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“But when they [Paul and Barnabas] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, 'Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.'” (Acts 13.14-15).

Regardless of what chronology one believes, the journey of Paul and Barnabas into the mission fields of the Jews and Gentiles was not one second too soon. Needless to say, they were not well received in all ports, but that…  ( Click for more )

So the story goes that a youthful salesman stopped by a farm one day to peddle his wares. Looking out over the field, he saw the farmer hoisting a pig up into the air so he could reach one of the ripened apples on the tree. Somewhat stumped by the event, he continued to watch; amazed, he saw the farmer do this a half dozen times – lift the pig up, let him down to eat a choice apple, lift the pig up – and repeat the cycle. Being somewhat aware of time management, the salesman could not manage his curiosity. He made his way out to the farmer, introduced himself, and began…  ( Click for more )

The greatest story, the story of comfort and light, continues with quotations from Luke 2:

21And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD),

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law…  ( Click for more )

Peace and good will toward man are wonderful and unfathomable blessings! Among the significant sayings of the angelic chorus to the shepherds, perhaps their words about peace are best known. As a part of our study on comfort, we submit the greater context (Luke 2) in which the angel's words about peace are found.

1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4And…  ( Click for more )

There is a Bible story that is as timeless as God Himself. At this time of the year it is told and retold more than at any other season. It has been dubbed the Christmas Story because tradition (whether correct in chronology or not) has it that at this time of year Messiah was born. Because we are engaged in a study of Comfort in the context of God being The God of All Comfort, this story is absolutely appropriate. For this reason, the following passage from Luke 1 is quoted in its entirety without comment (numbers in parentheses indicate the verse numbers within this chapter): …  ( Click for more )

Tributes are altogether too infrequent in our lives. A tribute can be as simple as a kind word to someone who is struggling to do a good job. Or, it can be as elaborate as a preplanned program complete with speakers, awards, testimonials, and the like. It could be a bouquet of flowers to the mother of your children. It could be a small gift coupon to your child in recognition of just being a super kid. Tributes come in all shapes and sizes, but I do think they don't occur as frequently as they should. Today's message is a tribute, tribute to the written word of God.

“For…  ( Click for more )

Actually the phrase No Harm, No Foul is an American idiom arising from the sport of basketball. Generally speaking, it means that unless the outcome of a game is affected, a violation of the rules should not result in a foul being called. Recently this phrase came to mind when Pat told me of an event that occurred with one of her neighbors a few years back.

It seems that she had admired a small decorated Christmas tree in her neighbor's basement window for years. It always looked so neat and orderly behind the white sheer curtains that hung between it and the window. Each year…  ( Click for more )

After cataract surgery, her glasses were as thick as proverbial “coke bottle bottoms.” This was in the era before modern day intraocular lens implants made such things unnecessary. Her ear drums had been perforated as a child and the hearing aides that helped her to hear more normally certainly did not enhance her physical appearance. As a child she had a bout with rheumatic fever which resulted in an enlarged heart which, of course, she carried with her for the remainder of her natural life. Eight children and forty-one years after this lovely woman married her beau,…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah's prophecy of “The voice of one crying in the wilderness...,” is directly connected to the promise of comfort in Isaiah 40. Today's message will show that link by noting a few passages which show that the fulfilment of the one was John the baptist, and the fulfilment of the other was Jesus Christ.

First, we will consider the testimony of Dr. Luke. He writes, “...[T]he word of God came to John [the baptist] the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,…  ( Click for more )

Does the phrase, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness...,” strike a familiar chord with you? To many, just that short but descriptive phrase points to the time of John the baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ. As a robin is sometimes called the harbinger of Spring, so John is frequently referred to as the Harbinger of Messiah! Comfort, the subject of the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, is the net effect of Messiah. Today's devotional message will look at the subject in its context as presented by Isaiah.

“'Comfort, yes, comfort My people!' Says your God.…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever heard the book of Isaiah referred to as a Bible within the Bible? Well, it is an interesting comparison to say the least. We will begin this mini-series on Comfort in Isaiah by taking a brief look at the features which have prompted some to allude to Isaiah, the grand book of Messianic prophecies, as a Bible within the Bible.

The Bible has sixty-six books that are divided as follows: the first thirty-nine books comprise the Old Testament and the last twenty-seven books are referred to as the New Testament. The Old Testament is principally about the nation of Israel…  ( Click for more )

It is almost a sure bet that you have looked for emotional comfort at one time or another. It sometimes comes in the form of an encouraging word from a friend, or perhaps just a sympathetic ear from a loved one. Many times, just having someone listen to our troubles is enough to lighten our load and make the day seem brighter. However, have you ever sought for comfort and could find none? There is no lonelier feeling on earth than to realize that no one stands with you; you are alone in your plight and there is no human help to be had from any quarter.

The author of the sixty-ninth…  ( Click for more )

Puffery is the noun form of puffing. Puffery is extremely common in retail advertising. It is an entirely subjective and exaggerated claim about a product or a service. It is worded so that no right thinking person would take the claim literally. In the paragraph that follows I will list a few familiar claims for you to read. In each of these claims, I will leave our a word or two for you to fill in. Among the puffery that is involved there will also be one true, but incredible claim. See if you can fill in the blanks, and at the same time, spot the claim that is not puffery.

“When…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever stopped to think that our entire lives are spent seeking comfort? It must be an important and innate instinct with which we are born and which stays with us until death. Today's continuance of devotional thoughts on comfort will begin a look at the Psalms and how they relate to comfort generally.

Although I may not know you personally, I would almost wager that as an infant you cried when you were hungry and also let it be known in a similar way when you were wet! Why? Because there was a need for comfort that was a part of your being even at that early age. A favorite…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever stopped to think that our entire lives are spent seeking comfort? It must be an important and innate instinct with which we are born and which stays with us until death. Today's continuance of devotional thoughts on comfort will begin a look at the Psalms and how they relate to comfort generally.

Although I may not know you personally, I would almost wager that as an infant you cried when you were hungry and also let it be known in a similar way when you were wet! Why? Because there was a need for comfort that was a part of your being even at that early age. A favorite…  ( Click for more )

Just how perfunctory can I be and still keep your attention? I don't know, probably will never know, but pray that you will indulge me in my perfunctoriness as I introduce today's devotional. The series is the God of All Comfort taken from 2 Corinthians 1.3. The sub-set has been the seven Penitential Psalms (6,32,38,51,102,130, and 143). Today, we look at the last of these seven Psalms. It is such a poignantly piercing piece of literature that I quote it in its entirety.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness.…  ( Click for more )

When abundance is categorized, it is usually placed in the blessings column in lieu of the curses column. But that is not always the case as we will see in today's devotional.

Have you ever tasted something that was absolutely so delicious that you just couldn't stop eating it? Well I did the first time I ate one of Aunt Ethel's fried apple pies. I was about nine or ten years old at the time and to my knowledge, I had never had a fried pie, especially not one of aunt Ethel's. She was an old fashioned southern cook who set a table fit for a king at almost every meal. It was supper…  ( Click for more )

Loneliness bites the soul like frost degrades and scars the flesh. It is insidious in that it usually comes so gradually that it is unnoticed. Without warning, changes in our lives can be so subtle as to be unnoticed for the moment, but literally wreak havoc over the long haul. As a nation, Israel had gradually drifted away from the source of all real comfort, the Lord God Almighty. Like we do as individuals at times, they were suffering from extreme loneliness in a crowded world! Nothing can be worse than acute loneliness; cries that originate in the lonely heart are cries that indelibly…  ( Click for more )

I live in the southeastern United States of America. As many regions do, we Southerners have certain characteristics that are attributed to us; some are legitimate while others are founded on biases or stereotypes. A few years ago a friend and I were driving around the countryside where we encountered a gentleman who reminds me of these facts. Today's message discusses that encounter.

In the neatly trimmed yard there were a number of trees that had obviously been planted and cared for regularly. However, there was something that stood out about the trees even more than their beauty;…  ( Click for more )

I wish that I could truly say that I perpetually hate sin in every form. However, I would be lying to make such a claim. If stated honestly, I find that the sins that I hate all the time are sins that I have no disposition to commit!

Sins that are a temptation to me are not truly hated all the time; sometimes they seem an attractive shortcut to pleasure and feelings of well being. Among such sins are unwarranted anger, the withholding of good from those that I find unsavory, and frequently knowing what is good and simply refusing to take that path. I find that I can justify these…  ( Click for more )

Like the man I saw in the grocery store yesterday who apparently skipped a treatment of hair coloring, I know that after this introduction, my roots will be showing. As a younger man in the late sixties, I used to enjoy a CBS TV show called Hee Haw. It was a country variety show with an oversized emphasis on corn pone, corn liquor, and just pure corn! One of the regular items on the show featured the singing of a customized weekly song called Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me. If you're too young to remember it, check it out on You Tube; if you remember it, that's all it will take to…  ( Click for more )

The second of the Penitential Psalms (Songs of Penitence) contains more poignant truths that relate to mercy, forgiveness, and comfort. Our devotional today will center on only a few selected phrases from this Psalm, but it will emphasize some essentials of godly comfort. [Note; Yesterday's article mistakenly stated that there are six penitential Psalms; it should have read seven, not six.]

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept…  ( Click for more )

There are six Penitential Psalms (Songs of Penitence) in the Bible. Each of them conveys a unique and poignant point about the process of penitence and the comfort that can derive from it. Our study of comfort would be incomplete without an overview of the relationship between penitence and the comfort that is offered in these six wonderful bits of inspired literature. For purposes of the six articles that follow, the bold print portion of each passage contains the point of focus for that article and is purely arbitrary on this writer's part.

“O LORD, do not rebuke me in…  ( Click for more )

There are six Penitential Psalms (Songs of Penitence) in the Bible. Each of them conveys a unique and poignant point about the process of penitence and the comfort that can derive from it. Our study of comfort would be incomplete without an overview of the relationship between penitence and the comfort that is offered in these six wonderful bits of inspired literature. For purposes of the six articles that follow, the bold print portion of each passage contains the point of focus for that article and is purely arbitrary on this writer's part.

“O LORD, do not rebuke me in…  ( Click for more )