Whether a studio apartment in the city or a five-bedroom home in the suburbs, our home is our refuge, our safe place from the world. We not only want visitors to feel comfortable, but we want that same level of comfort for ourselves. A lot of physical labor and money…
Recent Devotions
WISDOM FROM PROVERBS “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (Proverbs 13:4, NLT) Wherever we go, we quickly discover that people do not all approach life with the same attitude or level of commitment. In school, there is often a student who does not turn in assignments or contribute to class projects, attending only because it is required. In the workplace, some people do just enough to avoid being fired. On committees, some members work with determination, while others want the recognition without putting in the effort. I’ve worked with people like this,…
Wisdom from Proverbs “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4, ESV) A familiar children’s rhyme declares, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It sounds good, but unfortunately this little rhyme is not true.…
Wisdom from Proverbs At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” . . . “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able…
Readers Loved
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the…
“And when he (Jesus) was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit… But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.” Mark 5:2, 6. The man introduced in Mark 5:1-20 is possessed by thousands of devils. Many people would probably think, oh no, that poor man, there is no hope for him. Many of us wouldn’t even try to converse with someone so bound by Satan. However, these scriptures tell us that the man didn’t wait for Jesus to come to him. As soon as…
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 The Titanic was designed by some of the most experienced engineers of its time and built with the most advanced technology available. It was considered unsinkable. So when it sank, the world was stunned. What many don’t realize is that during the design phase, engineers proposed using a newer, larger type of davit—equipment capable of lowering lifeboats over the side of the ship. With these davits, the Titanic could have carried…
“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” Acts 11:23-24, NIV. The above scriptures describe Barnabas perfectly; he was “the encourager,” and it highlights his gift of building others up. When I think about discipleship, I picture Barnabas and John Mark. Paul and Barnabas invited the young John Mark to travel with them on a missionary…
