…forgiveness is always possible!

Death in the Garden
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

Jesus crucifixion started in the garden. The Father gave Him a vision. (Luke 22:41) Jesus died to His own will. (v42) Jesus accepted, visualized and internalized the Father’s plan. (v44) This sequence of steps was a defining moment for Jesus and for us. No, it was much more than that. It was the beginning of the final great battle that led Jesus to the victory that had been foretold for thousands of years. This was the established point in time for Jesus. The same point in time God gives to all of us. He gave His only begotten Son, our only chance, a vital, critical and crucial…

Unsowing Discord
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Matthew 9:11 The Pharisees asked the Disciples, not Jesus … Why? But Jesus heard the question and replied "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." The puffed up Pharisees may have thought that they were righteous and had no need for repentance. Jesus'…

Sanctification vs Justification
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

Are you confused when you hear these two words? If so, you are not alone. It can be like the old arguement about which came first - the chicken or the egg. It involves the principle referred to in the old cliche that asked the question, "which had you rather have...justice or mercy?" The wise would do well not to ponder the answer too long...justice is much easier to administer than mercy. Part of the difficulty is that the two words sound so much alike, and look somewhat alike. Because of this, when one attempts to explain the differences, there can be much confusion.…

Unforgettable Characters
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

The recent death of actor, Michael Clarke Duncan at such an early age made me stop, and remember all the memorable roles he played during his short time on the silver screen. For instance, I loved him as accused murderer, John Coffey in The Green Mile. He was a huge, extremely powerful-looking man upon first glance. Then, as the storyline unfolded, you couldn’t help but see him in a completely different light—loving, caring, a gentle giant, a person I found wishing I had as a buddy, friend, or next door neighbor. He was actually an angel living inside an extremely intimidating…

Bible and Quote - May 11-15
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. Psalm 139:9-10 Just as the distance between us and God makes no separation and the gulf is one that is bridged over by His love, so distance in time leads to no exhaustion of the divine faithfulness and care, nor any diminution of the resources of His grace. Alexander Maclaren, 1826-1910, British Baptist expository preacher If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night," But…

Patience; Peace
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

Patience, Peace Patience As a society, our nation’s people show a lack of patience. Fast food restaurants and microwave ovens have caused us to be impatient in all areas of life. As we await decisions from courts, we become anxious. If we were honest about it, we grumble to ourselves when our computers do not respond to commands fast enough. Patience is the ability to endure to bear trials without grumbling. 1We often hear of “the patience of Job.” He lost all he had—property, livestock, and children. His wife told him…

Not Mere Coincidence
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

Coincidence. That wonderful rare turn of events that both surprises and startles us. You've been caught up in them before. Events that happen in just the right way or circumstances that align too perfectly. You know; coincidence. Friday, February 15, I got to experience one of those incredible coincidences. It happened at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky and it involved one of the young couples in our congregation at Minorsville. And it's a neat one. Gina and Craig Hastings have a little girl named Ellie Morgan who was born on my wife's birthday, February…

Unique
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

We live in a "diversity" world, where everything is viewed as "equal". We claim "equal rights" and "equal pay" and "racial equality" and "all genders are equal". We believe that all religions are equal, too. And, as a consequence (just like in the use of the vague "equality of the sexes" concept), people often believe that all religions are equally valid. Now, this can be easily demonstrated as false. That is, without accepting any of the truth claims of any religion, you can simply take their truth claims, lay…

Include Christ in your daily life, Part 2
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31 We use reminders to help us constantly: calendars, alarm clocks, watches or PDAs. Why do those who are married wear wedding rings? It is not merely to identify our state to others, but also to remind ourselves of our vows! Not all of us need to nail mezuzot to our doorposts. But all of us need to be looking for ways to include our Beloved into our daily lives. It is far more important to incorporate Christ into our day-to-day activities than it is to set aside time…

How God Treats Sinners
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

In considering the question of how God treats sinners, it becomes of paramount importance to know just who is a sinner! If I don’t know anyone who is a sinner, and if I never meet anyone who is a sinner, the scale of importance of the issue drops to virtually zero. However, if I know a sinner or two, or if I am likely to come in contact with a sinner, the degree of importance rises somewhat. In fact, the more sinners I know or am likely to know, the more important the question becomes. I must confess that when I think of sinners, I prefer to think of them in the distance –…

Give Thanks for the Many Warnings Revealed in Scripture
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

We are in Daniel Chapter 5 – and now, for Belshazzar the king, it is too late. He cannot do anything about it. The writing is indeed on the wall. Verse 25. Nebuchadnezzar got 12 months to repent - Belshazzar does not even get 12 hours. For him it is doom and disaster and……