PRAISE AND POWER                                   A PROMISE KEPT                                      January 15, 2020
According to Acts 1:2, Jesus Christ met with the apostles whom he had chosen just before his ascension. The following took place: “And, being assembled together with them [Jesus with the twelve apostles], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the...

PRAISE AND POWER                                      FINISH THE COURSE                          December 31, 2019
Most of us have experienced starting a project, and then not seeing it through to completion. Maybe you were going to build something, or you determined to learn to make a quilt, but it never happened. We read about marathon runners. Certainly they all started out excited and ready to go the distance. Some would stumble and fall and stay down. Others would pick themselves up and keep pushing until they reached...

PRAISE AND POWER                                         GOD CARES                                   December 25, 2019
As Christian believers we would never say, or even think that God is too busy to care for us. We would never say our problem is too big, or too small, to take to God. But by our actions that is just what some of us do from time to time. As Christians we want to rise up to the level of God's Word and live according to His promises. God does care...

PRAISE AND POWER                   GOD’S GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE              December 20, 2019
What does it mean when we talk about God’s grace, mercy and peace? Each of the epistles opens in the first few verses with grace and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing to God’s people! Grace is unmerited favor, receiving something we didn’t work for or earn -- an undeserved blessing. We are saved by grace. “Even when we were...

PRAISE AND POWER                       GOD ATTENDS TO OUR PRAYERS                        December 17, 2019
The book of Psalms shows us how David and others poured out their hearts before God. This can be an example for us. "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." (Psalm 62:8)
In another Psalm God’s Word says: "I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me....

PRAISE AND POWER                    ENJOY VICTORY NOW                    November 29, 2019
What do we do when we face difficult situations in our day by day living? We need to remember that our God has already given us the victory over every challenge we face. Jesus Christ said in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” He said,...

PRAISE AND POWER                      FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS                        November 22, 2019
God tells us in Philippians 3:13: ". . . but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…"  As Christian believers we have the right and responsibility to refute the past and declare null and void the things that God has said He would remember no more.
Hebrews 8:12 and 10:7 tell us that God promised, ". . ....

PRAISE AND POWER                             EDIFY ONE ANOTHER                           November 7, 2019
We have all been in situations when someone has been critical of us, or disappointed us, or things have not gone our way. Our response might be to turn on that person and say something hurtful, or we might forget to go to God in prayer to help us with the situation. God is so kind and loving. He gave us very clear instructions in His Word for what...

PRAISE AND POWER       PRAYER IS CONVERSATION WITH GOD           October 31, 2019
Prayer is more than asking for things. It is more than making self-centered requests. It is more than asking God to intervene in our behalf, or in behalf of another. It is not a ritual, or a rite or reading "prayers" written out by someone else. It is not an effort to get God to change His mind. Prayer is not reminding God about what He's "got to do." Prayer...

PRAISE AND POWER                                POWER IN PRAYER                            October 27, 2019
We often simply mouth our prayer without heartfelt believing.  We sometimes do this because we really are not convinced that God can or will answer our prayer.  We may pray in a certain way because those are the words we have been taught to say for certain things or because we think that is the way we are supposed to do it.  Then we wonder why our prayers are not answered.
God’s...

PRAISE AND POWER                       PRAYER AND COMPASSION                       October 20, 2019
Ephesians 2:8 -10 declares that at the time of the new birth, God created spirit in us, unto good works.            
II Timothy 3:16 -17 then goes on to say that He gave us His Word so that we might be fully equipped unto all good works. Among the works we can do is pray. We can pray with the understanding and with the spirit.
Yet there is...

PRAISE AND POWER                                PRAYER A PART OF LIFE                               October 15, 2019
Prayer should not be a religious ritual but a way of life which involves practicing the presence of God. Some people memorize "prayers." Some read a prepared "prayer." 
Matthew 6 sets out some boundaries for our prayer life. "Take heed that ye do not alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew.6:1) It's not to be done...

PRAISE AND POWER                               GREATER LOVE                        September 28, 2019
A lawyer once tempted Jesus Christ by asking “which is the great commandment in the law?” Matthew 22 gives his answer: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang...

PRAISE AND POWER                               THE GOLDEN RULE                        September 21, 2019
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) Simply stated this is the so called “golden rule”: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This takes effort and forethought. It also gives a tangible measure for interactions with others. A person knows how he or she would...