Have you ever been physically assaulted by a tree? I have. A palm tree attacked me as I crossed a multi-lane road while honeymooning in Mexico. (An overnight windstorm, a broken branch, residual gusts…you get the picture.) Yet, I do not harbor any resentment toward palm trees. To me, these beauties represent tropical destinat[...]
The book of 1 John is packed with so much truth and conviction. The writer John was one of the closest eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus and has lived the remainder of his life spreading the gospel. He writes his letters to the new Christians in the Roman empire, focusing on love. John displays two aspects of love essential for[...]
“I will bring him near, and he will come close to me - for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:21b (NIV) As human beings, we have a terrible tendency to go astray and seek out something other than God. In the garden of Eden, we sought knowledge in a forbidden fruit. In th[...]
"When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod." Matthew 2:12 (NLT) The Life Application Bible notes are so interesting concerning this passage of scripture. I used to think about this part of the Magi story in one dimension. After the[...]
We have had our share of guests in the neighborhood barns. From wandering waifs looking for a warm shelter to hardened criminals seeking to hide from their captors, we've seen a few of your folk stumble in. But these visits, while occasionally disturbing our animalistic patterns for a day or two, were not extraordinary. Nothing[...]
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" Ephesians 2:8-10. (ESV). Life has a way of revea[...]
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT) says, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” As I was reading this passage of scripture, I was reminded of a man I had read about who lives in London, Eng[...]
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is TRUE to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare His people to do every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) This passage is so helpful to me today! I'd been feeling a[...]
The world is a very loud place. We are bombarded with social media and news, everyone sharing their personal opinions, and it all seems to bring us to "information overload." How are we supposed to hear what God has to say about life in this world we are living in? There's a passage in the Bible, 1 Kings 19, that talks about th[...]
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Proverbs 9:10 (ESV) A favourite book of mine of the Bible, for a variety of reasons, is Proverbs. I can get lost in the structure of these short statements of wisdom. Seeing the difference between knowledge, understanding, and wisdo[...]