…you are the image of your creator!

Abhir - The Mighty One
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

He has been attacked by archers, who shot at him and harassed him. But his bow remained strong, and his arms were strengthened by the Mighty One of Jacob (in Hebrew Abhir), the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. May the God of your ancestors help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the earth beneath, and blessings of the breasts and womb. May the blessings of your ancestors be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains, reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. – Genesis 49:23-26 Talk about tough…

The Original Icon (3-4-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

Seen any icons today? Every computer user knows about icons. Certain religions revere icons. Some buildings are referred to as icons. Certain sports heroes are recognized as icons. Icons are a part of our 21century culture. Today's article will address the Original Icon! When man was created, he was created in the image (Gr. = eikon) of God (Genesis 1.26,1 Corinthians 11.7). The designer behind all designs is God; He is the original icon! Everything within this universe that is subject to the laws of this universe had a predecessor. Nothing, not one thing, of a material…

We Thank You for Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

Habakkuk Chapter 3 – where we see Habakkuk in a totally different mood. What has happened to him? Something has happened to the prophet. He is different. He begins to sing. He begins with a song of praise - SHIGGIONOTH. When God speaks - when God reveals something, we want to sing. ……

Why do we doubt?
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

There was a story told long ago about a certain wealthy man. He had so much wealth he struggled to remain alive because he did not want to leave behind his wealth when he died. When that fatal day finally came, the angels came for him, and he begged and pleaded to bring at least some of his gold with him to Heaven. The angel tried to explain to him that naked he came into the world and naked he would leave. But, his gold had never let him down. He had always been able to open locked doors with it and to build bridges to foreign lands with it. So after vigorous pleading,…

Year of theVictor
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

Disappointment and failure is all I felt as I thought back about 2014. I kept trying to find some tangible evidence that I had a victorious year. Did I set my goals to high? Did I ask for too much? Did I miss God on this one? You see, I honestly felt 2014 would be my year so I declared it boldly on my Face Book header. It read; "2014Year of the Victor". I had a great picture to go with it that showed the intensity of my belief. This was the year my business would be started. This is the year I would be well on my way to financial independence. This is the…

Alcohol Has A Drinking Problem
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

Ask almost any two people from the same church affiliation, or a different affiliation. and you will often hear condemnation or approval of the partaking of alcoholic beverages. Each side of the issue has convincing arguments for it's stance. Some say its OK in "moderation" (whatever that is...usually determined by personal opinion and practice). One person stated that he had never allowed alcohol of any kind to touch his lips (he lived to be 84 years old). There is another who drank alchohol, smoked every day of his life, and lived to be 100. To make a determination of…

The Politics of American Ingenuity
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

Many of us recently watched on TV the Space Shuttle Discovery being piggybacked to its final resting place inside the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. You were also flanked by the Capital Building, a symbol of American pride and strength showing the world that America is a land to be admired and revered. But, as I looked , I saw images of a country that isn't looking to the future as a land of innovation, discovery, ingenuity, and aggressive growth. Instead, it's pointing backwards, diving towards governmental control and socialistic programs. My point: We must start…

Bible and Quote - March 22-26
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. Psalm 9:12 Every mournful cry and every humble prayer of the afflicted saints makes an impression on the heart of God—written there indelibly, fully to be answered in the appointed time. Henry Law, Exposition of Psalms, 1878 Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble . lift me up . I will rejoice in Your salvation. Psalm 9:13,14 When a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out. He will only get out by the sheer creative effort of God. Consequently…

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

Waiting in General People have to learn to wait. As children we had to learn to bide our time until our birthdays and Christmas. When we got into trouble, our mothers might have told us, “Wait until your father gets home!” As children, we found it hard to wait we wanted what we wanted right then. But we had to do it. In retrospect, we were in training for the ‘grown up’ world. Presently we find ourselves waiting for warm weather. As I make initial input on this article, it is the fourth week…

Go To Church
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

Holy Week. The week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter. A time of triumph and victory. A time of reflection and reconsideration. A time of challenge. A time of awe. Eight days which rocked our world as none had ever before or have ever since. Holy Week. A time of shame? Having been in the ministry for some thirty-four plus years now I have marvelled at the human intellect and its disfunctional nature at this time of the year. Only perhaps at Christmas will the human intellect operate at a level comparable to that of this week. For somewhere deep inside…

Hypocrite!
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

It appears that we've shifted another word definition -- "hypocrisy". It is a popular accusation against many people with morals, Christians especially. But just what is it? The word used to mean "a feigning to be what one is not : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue." The word comes from the Greek, hupokrisis, which was actually a theatrical term. It referred to the masks that actors wore when they played a part in a play. That's the idea: putting on a mask. Appearing to be what you are not. (Thus the "feigning" in the original definition.)…