Posts

Showing posts from August, 2014

Christian Tattoos?

Image
Two weekends ago, I had the privilege of attending the Franklin Graham Festival of Hope in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with my aunt and cousin. As volunteers, we arrived very early and the arena’s immensity stunned me. All I could say was, “Lord Jesus, fill this place with Your Spirit.” After receiving our assignments, people began filling the seats. Soon the entertainment started with music of every genre, mostly appealing to the younger crowd. There was Rap, Grunge, Alternative, etc, and for us ole-folk, earplugs. What a joy to see the kids having such a great time moving to the music of these Christian artists and then intently listening to their testimony. Each artist gave details of their life and the lies they believed until someone introduced them to Jesus. And as He does with everyone who calls upon His name to repent, believe, and receive Him as Savior and Lord, Jesus turned their lives around. They are new creations, who now sing for Him. Each evening, Jesus Christ was

The Lord of Hosts Is His Name

On a warm summer night, darkness creates a quiet calmness. Chipping tree frogs and crickets break the silence and distant stars sparkle like diamonds on black velvet. “The heavens declare the glory of God…” says the Psalmist, and my breath catches, suddenly comprehending how small I am and how great is our God! In these moments, I understand King David’s proclamation, “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God… So let Your name be magnified forever saying The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel…”  Jeremiah agrees, “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and stars for a light by night…the Lord of hosts is His name.”

Has God Made You Laugh?

       Have there been things in your life you never thought would take place, because you prayed and prayed, but nothing changed? When you began this quest, did you cling to Psalm 37:4’s promise of when we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart, only to realize His answer was no or not now? Did you pout and get angry or take matters into your own hands? Did your solution backfire or did you finally accept things as they were?        Imagine Sarah, Abraham’s wife, would answer with a resounding “Yes”, considering the years of praying for God to open her womb. Each month her prayer and anticipation, just to experience great disappointment and pain when conception did not take place. Month after month, year after year, the same thing; after a while it can make you a bit numb and desperate. Finally, as a last resort, Sarah suggested something despicable; something I believe, she would never have agreed to under any other circumstances. It was a huge sacrifi

What's Gonna Get You Through?

     Sometimes I feel as though I’m dog-paddling in the water of life, just barely keeping my head above the surface. Do you ever feel this way?      If so, then you know how hard it is to maintain our closeness with God. But we must , because He is the Source of our strength (Psalm 27:1). He will bring us through .      In this time of treading water, I need the hope and transformation  Ezekiel 47:1-12  conveys:

A Letter of Christ

Image
www.wikipedia.org In this very busy digital age, we have all but lost the art of letter writing. Gone are the days of the eloquent handwritten letter with its etiquette and style. But here to stay are emails, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, and all the others. Amedeo Momo Simonetti www.wikipedia.org For years, personal letters became keepsakes; tangible and identifiable items straight from the heart of a loved one, perhaps many miles from home. Just by observing the handwriting, the reader could recognize the writer and almost feel their presence. And no matter how many times they reread the letter , the  feeling was the same. I realize it is much faster to shoot out an email, post on Facebook, tweet, or text, and receive almost immediate gratification, but it’s not the same. Our busyness and time constraints necessitate this mode of communication. Yet, when someone does take the time to hand-write a letter or card, it somehow feels more special and so do we.