“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores.” Luke 16:19-20 In the book “Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World”, Kevin Blue tells a story of […]
He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 In the book “Prayer” by Richard J. Foster, he gives the following illustration: “A venerable, old […]
“He will take great delight in you; in His love, He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 God rejoices over you with singing, so keep your love, joy and hope alive by giving Him your thanks and praise in gratitude. Respond to […]
“Joyfully you shall pull up buckets of water from the wells of salvation. And as you do it, you shall say, “Give thanks to God. Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation!” – Isaiah […]
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:2 There is a difference between expressing thanks for something and being genuinely grateful for it. For example, if you agree to do some work for a fixed sum […]
A story about an old Bendix washing machine helped one man get through the valley of loss. His parents acquired the washing machine when John Claypool was a small boy. It happened during World War II. His family owned no washing machine and they could not afford trips to the […]
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.” Romans 12:10 One day, a student was taking a walk with a professor who was commonly called the students’ friend because of his kindness and his being a life coach. As they went along, lying in the path […]
“Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” – Isaiah 25:1 In an article titled: “Here’s Why Praising God Should Come Naturally for Us”, Rachael Keefe wrote: “No matter what is happening […]
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Psalm 62:5 Many of us are not careful enough about the things we say and more importantly, we get offended way too easily. If you are holding a baby and his little hand swats you in the […]
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” — Ephesians 3:12 One of the most remote towns in the world is Grise Fiord, Canada’s most northerly community. The native Inuit name for the town means “the place that never thaws out”. The average yearly temperature […]
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1 In a sermon entitled “Carry Each Other’s Burdens”, Pastor Brian Bill said: “I’ve not watched a lot of the American Idol TV […]
“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!” Numbers 24:5 The Lord gives beauty and glory. He gives “beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That you may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the […]
“David asked, ‘Is there anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake’. 2 Samuel 9:1 Jonathan and Saul died in battle and all their families died except one – Mephibosheth who had become crippled at age five when the nurse was trying to […]
“Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?” 2 Samuel 9:8 This verse shows us how insignificant Mephibosheth thinks of himself, he had such a negative self-image of himself even though he was a descendant of the […]
“My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.” – Psalm 26:12 In the year 1858, a great citywide revival swept across the city of Philadelphia. It was called “The Work of God in Philadelphia”. Of the participating ministers, none was more powerful than […]