This Thanksgiving week, as I have counted my blessings, I’ve found myself counting again something as a blessing I didn’t think I ever would. Several years ago, our family faced what felt like a true enemy in another flesh and blood person. It all seemed to begin right after we shared our faith with thisContinue reading “When it doesn’t feel like a blessing…”
Tag Archives: eternal focus
You’ve got to (lovingly) speak up…even at the family gathering.
I’m thinking of picking up this hammer and hitting my thumb. How many of you would just stand there, and watch, and say nothing? Yet, this is what so many of us do when we see others walking in and toward misery-making sin! We say nothing. We even tell others to not bring it up.Continue reading “You’ve got to (lovingly) speak up…even at the family gathering.”
This has not changed.
Oh Lord, how I feel my wandering heart tempted to look to earthly solutions and hope in them after this election. I’m so very thankful for the mercy I believe you showed us in the outcome of this vote. But I know the battle for the hearts and souls of men rages no less. OthersContinue reading “This has not changed.”
Let’s keep remembering where our help comes from…
Let’s keep remembering our help comes from the LORD in the good days and the hard ones. King David famously penned psalms of remembering in both. At times, he describes feeling overwhelmed and distressed-like dwelling in the darkness of the dead: “Hear my prayer, O Lord,Give ear to my supplications!In Your faithfulness answer me,And inContinue reading “Let’s keep remembering where our help comes from…”
What are you praying today?
I’m praying throughout the day this Election Day. I’ll set my alarm to pray specifically at 6pm and hope you’ll join me and ask others to do the same. I’m asking God to have mercy on this country. I’m asking Him for His will to be done and, of course, I believe one platform toContinue reading “What are you praying today?”
We those who know God’s ways are better to find their voices.
Paul says,”hold such men in esteem” (Phil 2:29) Hold such men in esteem. What kind of men? Well, men and women like Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus didn’t only have a strange name, he was a rare one. He’s only mentioned once in the Bible (Phil 2:25). But this much is clear from the text, Epaphroditus was rare,Continue reading “We those who know God’s ways are better to find their voices.”
Monday Morning HOPE
Honestly when I take my eyes off Jesus, I get off base. When I look at this world, it’s the same. When I look to Jesus, it is there, and only there that my thinking becomes clear. There is only ONE hope for man. There is only One Name by which man may be saved.Continue reading “Monday Morning HOPE”
Questions To Ask Yourself When Trouble Comes
There’s a reason there’s hearts there in my Bible. Unless the very REAL, faithful Father had been my help and hope in my times of trouble, I would have given up. I would have.But God. And no matter what you are facing, The Most High is with you. Run to Him. Psalm 94:17-19 God laidContinue reading “Questions To Ask Yourself When Trouble Comes”
Are you ready?
I love chapter five of First Thessalonians. It’s one of those passages that could be read every day for hope and instruction. It resets our perspective and priorities. It helps us know how to live and encourages us to remember Who has us. Will you take a few moments and read chapter five? (I hopeContinue reading “Are you ready?”
To remember in your hard things..
What’s your “this”? As Paul famously sat imprisoned for the faith, he knew “this” would turn out for his deliverance through prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:19). He needed prayer and he needed the Holy Spirit to earnestly hope he wouldn’t be ashamed, but that Christ would be magnifiedContinue reading “To remember in your hard things..”
I will praise you in this storm.
Before a horrific storm hit my life, my affection for Jesus was short-lived. Oh, I’d call on Him here or there when I had a problem; but I remained in control of me. When the storm came, every false idol, every bit of sinking sand was washed away; and I found Jesus to be faithful,Continue reading “I will praise you in this storm.”
Soap Bubbles
I cried with two different people just yesterday. I spoke with several others dealing with hard, stressful things. I love them all. My heart hurts with each of them. My heart hurts with things of my own. I want to fix every problem.I can’t. I want to take away the heartache.I can’t. I want toContinue reading “Soap Bubbles”
Scary circumstances?
When I look at my circumstances, I’ve been fearful and worried; but when I turn my eyes to Jesus, when I remember His faithful promises, when I trust Him again and again, my faith grows stronger. Paul talks about Abraham’s faith. He pens his letter emphatically assuring his audience of new believers (both Jew andContinue reading “Scary circumstances?”
But what if they say, “Don’t judge me.”?
Like me, you probably hear the phrase “don’t judge” a lot in our world and often out of the mouths of Christians. But the Bible says, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”Hebrews 5:14 ESV If we wantContinue reading “But what if they say, “Don’t judge me.”?”
Is God shaking us?
What if we all have to go through hard days for there to be real revival—for more lost to be found? Am I okay with that? Are you? Let me be clear, I want the election to go the way of conservatives, and values, and religious freedom. I’ll vote that way and think others shouldContinue reading “Is God shaking us?”
If tomorrow never comes…
It’s 9/11.And we ought to all stop.And remember. Today, we should think about those who died —the heroes who ran in and those trapped, huddled in fear. It took five years to build the twin towers. It took 102 minutes from the first impact on the north tower for them both to fall. In 102Continue reading “If tomorrow never comes…”
No matter what…
If I could explain God, if I could control Him, treat Him like a vending machine, if I could predict His next move or always understand His last – would He be worthy of my worship? Would He be Mighty God? But He is Mighty!He is the Great I Am.He is Holy. And this veryContinue reading “No matter what…”
Hold on. It’s worth it.
Surely, I’m not the only one who used to believe that once you become a Christian life will go easy. But the truth is, real faith is far from easy. The book of Luke tells us, Simeon’s eyes finally beheld the Promised One. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, thisContinue reading “Hold on. It’s worth it.”
Please make them mercifully miserable.
I used to think if I just tried really hard to obey God, things would go well with me. You know, circumstantially, this world, well. But it seems there is a longer, eternal, better view. And when God says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the wayContinue reading “Please make them mercifully miserable.”
Will your kids be able to stand in hard days?
This remains one of the most shared things I’ve ever written. In these hard days, I felt it important to share again. It’s hard truth, but there is HOPE! —- They are some of the most miserable people I know–young adults who haven’t really picked a side. They try to live in two worlds—the oneContinue reading “Will your kids be able to stand in hard days?”