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“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1 Faith is a common word that gets applied to many situations. We say we have faith in our relationships, our investments, or our plans for the future. What we are really saying is that we hope these things will work out the way we want.  It is good to believe in our relationships with others. It is not bad to hope that our investments will pay off and it is a good idea to plan for the future. But these are all temporal things. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we receive much more than momentary joy or temporary success. Our faith in Jesus assures us of a…

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 It is almost Thanksgiving Day. A day set aside to commemorate the faith of the Pilgrims as they braved their first harsh winter in the new land; and then celebrated with their Native American friends that had helped them. That first winter in the new land was more than rough. Some lost family members due to sickness, there was not enough food to sustain some and the winter was bitterly cold. But they remained faithful to God and God sent help through the friendly natives that lived nearby. The very first Thanksgiving meal was truly a celebration of praise and gratitude. Many probably retold their  story of survival for generations to come. But over the years,…

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up …” 1 Thessalonians 5:11  Paul, Silas and Timothy sent words of encouragement to the church in Thessalonica. In doing so they showed love, care, compassion and hope that these early Christians would continue to serve the Lord, even in times of struggles. We too, need to be encouraged from time to time, and, we need to be encouragers. We never know what burden another may be carrying. A friendly smile or a word of appreciation seem like small gestures, but they may be just what someone else  needs to keep going.  Being aware of those around us is not difficult, but in our fast-paced lives we sometimes forget to notice. May we strive to show God’s love and care as we…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that  whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Today was Youth Sunday at our church. Among other things, the children lead the congregation in singing “We are the Church.” Some of you may be familiar with this  tune. One line in it says, “I count if I’m nine or ninety or even just a baby…” It was a good reminder of how important each of us are to our Heavenly Father. Jesus gave His life for you and me and every person ever born, past and present. We don’t have to meet any special qualifications or pass any special tests, God loves us anyway. We count so much to God…

“And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” Genesis 2:9a  “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” That is the opening line of the poemTrees by Joyce Kilmer. The poem describes all the things that a tree does — gains nutrients from the earth, lifts its branches to God, provides a home for birds and withstands snow and rain. Kilmer closes with:  “Poems are made by fools like me,  But only God can make a tree.” If we consider all the changes that trees go through in a year we would have to agree with the poet. Only God could create something that changes to…

“I the Lord do not change.” Malachi 3:6a Autumn is here and  with it comes changes. Leaves are changing colors and falling from the tress, plants are  becoming dormant, some animals are preparing for winter by getting ready to hibernate and we experience a change in the weather. Many look forward to these changes and see it as a relief from a long, hot summer. They welcome the cooler temperatures and enjoy the beauty of nature. Others, that dislike cold weather, may see it as bringing us closer to the dreaded winter cold. Either way, seasons continue to change, as do our lives. As the old saying goes, “nothing is certain, except change.” But, wait, that saying is not true! There is One we can count on to never change…

“Those who know your name will trust in you,  for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalms 9:10 Being a child of God is a wonderful thing. When we repent and accept salvation through Jesus Christ our lives are changed. We receive forgiveness of our sins, we become a part of the family  of God and we can look forward to eternal life with our Lord and Savior.  We find in this verse from Psalms another beautiful blessing for God’s children — God promises to never forsake those that look for Him. God can always be found when we call on Him, He is always just a prayer or thought away. He is ever-present, all knowing and faithful in what He says. We can know with confidence…

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights …” James 1:17 Have you ever thought about how we are all uniquely different? God has made each person an individual. Even twins, when closely watched, have some differences. We all have our own way of thinking, talking, and moving. Some people have a knack for numbers and are super good in math, others may love to read and can absorb all kinds of knowledge from the written word. Still others are more hands-on and enjoy making things, building and designing. Some people are quiet and shy, others are outgoing and seem to never meet a stranger. Some can sing or play musical instruments beautifully, others are gifted speakers.  But what about other…

“Don’t be afraid… Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16 The story is told in the Old Testament of a time when the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army intent on capturing Elisha. When the servant walked out early in the morning and saw what appeared to be a great and powerful military force, he was naturally scared. It seemed that he and Elisha were doomed and there was nothing they could do about it.  Elisha had reassuring words for the servant though. He confidently told him that those that were with them (God’s army) greatly outnumbered their enemies. Elisha went even further and asked God to open the servants eyes so he could actually see…

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39 What a wondrous love our Heavenly Father has for us! Nothing can take that love away from us. He is strong and mighty and will shield and protect us from any thing that dares to harm us.  We have nothing to fear and everything to gain.  Verse 37 of this same chapter declares that because of this wonderful God, we are more than conquerors! When satan tries to knock us down or turn our world upside down, we…