As craziness and immorality continues to be justified and celebrated in this country, and scary things continue to happen around us, I’ve wondered if God is shaking us. There’s part of me that still holds out hope that better days will come through the election of God-fearing leaders. But that hope has continued to dwindle.Continue reading “Is God shaking us?”
Tag Archives: spiritual warfare
It’s a wound that cuts so deep…
If you’ve ever felt betrayed by a friend you know that’s a wound that cuts deep. Jesus said it would happen to Him.And it did. “All the disciples forsook Him and fled.” (Matt 26:56) Prophecy was fulfilled. He was on His way to the Cross. He went alone. He stood alone. His friends deserted Him.Continue reading “It’s a wound that cuts so deep…”
Fool-Proof Exercise
About this time every year, I start thinking about diet and exercise. Anybody else? But you know, the Bible says strenuous spiritual exercise is better than physical exercise. And if ever we need to be spiritually strong, it’s now, in these crazy times we are living. Paul says to “exercise yourself toward godliness” (4:7). TheContinue reading “Fool-Proof Exercise”
Powerful Help!
At the proclamation of the New Covenant between God and man, the disciples sung a hymn (Matt 26:30). They worshipped. They understood that Jesus was surely doing for them what they could never do for themselves. Or did they? For after they sang, they went on to the Mount of Olives where Jesus said, “AllContinue reading “Powerful Help!”
Keep Asking
No doubt, this Christmas, many of us will see, or think about, friends and family for whom we have prayed for years. Many of us are facing situations that threaten to steal our joy. Honestly, I’ve grown tired of my own asking about some things in my life. I’ve prayed and asked and, at times,Continue reading “Keep Asking”
“Is it me?”
The One who had been laid in a manger, the One of whom the angels sang, the One shepherds told, and the wise men travelled to see —had grown up to be their friend. Their friend. They had fished together and watched Him feed the five thousand together. But they had also walked miles ofContinue reading ““Is it me?””
Be Ready and He Will.
Jesus continues in His talk about the End of Days, not with a specific date, or hidden calculator as some are inclined to hope, but with parables about being ready (Matt 24:52-Matt 25:13). He says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (MattContinue reading “Be Ready and He Will.”
A BRUTAL indictment.
Matthew 23 is nothing short of a brutal indictment of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus calls them hypocrites and fools. He says they do what they do to be seen by others. He says they put heavy burdens on others that they themselves do not follow. Jesus says, they look good on the outside butContinue reading “A BRUTAL indictment.”
Clash of Good and Evil and The Eerie Silence of Christians
The clash between good and evil has never been more apparent in my lifetime, nor has silence of those who call themselves, Christians, been more eerie. Like many of you, I want to look away. I want to think about Thanksgiving menus and Christmas decorating. I want to pretend that this world, that my kidsContinue reading “Clash of Good and Evil and The Eerie Silence of Christians”
Hope for these hard days!
Life has indeed been hard lately. Stress and worry have been as a thick cloud consuming my energy and robbing my sleep. I’ve ran to God. I’ve pleaded for Him to pull us out of this pit of problems. But we’re still in the “not yet”. But this season of trouble, is only a seasonContinue reading “Hope for these hard days!”
Louder Lies
Have you ever noticed the enemy’s lies get louder as the trial gets harder? Somehow in the midst of most every trial there seems to be temptation to go our own way and fall prey to sin and its’ consequences. Our enemy, the devil, does not fight fair. In fact, when trials consume us, heContinue reading “Louder Lies”
We need THIS for all our lives.
As the world continues to slide into chaos, I pick up my Bible and open back to Matthew. Forgiveness, and now divorce. Couldn’t Matthew record some easier teachings of Jesus about now? But I guess I know. It’s actually really clear. Jesus spent His very short time on earth telling us the truth because weContinue reading “We need THIS for all our lives.”
Undo YEARS of pain and problems.
As we hear the news of the atrocities committed in Israel, it’s hard for me to think about something like forgiveness. But, I know, it is historically true that unforgiveness that has grown and multiplied, and been passed from one generation to the next, has played a role in these horrific events. For the peaceContinue reading “Undo YEARS of pain and problems.”
Pain Places
I originally shared this several years ago, but felt led to share it again for myself, and maybe for someone else who stumbles across it today. I still live in the same town where my first husband took his life. My life still takes me to the place where the detectives told me they hadContinue reading “Pain Places”
Evil among us.
My heart is broken for Israel. What is happening there is nothing less than demonic. My eyes cannot unsee the horrific videos on Twitter. Our mainstream media has sanitized and politicized their reporting, but the reports and videos being posted on Twitter are gruesome. Oh friends, we have to pray. We have to understand thatContinue reading “Evil among us.”
A caution for those with lost sheep.
Jesus talks about the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt 18:12-14) just after talking about quickly addressing our own sin (Matt 18:8-9). The Enduring Word commentary quotes Spurgeon about this passage who says, “perhaps the most dangerous, form of the temptation, is to despise one, because that one has gone astray.” And if you’ve beenContinue reading “A caution for those with lost sheep.”
It will burn your house down.
Jesus emphasizes the need to not take sin lightly but radically remove it from our lives when he talks about plucking out your own eye or cutting off your hand if they help you to sin (Matt 18:8-9). For some of us, we need to kill the friendship, block the phone number, throw out theContinue reading “It will burn your house down.”
When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…
Peter gets it. Then he doesn’t. He rightly states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matt 16:16). He then rebukes the Christ, the Son of the Living God, after Jesus tells the disciples He will suffer many things, be killed and rise on the third day (Matt 16:21-22). Can youContinue reading “When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…”
Those who solely follow their feelings are their own gods.
Instead of looking for ways to follow God closer, many, even many who call themselves Christians, look for loop-holes. They quote scriptures that affirm their feelings and ignore the ones that don’t. In all actuality, they are their own gods who foolishly trust their hearts—hearts that the Bible tells us are deceitful above all things.Continue reading “Those who solely follow their feelings are their own gods.”
Is that You?
For so many, for me, there have been things that have happened in our lives that shook us to the core but ended up helping us see Jesus walking closer to us. I think about the disciples who were afraid as Jesus walked toward them on the water. They initially thought He was a ghostContinue reading “Is that You?”