…He loves you and guides you!

Acceptable Worship
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

“You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.” - Ezra 4:3 Around 537 BC, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1). The Jews, who had been taken into Babylonian captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar years earlier, gathered and returned to Israel, each to their own city. They went back through the records and determined who among them were qualified to be priests (Ezra 2). Then with huge fanfare,…

Justification IX (2-23-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

What types of people gave Jesus his biggest headache while He was teaching here on earth? I don't mean what sect or group, but what intellectual or spiritual characteristics typified the people who always seemed to be confronting Him? Well, I would beg you to read this and the messages that follow to compare your thoughts on this matter with what I have concluded. The results can be life-changing! First, indulge me to speak briefly about the term justification. Justification is a word which can be used in everyday language, but which has a more specialized usage in the spiritual…

Go On Ask Your Questions
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

How does Habakkuk the prophet get hold of his message. We shall see that in these verses. But how does God get hold of the prophet? That is equally important. In Chapter 1, we see how God gets hold of Habakkuk's mind - then in Chapter 2 his will - and then God gets hold of……

Fill'er Up!
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

I remember when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon during a price war in the late 1960s. (Yes, I know that dates me! Although, I am not as old as dirt.) That was long before Esso had to change its name to Exxon. I can still hear my dad say, “Fill’er up.” We’d get the full treatment. It was why they were called service stations rather than gas stations. My dad worked at one of those while he went to A&E school—Airplane and Engine mechanic school. He was very familiar with Christian service. Service is much more than checking the oil level…

To Direct Your Steps
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

Have there been times when you thought, "what am I going to do now!" There are always moments in all our lives when there seems to be nothing else we do. It is common to the race. We live in uncertain times in an uncertain world. As someone has summed up this feeling, we do not even have "wiggle room" - there is nothing left to do. Perhaps you are struggling with an important decision that there seems to be no clear road to take. We may be faced with a financial crisis, a health crisis, a family crisis or - a spiritual decision that may seem to have no clear…

Pretzel Love-Psalms 91:14
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

'Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high because he hath known my name. ' Psalm 91:14 KJV I like pretzels. I want them hot, out of the oven with plenty of butter on them. I like to look at them also. They intrigue me. The way they are twisted and shaped makes me wonder how pretzels' creator came up with the idea. So I looked it up. According to howstuffworks.com, The world…

The Rearview Mirror
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

I read a book one time about ways of discovering your life’s meaning. It was informative, and filled with lots of ideas and methods of taking your existence into positive territory. And one of the areas I enjoyed most was an exercise in listing at least ten of your biggest moments so far—those trinkets in time helping shape who you are and that left the greatest impressions. For everyone, those experiences can be both, good and bad; a divorce or bad breakup, childhood bully, death of someone you loved. Or maybe it was the thrill of graduating from college, getting your…

Bible and Quote - March 1-5
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

You have made him to have dominion over . All sheep and oxen-- beasts of the field, birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8:6-8 Man’s terrestrial position of superiority mandates not power but responsibility, not abuse but compassion, not greed but conservation. O LORD (Y@hovah), our Lord ('Adonay), how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9 The highest and most intense worship takes place when we can do nothing but be amazed, when we are rendered helpless and speechless with wonder and gratitude,…

Seek God
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

“Then if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT These are words spoken by God. He lays out a plan for those present at the dedication of His Temple, His children, (us), when their (our) land becomes evil. God directs His children to humble themselves—come clean about sins and recognize their place as compared to God. God’s people are…

Opening Night
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

Opening night. The glitter of the marquee. It could be a show on Broadway, a picture at the Cineplex, or a local restaurant just down the street from you. Opening nights are a big deal for a lot people. They just simply have to be there and be able to say that they were there. Opening nights are important also for other situations. Take the case of the opening night of Pauley Pavilion, the home of the University of California at Los Angeles Bruins basketball team. Yeah, you got it; UCLA. Pauley Pavilion opened the night of December 1,1973. The legendary John Wooden was…

The New Pacifism
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

Over the centuries of Christianity there has been an internal debate about whether or not Christians are required to be pacifists. Some have said, for instance, that it's wrong to be a Christian in the military. This was put forth in the early church. Others argue that Jesus said, "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52), so we must not bear arms. On the other side, they point out that the early church opposed Christians being in the military because being in the military in their day meant mandated idolatry, and Christians are certainly not to…