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A young lady answering the knock at the door heard the voice of a prisoner she and others had been praying for on the outside of the door. Instead of opening the door she excitedly ran back to the prayer group and said, "Peter is at the door." Though they had been praying for his release, they said, "you are out of your mind!" Peter kept knocking until they finally opened the door. They saw him and were astonished" Acts. 12:12-16. Peter went on to tell them the miracle of his prison release. Sad...
Gary experienced hardship in life. He was molested at age 7. At age 11 he was afflicted with spinal meningitis which crippled him for three years. After becoming an award-winning music producer, (working with the Association, Paul Revere and the Raiders, among many others) he was shot three times by hitmen, nearly ending his life. Gary recognized his need for God and asked Jesus Christ into his life. Following that decision, he spent the rest of his life using his talents in Gospel music. Gary...
In past years the pump section of certain church pump organs was behind a partition. While the musician was playing the keys, there was an unseen, often unnamed person vigorously pumping the bellows, building up the air pressure for the musician to make music. On one occasion, after the crowd honored the musician for beautiful playing, the pump assistant was offended because he felt unappreciated. He stopped pumping. The musician was helpless to continue. Try as he might, he had nothing to...
A cafeteria worker shared a secret for instilling in her customers a deeper appreciation for her food. She whispered to me, "I make them smell it for a while before I serve it. It makes them hungrier and more appreciative." I don't know how many tricks she had, but she definitely understood how important it was for hunger to be stimulated. The Lord appreciates a deep hunger for Him. His Word says, "Blessed (meaning "happy") are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be...
Jesus spoke of a rich man who thought he could look forward to many years of comfort and wealth. Jesus said, "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God...
We often sing a hymn that contains the phrase, "like the prophet, my pillow a stone" (referring to Jacob resting his head on a stone). Most of us know what it's like to drag ourselves through the day because we didn't sleep well the night before. The difficulty sleeping may have nothing to do with an uncomfortable pillow but with an uncomfortable heart. We may be missing the personal fellowship with the Lord that He designed us for. He may be prompting us to be attentive and awake to Him more th...
Imagine a camel trying to squeeze himself through the eye of a small needle. The picture presents a ridiculous impossibility. Yet Jesus drew that very picture with His words, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" Mt. 19:23. Because money can buy so many things, wealthy people are especially vulnerable to thinking they can even buy their way into heaven. We can't buy our way into salvation or use our wealth to redeem...
In a large, unfamiliar crowd a fellow pointed to a stranger and said to his wife, "That's got to be Tom's son. He looks just like him!" He was right. It's possible to meet a stranger and get the sense you know whose family they are a part of without a word being said. They may have a strong resemblance of their dad's eyes, a likeness of their mom's smile, or a distinct shape of the family nose. There are also identifiable characteristics in the family of God. We express the Father's nature throu...
Years ago, our van lost power as we were approaching the Snake River Bridge at Central Ferry. It didn't help that the temperature was over 100 degrees. In order to get to the shade and out of the road, our strong young son Kyle and I pushed the van (hot to the touch) up and over the bridge while Susie wrestled inside with the stiff, unyielding powerless steering. We were able to coast down the other side once we reached the middle of the bridge (and the semi-truck behind us slowed down for us)...
There was a time when certain vacuum cleaner salesmen were known for shocking their potential customers by pouring dirt on their carpets. They would quickly explain that they planned to immediately vacuum it up to show what a good job their vacuum could do. However, some were asked to leave the home before finishing their presentation because of such disrespect and insensitivity. A story is told of how embarrassed one salesman was when his vacuum malfunctioned and he left the home as quickly as...
In the l960s, a comedian became famous for the saying "The Devil made me do it!" His bit was about getting caught for doing wrong and passing the blame. The saying became extremely popular. Even school-aged children would use it on their parents, siblings, and teachers when they were caught doing something wrong. It didn't fool anyone. We are accountable for our own wrong doing though we'd like to blame someone else. However, there is a real Devil. Jesus spoke often of the Devil and the Bible...
A wife was giving credit to how continually kind and gentle her husband was. The believer who was listening asked the husband, "Are you just that way or is it a result of something else?" After 50 years of marriage to such a wonderful man, the wife was shocked to hear her husband respond, "I pray about it constantly". She had no idea. She had thought it a simple character trait but the husband knew his wife was giving him credit for something the Lord was really doing through him as an answer...
Friends: We can depend on the seed of Jesus’ life within us. The Bible teaches we are “born again” by “imperishable seed” 1 Peter 1:23. Seeds are durable in their purpose to provide new life. We have the enduring life of Jesus within us. Trusting in Him, we will endure! Whatever we are going through, we are up for it. The invisible seed planted deep within us will become visible. His life will break out all over us. It will be seen in a confident attitude, a radiant countenance, and in deeds...
We can’t really “see” the ocean. We can look on its surface, but we have no way of seeing its depths. We are unable to take in its full measure and vastness. Yet the ocean is such a marvel to us that we can occupy ourselves for a lengthy time just enjoying the little bit of it that we can see. Some enjoy the ocean because it speaks to them of the vast and immeasurable depths of God’s great love. The Bible teaches, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive...
We sit up straight and listen intently as we are hearing the older generation talk of current world conditions when they say, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Or, “I never thought I’d live to see something like this”. The hardship that has been placed on us by the coronavirus and the current unrest in our nation’s streets have made life difficult. Many are frightened. Social distancing, state-wide shut downs, riots and looting in our streets, and unbridled violence have placed a heavy burde...
The garbage company had a particular slogan painted on the sides of their trucks that read: “Your garbage is our bread and butter.” It was their way of conveying the message that they made their living out of collecting and disposing of the unwanted items placed in the trash cans they picked up. It is strange to liken our garbage to someone else’s bread and butter. The two descriptions don’t seem to match. Yet when it comes to the Lord, this slogan makes a lot of sense. The Lord doesn’t...
