…you are the light on the hill!

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.)…

Courting Christ: Bear Him Children
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. – John 15:5-8 (HCSB) Probably the greatest drive in women is the need to bear children. It is so common…

Justification XIV (3-3-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

The Blind Man Came Back Seeing! This is the turning point of this message and lynch pin of the entire New Testament. Had he come back not seeing, it would have proved Jesus to be an impostor. However, the fact that He came back seeing is proof in and of itself that Jesus is the Son of God and it guarantees that what He claims to be and to be able to do are real and factual claims! “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Neither…

A Vision from God Motivates and Inspires Passion
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

Habakkuk Chapter 2 verse 14 is crucial, in the light of what we have been reading. The future belongs to God. Verses 15 to 17 - we see how sin boomerangs. Woe to the callous. We will give them wine to drink - so much wine - that they will cavort around naked – that will……

Tangled Web
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive” (Scott, 1808). Frankly, we are all guilty. (James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.) The question remains though: Should public officials, pastors, and ministerial staff be held to a higher standard? Is there any lie that is okay for any of these guys to tell? Let’s take a look at a few examples… Corrie Ten Boom tells of a family who were hiding Jews from the Nazis. The grandmother of the household was so nervous…

National Healing
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

Regardless of national and world conditions at any particular time, there is one eternal truth that never changes. God in the Person of Jesus Christ is in control of the earth - yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. However, down through recorded history, He has allowed nations to progress closer to God's ways or to slowly distance themselves. No nation or people live in a vacuum. Some seem to feel that the world is their place to play with and conduct themselves as they please. And so it seems to be unless one considers and believes Biblical history. The Bible has had much…

Off Center
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

It was dark thirty in the morning; I was looking at dimly lit street lights leading to an unfamiliar destination. Anxiously sipping from a cup of biting java, I waited for the traffic light gods to release me from the red light. While waiting, I focused on the GPS, scrolling to my next left and right, hoping I could get……

Religion and the Presidency
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

As we head into General Election campaign mode with Mitt Romney driving toward becoming the Republican nominee, something which is unsurprisingly hitting the headlines fast and furious is discussions over his religious beliefs. Here’s my question: Should they really matter? Mitt Romney is a Mormon. And in our land of religious freedom, he’s certainly entitled to his beliefs. I am a Christian, and what Mr. Romney believes is somewhat different than me. Truthfully, I don’t fully understand the teachings of the Mormon Church. But, that’s okay, because come…