We have this little word in the English language, which cannot stand alone, but is one of significate importance. That small three lettered word is “let.” It means to not prevent or forbid—allow. In my own words it means giving permission, to surrender, to allow something to take place. It is to give permission for... Continue Reading →
Forged in the Fire
What would the world be like without fire? With it we cook our food, heat our houses, fly in airplanes, and drive our cars. Just imagine trying to bake bread without heat or only eating raw meat—or there being no heat or light. Without the creation of fire, we would live in a vastly different... Continue Reading →
Incomprehensible God
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:11-12 KJV Can you imagine that? “As far as the east is from the west!” How far... Continue Reading →
The Empty Tomb
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. John 20:11-12 KJV And when he thus had spoken,... Continue Reading →
It Won’t Matter
When I stand at the gate of heaven, it won't matter anymore what people thought of me. It won't matter, all the petty things that caused me to struggle, they will all seem so small and earthly. It won't matter if I was misunderstood. It won't matter if I was not the most popular person... Continue Reading →
The Greatest Love Story
The ring of the hammer, a soft moan of pain were all that was heard. The silent crowd standing by, watching, and listening. The grunt of straining men, the cross was raised, a thump was heard as it contacted the bottom of the hole. One could almost hear the tearing sinew, as bleeding flesh pulled... Continue Reading →
Clay and the Potter
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. (3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (4) And the vessel that he made of... Continue Reading →
Adversity
Adversity Adversity is the schoolmaster of life. What we do with it will determine the final outcome. It can make us or break us, or it can mold and strengthen us; it all depends on our reaction to it. If we turn inside and begin to feel sorry for ourselves and helpless, the outcome will... Continue Reading →
Capturing or Living the Moment
I have been reflecting back on the trip we just took across parts of Poland and Ukraine. At times, it would have been nice to capture the moments to show everyone where we were, what we saw, and what we were experiencing. We could have shown our families back at home that we were safe,... Continue Reading →
Grace
Grace We talk about being the recipients of the Grace of God, so what is this Grace we are talking about? God's Riches At Christ's Expense Today is the day of Grace, which means that we are now living in a time where the extension of God’s goodness is still available to anyone who reaches... Continue Reading →
The Empty Tomb
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6) We are fast approaching the time of the year in which we celebrate Easter. For some this is perhaps as far as it goes; just another holiday with bunnies, easter egg hunts, and pastel... Continue Reading →
Ye Can Do Nothing
Can our prayers become too generic? It is easy to just blanket cover things went we are praying; asking the Lord to help us serve him better, that he will bless the missionaries and the leaders of our nations and such the like. Perhaps they even grow a little lifeless and boring, and we drift... Continue Reading →
Personal Identity, Observations, Healing, and Me
Part – 1 Introduction Today there is much effort put in to preventing identity theft. Cyber security is of high priority, to keep us, our assets, and countries safe from those who want to steal information. To do so, they may masquerade as someone or something benign to gain access; masters of disguise, trying to... Continue Reading →
God’s Working
I suppose many of us have tried to understand the plan God has for us. Perhaps it is a relocation, or whether we should embark on a financial adventure, go to the mission, or a host of other things. Maybe it is the smaller everyday things that we face: like strength to train our children,... Continue Reading →
The Descent and Answered Prayer
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24) Perhaps if we prayed with simple faith more like children, we would experience more answered prayer. I have told this story many times since it happened, because of its uniqueness and... Continue Reading →
Heart Condition
A Sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and some fell upon the rocks; and some fell among thorns; and others fell on good ground. Luke 8:5-15. It does not take a lot of wisdom to know that there was only one condition in the above... Continue Reading →
Spiritual Anchor Points
The soft rise and fall of the swells cause the ropes which hold the ship to protest and groan. Time and again it rises, the rope stretches almost to the breaking point it seems, as the anchor firmly pulls the ship back against the pier. As the swell subsides, the rope becomes relaxed waiting for... Continue Reading →
What is Man?
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalms 8:3-4 What a mighty God we serve. My heart is overwhelmed when I consider the greatness of... Continue Reading →
Corridors
Today we stand in a long corridor, with lots of doors. Some are closed, some swing idly on their hinges while others stand slightly ajar. Most doors are nondescript with little marking. Some of the doorknobs show evidence of daily use, while others appear tarnished and old; not having been used for a long time.... Continue Reading →
The Evolution of Thought
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23:7 KJV Who knows where the intersection of the power of our own thoughts, and where the influence and power of Satan converge? All of us have many thoughts which... Continue Reading →
Brokenness
This article came up which I wrote a year ago on my journal app. With a little editing I decided to share it. I have written a couple other pieces using the same theme, so hope the readers can bear with it. The Lord impressed this inspiration on me during a trip to the Smokey... Continue Reading →
Improvement or Change
Is improvement enough or is a change of heart needed? I can take something old, put on a coat of paint, and make it almost appear new; at least it may look like it from a distance. When you get a close look at it, most likely you will be able to tell it is... Continue Reading →
The Corruption of Power
Power has the ability to corrupt people if they are not humble. The misuse of power is an ugly thing, and can show itself across the spectrum, from the lowest committee to world leaders and politics. There is the potential for it to infiltrate every institution, or agency where people and leadership are involved. There... Continue Reading →
Things I Have Learned in Dark and Hard Times.
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.Isaiah 45:3 KJV None of us enjoy suffering and adversity. We would take a bypass around that part of life if we... Continue Reading →
Healing Without Stigma
Here is an article my wife wrote. She said I could share with you all. Is your heart crying today? There is a remedy. There is a healing in your journey toward absolute joy despite your circumstances. No matter the grief, the turmoil, the anxiety, the abuse, the emotional and mental stress you are under,... Continue Reading →
Why Suffering
"Why suffering? If God is indeed good, why does he allow innocent people and children to suffer? " I have asked this question, and I am sure that you have as well. Loved ones suffer from debilitating disease and sickness; innocent children are born with deformities, while hunger, poverty, disease, and abuse make our hearts... Continue Reading →
God’s Power – Man’s Weakness
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Psalms 37:35 KJV The past number of my writings have been centered on the emotional side of life. I would like us now to remove the focus from ourselves and our problems and turn it away and upwards to... Continue Reading →
Humility, Faith and Healing
Thoughts on need for humility and faith in emotional healing. While it is true that it takes courage and stamina to heal emotionally; it is also important to humbly let things go. At times we may hold on in dogged perseverance when we would serve ourselves better by letting go. By humbly accepting our weaknesses... Continue Reading →
Victim or Survivor
Are we victims or survivors? There are too many victims and not enough survivors in the day we live. Letting go of the past is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do. Hurtful and painful memories can make lifelong challenges for us. However, we do not need to be victims of the past,... Continue Reading →
Thoughts on Peace
Sweet peace, the gift of God's love! P. P. Bilhorn The gift of peace is more than the absence of strife. True peace, is a gift the Father gives to those who have made peace with Him, through repentance of sin, humility, surrender, and sacrifice. In turn He gives peace through the Holy Spirit. A... Continue Reading →
Echoes – God’s Healing Stream
There are times of difficulty, and we do not always know the reason why. Feelings of confusion, wishing things were different, yet not understanding what is happening deep inside. Perhaps we have made mistakes in life, regrets; misfortune has left us wondering where God is in the mix. Satan comes, bringing doubts and fears, voices... Continue Reading →
Intellect & Deception
By in large man lives by his intellect. God gave him the ability to think and reason. He gave man the power of choice, so he is capable of making both wise and unwise choices, to believe in God or not believe in Him. It also means he can become misled and deceived, mistaking untruth... Continue Reading →
Requisite For Answered Prayer
As I was praying the other night, I began to think about all the prayers God has answered for me. I am very thankful. It also is amazing how prayer changes things. Then the thought came to me, “What if we could figure out a formula to get our prayers answered?” I know that’s not... Continue Reading →
Default Settings
Most electronic devices have what they call “default settings.” This is set in the factory and should there be a malfunction in their internal software, you have the option of resetting them, which will in many cases fix most of the problems. Humans do not have a simple reset capability, but they do have default... Continue Reading →
The Altar of Unpolluted Stones
In the Old Testament, they built altars to burn sacrifices on to worship God. Today, Christians do not offer literal sacrifices, but we offer the sacrifice of our hearts and lives in a spiritual sense to God. There are parallels from the Old Testament, which we can apply to our hearts today. Many of the... Continue Reading →
The Temptation to Think Negative Thoughts
Is it really just a temptation? This could be a controversial discussion. Sometimes the feelings of negativity roll in like a flood, drowning our courage, blotting out the sun, cutting off our oxygen, or so it seems. Are we ever forced to think negative thoughts or are they just presented to us? Ok, so some... Continue Reading →
Willpower alone is not sufficient to execute spiritual change. The man that says, "Tomorrow will be different," likely will repeat that every day for the rest of his life unless he makes a covenant with God. Effective change will take determination and commitment, and yet that is not enough to free us from ourselves and... Continue Reading →
