If you are a follower of Jesus, it is likely that right now you are experiencing a trial of some kind. Jesus and Paul said that it would be this way. It could be various trials, sickness, fatigue, feelings of despair or hopelessness, grieving for the loss of a loved one, persecution, the effects of someone else's sin or maybe even your own. These things happen in this worl...

Isaiah 9:6-7"For a child will be bornto us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on Hisshoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, EternalFather, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of Hisgovernment or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, Toestablish it and to uphold it with justice and righ...

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) Today caught me a little off guard. I was going along all happy and such because next week is Christmas! (BTW - I'm still happy). At work though, I felt like the enemy was trying to derail me at every turn. Trying to get me to react...

Are you busy this time of year? LOL It is the night of December 17th as I write this and time is rushing towards one week from now, Christmas Eve. Some of you might be in a crazy mode by now; gifts still to buy, cookies to bake, family gatherings, parties... Oh no! I haven't even started the Christmas Cards. This is the time when you start to cheat things like your praye...

"And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - Holy is His name." (Luke 1:46-47, 49) Try to picture Mary's situation in today's terms or your life directly. We are really busy living moment by moment; kids to school, kids to practice, appointments, work duties, social engagements, house...

I am really learning to appreciate Isaiah as I mature as a follower of Christ. There is so much wisdom found there that is applicable to our lives even today. I remember being a child, a new believer, even a young man but not much of a follower and discounting the Old Testament as, well, Old. I couldn't see that it was full of Christ. I recently had a "close call" at work...

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. My favorite description of Jesus is that he was "full of grace and truth." Why is it so difficult for me to deliver truth and lack so much grace. Foot in mouth tends to be one of my biggest diseases. Lord, I beg you to fill me with your Holy Spirit and cause the words...

As I was desperate to hear from Him this morning this is what he said: Proverbs 18:11-13 11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.12 A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. Lately I have b...

I got about ten minutes into my day this morning when a really scary, and sadly, all too common thought hit my mind. Every thought I had up to that point was only about me. I hadn't thought about my wife, or my kids, and even though I was about to open up my Bible, I hadn't considered God either. My mind was already consumed with how every situation in the day was going to...

This morning I read Chapter 4 of Esther. The book is interesting because God is not mentioned once in the book, yet His presence and sovereignty is seen all throughout. You know the story. Mordecai, a Jewish exile, ticks off a man named Haman who is high in the King's court. Haman really doesn't like Mordecai or the Jews and enacts a dastardly plot to have all of them kill...