James begins his letter with the statement, “Count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds.” Not if we meet them but rather when we meet them. He says that if we remain steadfast we will receive the crown of life. In our text from yesterday, James points out that God is not…
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Growing up I loved reading. One of my favorite genres was spy novels. I read all of the James Bond novels.…
We all have a past. Some good and some bad. How we deal with our past impacts our future. In the Old Testament, Joseph certainly had a strange and difficult past. He was thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and then sold into slavery. He was falsely accused of impropriety by the wife…
In the Old Testament, there is a man named Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s story started with a burden. As the people were set to return to Jerusalem, he saw the condition of Jerusalem’s wall and knew the situation was desperate. Without a wall, people returning to Jerusalem after years in captivity would be unprotected and vulnerable to…
Remember the Tina Turner hit song, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” Well, as I read through God’s Word – the scriptures, I find that Love has a lot to do with it. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love… I am nothing…Love is patient and…
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 We just finished Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I believe that many…
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2 As we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we came to this verse about the importance of prayer. Prayer is one of the primary means by which we communicate with God, both bringing to Him our thanks,…
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2 Margie and I have been planting a garden for the last few years. Right now we are enjoying tomatoes and peppers, and we have made lots of pickles…
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) Philemon 10-11 In the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon, both he and a man named Onesimus were in prison together. Onesimus was…
Today is the celebration of our independence and freedom as a Nation. Fireworks have been going off in my neighborhood for the last several days – at least I hope they’re fireworks, and our grill is heating up for hamburgers and hot dogs. As we look at the freedoms we share as a country, far…