Jan 16, 2020
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. …Rise up, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed. Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, “You …
Jan 8, 2020
A common misconception among believers is that only certain “special” individuals in the church are anointed by God, but the “average” Christian is not. First of all, there is no such thing as an average believer! If the Spirit of God lives in you, then you are extraordinary. You are anointed! The key is to activate and release that anointing …
by Teri Secrest
Nov 13, 2019
It’s Christmas Eve and billowing drifts of snow are racing across the frozen waters of Clear Lake. My brother, three sisters, and I are scrambling to get our best clothes on, just in time to pile into our slightly worn station wagon and head to midnight Mass. As the youngest of five children, it was hard to pay attention through …
Oct 22, 2019
When I meet someone new, it often takes me a minute to shake their hand. It’s not that I’m shy. I just have to take a moment to balance myself so I can lean on one crutch while freeing my other hand. I had polio as a child and now, every day of my life, I strap on leg braces …
by Carol McLeod
Sep 27, 2019
Does your heart ever feel overwhelmed? Perhaps you are disheartened by your inability to meet everyone’s expectations and demands. Honestly, there are days in my life when my heart vacillates between being raw with paralyzing frustration and being stimulated by a thousand agitations. Continuously, the floods of demands, disciplines, people, chores, habits, vices, and commitments create a massive quagmire in …
Sep 27, 2019
Some people think that getting a disease is like standing under the wrong tree at the wrong time and just getting nailed. “Why did this happen to me?” Why did it happen to you? Why did you get sick? It’s time to discover the answer to this agonizing question. If the Bible gives us promises of health and healing—such as …
by Chris Palmer
Sep 23, 2019
I dreaded Greek more than any other class in college. It had me awake at 7:30 a.m., enduring lectures until 9 a.m.—and it was torture. Back then, I wouldn’t have been voted the student most likely to write studies from the Greek. Admittedly, however, the Greek did make reading the New Testament come to life in high definition. At least …
Aug 23, 2019
The Sight of Our Imperfections Should Not Take Away Our Peace There is something about your suffering which is very subtle and perhaps hard for you to understand. For even though you are convinced that your first concern is the glory of God, yet in your inmost soul it is the old self which keeps causing you so much trouble. …