy Spirit into their being and follow the image He modeled, can rest assured, short of committing a mortal sin, of their entrance into an eternal heavenly abode. While just the …
“I could strengthen you with talk, or shake my head with silent lips.” (Job 16:5) Dear Friends – Unmerited suffering is one of the many topics in the Book of Job, and while we know from other books in The Bible, God most definitely has the power to inflict suffering where He deems punishment is deserved, however, it was not so for Job because God knew him to be a …
“There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Dear Friends – Of all the horrible effects of living through this pandemic brought on with required staying at home, there is included the stress and anxiety over the loss of income, scarcity of necessities, and the possibility of contracting a …
“GOD SO LOVED the world…” (John 3:16) Dear Friends – Our Creator and Heavenly Father, demonstrated His immense capacity for love the moment existence of life began, and it began with a universe so vast, scientists are nowhere near comprehending its complexities, nor are most of them capable of understanding the power of that first cause, an Eternal God. We are told in the opening chapters of Genesis, how Almighty …
“And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, he gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:46 Dear Friends – Starting with the disciple Stephen, who was brutally stoned to death, many of the Christian martyrs who followed in Christ’s footsteps experienced horrific and excruciating deaths. Some of these saints also endured much longer cruelty… for days, months, even years, …
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Dear Friends – An individual with a diseased heart lies at death’s door until a transplant brings new life. Our physical bodies can be renewed in many different ways due to ever-advancing medical technology, however, our spiritual bodies can only be made anew by Almighty God. When our heart is crushed by sorrow, …
“He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) Dear Friends – God promised, through Jesus uttering those words above, that a time of miracles had come… a year of the Lord’s favor. Can you imagine being a listener in the Synagogue that day they first heard those …
“Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossus 1:15) Dear Friends – As you look into the Christmas manger this year and see that adorable baby Jesus smiling back at you, how many of us I wonder, will ponder that this precious babe is really the image of the invisible God? Those of us familiar with the history of Christianity will immediately recognize that newborn in …