Tag: Christian

Today Is Like No Other—Don’t Let It Pass You By!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)!!! I added the three exclamation points for emphasis because “this is the day that the Lord has made” and don’t let it pass you by without thanking him. We spend so much of our lives living in a combination of the past and the future that we forget about today. Regardless of your struggles today, today is a day like no other past or present. It is today and a God-made, unique, and special day. Give it and him some glory today. Continue reading “Today Is Like No Other—Don’t Let It Pass You By!”

Did You Know It Was Jesus?

The two disciples were so engaged in conversation that they failed to recognize Jesus—exactly who they were talking about on their walk to Emmaus! It wasn’t until they slowed down to eat that they saw it was Jesus, and only then when he went through the act of breaking and blessing the bread. How many times did you walk with or by Jesus yesterday and not know it was him? Continue reading “Did You Know It Was Jesus?”

Passing Over into Easter

We’re all connected, sisters and brothers under God. At sundown today, Passover begins and leads into Easter next Sunday. The Jewish people commemorate fleeing from Egypt and, right before his death, Jesus did the same by celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples. The escape from the captivity of physical slavery and the escape from our sins with Jesus’ sacrifice of his life are both connected. As are we!    Continue reading “Passing Over into Easter”

If You Don’t Think Prayer Works You’re Not Praying!!!

It’s that simple. Prayer works. If you don’t believe that, start praying. If you say, “I do, and all the time, but God doesn’t answer my prayers!”, here are a few thoughts to help. Continue reading “If You Don’t Think Prayer Works You’re Not Praying!!!”

Who’s More or Less Important Than You?

Is Warren Buffet more important than you? Is the homeless person you passed on the sidewalk less important than you? If the criteria for “importance” is money, status, etc., the instinctive answers may be “yes” to both questions. For God the answers to both are an emphatic “no.”

Continue reading “Who’s More or Less Important Than You?”

Is the Lord Among Us or Not?

“What kind of question is that? It’s the question (Exodus 17:7) that the Israelites asked all the time as they wandered the desert for 40 years. It’s the question buried in the devil’s temptation of Jesus in his desert of 40 days. It’s the question that we ask as we wander the deserts in our own lives. There’s a consistent theme at play here—wandering and questioning. As long as we wander our deserts we will ask the same question—Is God really with us, if he’s real at all?—or simply stop asking because God is nothing to us.  Continue reading “Is the Lord Among Us or Not?”

Don’t Ask for Forgiveness if You Can’t Forgive!!!

I added the 3 exclamation points after my heading today for very intentional emphasis—Don’t ask for forgiveness if you can’t forgive!!! And I’m writing this not for you and others but for me. I’m preaching to myself this morning not to bother to ask God for forgiveness if I can’t forgive others. God is always less than a heartbeat away ready to forgive us, no matter what we do or don’t do to others. The question is do we dare to ask for forgiveness if we can’t forgive those around us. The answer is an emphatic “no!” Continue reading “Don’t Ask for Forgiveness if You Can’t Forgive!!!”

Living Like a Shamrock Today and Everyday

Everyone knows the green and the beer—and the green beer—that has come to symbolize March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. But don’t let the day go by without focusing on the real story behind the day. There is a St. Patrick’s Day because of a man who took it upon himself to bring God—Father, Son, and Spirit—to a lost people. He used a little shamrock, the simple three-leaf clover that grew everywhere, to convey the often-complex notion of God being three-in-one—Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s a life lesson for all of us, not just today but everyday! Continue reading “Living Like a Shamrock Today and Everyday”

Your Plans; God’s Direction

I love this proverb from the Bible…

The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. Proverbs 16:9

God gives us free will; we are not puppets performing at the end of his strings. We plan, plot, and project our future but it is God navigating—at least when we let him. I know this sounds at odds—we plan but God directs. So, where is the free will in all that? Continue reading “Your Plans; God’s Direction”