Yesterday, my church sang about the powerful name of Jesus. If ever a spoken word had the power of life and death, it would certainly be the name of Jesus. I taught my children to speak His name whenever they were afraid. If the word on our tongues is the name of Jesus, then we…
Before launching into his sermon yesterday, my pastor looked directly into the camera lens to speak to the people who watched online. He acknowledged those of us physically present with him, and asked us to grant him a moment to address those who were not in the building—specifically those who could have been seated there…
I sat behind a prayer warrior Sunday during one of my church’s worship gatherings. When she and her husband asked if the seats were taken, I said I’d been saving them for spirit-filled people who would magnify God’s presence during worship. They laughed. I was only half joking. I had not saved the seats, but…
A subtle tweak to a true statement can render it false. A slight variation from a rock solid expression can shake its sure foundation. A commonly repeated phrase with a tweak or variation from truth can advance a lie. Lately, I keep hearing one such subtly deceiving phrase. It’s becoming quite common, and I’ve heard…
I love the placement of the word “but” in the context of this verse. The preceding two verses call the one who trusts in man cursed. Not so for the one who trusts in God! The prophet ends on a high note. I’ve seen this careful arrangement of phrases before in Scripture, and it’s a…
A few friends and I hosted a baby shower for my daughter, Sarah, on Saturday. She’s carrying my first grandchild, and I can hardly wait to welcome that precious little one in about 13 weeks. Sarah set a small, round table on the porch near the food buffet with candles, flowers and a Bible open…
Picture a huge outdoor amphitheater like the ones at Disney’s MGM theme park or Universal Studios, and you’ll be able to imagine the scene of an unsettling dream I had. Filled with several thousand spectators, the stadium seating formed an enormous arc around the stage. I sat in a row way up near the back,…
As I sat down to choose a memory verse to post today on Memorial Day, I couldn’t help but think of this one from Romans. In context, it applies to the great love God showed for us by sending Christ to die for us. According to this verse, most people would not be willing to…
Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, the seventh Sunday after Easter. It’s the day set aside to commemorate the supernatural event described in the second chapter of Acts, when the Holy Spirit came upon believers just as Jesus had promised. I served on the prayer team at a community-wide gathering hosted by my local church last night.…
I’ll keep today’s post almost as short as our memory verse, which isn’t even a whole verse. I encourage you to read Matthew 6:5-14 to see it in context. (The entire passage is a direct quote from Jesus.) Perhaps then you’ll know why I decided to keep this brief. Easy to memorize and well worth…
