Category: Uncategorized

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.—Isaiah 43:2 Rose and I are in Houston tonight. Her sister had a training session here and we agreed to drive with her. On the way into town I saw a billboard which reads something to the effect that God didn’t promise smooth sailing just a safe arrival. This is a point the disciples missed as they tossed in the violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. They had gotten into the boat in response to Jesus suggestion that they cross over to the other side. When the storm came up, they forgot all about the promised destination and, not surprisingly, focused on the immediate danger. Jesus responds “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). God promises not only a wonderful destination but safe passage. The passage may not alway seem safe but His presence guarantees it. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you […]

Romans 3:11There is none who understands,There is none who seeks for God;12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;There is none who does good,There is not even one.”13 “Their throat is an open grave,With their tongues they keep deceiving,”“The poison of asps is under their lips”;14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,17 And the path of peace have they not known.”18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” “Fear of God” seems like such an antiquated, Old Testament phrase. Something that is out of sync with the modern world. After all, our God is a God of Love. This fear of God thing may be appropriate to Muslims and their Allah, but certainly not the God who provides our every need and just wants us to be rich and famous. (can you read the sarcasm?) And yet the first 17 verses of Chapter 3 of Romans is such an accurate description of our world: no understanding, no seeking of God, uselessness, lack of do gooding, deceit, cursing, bitterness, shedding of blood, destruction, misery and lack of peace. Yes, check; […]

  2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;          He leads me beside the still waters.  3 He restores my soul;          He leads me in the paths of righteousness           For His name’s sake. Psalm 23 I used to fly often. After just a few flights the instructions given by the flight attendant as the plane moves out to the runway are ignored.  One of the things I am told is that  if the cabin lost pressure, I should put on my mask and then put the mask on any children traveling with me. This seemed a bit strange to me at first. Shouldn’t I take care of the kids first, then put on my mask. But there is an important concept here. If we don’t make sure we are hooked up, we will be in no condition to take care of anyone. We need to be rested and connected to be of any good. The Good Shepherd knows the importance of rested sheep. He makes me lie down for the important rest I need. As Christians we need rest for at least five reasons: 1. Nourishment. We have all […]

While researching for my Mother’s Day devotional I came across the ABCs of Parenthood. I am always cautious about parenting tips. Parents are so different as are kids. We are often sensitive about our parenting, perhaps thinking deep down that it should come naturally and yet we so often don’t have a clue. So consider these thoughts: Do you know what children need? A – B – C: Acceptance, Belonging, Confidence ACCEPTANCE We all need to feel that people love and accept us for who we are. This requires that we know others and that we are known. It seems obvious that we should know our kids, but they often surprise us. Like with other people, we often make assumptions. If they aren’t doing well in school, we can assume that they aren’t applying themselves, when maybe they are reacting to a bullying situation. We can adopt a “squeaky wheel” approach thinking if they aren’t saying anything everything must be fine. Kids need to trust their parents, to know that they can tell them anything. That takes time, quality time, time when the child is the only focus, not today’s concerns or tomorrow’s plans. BELONGING I had eight brothers and sisters. My folks never […]

Mother’s Day – Today moms will be honored. Tons of cards and boatloads of flowers will be gifted to moms. Mothers will be treated to a day off from meal cooking. Well, you get the picture. Most of us are thankful for our moms and believe they deserve a special day.  But less be completely honest. None of us had perfect moms and many believe they can trace most of their problems back to mom. Maybe it’s time for a little balance and honesty on this mom issue.  First, isn’t it harder than ever to be a good mom. In 2011, more women than ever have to balance motherhood with full time jobs. More women than ever have to be both mom and dad to children. Many women have to balance a broken relationship with their children’s father with the need for those children to have a father in their lives. We need to do more than give token gratitude to mothers one day a year.The “Father Knows Best” model for motherhood doesn’t apply to most moms today.  These are tough times for mothers. They need our patience, prayers and help, in addition to our honor and gratitude. Maybe many […]

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus  “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22 Do you ever find yourself saying that you are doing okay, “Under the Circumstances?” I know I’ve said it; but it really is a terrible thing to hear from a Christian. Adrian Rogers used to say, “Circumstances are like a mattress. You’re supposed to be on it, not under it.” Sadly we do let circumstances get over us.  Under the circumstances, you suffocate; on them you rest pretty well. The problem with circumstances is that they are so “in your face.” They surround and cover us. They make it appear as if they are the only reality. But they are not. In fact, our circumstances are not reality at all. As Christians, Jesus is our reality and we need to connect with Him. The proper response to circumstances is to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. If you find yourself “under the circumstances” today. Click here. It’s a link to a nice version of the hymn. Spend a few moments contemplating the only reality that matters. It’s Jesus over circumstances. It’s not a question of the greatness of our faith, but the greatness […]

1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours :3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 What does it mean to be a saint? Most would say a saint is one who has led such an exemplary life that he or she is venerated by the church, but God’s Word presents quite a different picture. The Corinthian church was made up of Christians who struggled with all sorts of ungodly behaviors, yet Paul calls them “saints by calling.” This was not due to their behavior, which was often “unsaintly, but because they “have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling” (1 Cor. 1:2). To be sanctified is to be set apart to a sacred use. God has sanctified days (such as the Sabbath), places (the tabernacle), things (Ark of the Covenant), and people. A saint is simply a person whom God has set apart for His purposes. That means every believer is a saint. We are born enemies of God.  (Rom. 5:10). As a Christian, you were born again and are now His child. He forgave […]

There has been much talk lately about our enemies. That got me thinking about whether we are our own worst enemies. I googled “own worst enemy” and came up with a television series which aired for only 9 episodes in 2008 and a Bruce Springsteen song. Frankly, I didn’t get much inspiration from either.I even found an article asking “Are you your own worst enemy” which listed seven “bombs” with which we blow ourselves up. I did find these helpful:1. Procrastination  I know this is one example of how I’m my own worst enemy. I don’t get things done unless I face a deadline. I’ve kind of learned that the secret here is to establish deadlines for yourself in those matters which have no external deadlines. That seems to help. Look around at the unfinished projects in your life. For each, either set a deadline for finishing or scrap them. Don’t put this off that would be procrastinating procrastination. 2. Loose fact-itis I guess we have all been guilty of this one. It usually happens when we a struggling to make a point and we “come up with” a fact to support our position, which we know, deep inside, isn’t […]