I was reading in the book of Romans before shutting everything down for the evening. Again, as often happens, a verse seemingly leaped from the page. In my lifetime, this was not my first encounter with this verse, yet it felt as if I was reading it for the first time. Romans 15:13 has been rolling around in my spirit since that evening. I have included it from two of…
Read MoreWe wait in hope for the Lord.
Psalm 33 covers a lot of territory. It starts out with an encouragement to praise the Lord. We are told to sing and not just to sing, but to sing joyfully! It is such a great exercise to praise that it not only requires the instrument of our voices, but any other musical instrument that you have handy: “Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. (v2)” The psalmist reminds…
Read MoreThree important words for Today: Hope, Joy, Peace
In my Bible reading today, I came across a little verse tucked away in the fifteenth chapter of Romans: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul is giving words of encouragement and exhortation to believers, and I have a few observations that helped me this morning.…
Read MoreHope and a Future
A few months ago, my pastor from my early teens years came up to me during a break where I was speaking. Pastor Watson told me that he had recently taken himself off cancer medicine and that he would die soon. He then asked me if I would officiate at his funeral. He said it in a matter of fact way. I was taken a back…
Read MoreUnrelenting!
That seems to be the word of the day. Unrelenting is the new word to describe winter in our part of the world. We are used to occasional snow showers. Sub-zero temps are not unheard of in this part of the world. School cancellations, and icy roads happen this time of the year. For the past six weeks we have had snowstorm after snowstorm. The thermometer has dipped below zero…
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