…you are the light on the hill!

Vivisection
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

You remember the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. He was a persecuter of the church. He was "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts 9:1) and set out with permission to hunt down anyone "belonging to the Way" (Acts 9:2). Traveling to Damascus to persecute the church there, he ran into an unexpected person -- the person of the Resurrected Christ. There, on the ground, he heard, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4) Oh, now, hold on. I think Jesus made a mistake there, didn't He? I mean, the text was…

Laughing Off the Facts
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart: “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with smooth stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." Therefore the LORD raises against them adversaries – Isaiah 9:9b-11a On September 12,2001, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle stood before the Senate and gave a speech decrying the 9/11 terrorist attack which included an unfortunate quote from Isaiah 9:10. Like many, he failed to note the context of that verse. It is actually a judgment on bravado! Around 700 BC, the…

Blessed Hope (2-3-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

"…[W]e should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2.12-13). The grace of God that brings salvation teaches the believer a number of things, among them how we ought to look for the second coming of Jesus and the things that will accompany His return. Our focus today will be to look at the phrase "the blessed hope" as it appears in the quoted verse. Hope is born of grace. To say it another way, without grace, we would have no hope.…

The Birth of the Thessalonian Church
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

The letter to the Thessalonians – 52 to 53 AD – is thought to be the first letter Paul wrote to the disciples of Jesus Christ at Thessalonica. We see how it all began, and we learn something of how great his love was for the people of God. In Acts 15 verses 36 to 41 we get a glimpse of……

Longsuffering
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

The sun is warm on my face and it feels good to these old bones of mine. I listen, but the house is still. It is only me and Hara now. The children have homes and children of their own and my sweet husband has gone to rest in Abraham’s bosom. That other is gone, too, God bless her. Why Hara stays and takes care of this old woman, I do not know. God’s blessing, for sure, but why a young woman would care for an old woman when she should be caring for a husband is beyond the reach of my mind. “Enjoying the sun, my dear ‘Em? Here is something…

Crisis Of Change
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted.”- Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 It seems sometimes the very thought of the word “change” creates a kind of fear and apprehension that is almost mentally disabling. No one really wants change - even if it is for the present good, much less for the future good. There is mesmerizing aura about the statue quo that often prevents any kind of willful change, much less a change that, for the moment,…

Psalms 91:4
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

'He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. ' Psalm 91:4 KJV Strong's Definition of truth. Contracted from H539; stability; figuratively certainty, truth, trustworthiness: - assured (-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure,…

God's Inner Voice
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

We're all equipped with an inner voice, guiding us constantly through all things good and bad. When you were born, God equipped you with a conscious, a gut-wrencher, an energy feeling coming across when impending forces try causing you harm or propelling you toward greater good, a realistic sensation responding to all things emotional, a subtle voice. That voice is God trying to tell you something, for better or worse, even when you don’t want to listen. God knows what’s best for us. He oversees and plans everything we do way before any situation or person…

Bible and Quote - August 4-8
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

He has shattered gates of bronze And cut bars of iron asunder. Psalm 107:16 God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not to be overwhelmed. William Arthur Ward, 1812-82 They cried out to the Lord in their trouble (that they had brought on themselves); He saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:19 If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest. Corrie Ten Boom, 1892-1983Dutch evangelist He…

Peace on Earth
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV) Each day in our newspapers and our television news broadcasts we read and hear about war, terrorism, and unrest affecting innocent people. Because of this, some of us don’t enjoy the news media. But can we ignore the reports? If we look away from these events we will be ‘sticking our heads in the sand’. The truth of this matter is we have to be informed about these atrocities…

Remember Me...Please
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

We preachers are rarely asked to serve as pallbearers for funeral services. Probably the exceptions are when it comes to our families. The last time that I served as a pallbearer was for my Uncle Orlyn Kelly. Late in their lives he and my dad had gotten closer as brothers should. I had always been fairly close to my cousins and thought the world of Uncle Orlyn and Aunt Helen. I was privileged to be able to be at his bedside when he passed away and even more honored when I was included as one of his pallbearers. Such is a sacred trust handed out by a family to those whom they…