An Encouraging Word

image_pdfimage_print

This Year Resurrection Sunday Fell On April Fool’s Day

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”…  (from Psalm 14:1) This is April Fool’s Day around the world.  The origin is vague at best, with many stories and legends put forth as truth.  One consistent theme apparently stems from people doing things to “prank or fool” people as far back as the 18th century.  People were tricked into believing something was real that was, as we might call it today, “fake news”.   For the most part, in fun, people did, and still do, their best to deceive others to make them look foolish. It may seem…

0 comments

The Difference Between Suffering and Whining is the Difference Between Jesus and Me

As I was having my quiet time this morning, and as we approach good Friday on this Maundy Thursday, I was reading a Spurgeon devotion the focus of which was the suffering of Jesus as spoken of by the writer of Hebrews in 5:8.  “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Bam!  The Holy Spirit gave me the following words that pierced my spirit because, for me, they are both convicting and true.  Perhaps they are not true for you, but I was led to share them anyway. “There is a huge difference between suffering…

0 comments

Billy Graham – Another Mighty Soldier of the Cross Goes Home! Hallelujah!

  So many great and wonderful things have been written, posted, and said concerning Billy Graham, such an amazing, faithful man of God who finally arrived safely Home today. I can only add to such beautiful testimonials what the Holy Spirit impressed upon me this morning as I sat praying and praising the Lord for his life during my QT.   I found myself in Isaiah 50—a passage that is both poetic and prophetic.  The Servant (Jesus) spoke clearly—calling out the unfaithful nation of Israel, reminding them (us) of His power and willingness to help.  He was faithful and obedient to…

0 comments

Homeless Men – Not all of them live on the street!

Homeless Men – Not all of them live on the street! “Not all homeless men are without places to live” were the words the Holy Spirit brought to mind this morning as I sat praying and journaling.  The fact of the matter is many “homeless” men live in mansions and palaces, mountain retreats and homes on the beach, rescue missions and prison cells.  For the Word of God teaches us that any man who lives without a relationship with Jesus Christ is “homeless” indeed.   But for those of us born-again in Christ, He gives us both provision of our home now…

0 comments

Faith and Fear in the Hearts of Christians

0 comments

The Greatest Impossibility of All – Eternal Life

The Greatest Impossibility of All – Eternal Life Exchanging Difficulties for Impossibilities (Part Four) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19: 26 ESV) While this sounds encouraging, the disciples were very disturbed over the whole conversation.  The preceding verses contained the discourse between Jesus and the rich young ruler who asked Jesus the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  He was ill-prepared for Jesus’ answer.  Most of us know the story well. (Matthew 19: 18-23)  The rich young man did a good job of…

0 comments

What Men Can Learn from the Most Amazing Girl in His-Story

What Men Can Learn from the Most Amazing Girl in His-Story Exchanging Difficulties for Impossibilities (Part Three) “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1: 37 NASB)  The Difficulty:  Biblical experts put her age as young as thirteen—no older than sixteen.  By our standards today, if age is the discriminator, she was just a girl.  But God in His infinite wisdom chose Mary, out of all her gender who came before or would follow, to be the earthly mother to bring His Son into the world.  Wow! is about all that comes to mind. This divine decision brought huge,…

0 comments

The Strangest Real Estate Transaction in History

The Most Ridiculous Real Estate Transaction in History Exchanging Difficulties for Impossibilities (Part Two) “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”  (Jeremiah 32: 27)   Like most prophets of his day, Jeremiah was often the bearer of bad news.  He continued to warn the king and God’s people of the coming judgment for their ongoing disobedience and sin.  Jeremiah prophesied that Judah, the southern kingdom, would soon go the way of the Northern Kingdom—be completely overrun and captured by their enemies (see vs 28-36) .  The king’s officials were fed up.  Jeremiah…

0 comments

Exchanging Difficulties for Impossibilities (Part One)

Exchanging Difficulties for Impossibilities sounds on the surface like a bad swap or, at a minimum, moving in the wrong direction.  But when LORD inserts Himself into the equation amazing (supernatural) things happen.  Negative numbers become positive, fractions become whole numbers, and division becomes multiplication.  There are so many great, encouraging examples in Scripture, it was difficult to choose which ones to share in these brief devotions.  I chose four that were great encouragement to me, hoping they will encourage your hearts and breathe fresh wind in your sails.  Since each promise/miracle is unique in its own right and application, I decided…

0 comments

Oil of Gladness – Pour It On!

Even those of us who do little cooking are familiar with the acrostic, EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  It has great use in healthy cooking and possesses proven health benefits related to cholesterol and CV disease. The use of olive oil for anointing purposes throughout biblical history is well-documented.  (Anointing typically means pouring over someone’s head.)  We first see this used on Aaron (the brother of Moses and first high priest (Exodus 30).  David, the shepherd boy who became King, used this well-known phrase in his most eloquent psalm.  “Thou anointest my head with oil.”  (Psalm 23: 5).  I…

0 comments