…He loves you and guides you!

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

While they treat with contempt and dishonor, You will bless; they rise up and are ashamed; but Your servant will be glad. Psalm 109:28 Sometimes we have to "step over" our anger, our jealousy, our feelings of rejection and move on. The temptation is to get stuck in our negative emotions, poking around in them as if we belong there. Henri Nouwen, 1932-96, Dutch priest, professor, writer Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Psalm 111:2 The works of God are ofttimes not apprehended or minded; as a result…

Thoughts about Jesus
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

Prince of Peace “For unto us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called . . . the Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) The prophet Isaiah spoke of a coming prince, One whose name itself exudes peace. We know Him by the name Jesus. We utilize this part of His persona when we have fears and misgivings about our lives. We seek Him after receiving disheartening news. As children of God, we are ambassadors of His peace. In this 21Century world, we have innumerable times…

Tighten the Rules
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

There is an argument raging that has been steadily gaining fuel over the past few years. At question is the formerly accepted mantle of "Greatest Running Back of All Time." For more than forty years that title has rested firmly in the hands of Jim Brown. Brown was the son of a fourth generation slave family from Georgia. He was born and raised in the St. Simons Island community of coastal Georgia. After amazing people in high school with his athletic prowess in pretty much every sport, he matriculated to Syracuse University in upstate New York where he played both football…

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…