“...And without faith it is impossible to please God….” Heb. 11:6
This past Sunday the sermon was about worship, which is, basically, the purpose of …
The awakening (that is, the Spirit’s work among unbelievers bringing many into a living relationship with Christ) that has been energized following …
More from Psalm 19 on the wonder of God’s Word.
“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.”
In a world of great uncertainty, …
“...the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down....” Psalm 146:8
Some days are a great chance to trust God, and today was one off them. Our internet …
Thoughts from Psalm 19
“The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalm 19:8b
Praise you, Lord, that my failures do not …
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 73:25
To you, O Great One, belongs praise and honor, glory and …
“I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the …
Following the example of the Psalmist
"I have considered my waysand have turned my steps to your statutes.
I will hasten and not delayto obey your …
"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45
Praise you, Lord, that I awoke this morning and there you were, …
More on the idol in my trophy case. Here’s a clue: it …
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2,3
The idol was …
Here’s an ad I plan to put in a local newspaper. Tell me what you think.
Was Charlie Kirk’s death a tragedy?
Yes, but also a blessing, for God has …
Final on being set free.
By setting me free, You, Lord are also showing me your inexorable power and inviting me to join you in your work.
You are …
More on, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
You are setting me free from impatience, helping me to …
Proverbs 16:16 "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!"
Looking back over my 79 years, there is one discipline …
More Freedom from and in Jesus:
You are setting my heart free from
fear,
from bondage to selfishness,
from lust,
from anger,
frustration
and …
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
Praise be to you, my Lord and my God,
for you have set my heart …
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too …
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of …
“I will run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
My heart has felt distant from you, Lord. Being out of my …
“The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” (Ps 118:21).
All that you accomplish, Lord Jesus, is done,
not …
Read this and :Nurture your first love for Jesus!"
“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14
You, O Jesus,, …
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
You, Lord, are …
“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
The above verse is a comprehensive statement, including all …
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes” (Ps.118:8,9).
You, …
“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid” (Ps.118:6).
As we look away to you, Lord God,
fear is defeated,
fretting is finished,
worry is wiped out,
An example of the power of prayer: “You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2
For years I’ve been praying for God to bring an awakening among …
"Be always on the watch, and pray…." Luke 21:36
For tjhe past few days we have been talking about prayer, God’s idea, a way of having us partner …
“In my anguish I cried out to the Lord and he answered by setting me FREE” (Ps. 118:5).
You, Lord God, are the Freedom-giver—
giving us:
freedom …
"Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for you will answer …
More on God’s multiple purposes for prayer:
Prayer is a way to declare that we are weak and need help. "Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor …
Praise you, Lord Jesus, the Liberator, the Leader, the Lover of my soul.
You are a marvel, so different from any human being,
so pure,
so persistent,
“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15
Praise you, Lord God, …
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes” (Ps.118:8,9).
“In my anguish I cried out to the Lord and he answered by setting me free” (Ps. 118:5).
freedom from eternal …
A warm thank you to the 120 friends who sent greetings and prayers to Barbara after her cancer operation. Very thoughtful of you all!
“Let those who …
"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and …
"Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.” Psalm 150:1
And we do praise you, O eternal God, the Triune King, …
“Praise the LORD, ALL you nations; extol him, ALL you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. …
“...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes. 5:18
Yesterday Barbara had surgery on two spots of …
“This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may WORSHIP me.’”
Exodus 9:1
We often think of music being the …
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
As I’ve …
Praise be to you, O Heavenly Father, our wise and all-knowing God. Your perspective is high and wide, long and deep. You understand and know all the …
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6
This is so true. Often at the moment we cannot see His goodness and …
"The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm …
“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7
Your character, O Lord, is the basis of rest for us.
Your goodness …
Written in 2007
“O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.” Psalm 116:16
The…
"You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
We never know what is going to come. But we do know who is watching …
“Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love.... Repent and do the things you did at first.” Revelation 2:5
The word “revival” …
“My soul finds rest in God alone….” Psalm 62:1
In the midst of a world of turmoil and woe, what a joy to be your child, Lord Jesus.
You have given …
“Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases him” (Ps. 115:3).And what pleases you, Lord, is always what is “lovely, true, noble, right, pure, …
Several of my friends have talked to me about their shock and dismay at Charlie Kirk's martyrdom. And that is understandable, and we should grieve …
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Col. 3:2,3
Forty years ago …
“Set your hearts on things above, not on the passing things of earth….” Col. 3:1
The loss was staggering—Barbara and I both felt it like a punch in …
“You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
We can plan things as much as we want, but if you want God's direction …
You alone, Lord Jesus, are the One to be obeyed, for you are:.
. Wisdom, understanding what is best in each situation.
· Righteousness, …
“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Col.3:21
I am struck more and more with the power of a father to …
Some worshipful thoughts on our Lord
“He [the Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:14
Well here it is Sunday evening. I have missed some days of posting because I came down with COVID. Pretty much wiped me out, didn't have the energy …
Peace Prayer:
“Lord God, King of Peace, help me today
to have peace with you, confessing all sin and receiving your forgiveness;
to have peace with …
More on Peace
As we trust in you, Lord, your peace continues to fill us, and opens the way for joy and hope:
“May the God of hope fill You with all …
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the PEACE of …
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her….” Eph. 5:25We had a good discipleship lesson tonight with a …
Every day is an adventure, every day has twists and turns on the road of life giving us the opportunity to play a significant role in the plan of …
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him….” Romans 15:13a
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, King of Peace, God of …
“...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Following Jesus is summed up in …
Well, I’ve missed a couple of days of posting, but have a good reason.
On Saturday while changing a tire, the tire changer jammed, and when I …
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…Your rod and staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23
You, Lord, are
wonderfully patient with us,
graciously …
Spotting and rejecting our idols (whatever we demand to be happy) opens the way for grace to flow in us and through us.
As it says in Psalm 146:7 …
Effective confession is more than just admitting a sin, like being jealous; it also requires looking at the layers of sin hidden under jealousy, …
“…set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 2:1b
One mornings as I was driving my very basic …
“...to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge….” Ephesians 3:19
I love the way that God shows His love for us in what looks like ordinary …
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.” 1 Tim. 1:17
You, Yahweh, are the God who …
“The Lord is my Shepherd…he leads me in paths of righteousness,” even when “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Psalm 23
This is so …
“When I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10b
Facing me is a situation where others, who are at odds with me, are going to decide my …
Today my son Josh and I were talking about offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving—that is, giving thanks for things we don’t like, things we’d …
"Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah.” Deut. 6:16
I was talking to a friend recently who intimated that I didn’t need to …
Praise you, Lord, for “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
Had some God sightings recently. Let me back up …
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Restle…
"Surely he [the Lord] will save you from the fowler’s snare…..” salm 91:3
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for your persistence in moving us towards …
“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the …
Through life we learn all kinds of things, good things, spiritual things. However, we are all afflicted with what I call spiritual amnesia. In the …
Death of a vision, a difficult concept. In this, God gives a vision, but then He makes us wait, and wait, and wait before He brings it to pass. …
Life is so confusing at times and I don’t know what to do. Ever feel that way?
I praise God for Psalm 143:8 giving me direction. “Show me the way I …
I was faced with a situation where others were making decisions about my future, and I had no power to influence these. As I struggled with this, …
Humanly speaking, it was a rough day with rough criticism.
Turning to God and His Word is comforting, clarifying, encouraging.
“Rescue me from my …
“Fret not yourself….” Psalm 37:1
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for as I awoke, you were there, waiting for me
in your great Goodness,
your shining Glory,
After looking at the immense hugeness of the universe and the tiny earth tucked under one arm of the milky way, the last two days, now comes the …
In yesterday’s post we looked at the nearly infinite size, billions of light years of expanse, galaxies and stars, all spoken into existence by our …
How great is our God?
“I, even I, am he who comforts you.” Isaiah 51:12
He is the King of Glory, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Guide and …
The world is upside down from a biblical perspective.
In the world,
to win you have to conqueor.
To have worth you have to perform.
To be …
Psalm 23 summary
As the Great Shepherd, Lord Jesus, you are constantly at work in our lives:
leading,
guiding,
disciplining,
protecting,
providing,
c…
I praise and thank youMore thoughts on Psalm 23You, Lord Jesus, lead me in paths of righteousness,guiding,teaching,warning,disciplining.You nudge me …
As my good Shepherd, you, Lord Jesus, are teaching me to think like you, rather than being swayed by my feelings.
This is your doing, to your glory, …
“…he leads me beside the still waters., he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2b
Glory be to …
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6.
In remembering this verse, the thought came that humility is the most important …
"Wisdom from above is first of all pure….” James 3:17
After a tumultuous week, even thought I’d used all my “spiritual tools,”-- putting on the …
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; your rod and your staff they comfort me…” Psalm 23:4
After making us …
Thinking more of bumpy days.
“The Lord is my shepherd…he makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:1,2
Praise you, Lord, for you do not take …
Wow, today was an even bumpier day than yesterday! Certainly walking with Jesus is often an adventure, if we are willing to accept it. And today was …
“My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” Psalm 62:7
It is amazing what a pair of glasses can do. After arriving …
Further Meditation Insights from Psalm 106:
“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?” (Ps.106:2). Your powerful …
Some insights from meditation, leading to worship.
“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good….”
Psalm 106:1
You, Lord Jesus, are
powe…
Here are some suggestions for effective meditation on Scripture.
Set a reachable goal after picking a passage to memorize—aim for memorizing one …
The most important discipline/practice in my life.
Out of this practice has come the majority of my spiritual growth.
It is the source of most of my …
The 7 Secrets of Happiness .
First a review:
1. Count your blessings
2. Compare down
3. Distinguish between wants and needs
4. Do what you should
5. …
Secret of happiness # 5
Speak the truth, all the time.
"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” Col. 3:9
Secrets of Happiness
1. Count your blessings:
2. Compare down:
3. Distinguish between wants and needs:
and today:
4. Do what you should:
"Dear …
Secret of Happiness #3
Distinguish between wants and needs:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
Advertising seeks to make us see …
Secret of Happiness #2
“...be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
. …
Everyone wants to be happy; this desire is what naturally drives us through each day. Most people, however, take the wrong roads and only find …
Some beautiful Truths from Psalm 103 about our Beautiful God, worthy of meditating on.
Note how important fearing God is (revering Him, honoring …
Why we should worship God (Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai)?
You, O God, are the One worthy of worship! “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of …
You Lord, are glorious, clothed in garments of splendor and grace—rich, beautiful, gorgeous, lovely and majestic.
You are lofty, high and lifted up, …
“Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.” Psalm 104:1
Praise be to you, my God,
th…
You, Lord God, are great …
We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, carrying the message of the King to all around us. Here are two verses that give us direction in our …
Psalm 2:9 “You will rule them [the nations] with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
You, Lord Jesus, will deal with sin, …
Psalm 2:7 “…the LORD…said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’”
[These mysterious words, written in 1000 BC, are quoted again …
“The Lord watches over all those who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy” (Psa. 145).
I praise you that you not only offer us all that is …
Faith Bridge Building: Defeating Spiritual Amnesia
The floor of the faith bridge is:
•remembering the promises and character of God;
•and we can see …
Here is a third help to eliminate spiritual amnesia.
Remember how God has helped you in the past—and certainly the longer you have been a believer, …
Here is the second help to banish spiritual amnesia before and when a crisis comes:
Remember and focus on the character of God.
We see His character …
We all tend to suffer from Spiritual Amnesia. This manifests itself when we face a crisis, like the Israelites caught between the Red Sea and the …
“I will bless the Lord at ALL times, His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
We had just passed through the security check at the …
Last night I posted about the joy and freedom in believing that God has a plan and will work out things, that He will help us in time of need, “In …
The last two months have brought some difficulties with people not following through on their promises. This failure on their part has put me into a …
It was a “bumpy” day with a lot of small projects not working out, couldn’t find the right tools, got parts that don’t fit, the pipes I “fixed” …
“Blessed is the man…” Psalm 1:1
Praise be to you, O Lord God, for your desire is to bless people,
to bring goodness and grace into their lives,
to …
Sometimes I am not sure what to do. The situation I faced this morning had no clear connection to any biblical example or advice, but there are two …
Delighting in God
Praise be to you, Lord, for
your greatness and goodness,
your power and your patience,
your persistence and your passion,
your …
Today seems to be the first day of summer here: clear, calm and 90+ degrees. People have already started to complain!
This, however, for a believer …
This verse is a comprehensive statement, including all kinds of …
In talking about drawing our significance and security from Jesus, we are really talking about moving into spiritual and emotional maturity.
Pete Sca…
This evening a friend came to visit and told of a conflict he had at work today.
He is employed in a large factory as a repair man and has a large …
Today an example of a conflict defused with wisdom.
A potential conflict between my wife and me began with a discussion about how to hang up …
Today an example of disarming/resolving conflict from our side.
A friend told me how his mother wouldn’t take the time to drive 30 minutes with his …
Resolving conflicts—How to draw your significance and security from God.
This requires a worldview shift from the natural to the biblical …
More on conflict’s causes and resolution.
As mentioned yesterday, at the root of all conflicts are the desire, the lust for significance and …
Conflicts! They are an essential element in life—but not one we like. They are unavoidable, but with the right understanding are, in many cases, …
A Way to nurture our first love for God, meditating on His beautiful qualities: Psalm 84:11: “...the Lord God is a sun and a shield....”
Think about …
How great is our God!
Lord, “…you have done what is just and right.” Therefore, we will “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is …
The intersection of our weakness and God’s infinite power (mentioned in the last two posts) is actually a daily occurrence, but we often don’t …
Yesterday we talked about how weak we are. Today we will look at the opposite: how mighty God is.“The King is mighty; he loves justice—you have …
“The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!” Psalm 99:1
Praise be to you, Lord God, the holy …
Well, the Lord continues to bless us left and right with "God sightings," proving the truth of Psalm 46:1, “The Lord is our refuge and strength, and …
“The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble.” Psalm 99:1aAs we face the great uncertainties of the future with many negatives going on in the world, …
Today was “God sighting day!”
Today I had a 9 am appointment with a contractor, but he didn’t get there til 9:35, making us late for the 9 am men’s …
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our [only] help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20
You, Lord Jesus, are the One to be praised in the midst of …
Some more God sightings.
The other day I was going to buy new work boots, but as we arrived at the last stop light just before the store, there in …
God sightings are a great addition to our spiritual lives. They are like lights in the dark, reminding us of how God is watching over us. They are …
The conclusion of the matter, the out come of following Heavenly Wisdom.While visiting John and his family, Cody finished telling telling them about …
Living in Heavenly Wisdom opens the way for good things. Cody’s values culminating in his sincerity brought much good to him, as you will see today.W…
Today we will look at the last quality of Heaven Wisdom, as laid out in James 3:17.
Heavenly Wisdom is first of all,
pure,
then peace loving
sweetly …
Tonight, an example of being impartial.When Cody was on a cattle drive from Texas, there was one young cow puncher named Andy who didn’t like …
Today we look at the next quality of Heavenly Wisdom:
Wisdom is first of all
Pure
sweetly reasonable
approachable and submissive
fu…
Another example of the fruit of Heavenly Wisdom.
Cody went on, “Well the second kind of fruit is mentioned in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse …
Example of Heavenly Wisdom bearing good fruit:Cody was talking with John and his son about how to bear good fruit.“Here’s how the Lord worked on me …
The sixth quality of Heavenly Wisdom.
As we have seen, Wisdom is first of all,
+pure
+peace loving
+sweetly reasonable
+approachable and submissive
+…
And example of Heavenly Wisdom as MercyAfter talking with Dodge, Cody bedded down in the yard next to his horse. On towards dawn his horse nicked. …
Quality Number Five of Heavenly Wisdom.
As you remember, Heavenly wisdom as described in James 3:17 is
first of all pure,
then peace loving,
sweetly…
Application of Heavenly WisdomAs Cody used purity of motives (seeking to avoid conflict, helping all to win), was peace loving, and sweetly …
An example of using "being peace loving” as part of Heavenly WisdomIn the story of the cowboy with Heavenly Wisdom, Cody used the quality of being …
Heavenly Wisdom illustration of the importance of having pure motives.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=s.+m.+wibberley+a+cowboy+with+heavenly+wisdom&crid=…
Heavenly Wisdom Part 4
After being pure, peace loving and sweetly reasonable, Heavenly Wisdom is “approachable and submissive.” The King James …
The third quality of Heavenly Wisdom is being gentle.
This word can also be translated as “being sweetly reasonable.” I like that, it’s much more …
Heavenly Wisdom examination number 2
James 3:17 gives us the definition of Heavenly Wisdom, which is basically the opposite of earthly wisdom. James …
Life is full of opportunities to either push on or hold off. Do I push to get my building permit, or trust God and wait? Do I put pressure on the …
Easter is the greatest event in the history of the universe. It is also a reason for many to go to church at least once a year.
Our church was …
And then, the GREAT DAY of Easter, bringing the GREATEST EVENT in all of history: the first One born from the dead bringing the defeat of Satan and …
Painful Friday
We’ve looked at the multiple difficulties and pains that Jesus endured in his time on the earth.
Now we come to the last and most …
As time approached for his death, Jesus had other pressures come on Him.
He had to interact with the one who would betray him, a sad, awkward …
What else did Jesus submit Himself to in order to redeem us? Gleaned from the gospels.
Coming from the pure, sinless and glorious atmosphere of …
More on the price Jesus paid to make Easter possible.
Think on what He left and what He became. (From Colossians 1:15-18, and Philippians 2:6-11)
As we approach Easter, I want to share some thoughts on what Jesus was willing to suffer to purchase salvation for us.
First is His willingness to …
More on “Don’t forgive and forget" (you can’t anyway), but “Forgive and Rewrite.”Three examples from my own life. First a dramatic one.While working …
You’ve all heard the saying, “Just forgive and forget.” This is NOT a biblical concept. First, we cannot physiologically forget; events are …
Some truths we get used to, take for granted, and focus on the ordinary.
But we shouldn’t let that happen,
we should meditate on these amazing …
“Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy” (Ps. 99:2).
Truly you are …
This was written 20 years ago, but is very applicable to today.
“The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble.” Psalm 99:1a
As we face the great …
This past weekend I went to an “Iron Sharpens Iron” men’s conference. One of the speakers had a very helpful presentation called being REAL in …
Life is full of bumps, some big, some small. These bumps can absorb all our attention so we fail to see the big picture.Colossians 3:1&2 gave me a …
More riches from Psalm 33:
“We wait in hope for the Lord, He is our help and our shield.
In you our hearts rejoice, for we trust in your holy name” …
Wonderful thoughts from Psalm 33
“The plans of the Lord endure forever and the purposes of His heart through all generations” (Ps. 33:11).
More on the Cure for Conflicts
When we can begin to understand the significance we have in Christ, conflicts can immediately lessen, because we …
“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power….” Colossians 2:10 (KJV)
In thinking about some conflicts we’ve been …
More on what David had right in Psalm 33:20-22:
“We wait in hope for the LORD.” Why? There is no one else to wait for!
“…he is our help and our …
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20
Life is full of problems: fear-producing events, the unexpected and the …
One religion I know of says that there are 99 names of God known to man, but only the camel knows God’s 100th name. However, the apostle Paul had …
What’s in a name? A person? A world? the Universe? Eternity?
The names of Godard all of these. Take some moments and think about the rich depth of …
Light is such a powerful factor with God and is mentioned often:"In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light …
Now for the climax in 2 Peter 1.
After urging us to add to our faith knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly love and agape love, …
More on 2 Peter 1:5-7
We’ve looked at the first four of the seven gifts God has given to add to our faith (virtue, knowledge, self-control and …
More on 2 Peter’s description of God’s gifts to us—specifically the first three tools.
Foundationally, faith is the gift God gives us so we can …
Tonight I had a Bible study with a friend, looking at 2 Peter 1:1-8. It struck me again what tremendous, wonderful and amazing truths there are in …
The Apostle Peter was a man on threes. He denied Jesus three times, and Jesus restored him by asking him three times, “Do you love me?”
And …
More on discerning what Jesus wants versus what Satan wants us to do.
The devil is clever and does not want us thinking about his desires; he wants …
“For we fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Put on the whole …
More on things that hamper peacemaking. Last night we talked about the trap of being a victim which short-circuits resolving conflicts.
Now we will …
Thoughts springing from my pastor’s ongoing series on peace making.
Peacemaking is hard because it is against our nature—it requires us to be …
New England is a hard place to share your faith. People here are private, self-sufficient, and in general not interested in “religious” things. You …
This past week I was treated unjustly by some local bureaucrat, and it cost me quite a bit of money. But my Lord is in control here; He can bring …
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like …
Notes and thoughts on my pastor’s Sunday’s sermon on peace making
The 4 Gs of peace making (from Ken Sande’s book Peace Making
--God’s Glory is what …
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He MAKES me to lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:1,2
God has an interesting way of looking out for …
More thoughts on “Forgive as you have been forgiven.” Colossians 3:12
Concerning the poor decisions I made that summer. The bottom line here is, …
“Forgive as you have been forgiven.” Colossians 3:12
The legalistic quest for perfection is a natural one in my life--but it is futile. Every day I …
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
With the Lord’s permission, mysterious things come. Recently my wife, Barbara, has been going downhill, …
God’s at work in every situation. If i believe that, life becomes much better! Here’s an example.
--I took plans for a project to the place to get …
Words to remember as we face difficulties.
“No king is saved by the size of his army,
no warrior escapes by his great strength,
a horse is a vain …
“The Lord foils the plans of the nations, He thwarts the purposes of the people.” Psalm 33:10It is wonderful to know, Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father …
More from Psalm 86
“O my God, save your servant that trusts in you.”
When faced with the two sides of Truth--my weakness and your gift of …
Yesterday was a great demonstration of God’s love orchestrating things in our lives.
We had been invited for a free dinner on Wednesday at a …
After 78 years of adventures with Jesus, I want to share the many biblical lessons God has taught me over the years. Many of these He taught while …
From my worship journal.
“The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble….” Psalm 99:1a
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, that I feel far from you today—an …
Another adventure with Jesus.
Last week I lost my iPhone, which is an essential part of my work (and life!). That means not only that I lost my …
More Adventures with Jesus
Then there’s the adventure of dealing with difficult people (not that we are such a one at times!). The world is full on …
Here’s another adventure: playing a part in snatching people out of the jaws of eternal death in Hell and pointing them to the way to living forever …
Many people crave adventure, and some pay a lot of money to have on, like going to Disneyland, or a trip to Antarctica, or even a trip to outer …
The road of life dips and turns, taking us through dark places as well as out into the light. Our part is to continue on when things look bad and …
Praise be to you, Lord God, that you are a God of mercy—six times in Psalm 86 the author mentions your monumental mercy, two of them being, “You are …
I have thought a lot about suffering and why God allows it. Some answers are well know: maturing, developing endurance, earning rewards, being a …
The Lord has a way of testing me, to see if I really believe what I teach. In the last two days he’s given me two opportunities to apply what I know.
Sin can slip into our lives on little cat’s feet, entering unnoticed to sit quietly in a corner and grow. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is very much …
I tossed and turned in my dreams, struggling with some rules blocking a project of mine; I was desperately trying to find a way to meet their …
"I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer...." Psalm 18:2We praise you that you have ushered us into the …
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
Sometimes we pray for years, and …
Here it is, the purpose of our lives: Worship!“…sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and …
Thoughts on what Jesus thinks about us, His children.
Psa 147:11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Amazing Truths!
God “chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
"In love he predestined us to …
The story continues.
Now in Tajikistan airport in Dushanbe, I thought about the return trip and the uncertainties of what would happen when we …
A true story.
“...put your trust in the Lord both now and forever more.” Psalm 131:3
We sat in the tiny crowded lounge of the Dushanbe airport in …
God’s there, always!
There are several pressures in my life right now, ones I cannot resolve myself; I must wait for others to act first. This, of …
More encouraging thouths on suffering.
Humility is, I believe, the most important virtue, for it is the doorway through which grace flows into our …
Some of God’s purposes in allowing suffering and persecution.
It is hard to see people suffer, especially Christians being persecuted for their …
You, Lord Jesus are a magnificent Savior, for, in addition to saving us from our sins,
You have filled our souls with hope,
you have given us a …
Nurturing our first love for Jesus: remembering what we were and what He’s made us now.
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his …
What a day! A “sacrifice of thanksgiving” day!
Woke up to 0 degree temperatures, and we were out of propane for our heater and water heater--chance …
In thinking about my first love for Jesus, the sacrifice of thanksgiving came into to better focus.
This truth, this obedience is described in Psalm …
This is a bit long, but worth the read, bear with me!
Today my reading was in Psalm 73, very appropriate for me, because the author, Asaf, worship …
Today I want to share about my anger at God (which was damaging my first love) as I pondered the great suffering of believers worldwide. And as I …
Well, today I’m going to share something else before going to my anger.
In seeking to restore my first love, the first step, it turns out, is to …
Recently I wrote about renewing our first love for Jesus and about nurturing that first love. Those posts spoke to me, causing me to realize that I …
More on the peace that God offers us—peace with Him, peace with ourselves, peace with others.
We can carry this peace into our day by trusting in …
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, King of Peace, God of Grace, Giver of Good. You, in your wisdom have brought to us the possibility of peace, …
What can we do to nurture, strengthen and deepen our first love for Christ? Here’s what I’ve found effective in rekindling that flame.
First, repent:…
“…I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation 2:4
Barbara says it’s easy to tell when I am “in cahoots” …
You, Lord Jesus, have worked salvation for your enemies. Your amazing love is astounding, with your overflowing grace, your deep compassion and your …
More thoughts on 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Though we are outwardly wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
Aging becomes an …
Though we are outwardly wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16
The following thoughts flow from my …
“Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.” Psalm 97:12
You, Lord God, are good and pure and gracious.
I am impressed …
A story of God’s foreknowledge and grace.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11
You, Lord Jesus, are truly the Most High God.
You are the One to be praised in worship,
adored in love,
exalted in amazement
and lifted up in …
You “…O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:
Yes, You, Lord Jesus, are the exalted One, the …
As I write this it is New Year’s Day: Happy New Year. And with Jesus it will be a good one!
My reading today was in Romans 5 and I was struck with …
As we enter a new month and a new year, we wish you a year of walking in the truth that “Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy!”
Walking in this Truth is …
Some thoughts to carry into the new year.
Recently I heard of one practice that can prevent all of us from falling into this trap of self-pity and …
As Peter said several time, “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now …
Today I’d like to write a little about Joseph, the husband of Mary. He is often envisioned as a somewhat mild and retiring man. But I think that is …
“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens” (Ps. 96:5).
You stretched out the tent of the skies,
driving in its pegs …
“For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:4
You, O Yahweh, are great beyond comprehension:
great…
Today I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas--merry because of eternal truth revealed at Christmas. Merry in this case is like joy, because it is …
“Teach me your way, O Lord; I will walk in your truth;” Psalm 86:11
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, that you came to earth on Christmas to be the …
The day after getting that really negative email from Charlie, during my quiet time new thoughts came to mind of what to share with him. Sitting at …
“Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8b
We came in the door just before midnight following a long and stimulating …
You, Lord God, are the Mighty King, the Gracious God, our Loving Shepherd who is:
· great in power (speaking all into existence),
· great in …
You, O Yahweh, you are worthy of honor and praise, you are worthy of fearing and obeying, “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all …
“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12
The Lord has a way of answering our prayers at unexpected times with unusual …
the Creator,
the Savior,
the Sustainer,
the Beginner and Ender of time.
You are
the Weaver of the tapestry of history,
the …
“He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3
What a wonderful privilege it is to cooperate with you, Lord Jesus, in …
“...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Phil. 4:11
The incident I mentioned yesterday where I failed to save my …
“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11b
The Monday before I was to speak at church, an inspiration for the …
“Teach me your way O Lord and I will walk in your truth.” (Ps. 86:11).
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you
--are our Way,
--you are the Truth,
--you …
Prayer: “For your name’s sake, Lord, for your glory and honor, work amongst us to bring revival.
Reveal your holiness in such a way as to bring us …
“Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 86:4
All around me are difficult situations, problems, barriers and …
More on: “Rejoice the soul of your servant, O Lord, for to you do I lift up my soul, for you are good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to …
“Rejoice the soul of your servant, O Lord, for to you do I lift up my soul, for you are good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all who …
"Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy" is a phrase that I use often in my life.
It is a reminder that the focus of life should not be what makes us …
More thoughts on “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us….” 1 John 3:1
Lord Jesus, your unconditional Agape love is astounding. In one way, it is a …
Everyone wants to be happy. Maybe each has a different definition of what makes them happy, but they all have a common factor: their happiness …
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5
You, Lord, are entirely …
More reasons to give thanks.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is …
In a temporal sense, whether some goal is reached or not, OUR RESPONSE is what makes us useful for God—and, as a side benefit, brings the …
I hope you have enjoyed my daily postings.
If so, you may like to look at my library of short videos which you can find at …
“The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.” Psalm …
“I will bless the Lord at all times.” Psalm 34:1
I had it all planned out as a Valentine’s treat for Barb: a relaxed Sunday followed by supper at a …
Pure Worship:
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Ps. 95:2).
You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship, you …
“…let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation” (Ps. 95:1b).
You, Jehovah, have made yourself our Rock, the unchanging, unshakable, …
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;” Psalm 95:1
You, O LORD, are the great I AM: holy, utterly other, completely contained in yourself. You need …
“Blessed...O LORD, is the man you teach from your law….” Psalm 94:12
What joy there is for you and for us as we learn from your Word to trust, to …
“Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law….” Psalm 94:12
How true this is, Lord: there is much joy in learning …
“Trust in the Lord and do good…commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:2
Here is more on how the Lord …
“O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.” Psalm 94:1
Lord Jesus, you are the conquering One:
“El,” the God of might;
“Yahweh” …
Thoughts on Psalm 23, the “all purpose Psalm” which encouraged and refreshed me during a difficult time in the Middle East.
“‘The Lord is my …
Written in our early time in the Middle East.
“Blessed is the man…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and …
You, Lord God, are majestic. Your statutes stand firm because you are mighty. You decreed and maintain the force of gravity, the speed of light, the …
More on Yahweh, the Majestic One, the Mighty One, the Magnificent One who reaches down from heaven into our lives.
In your might, Lord, you hold …
Contemplating the Magnificence of God
“The LORD [Yahweh] is robed in majesty… Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the …
Another opportunity to nurture your first love for God
You, O LORD God, being armed with strength, formed the earth.
You shaped the mountains, you …
In these days of turmoil with many people unhappy, it is good to remember the difference between happiness and joy.
The many unhappy people can tell …
Leading ourselves well spiritually has to do with nurturing our first love for Jesus. and how to we do that? One way is to meditate on His …
Written before the election results are known.
In this time wrought with high emotions, I’d like to share some thoughts. Today most people view …
This devotional is a good one to read right before the election, reminding us that God is in control!
“The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the …
May we daily spend time with our Lord, our Bridegroom, nurturing our first love for Him, gazing upon His loveliness, focusing on His beauty rather …
“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart, I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1
My relationship with the Lord has grown a bit stale of …
You, Lord God, are the great Giver of good, supplying what is needed to keep your children growing, maturing, bearing more and more good fruit. You …
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts …
“… set your hearts on things above….set your minds on things above” Colossians 3:1b, 2
Our God is such a faithful guide. From down here we cannot …
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on …
How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!”
You have given us the delight of flowers with colors vivid and gentle, deep and …
“For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are …
On another day, this new believer and I sat on a hillside, chatting. Below us sprawled the capital city, a wave of red tiled roofs that washed up …
“I pray also for those who will believe in me….” John 17:20b
He glanced sideways to make sure no one else in the restaurant was near enough to hear …
We praise your name, O Lord, the Most High God.
--You are the Source of all,
--you are the Sustainer of all,
--you are the Sovereign and Ender of all.
“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your …
“You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2
Prayer is often treated as a last resort when it should be our first resort.
As S. D. Gordon said:
Pray…
After faith, prayer is the greatest gift that God has given us.
It is God granting us the power and privilege of causality.
As it says in James 4:2, …
God sightings should remind us of God’s great and detailed love for …
More on Jesus’ agonizing suffering to redeem us..
The amount of horror for Jesus in his crucifixion was immeasurably immense. It is an infinite …
We are very familiar with the truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Being used to the story can take the wonder and horror out of it. Here …
You, Lord Jesus, are a Wonder, a Marvel, majestically Awesome, massively Powerful. Your great compassion has sowed in me the seed of love for you, …
More on “Your faithfulness will be my shield and my rampart….” Psalm 91:4b
I praise you, O Elohim, that in your power and faithfulness you …
“Your faithfulness will be my shield and my rampart….” Psalm 91:4bToday, Lord Jesus, I walk in amazement under the canopy of your love, knowing that …
This is a very unusual posting for me, as I don’t touch on such subjects, but this is more about aligning with God’s wisdom than anything else.
What …
A continuation of yesterday’s post.
fIn the face of my failures, I a pen and paper and claimed the promise of Psalm 86 “…Rejoice the soul of your …
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires [“lusts” as KJV says] that battle within you?” James 4:1
I was …
“… he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways….” Psalm 91:11
You have certainly done this for me often in my life, …
Here is an amazing statement from John 15:
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”!!!
The question we should ask is, “So, HOW has the …
In re-memorizing a passage, one verse stood out to me.
James 1:12 Blessed is the one
who perseveres under temptation
because, having stood the test,
To you, Lord Jesus, the God of creation, the Guardian of …
“My times are in your hands….” Psalm 31:15
Nancy sat quietly in the little bus, enjoying the view out the side window as it sped along one of the …
Praise be to You, Lord Jesus, that you reveal to us wisdom, understanding and knowledge so we may join you in what you are doing by offering the …
This morning, Lord, I feel far from you. Thank you for this opportunity to walk with you by faith, not feeling close, but knowing that you are …
“’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.’ “ Psalm 91:14
You, Lord Jesus, are a …
“Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the …
The third name of God we will look at is “Adonai,” which is translated as “Lord.” It is written with small letters to distinguish it from “LORD” for …
In spoken worship there are two main aspects: thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving focuses on what He has done for us, and praise on who He is in …
Jehovah
Today we look at the second name of our God: Jehovah, translated as LORD.
Jehovah is the self-existent One who is holy, hates and judges …
The Names of God, Number 1 Elohim: translated as “God.”
This first is used in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the …
x
We sadly live in a time of great division. In this situation we as followers of Jesus should work towards healing these divisions. One thing we can …
Complaining is the way to unhappiness. The opposite is also true: gratitude is the doorway to happiness.
The Bible has a lot to say about this. In …
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.
He fears nothing from
prayerless studies
prayerless work and
prayerless religion.
He…
You Lord do not prevent every difficulty or trouble from coming to us, for in your wisdom you know that our growth comes in and through problems and …
More thoughts on Psalm 86:15, “you are a God who is full of compassion, gracious, long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
You, Lord God, …
Lately I have been re-memorizing Psalm 86, where the wonderful description of your character stands out:
“you are a God who is full of compassion, …
“I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your …
Today I read in the book of Daniel, chapters 1 through 6. In this reading, five of Daniel’s characteristics stood out.
When Daniel requested to …
The last verse of Psalm 50 reiterates this powerful truth of thanksgiving: “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me and prepares the way so that …
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15
As I was …
God has higher plans, greater purposes for us than we can know. We, however, like the Israelites, persist in our rebellious ways, refusing to trust …
“Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.” Psalm 106:3
Lord Jesus, you love righteousness and justice. You who are …
‘Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him….’ “ Psalm 91:14
You, Lord Jesus, are faithful, you are the epitome of follow-through. You …
Dealing with difficulties
In Jeremiah 1:19 God calls to us, “‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will …
As the Word said, ’They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,’ declares the LORD.” Jeremiah …
More on the peace Jesus gives us.Now because of Jesus death and resurrection, we can have peace on three levels.First with you, Heavenly Father, …
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus,
King of Peace,
God of Grace,
My favorite flowers are pink bubble gum petunias. They are beautiful, prolific and hardy, blooming from early Spring up until the first frost, as …
Written many years ago:
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.” Psalm 62:4
Anxiety, tension and pressure. These are reality in a fallen world, as …
More thoughts on the earthquake in Haiti
Yes, you are there, Lord, with those suffering people. You are working powerfully for good, to open eyes, …
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:17
In 2010 I read an article on the powerful, devastating …
More on team life:
Truth is the foundational part of our spiritual armor, and is to be spoken in love, for the purpose of restoration, not …
“Let not mercy and truth forsake you….” (NKJV) Proverbs 3:3
Working with a team is not easy. To do so while starting a fellowship in a difficult …
As your Word says, Lord,
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever more brightly till the full light of day.
But the …
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Ps alm 91:1
Praise be to you, O Lord, for your wonderful …
“Fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” (NKJV) Proverbs 29:25
If our time here in the Middle East and the things …
Follow up on yesterday’s post.
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you…The Lord will fight for you; …
“But I tell you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….’” Matthew 5:44
It never fails to amaze me how the Word can continue to …
More on “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”Psalm 46:7
When King Hezekiah was unexpectedly faced with a huge army, he …
“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:7
We certainly have been privileged to live here in the Middle East for …
Isaiah 40:10 continues “He tends his flock like a shepherd:” You are the Faithful One who protects your sheep at all costs. You watch over us with …
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and …
Once upon a …
2Co 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,”
made his light shine in our hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory
January 26
“The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.” Psalm 146:6
Praise be to you, O …
At the end of the week, with all the parts sold from our car recovered and reinstalled, it was finally ready. We set off for home, stopping in the …
My loving God will go before me….” Psalm 59:10
To get the missing parts from the old transmission, that evening I got on another night bus and …
We took the new transmission, got on the night bus, rode 12 uncomfortable hours to the East, arriving in the morning tired and disheveled. We got a …
“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble’. Psalm 59:16As …
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3,4
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.” Psalm 89:15
Praise be to you, Lord God, for …
After visiting Germany years ago, we drove back to our Middle Eastern country from which we had been expelled. On the drive through Yugoslavia we …
Continuation of comments on Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” what it means to fear the …
Simple, clear commands, but actually unnatural and not easy to implement. It's a choice between drying up or being fruitful. There are two more …
The main reason we had came to Germany was to reregister our car and then try to reenter our Middle Eastern country, not knowing whether we’d be …
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
Written in 1980
Someone told me that we seldom …
...joyfully give "thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.nFor he has …
“The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” Psalm 121:5,6
Praise …
“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber;”
Psalm 121:2,3
“A righteous man’s….heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 112:8
An event in our time living …
In Psalm 73:21-25 is a description of God’s response to our rebellion. In His love he rebukes and disciplines, revealing to us our sin. As the …
“Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
Psalm 73:25
Praise your name, Lord Jesus, for you are the most High: …
More on nurturing our first love for Jesus.
Personal worship is a great way to rekindle first love, and doing this by writing it out is even more …
What can we do to nurture, strengthen and deepen our first love for Christ? Here’s what I’ve found effective in rekindling that love.
First, repent: …
Written in 1980f while living in a Middle Eastern country
“The Lord is my shepherd…He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”
Psalm 23:1-3a
It is wonderful that you know, understand and think far beyond our tiny capabilities. Before the foundation of the world you knew each of us, long …
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble…The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1,7Praise …
More on Jesus' grace to us.
Beyond that, you were willing to endure the greater anguish of actually becoming sin for us and as a result, having your …
Who is the Lord Jesus?“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High....” Psalm 91:1I exalt you, O Lord Jesus Christ, for you are the Most High, …
“He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.” Proverbs 27:7
To read through the Bible continually and …
I praise and thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are my Shepherd--that I personally belong to you, the Creator and Sustainer of all--because you have …
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
Thi…
I praise you, LORD GOD, for the perfection of your character: you are always righteous, always loving, always true and forever good.
I am deeply, …
More on the illustration of the spiral staircase.
Each problem that comes to us has the potential to be a burden or to be the next step up, moving …
“The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets…. ‘Gather to me my consecrated …
More on Psalm 43.
Verse 4 says, “He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield …
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5
Writ…
“He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations….” Psalm 105:8
This morning I woke up late, have a …
An incident that happened 20 years ago in our Middle Eastern country.It was late evening. A local believer, Earl and an expat worker stood looking …
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” Psalm …
Then there is worth; anyone who feels worthless is in trouble, for this unbalances us emotionally, and will lead to imbalance in every other area. …
“… and you have been given fullness in Christ,” Colossians 2:10
Praise be to you this morning, Lord God, you who are the Creator of all, Preparer …
I have written before about God sightings, happenings which come directly from the hand of God. Very often people do not even notice them, or give …
One of the most effective ways of giving a “response of faith” is to give thanks when the unpleasant appears. This is how we lift the shield of …
“…you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” Psalm 59: 9b,10aDavid wrote Psalm 59 during the time Saul sent men to kill him in his home. The …
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Another good word from Psalm 103
The Lord is “…slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ps. 103:8b).
You, Lord God, are patient, …
More from Psalm 103
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious…” (Ps. 103:8a).
You are full of rich love, caring for your creatures with deep, …
“He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel….” Psalm 103:7
You, Lord God, our Heavenly Father, are the God of revelation. You …
Part 2 of opportunities to trust God and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
So we flew to to our final destination after a delay, arriving late. …
We had just passed through the security check at the airport in Charlotte, NC. I got Barbara seated at a restaurant for a snack while I went and …
A continuation of yesterday’s post: the benefits of being a follower of Christ. No matter how much we suffer for His name, it is worth it to remain …
At least once each month, I give a sermon to some congregation in Pakistan via whatsapp. My partner there, Imitaz, translates for me.As you may …
Continuing from yesterday’s post, here is an example from Fox’s “Book of Martyrs.” Here was a man who demonstrated a courage and trust that allowed …
“...those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” 1 Peter 4:19
For the last …
More on “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Ps. 103:2).
You “Who heals all your diseases…” (Ps. 103:2b). You are the great …
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalm 103:1 NKJV
You, King Jesus, the mighty Ruler, administer a …
The second question the author of Search for Significance asked was:: “Are you a ‘have to’ person or a ‘want to’ person?” If I can grasp my …
Our team has been working through a book called Search for …
“… you, Lord, remain the same, and your years will never end” (Ps. 102:27). Yes, Lord God, in contrast to the temporariness of all in time, you, who …
“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Psalm 102:25
You, O Mighty God, are the …
More on what God taught me in answering my prayers with wisdom
Second, the Lord combined this frustration with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “… he said to me, …
“…when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10b
The wisdom of God is far beyond anything we can comprehend, therefore His answers to our …
You, Lord Jesus, have brought us out of condemnation into a wide place, a beautiful dwelling, a lovely relationship with you. We are chosen because …
“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” Psalm 116:1
Praise be to you,
Heavenly Father,
the Great I Am,
…
June being Christian Heritage month, this is a different post, one looking at the history of the influence of our faith. It is a post from one …
A reminder: Putting on the armor of God.
Help me to put on this whole armor of God every day so I might be able to stand in the evil day and having …
“Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.”
Ephesians 6:10
It is good to know you, Lord, my High and Holy Shepherd who hears and answers …
“Take up the shield of faith with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
Ephesians 6:14
The fiery darts, the negatives of life, …
More insights from turning 50!
The second insight is the realization that a lot of the hard work I have done springs from the motivation of greed! I …
Written 28 years ago today!
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Proverbs 9:10
Today marked my fiftieth birthday. Beginning a new …
“It is he who made us, and we are his…” (Ps. 100:3b).
You have created us—such a simple statement, but such complex beings you have made: miles of …
Know that the LORD is God.” Psalm 100:3a
This verse above is a command. We are to willfully accept this truth, to grasp it and internalize it. This …
This morning for my quiet time I sat on the dock in front of our little house in Connecticut. The sun was rising over the forest to the east, …
The following was written in 2011 following an unsuccessful attempt to resolve a conflict on one of our teams, a painful event with a sad outcome.
Psa…
Missed a post last night because of internet problems.
Lord Jesus, your character--marvelous, rich, infinite and eternal--led you to finish your work …
This post is an example of nurturing my first love for Jesus.
You Lord Jesus, are far better than anything we could imagine, for in you there is no …
As I write this (on a summer day some years ago), I am enjoying a perfect, absolutely gorgeous day: pleasantly hazy and sunny, in the 70s with a …
“and my hope is in you all day long.”
[In what else, in whom else can we hope? There is no one else powerful enough, big enough, loving enough, wise …
Psalm 25:4 “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;”
[Praise be to you, Lord Jehovah, the holy One who loves to reveal your ways to us. I …
Psalm 25:1 “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;”
[It is wonderful that I can freely, transparently tell you, Lord, everything I am thinking, wanting …
Psalm 18, one of my favorites, helps me to deal with the anxiety and fear that so often grip me --and all of us at times. It shows me the way to …
More on the goodness of God demonstrated in the challenges of life.
Paul recognized the goodness of God in his difficulties and chose in faith to …
Praise be to you, Lord, for your goodness to us, of which there are two kinds. First there is that which we commonly express after we get what we …
More on peace.
Lord Jesus, we could never have known peace without your revealing to us the way of faith --salvation through the forgiveness of sins …
In Luke 1 Zechariah continues, declaring that Jesus will come, “to guide our feet into the path of peace,” as in this picture leading us ever closer …
More from Zachariah’s prayer about his son John.Luke 1:76-79 "...you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the …
Here is a beautiful message in Luke 1, spoken by Zechariah, addressing his son, John the Baptist:
“you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way …
Guide me, Lord Jesus, in joining you in what you are doing. One way I can do this is by “boasting in my weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9) so that the power of …
As I face the unknowns of this coming day, I praise you, Lord Jesus, for what you will lead me through, and for what you will allow and disallow. I …
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your lavish love,
your gracious goodness,
your wise work,
your firm faithfulness,
your cherishing in chastening,
yo…
You, Lord Jesus,
are the King of glory,
the God of goodness,
the Prince of peace,
the Shepherd of supply,
the Lord of Love,
the Light of life,
Peace reigns as I rest in you, Lord Jesus. Grace flows as I embrace my place of submission to you with humility. Joy deepens as I move forward in …
Praise be to you, Jesus, my Lord and God, for the privilege of waking up and knowing that I am at peace with you, that our relationship is …
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
[To you belong all things, O Lord Yahweh, the Great …
Written a good number of years ago when I faced with three difficult situations simultaneously and turned to Psalm 18 for comfort and encouragement.
What a wonder you are, Lord Jesus, in your willingness to suffer the anguish of the cross, the despair of abandonment, the pain of rejection, the …
Posted on May 1st, 2024
Prayer is a powerful, transformative practice that fosters a profound connection with the divine, enriches our daily lives, …
Finding relevance and solace in the ancient texts of the Bible may seem like a challenge, yet it is more applicable and …
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Sovereign King, the One has a plan and will work things out, who will bring good things to pass in the best …
Because of computfer problems I've been unable to post every day, but "God sighting" Josh is here for our 50th and was able to fix things. Thank …
Today, April 28th, is our 50thwedding anniversary! Sure doesn’t seem like 50 years. It has been wonderful being married to this beautiful and fine …
It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, so we went for a walk in the woods with my son Josh and his little family.
About halfway …
You, Lord Jesus, are deeply caring, wisely working, godly in guiding, persistent in protecting. You are the only One we can trust--all others and …
You, Lord Jesus, are the King of glory,
the Light of life
This entry was written back in about 2015, but the insights are just as valid today as it was then, helping Barbara to come out of her deep …
Psalm 24:9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”
[The repetition here from verse 7 …
Thoughts on Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in him, so that your life may overflow with hope by the …
Psalm 24:8 “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”
[This is you, Yahweh, the Holy One: completely other …
Psalm 33:1-5 “Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with …
Something a bit different today: evidence and science over ideology. Learning to think truth.
https://washingtonstand.com/news/pediatrician-responds-…
So part of being filled with the fullness of God is “knowing the love that surpasses knowledge.” In considering what that means, it has come to me …
As we are experiencing a slow motion spring this year, the flowers are coming out slowly, one by one. First are the daffodils. lifting their bright …
God knows what He is doing. For instance He has many reasons for trials. One of them is this: if we respond with faith, then when Jesus is revealed …
Continuing from yesterday’s post about giving glory to God.
Another way of revealing Him to others is to share what we are learning as we read, …
Praise be to you, Lord God, that you were there, waiting for me this morning, after watching over us all night. I praise you for your grace and …
Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior and supreme Shepherd, the marvelous and majestic Maker and Master of our faith. As we …
Further thoughts on Psalm 15:1-5
Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior and supreme Shepherd, the marvelous and majestic …
How much does God love us, His children? As it says in Ephesians 1:5+6, “He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, …
Psalm 15:1 "LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?”
[Praise be to you, Lord God, the High and Holy One, who invites …
Psalm 14:6 “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.”
[Ungodly people prey on the poor instead of praying to God. …
Psalm 14:4 “Will evildoers never learn—"
[Lord, this means you are consistently working at teaching all rebels the error of their ways by letting …
Thank you to all who wrote kind comments to us on our blog posts. We do appreciate that. At present Barbara is quite well, as long as we keep her …
The Gift of Beauty
Praise the LORD, for another sunny day with pleasant weather and a beautiful countryside: rich, warm morning sunshine streaming …
Psalm 146:7 “He upholds the cause of the oppressed...”
[You, Heavenly Father, with the resurrection of Jesus, went right to the core of the issue and …
Posted on March 29th, 2024
In the journey of faith, the desire to grow spiritually is inherent to every Christian's heart.
Rooted in Christ, we seek …
In the midst of life's challenges, depression can weigh heavily on the spirit.
For Christians, navigating this mental …
Written in 2017
Lord Jesus, you are the Wonderful One, full of wisdom, grace, righteousness, mercy, justice, goodness and power. You are the One who …
Barbara is out of the hospital and back home! We are so thankful. This progress makes today's devotional very relevant for us!
----------------------
More from Psalm 107
"Some wandered in desert wastelands,"
[when we reject your truth and go our own way, we dwell in dry and parched lands of our own …
Greetings from the hospital room where Barbara is again being treated. The doctors think she has some hidden infection that keeps pulling her down. …
As it says in Psalm 107, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
[And we do see your love every day, Lord, in the myriad …
When God commands us to do something, it is always for the best. An example is His expression found in Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about …
God's Four Gifts to Us through giving thanks, Part Four
A fourth gift He has for us is improving our emotional, mental and physical health. This …
Update on Barbara. We are settled back in from the hospital. Barbara did well the first day, but then seemed to worsen. Her blood pressure was high …
God's Four Gifts to Us, Part Two
As we saw in part one, Psalm 50:23 starts with "He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me"--meaning that …
Giving God glory is the purpose for which we were created. So every time we find ourselves in situations where there is no solution, no discernible …
God's Four Gifts to Us, Part One
What a kindness you have bestowed on us, Lord God, in calling us to give thanks in and for all things. You have a …
Greetings.
The Lord is at work answering prayer, proving again the truth of Psalm 50:23: ‘He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and …
I find it so easy to grumble and complain. Every day there are a multiple opportunities to be discontent, to focus on what I didn’t get instead of …
It is good to remember what we were: as it says in Romans 3
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands; there is no …
Answer to prayer: God has given Barbara a very experience and thorough doctor who is determined to get to the bottom of her problems. Spent quite a …
Barbara is back in the hospital, same symptoms as last time including a very low temperature of 90. They’ve got it back up now and will try to find …
Barbara is home fromMore thoughts on Psalm 62.Psalm 62:6 "[The Lord] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken."[Thi…
Another update: Barbara is much better, coherent, able to get up and ready to come home. Hopefully tomorrow (Wed) the doctor will release her. …
Update on Barbara, doing much better, after being totally un able to do anything last night, today she is able to eat and actually walked a bit. We …
Update on Barbara. The doctors are doing their job and have found that, in addition to Parkinson’s, her thyroid is not doing well and she has a …
Today’s devotional is especially appropriate for me as I’ve spent the last two days with Barbara, first in the emergency room and then in the …
Psalm 33:20 "We wait in hope for the LORD;"
[Instead of trying to save ourselves in our feeble strength, it is much wiser to pray and wait for you to …
Psalm 33:19 "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him…to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."
[Here is the true picture. …
King Jehoshaphat …
Psalm 33:18 "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,"
[It is wise to choose to fear and …
Psalm 33:17 "A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save."
[In David's days a horse was the strongest …
Psalm 33:16 "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength."
[Large armies and great power are not the deciding …
[You, Lord, as our Maker have empowered your children to live according to what is right. "By his divine power he has given us all we need for life …
Psalm 33:13-14 "From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth...."
[The Lord gazes …
“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26
It is so good to be weak, to realize that our strength is insufficient so we can say, “O Lord our …
Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
To belong to you, O Holy God, to be adopted by …
[Blessed is really too weak a word for the wonder …
Psalm 33:11 "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."
[In contrast to us weak humans and to …
Psalm 33:8 “Let all the earth fear the LORD;”
[Your might, your power, your dominion, your wisdom and your creation are all reasons to tremble before …
Psalm 33:7 “He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;”
[The vast oceans are but a small drop to you, Lord, easily channeled into the place …
“their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6b
[You, Lord Jesus, are the Star Breather, exhaling stars great and small, each burning at …
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,”
[How powerful you are, Lord, able to create through just speaking. Praise you, Lord …
Psalm 1 is one of my favorites, giving very clear direction on how to be successful as God defines it. It tells what to avoid and what to do, …
Some thoughts from Ray Comfort on prayer
I often hear people say they feel like God isn't listening to their prayers. The reality is He may not be …
Psalm 33:4 “For the word of the LORD is right and true;”
[Praise you, Lord God, that your Word is flawlessly correct, fully trustable, totally right …
You, O God, are so kind, so gracious, so giving when we deserve the opposite. You are full of mercy and truth—two seemingly contradictive opposites. …
“Blessed is the man who delights in God’s Word, meditating on it day and night.” Psalm 1.
Psalm 34:1-2. “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise shall continuallybe on my lips.” [We can always say, “Thank …
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD …
Praise is a great privilege, and a great responsibility. To praise in and for all things is expressing faith in a God who controls everything for …
Psalm 32:7b “surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.”
[This danger is not an “if” but a “when.” Floods of trouble will come, but …
Psalm 86:15 “…you, O Lord, are…slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
You are slow to anger. You are deeply, graciously, perfectly …
I praise you, Lord God, for the beauty of your Character as shown in Psalm 86:15 “…you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, …
“surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.”
[This danger is not an “if” but a “when.” Floods of trouble will come, but you will …
Psalm 32:5b-6 “you forgave the guilt of my sin…Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;”
[In every situation, this is …
Ephesians 1:4 “..chosen before the foundation of the world to holy and without blame before you in love."
Lord Jesus, my wonder at you grows as I …
I praise you, my Heavenly Father, for your steadfast, unwavering love and goodness. I am so much the opposite: my emotions are up and down; my sense …
Psalm 32:3,4 “When I kept silent, [not confessing, not acknowledging my sin] my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and …
Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
[Lord Jesus, I praise you that you …
Of David. A maskil.
Psalm 32
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”
[Praise you, Lord God, the Great and Holy …
Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
[When our hope is in you, the Time Starter, the Star-breather, the …
Psalm 31:23 “Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful,”
[There are an infinite number of reasons to love you, LORD Yahweh! Not …
Psalm 31:22 “In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.”
[What seems to be an …
I have a friend who is a believer, but he complains about anything he doesn’t like. In fact, he scoffs at the idea of offering the sacrifice of …
Psalm 31:21 “Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.”
[More than once David was trapped in a …
Psalm 31:20 “In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”
[To …
Psalm 31:19 “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,”
You, O Lord, know the future and all that will come; you …
Psalm 31:17b,18 “but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they …
This was written more than ten years ago.----------------------------Psalm 31:17 “Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you;”[Y…
A very different type of post today, but an important one, bringing common sense and science together, a breath of fresh air! From The Epoch Times …
Psalm 31:15b-16, “deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”
[Davi…
Psalm 31:15 “My times are in your hands;”[A strong declaration of God’s great powers, of His sovereignty at work--and of our weakness. We cannot …
In our daily reading we came to John 8 and verse 32: “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
As I thought about this, I realized …
Psalm 31:14 “I say, ‘You are my God.’”
David here affirms that the Lord is his God, his final authority. This is looking away from the seen to the …
Psalm 31:9 “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;”[You, Lord, are the One I should flee to immediately when anxiety and fear, worry and …
Psalm 31:8 “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, my Savior, my Redeemer, my …
Psalm 31:7 “I will be glad and rejoice in your love,”
[Your love alone is enough for joy, O God. You, heavenly Father, showed your love in sending …
Psalm 31:6 “I hate those who cling to worthless idols;”[How about us? how often do I cling to some worthless idol—which is anything I demand to be …
Psalm 31:5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit;”
[These were the words of David in difficulty, and the words of Christ on the cross; they should also …
Psalm 31:2 “be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”
[Praise you, O Lord God, that you are consistently with us: you have made yourself …
You are sparkling in your purity, Lord Jesus, generous in your grace, marvelous in your majesty, great in your goodness, overwhelming in your wisdom …
"...delight yourself also in the Lord...." Psalm 37:4
I want to delight in you, Lord Jesus--you who were on earth simultaneously while being both …
Last night in our Christmas Eve service this verse was read:
Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be …
God is an inveterate gift giver. He loves to pour out goodness on His children and Christmas is a good time to remember that.
One of the gifts He’s …
Christmas was not only a time of new beginnings, Christmas changed everything!
Christmas meant that God no longer dwelt only in the temple, He dwelt …
Some more thoughts on this season.
Christmas is a time of new beginnings.
It was the beginning of the next step in the great plan of redemption, …
Christmas, a time of obedience. Here is the third and fourth example of people submitting to God, obeying what He had to say in spite of all the …
Continuing with the Christmas theme: Obedience
Christ left all, embraced the very hard and unpleasant, obeying to the end.
Then there is Mary, an …
As we approach Christmas, I’ve been thinking about its multifaceted meaning.One important part of the message of Christmas is obedience.There are …
Psalm 31:2 “Turn your ear to me,”
[Thank you, Lord Jesus that you listen to us intently, that you have opened the way for us to cry to the Father and …
Want a Christmas gift that keeps on giving all year long? Here’s one that will give to you every day:EDIFIED! 365 DAILY DEVOTIONALS.This book will …
You, Lord Jesus, are Marvelous in your personality, Majestic in your judgments, Mighty in your redemption and Magnificent in your mercy.
To you …
Praise you, Lord, for your undeserved goodness, poured on upon us daily, manifested in multiple ways, like giving us the gifts of sight, speech, …
An example of "lifting my soul to God," written in my worship journal several years ago.
Lord, I praise you this morning for your gracious and good …
First, thank you for your prayers, the procedure went well and my heart is back in rhythm.
Psalm 30:11 “You turned my wailing into dancing; you …
Tomorrow, Wednesday, I have an outpatient event, stopping and restarting my heart to stop my A-fib. Prayers would be appreciated.
Psalm 30:9 “What …
Yesterday I wrote this:
Psalm 30:8 “To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:”
[This is the proper response in difficulty,
to seek you …
to seek you and your mercy,
Psalm 30:6,7 “When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’ O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm;”
[When we are in a …
You, Lord Jesus, are my serene Security, my superb Stability, my unshakable Surety, my supreme Savior. With all that swirls around us in life, we …
Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. Got caught up in finishing the setup of my next book, Canterbury CT Characters of the 21stCentury, Volume 2.
When I …
The Lord had a message for me today, “Do you really believe what you’ve written about recently. You know, having an attitude of gratitude?”
Today …
Psalm 34:4b “weeping may remain for a night,”
[You do take us through loss, disappointment, difficulty and heartbreak, but for good and wise reasons. …
Some spontaneous thoughts this evening.
Tonight we listened to a talk on happiness. The speaker made a strong statement: without gratitude you cannot …
Psalm 30:4 “Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.”
[YES! This must be our response to you, Lord, singing and praising you for …
Psalm 30:3 “O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.”
[You can heal when all hope is lost, you can …
Psalm 30:2 “O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.” (This for me is quite relevant as I was again in the ER today with painful …
I praise you that as I commit my way to you and trust also in you, you will bring the best to pass, you will bring forth the righteousness you’ve …
Psalm 30:1b You “did not let my enemies gloat over me.”
[I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you do not want my enemies--primarily Satan and his …
More thoughts on “I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths….”
You are worthy of praise for bringing us out from the shadow of …
Psalm 30:1 A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.
“I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths….”
You, O Triune God, …
Update, they let me out of the hospital today and I am home, hopefully healed. No surgery, thank God!
Being in the hospital overnight is always an …
In the night I woke up with a pain (I will spare you the gruesome details). I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. So I knew I had …
Some thoughts for Thanksgiving.
What is the purpose of our life?
To glorify God, to honor Him.
And how do we do that?
By Faith (without faith we …
Psalm 16:5 “LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;”
[All I have comes from you, O Holy God:
my position,
my provision,
my protection,
my …
You, Lord God, have made us new creations in Christ, welcomed with joy into your presence where we are delighted in, rejoiced over, cherished and …
Praise be to you, Lord God, for your kind and consistent, detailed and direct involvement in our lives. I exalt you, Lord, for how you are so …
Last night when I went to give a discipleship lesson, the couple had just gotten a new little dog. He’d been suddenly taken from his familiar …
Praise be to you, Lord, for how faithful and good, wise and powerful you are. We see this in the expanse of the heavens, which you stretched out for …
Today is a bit different devotional. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, that, as one teacher told me, there are two kinds of people on earth: …
Thank you so much, Lord, for the purpose you give us in life: which means revealing you to those around us. And how can we do that?
One way of …
Written on the first day of my retirement in 2015
My retirement coincides with my turning 70 this year. In the past, I’ve found that decadal …
Further thoughts on Psalm 15:1-5. This passage is so rich it deserves another look.
Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior …
You, Heavenly Father, have imputed the characteristics of Christ to us and have made us, desperate, wicked sinners, qualified to be partakers of …
Psalm 14:2b “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”
[This means, Lord, that …
Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
[This is a clear definition of a fool: one with no spiritual discernment or interest, who …
The Gift of God's Faithfulness
Psalm 13:3 “Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;”
[Thank you that we …
Psalm 13:2 “How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
[At times the enemy does triumph over us—evil leaders arise in nations (such as ISIS), bad …
Psalm 13:1,2 “How long, O LORD?”
[There will be times when God seems distant, when He is not answering our prayers on our timetable (like right now …
Psalm 12:7 “O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people [oppressors and liars] forever.”
[Praise you for this certainty, Lord, both …
The Gift of God's Flawless Word
Psalm 12:6 “And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”
[P…
Psalm 12:5 “’Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will protect them from those …
The Gift of Truth
Psalm 12:1 “Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”
[In spite of how it appears, I praise …
Psalm 146:9 “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,”
[You, O Lord, not only see, but act on behalf those who are …
“the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,”
[You, Lord, in your tender love, reach out to all those who are depressed, discouraged and disheartened …
The Gift of Freedom
Psalm 146:7b “The LORD sets prisoners free....”
[Right from the beginning of our lives we are all imprisoned by sin in the web of …
Greetings! Last night I got home too late to do a post. Sorry.
Tonight I want to do something a little different. I’ve been thinking about the …
Greetings! Today I will begin with two prayer requests.
We have a relative approaching death; to our knowledge he has never accepted Christ; …
Praise be to you, Lord, for your great and gracious heart. Praise you that you look down and see every single person on this earth, all at the same …
Psalm 146:6b “The Lord who remains faithful forever.”
[You, Lord, are the persistent God of Hope, forever pouring joy and peace into our lives as we …
Psalm 146:6 “Blessed is the man whose hope is the maker of heaven”
[You made both the throne room of Heaven where you dwell, and the great expanses …
Psalm 11:7b “His countenance beholds the upright.”
[You, Lord, in your love and goodness, consistently look after us, your children--we who now stand …
Psalm 11:7 “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;”
[Praise you, Lord God, that in you there is no evil, no darkness, no sin, no …
Psalm 11:5b “But the wicked and the one who loves violence, His [God’s] soul hates."
[Here is one of those seeming paradoxes of the Bible: God loves …
Psalm 11:4-5 “The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven;”
[You are ever ruling, ever awake, ever alert. Nothing escapes your …
Your eyes, Lord Jesus, are both fiery and forgiving; your heart is both loving and firm. Yours acts of righteous grace cause mercy to triumph over …
Lord Jesus,
my God and Lord,
my King and Master,
my Savior and Shepherd,
you have undeservedly set us, your illogically adopted children,
in such a …
Psalm 11:2 “For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”
[If…
Psalm 11:1 “In the Lord I put my trust;”
What an appropriate message for me as when I wrote this in bed I was down with a severe bout of vertigo, …
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that in your mercy you bring positive pressure on us to see truth, to come to ourselves and surrender to you. You are the …
Thank you, Lord God, that all which will come to us today will come from your hand.
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your wonderful wisdom, working …
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;”
[You, Lord, constantly pour out goodness and mercy on your children; …
“My cup runs over.” Psalm 23:5c
[You, Lord, give us what we need--and far more. What I actually need is only air, water, food, clothing, shelter and …
Psalm 23: 5b, “You anoint my head with oil;”
[Shepherds put oil on the heads of their sheep to keep away pesky insects, to heal wounds, to refresh …
“I will fear no evil for You are with me….” Psalm 23:4b
You, Lord God, are ever present, ever with us, your little lambs. If there is evil …
As we take refuge in His love, power and truth, God does not always protect us from what will harm us physically, but will protect us from what …
Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;”
[At least one of the paths of righteousness you will …
You, Lord Jesus, promise to lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake—but again, I must choose to follow. And I can be sure that the …
As my “Psalm 23 Shepherd,” Lord Jesus, you lead me beside the still waters, like the picture here—you give me opportunity to be with you, to take …
As our great Shepherd, Lord Jesus, You have made a total commitment to our good: patiently and persistently prodding, providing and protecting us. …
Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd”
[Five short words that hold infinite grace. You, Lord God, the Holy, Pure and Triune Creator, utterly other, …
Psalm 22:30 “Posterity will serve him;”
[There will always be an ongoing line of believers, sustained and guided by you, no matter what the era may …
Psalm 22:29 “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves …
Philosophical Evidence
The Bible has ways of solving philosophical problems that no other philosophy or religion has been able to do.
For instance, …
Part 3: evidence of the Bible’s validity
Archeological Evidence
In all that I read, both in the work of secular and religious archeologists, in the …
Part 2 of evidence for the validity of the Bible. Today’s is a bit longer, cos there’s lots of prophetic evidence!
Prophetic Evidence
There is a …
Today begins a short new series.
Before I committed my life to Christ I wanted to be sure that what I believed was true. So, I collected evidence for …
Psalm 22:28 “and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.”
[You, …
Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,"
Praise you for your love for every single person, for providing salvation …
This week as I was preparing to do a repair job on some asphalt, a man came walking by and asked me what I was doing. I explained the project to him …
Psalm 22:26 “The poor will eat and be satisfied;”
[You, Lord, are the Provider of all the physical needs of the world. You remember the needy and …
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for your unending presence; you are everywhere at the same time (here on earth, behind the moon, on the other side of the …
A clear and sunny day here on the farm in CT with early morning fog rising off the pond. Praise be to you, Lord God, Creator of all the beauty …
Psalm 22:24 “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
[You, Father, planned Jesus’ suffering, knowing that it was …
The Difference Context Makes:
Wow! To live with you, to live for you, to be your child, your ambassador, your herald, your workman, your messenger, …
“‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings …
The last installment from my autbio, finishing the catalogue of how God has set me freeYou have set me free from “junk stress”, showing me where I …
Psalm 22:22 “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
[You, Heavenly Father, are the prayer-answering, …
Another aspect of God’s character: He knows everything that has happened and will happen.
There has been a long debate about the “elect” with some …
Here from my recent studies is another wonderful Truth about God.
Not only does He want all to be saved,
But He also works in the life of everyone …
Lately I’ve been moved to remind myself of the major Truths of salvation, and I will share several of those with you, that is verses that speak to …
Today we have high worship: giving God honor for who He is without thinking much on how that benefits me.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You are our …
Praise you, Lord God, that in your gracious goodness, you unfailingly guide and direct, provide for and protect us. Praise you for the completeness …
Another ending section from my autobio—the continued description of how God is setting me free.
You, Lord God, are showing me your inexorable …
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Christian, Part 3
A continuation of how one man keeps on and uses the armor of Ephesians 6:10-18
On the way home from …
Walter Mitty Christian, Spiritual Warfare Part 2.After quenching the flaming arrow of self-pity with his shield of faith, no other attacks came, so …
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Christian, Part 1 The story of how one man keeps on and uses the armor of Ephesians 6:10-18
Walter ran up the last …
Psalm 22:20, 21“Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the …
Psalm 22:19 “But you, O LORD, be not far off;”
[You, Heavenly Father, only turned away from Jesus as long as was necessary; when His suffering was …
You, Lord Jesus, knew from before creation that you would have to suffer these things in order to redeem the universe.
As it says in 1 Timothy 2:9 He …
This is the next to the last post from the body of my autobiography. It is a summary of what the Lord has done in my life over the years, bringing a …
This next section of Psalm 22 is a series of amazing prophetic declarations, describing what would happen to Jesus 1000 years after it was written; …
The Love of the Lord endures forever.
I praise you for the great love you have for us, Lord Jesus, leading you to work so patiently, so graciously, …
As you lead me into worship each day, Lord Jesus, there is a definite sense of solidification within, a strengthening in my inner being, for you are …
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgement as the noon day sun.” Ps …
Psalm 22:11 “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”
[David had only you to turn to, Lord, his great God and good …
This verse is especially appropriate to me right now because of …
During those 3 ½ years in Germany, the Lord has faithfully continued this upward trend of my life, bringing me into ever new and more radiant …
Psalm 22:6,9 “I am…scorned by men and despised by the people…Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.”
We praise you, Lord God, that your ways are higher than our ways. You truly see the big picture and will work things out in your perfect …
Psalm 22:6 “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.”
[Here David experiences powerlessness in rejection by those …
More on God’s method: partnership.
You give input on what to embrace or avoid; we must pay attention and follow your lead. “The commands of the LORD …
A Meditation on God's Method
“He [God] is a shield to all those WHO TAKE REFUGE in him” (Ps 18:30) This verse is a clear statement of God’s desired …
You, O Triune God, are our unfailing Rock, our unassailable Fortress, our undefeatable Deliverer. When the darkness closes in, when pain and …
As we draw closer to God, the trajectory of our spiritual life starts to rise. And my life story tells you where it goes: upward and onward with Him …
Psalm 22:4 "In you our fathers put their trust;
[Throughout the history of Israel, Abraham and Moses, Job and Joseph, David and Daniel, and many …
Psalm 22:4 "In you our fathers put their trust;”
[Throughout the history of Israel Abraham and Moses, Job and Joseph, David and Daniel, and many …
Psalm 22:3 “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;”
[David here reminds himself--and you, Lord--of who you are, the Perfect Presider, the Supreme …
Psalm 22:1b “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?’
[This is how David felt: he received no immediate answer to …
I think about what it was like before God brought me to surrender in Himself. I lived in the land of death where the devil had reign and destruction …
[Psalm 22. Praise be to you, O Triune God, for your rich and revealing Word. Here we have another prophetic, Messianic Psalm, written 1000 years …
Chapter 89 Epilogue: He Sets Prisoners Free
One day in Germany Barbara said to me, “You certainly are easier to live with NOW than you used to be!” …
[You, Lord, will triumph, overcome all evil and win, destroying all that is against truth, against goodness against you. “There is no wisdom, no …
Psalm 21:8 “Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”
[You, Lord God, did just that in the resurrection of …
Psalm 21:7 “For the king trusts in the LORD;”
[When David trusted in you, he was led on in paths righteousness. When Jesus trusted you in his time on …
Psalm 21:6 “Surely you have granted him eternal blessings”
[You granted David the blessing of being an ancestor of Jesus, and along with that, …
Psalm 21:5 “Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;”
[David was given many victories, beginning with Goliath and spanning his whole reign.
Well, today was a good opportunity to trust God and see Him work swiftly and just in time.
On the way home from church our car suddenly began to buck …
Nearing the Autobio end
It was so good to arrive back in Connecticut from Germany and settle into our little house by the water. We could sit in our …
Today was quite an eventful day for us. We had a yard sale and spent from 9 to 4 working on that, with much success, selling the majority of what we …
Psalm 21:3 “You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.”
[You crowned David as king, after his long wait of …
I praise you, Lord God, for your never-ending flow of grace, forgiveness and transformation in this present life.
I praise you that today is a gift …
Every day, Lord Jesus, we grieve your Spirit, choosing to exalt our ideas and agendas over your Word. You endure this willingly, and thankfully, …
Psalm 21:2 “You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.”
[You consistently answered David’s prayers, …
Psalm 21. For the director of music. A Psalm of David.
[This Psalm has a triple message. First it speaks of David’s relationship with the Lord; …
Another Autobio piece: Shifting To a New Era in Life
In the Fall of 2011 Barbara spoke often of how tired she was, how discouraged she was because …
What a change you are bringing in my being through memorizing and meditating on your Word, Lord, especially Psalms 18, 34, 37, 62 and 86. This is …
As I continue to memorize and meditate on your rich and powerful Word, Lord, you continue to transform my being.
There is a growing grasp of your …
I praise you, Lord God, for the way you are using Scripture to transform me, bringing change in my thinking, my will, my emotions, my responses, my …
You, Lord Jesus, are the God of Wisdom, the King of Knowledge, the Lord of Understanding, the Ruler of Insight, able to see into the next million …
Praise you, O God, my Three-in-One Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Within your Trinity is a great demonstration of unity and diversity, of …
[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]
Praise you, Lord, for the knowledge that you are the manager of my …
New Installment of my autobio: more ministry in Germany
At times I was asked to speak in different churches. This was far more demanding than …
Psalm 20:9 “O LORD, save the king!”
[Praise you that you saved king David in every battle—there is no report of him being wounded in the dozens if …
Psalm 20:8 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses…[but] They are brought to their knees and fall,”
[Horses die, chariots shatter, people pass, …
Psalm 20:7b “but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
[You are the only One who is trustable to the end: you are the eternal God of all might, …
Today something different: a February poem for a July day.
2/24/07
The night was crisp and dark
The crooked smile of a new moon
rested in the …
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,”
Yes, Lord, we often trust in other powers: money, might or men of position. Sometimes we …
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you know every bend, every turn, every pitfall in the path you have laid out for me, as well as every ambush the …
Autobio episode for Sunday
In addition to the economic differences in Germany, there was another difficulty for me with this relocation to Europe: …
Thank you, Lord God, that you have made faith the primary means of joining you in your great plans, so anyone can do that: young and old, …
Thank you for the wonder of knowing you, Lord Jesus, of having your grace, goodness and greatness in my life, of being continually offered rest, …
In the last couple of days I’ve had conversations with several people who are angry and discouraged by the injustice going on. People in power are …
Psalm 20:5 “We will shout for joy when you are victorious”
[We will glorify you, Lord God, for any and all victories--for people being set free, …
More Autobio—Provision in Germany
On the way home from hospital after my angiogram, Christian said, “My wife and I would like to give you a car. We …
Psalm 20:4 “May he give you the desire of your heart”
[This echoes the statement of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and he will give …
From my worship journal, written in 2010
You, Lord, are the God of provision, flooding our lives with your gracious goodness, your constant kindness, …
Psalm 20:2 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.”
[Praise you, Lord God, that by prayer we can enter your …
Psalm 20:“May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;”[Praise you, Jehovah Yahweh, that you DO answer as it says in Psalm 86:7, “I will call …
You, Lord, will always do what is best in your faithfulness, in your goodness, in your wisdom, in your love, in your righteousness, in your grace …
More on settling into Germany in 2008
Since this was Barbara’s hometown, despite having been away for forty years, she had lots of relationships, …
[The following devotional was especially appropriate for me in 2016 when I read it in my hospital bed after having an incident of “Atrial Flutter,” …
“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
[You are my unmovable foundation, the Rock of Truth, my LORD. You are Yahweh, Jehovah, the Holy God, pure and …
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,”
Yes, Lord, may both my inner and outer speech …
Psalm 19:13 “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.”
[This is where I am fully responsible and where I very much need …
Psalm 19:12 “Who can discern his errors?”
[My inner being, below my consciousness, is largely inscrutable and opaque to me. In there I unknowingly …
Psalm 19:11 “By them [The ordinances of the LORD] is your servant warned;”
[The ordinances of the LORD reveal danger, show us how to avoid evil and …
Psalm 19:9b “The ordinances of the LORD are sure”
[There is no doubt, no shakiness, no uncertainty in your Word, Lord. What You command and reveal is …
Psalm 19
“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.”
[What we do out of our great reverence for you will be pure and positive, as well as …
We are very thankful that God fulfilled Psalm 37 in our lives this week. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to …
Well, I am glad to report that God answered our prayers as in today’s court hearing I was declared innocent and the restraining order was taken …
More from Psalm 19 “The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
[Your Word shines like the noon day sun, showing us the way, …
Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the LORD are right,”
[You, Lord, make the lines clear: this is right, that is wrong. And praise you that you do it as …
Move to Germany 2008
Our plan for our trip to Germany, on the recommendation of friends, was to drive to the Western edge of Greece and take a ferry …
Psalm 19:7b “The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
[We are all foolish in our natural, fallen selves, especially, Lord, …
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect,”
[You make no mistakes, Lord--what you revealed is completely correct, perfectly presented, totally …
Today on my prayer list was a prayer for “forgiving and rewriting.” This, for me, was a comforting reminder. To forgive is the highest form of …
You, Lord, are the God of undying, unending kindness, of supremely positive provision, of ever-flowing grace and goodness. And, in spite of what we …
Psalm 19:4b-6 “In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion …
More on the “God of communication” who works in all people to give them the knowledge they need to move towards, believe in and surrender to Him
[I …
At the beginning of September we had an opportunity for a short break at the seashore with both our sons and daughters in-law. It was a pleasant and …
Is God Fair Part 3B
God knows what challenges each person requires to see his or her need for a Savior, and then to grow spiritually. He does what …
God is really at work in my life, giving me lots of opportunities to put into practice things that I teach, such as offering the sacrifice of …
Is God Fair? Part 3A
In answering the question, "Is God fair?" (meaning, in today’s thinking, “Does He give everyone the same things?”), we have …
Hello Friends! Last night I was unable to post due to internet problems. My apologies.
Tonight, like David, I am facing attacks, legal attacks on …
More Autobiography from 2008
Upon returning home from the conferences, although I was feeling fine, I knew the pressures on me had been tremendous, …
Is God Fair? Part 2B
Here are more ways in which God is “fair,” offering the same things to everyone, regardless of any differences in them or their …
Is God fair? Part 2A
As stated in part one, fairness, as defined in our age of tolerance, is that everyone should to get the same thing. In light of …
Is God Fair Part 1B
An entry in my worship journal expands on how God is not fair, but full of grace.
You, Lord Jesus are faithful: faithful to Your …
Is God fair? Part 1A
Fairness, as defined in our age of "tolerance," is that everyone should get the same thing, be given "what we deserve." In light …
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9
I thank you that you love me, Lord Jesus, I whom am naturally a …
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your kind and constant working in me when I am not faithful, for your unceasing love and goodness in spite of my …
More on the conferences in 2008
At the end of the first conference, some attendees left and others arrived for the next two conferences. The …
Psalm 18:50b The Lord “shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
[You, Lord, have proved faithful in …
Psalm 18:50 “He gives his king great victories;”
[You, Lord, give us opportunity to participate in your victories each day, in every temptation, …
Psalm 18:48b “You exalted me above my foes;”
[Yes, Lord, “You rescue me from my strong enemies, from my foes who are too strong for me.” (Psalm 18:17)]
As Psalm 18:46,47 tell us, in the midst of his battles, David could shout:
“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the …
Psalm 18:42 "I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.”
[David knew this is your doing, Lord Jesus, …
As King David wrote Psalm 18, he faced human foes; we more often face the unseen ones of the devil and his minions. However, the reality of the …
Summer of 2008
The summer of 2008 proved to be an incredibly stressful one for me. We were finishing up a big construction project for the business, …
Green is the color of Spring: vibrant and lush, full of life and promise. And so it is again this year. The leaves came out slowly, warm days …
More on the purpose of life. The Lord God, has given us meaning in life, the possibility of having purpose, which can only flow from Him. Without …
I praise you, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all, for the meaning you give us in life, for the possibility of having purpose, which can only …
Psalm 18:36 “You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”
[You attend to the details I can’t even think about, Lord, like where …
Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory,”
[Your shield, your powerful, proficient, positive protection for us goes on and on, Lord, as you …
More on Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
To you be glory, Lord, for your wisdom, for your knowing what …
Big Challenges
In the year of 2008, things beyond our control were developing which would take us in a new and different direction. Barbara’s …
Chapter 84 Big Challenges
In the year of 2008, things beyond our control were developing which would take us in a new and different direction. …
Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
[Lord, you prepare your children on every level for what you know will …
Psalm 18:33b “he enables me to stand on the heights.”
[For David, to be on the heights was to be safe, to be the winner. And you, Lord Jesus, make us …
Psalm 18:33 "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;”
[David had to be quick and sure of foot in his fleeing from King Saul, as well as in his …
Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”
[It is not my wisdom or effort, my talent or training nor my resources …
“God sightings” (seeing God intervene in our lives) are such a wonderful way to see the Lord’s careful and precise working for us. In Hebrews 12 it …
Psalm 18:31 “For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”
There is no one else like you, O LORD, the Eternal One with no …
Another Installment of Autobio, more on revival
The experience of dealing with specific sins, I found, was just the beginning of a revival, one which …
More on Psalm 18:30c, “He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”
When we believe your Word, Lord, and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, you …
More on Psalm 18:30b “the word of the LORD is flawless.”
Sadly, many twist your Word for selfish reasons, cutting it out of context, taking a …
Psalm 18:30b “the word of the LORD is flawless.
[Praise be to you, Lord, that we can trust your Word completely: there is no error, no contradiction, …
More on Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect;”
Praise be to you for teaching us that being weak is a wonder, that we can and should delight in …
Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect;”
[You, O Lord God, make no mistakes. You always do what is right, with excellence and without error. We …
More from my Autobiography
Fall of 2005
I continued to pray for revival, and in answer to my pleas, God gave me diarrhea! I was so weak that I spent …
Here is a declaration of dependence, a plan for joining God rather than asking Him to join me.
Psalm 18:29 “With your help I can advance against a …
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Praise be to you, Heavenly Father, for your working in us--gracious and patient, …
Psalm 18:27b “but [you] bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”
[This you also do in your love, Lord: you humble those who live in the darkness of …
More on Psalm 18:27 “You save the humble”
The reality is that you are the One in charge, who holds together the nucleus of every atom in the …
Psalm 18:27 “You save the humble”
This, Lord, is your requirement for salvation: humility, which can be defined as “seeing ourselves as you see us.” …
Psalm 18:26 “but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.”
[On the negative side, you interact with rebels in a way that is meaningful to them, a way …
More from my autobiography
In the summer of 2005 while we were in the States, Pastor Paul, the pastor in my home church in Connecticut, challenged …
Psalm 18:25,26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure,”
[This …
Spring time! My favorite season, full of promise and hope. Every day the sun comes up earlier, every evening it goes down later. It is a reminder of …
Psalm 18:22,23 “All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.”
Psalm 18:20 “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;”
[O Lord, praise you that you deal with us according to the imputed …
Praise you, Lord, that with you, every day is filled with Sonshine, for your light of love and life shines continually on us and in us, giving …
Psalm 18:19 “He brought me out into a spacious place;”
[You don’t just rescue us, you bring us into a positive position, a superior situation, a wide …
After my open-heart surgery in 2006 I woke up in the recovery room. My mouth was painfully dry, and there was a big tube in it. When the orderly …
Psalm 18:16 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”
[Our God is never too busy to stoop down and help any …
Psalm 18:9-15 “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the …
Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his …
More thoughts on Psalm 18:3 “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, I am saved from my enemies.”
On one level of danger, we all were entangled …
Psalm 18:3 “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,”
[You, Lord [Jehovah], are worthy of praise because of your holiness. You are completely …
Psalm 18:2b “my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”
[You, O God, are Elohim, the powerful One who showed your might in creation; and you are the …
Autobio Time Again.
After being told I had to have an angiogram to see the condition of my heart, Barbara and I walked to “Hope Hospital,” a …
Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;”
[You, Jehovah, the holy and sin-hating God, Creator of the Universe, the Beginner and …
You, Jesus, declared in John 15:9, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
In verse 11 you continue, “.... I have …
Psalm 18 is one of my favorite psalms, for it reveals the rich and deep relationship David had with his Lord. His God who sustained him in the midst …
You are the God who forgives, cleanses, adopts, equips and invites us into significant roles in your great plan.You will right wrong, infuse good, …
Praise you, my Heavenly Father, King of Glory, Creator of the universe, the Beginner and Ender of time. When you created all the physical universe, …
Psalm 17:15 “And I—in righteousness I will see your face;”
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have given me your righteousness and opened the way so …
Picture: ready for my stress test
Two years after Barbara’s fall down the stairs, we went on vacation in late September. Barbara first went to a …
Psalm 17:14 “O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life”
[The wicked are in the hand of the evil …
Psalm 17:12 “…the wicked who assail me…are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.”
[Our powerful enemies, Satan and his …
Psalm 17:11 “They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.”
[Satan intentionally sends his servants …
Psalm 17:9 "… hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.”
[For David, these enemies …
Psalm 17:8b “hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
[You, Heavenly Father, actively shelter your children, covering us with your Presence and Power, …
More on Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye;”
And in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”
How does the Father love …
Last week we wrote about Nat’s very short courtship leading to his good, long marriage. He needed a nudge to consider the girl he married. And so …
Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye;”
[This, Lord God, is how you view each of your children, the object of your illogical, unbelievable …
As a Christian, you have probably heard the term "spiritual warfare" more than once. It's a common phrase used in the church and in Christian …
Psalm 17:7 “Show the wonder of your great love,[Yours, Lord Jesus, is a love far richer and deeper, more committed than even David could know in his …
Psalm 17:6 “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.”
[Your faithfulness, Lord, is the impetus for prayer. …
Psalm 17:3 “Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing;”
[Here is a statement I find hard to …
Psalm 17:2 “May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.”
[Truly, vindication can only fully come from you, Lord, for only you …
Psalm 17:1 “Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry.”
[You, Lord, are the prayer-answering God. Intercession was your idea, giving us a way …
Right from the time he was little Nat had an intense interest in airplanes and flying. He decided early on that he wanted to be a pilot, so we got …
Two more things God promises us in Psalm 16:11
“you will fill me with joy in your presence,”
[Truly, knowing Jesus is enough for joy! The more we know …
Psalm 16:8b,9 “…he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;”
[You, Lord God, are the reason I …
Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me.”
[To my shame, I cannot say that I do this always, but certainly want to keep you at the center of …
Psalm 16:7 “I will praise the LORD,”
[Yes, I will wholeheartedly, with every part of my being, praise you--such a wonderful Lord you are, the King of …
“surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
[Out of your glorious treasures you have prepared a rich inheritance for your undeserving children. As it …
Psalm 16:6 “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;”
[Where you have placed us, Lord, is more than pleasant: we are within the …
After Barbara fell down the stairs and I picked her up and ran out to the real estate agent’s car. He drove us to the nearest medical place, a …
[All I have comes from you, O Holy God: my position, my provision, my protection, my …
Psalm 16:3 “As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.”
[You, Heavenly Father, made us saints when …
Psalm 16:2b “apart from you I have no good thing.”
[This is a full focus on Truth—only you, Lord, are truly Good. All else that I have is …
Psalm 16:1 “Keep me safe, O God,”
[And You can easily do this, Lord Jesus, for as my Good Shepherd you are incredibly powerful, deeply wise, …
You, Lord, are a wonder, too good to be true--but are actually even better than that!
I thank you so much, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of not …
Praise be to you, Lord God, for your kind and consistent, detailed and direct involvement in our lives.
I exalt you, Lord, for how you are so …
Chapter 80 Forced Adjustments
In 1993 I began to have chest pains that then migrated down my left arm. I got a stress test done, but it did not …
One night when I went to give a discipleship lesson, I found that the couple had just gotten a new little dog. He’d been suddenly taken from his …
[News: Barbara is home from the hospital and is much better!]
Thank you for your prayers for Barbara. She is definitely better today and may come home tomorrow!Day 2 of retirement (written in 2015)Praise be to …
A little different post today: 3 requests for prayer.First, I just came home from spending the day at the hospital with my little wife, Barbara. She …
Day one of my retirement—written in 2015
Praise you, Lord, for this, the first real day of my retirement from official ministry. It is the dawning …
Another person who joined us in the fellowship start was Robert, who had a sister and brother-in-law who came to Christ in another city through the …
Psalm 15:4 “who despises a vile man”
[You see all; nothing is hidden from you; you know what is vile and rightly reject it. In righteousness you …
Psalm 14:6 “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.”[Ungodly people prey on the poor instead of praying to God. …
Psalm 14:2 “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”
More Autobio
The Lord was busy working in other people, too. The little photocopy business on the ground floor of our bookstore building was put up …
[This is a clear definition of a fool: one with no spiritual discernment or interest, …
Psalm 13:6 "I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”
[David here still did not have an answer, he was still in danger, but this is a …
[Thank you that we can cry to you in our …
“How long will my enemy triumph over me?”[At times the enemy does triumph over us—evil leaders arise in nations (such as ISIS), bad decisions are …
Psalm 12:7 “O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people [oppressors and liars] forever.”[Praise you for this certainty, Lord, both …
One of our desired outcomes from opening the bookstore and holding the seminars was to see a new fellowship started. In preparation for this, we …
Psalm 12:6 “And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”[Praise you, Lord God, the King …
The Gift of Truth ll
Psalm 12:5 “’Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will …
[In spite of how it appears, I praise you, Lord, that …
The Wonder of a Sovereign God, who in His Sovereignty gives each person a sphere where they can make real, ethical and moral choices. He loves to …
Psalm 146:9 “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,”[You, O Lord, not only see, but act on behalf those who are …
Psalm 146:8b, “…the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,”
[You, Lord, in your tender love, reach out to all those who are depressed, discouraged …
More AutobioIt was 2001 and now that we were unified as a team we could begin to use the bookstore to hold seminars in an attempt to find …
Psalm 146:8 “…the LORD gives sight to the blind….”[Praise you, Lord, that this is true both physically and spiritually. Spiritual sight is by far …
Satan uses all of his powers to oppress, control, and in the end to crush us like the car in the picture below, killing all he can.But You, Lord …
Psalm 146:7b “The LORD sets prisoners free....”[Right from the beginning of our lives we are all imprisoned by sin in the web of Satan. Everyone is …
You are yourself beautiful, O Lord.You are lovely in goodness, graciousness and gloriousness.You are righteous and just, positive and pure. .You are …
The Gift of BeautyPraise the LORD, for another sunny day with pleasant weather and a beautiful countryside: rich, warm morning sunshine streaming …
The Gift of Supply ll
[You, Heavenly Father, with the resurrection of Jesus, went right to …
Our Net Team was initially made up of three couples. The other two couples were in their thirties with small children, a …
The Gift of Supply
Praise be to you, Lord, for your great and gracious heart. Praise you that you look down and see every single person on this …
The Gift of Faithfulness
[You, Lord, are the persistent God of Hope, forever pouring joy and …
Psalm 11:7b “His countenance beholds the upright.”[You, Lord, in your love and goodness, consistently look after us, your children--we who now stand …
Psalm 11:5b “But the wicked and the one who loves violence, His [God’s] soul hates."[Here is one of those seeming paradoxes of the Bible: God loves …
Posted on December 30th, 2022
Psalm 19:11 “By [The ordinances of the LORD] is your servant warned;”
[They reveal danger, show us how to avoid evil and …
[My inner being, below my consciousness, is largely inscrutable and opaque to …
[This is where I am fully responsible …
Yes, Lord, may both my …
