“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” Matthew 6:9b Happy Father’s Day to all we look to as Dad. Being a father is an awesome responsibility and requires love, patience, diligence and sometimes sternness. Those men that fill the roles of dad, stepdad, grandfather, or guiding friend are not alone though. They can look to our Heavenly Father for a perfect example to follow.  Being a Dad is not always easy and we should lift these men up in our prayers daily. There are also young men that have not come to be fathers yet, but still can begin to set a Godly example to others. They need our prayers too. It is said,”the hand that rocks the cradle shapes the nation.” This is true for both parents. Mothers…

I rejoiced with those that said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 A common topic of discussion among churches nowadays is the subject of church growth. Churches, of all denominations, are experiencing a continued decline in attendance. We ponder the reasons for this decline. Do we let other obligations and attractions fill our schedule until  we do not have time for church? Is it lack of dedication? Or is it that social media has brought the church service right into our homes? We no longer have to get dressed and go out, we can watch the weekly sermon sitting on our couch in our pajamas. Or, does the devil have such a downward pull on the world that we are blinded to the…

“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and  filled the whole house… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit…”Acts 2:2 and 4 Wind can be strong and powerful as in a tornado or hurricane! These winds can cause great destruction and even death. Wind can also be soft and refreshing like a cool breeze on a hot day. Winds scatter seeds across the land, give lift to our kites, power sailboats and turn windmills.  Throughout the Bible wind is mentioned. God sent a strong wind to dry the earth after the great flood, Genesis 8:1. God used wind to part the Red Sea and make a dry path for the Israelites to cross over, Exodus 14:21. In the New Testament we read…

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Isaiah 49:16 We are forgetful people. Our finite brains can not retain all that we have seen or heard. We quickly forget names of people we are introduced to, we can not recall details about events we have attended and we sometimes have difficulty remembering passwords, codes and etc. Some people are better than others about pulling up such information from their brains. Some have learned techniques that help them remember, and there are also medications that claim to improve memory. But, the truth is, we all have lapses of memory from time to time. After all, we are only human, right? But, thankfully, God is not like us! What a joy to know that God never forgets us!…

“…a women that fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30b Women are special people. Eve, the first woman, was created by God for a specific purpose. That was to be a mate for Adam and she was a perfect partner for Adam, until she listened to the wrong one — Satan. We can read about many remarkable women in the Bible, such as Esther, Ruth, Sarah, and Mary, just to name a few. Throughout history we have read and heard of many others like Marie Curie, Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, and Princess Diana, who used their abilities and/or status for the good of others. The work and contributions these women made to the world is notable and worthy of recognition.  But in our verse today we are reminded…

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” These familiar words are sung in many churches each week. Singing them may be so routine for us that we do not even think about the meaning behind them. We are blessed everyday. It is easy to remember to thank God for the big blessings like salvation and eternal life; and we are all grateful when we feel good and we have strength and energy to do the things we need to do. But what about all the other gifts that God lovingly bestows upon us? Do we remember to thank Him for letting us enjoy time with family and friends, a…

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 Life can become chaotic. We have jobs to do, meetings to attend, families to care for and obligations to meet. It’s easy to become tired, overwhelmed, even “burned out”,  not only in our professional lives, but also in our church activities and responsibilities. When this happens we suffer emotionally and spiritually; and, our families and those closest to us suffer too. The stress of overwork can cause us to lose sight of  God’s calling and then we miss out on the blessings that He has for us. Our joy in serving the Lord may seem to disappear,…

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 Psalm 23 is a very well-known scripture. Many can repeat it from memory. It reminds us of God’s shepherd-like care for His children. These verses are often read to help  encourage us, to comfort us and to strengthen us in our walk with Him. What a sweet blessing to be a child of God! He cares for us, He provides for us, He protects us and He guides us throughout life. And when the end of life on earth comes He  will walk with us into eternity. As a Christian we have no reason to fear for we…

“…give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18b Most of us are not happy when bad things happen to us or to someone we care about. Life is full of ups and downs, good and bad and our first response is not always to praise  or thank God. Instead, we may become angry, we might pout or we may even try to “fix” the situation on our own. But God’s Word gives us some perfect advice. In Psalm 46:10 God tells us “Be still and know that I am God.”  Verse 11 continues to reassure us that the Lord Almighty is with us. So first of all, we have to “settle down” and acknowledge that God is still in control.…

“I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 Praise the Lord! Jesus rose from the dead and  is alive forever more!  Thank you, Lord, for dying for our sins and making a way for our salvation. Thank you for conquering death and the grave, so that we do not have to fear dying. Thank you for your resurrection which gives us a path to eternal life with you. Hallelujah! What a Savior is this Jesus!