PRAISE AND POWER                           A PRAYER FROM THE HEART                       November 14, 2018
Prayer should not be a religious ritual but a way of life which involves practicing the presence of God. Some memorize "prayers." Some read a prepared "prayer."
Matthew 6 sets out some boundaries for our prayer life. It's not to be done for the recognition of other men. "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward...

PRAISE AND POWER                     YOU ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE                        October 31, 2018
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:3-4) This is a rhetorical question. God is mindful of each individual. Our God is the creator of all the heavens so vast and...

PRAISE AND POWER             ARE YOU DERAILED OR ON TRACK?                October 25, 2018
One time we [Milford and Betty] were riding on a short excursion train in southern Indiana, a minor accident occurred and several cars of that train and the engine de-railed leaving the track. There were no injuries, just disappointments. It was not able to move ahead and another train, and even some school busses came to rescue us. When the train was on the...

PRAISE AND POWER                WHO DO WE RUN TO           October 21, 2018
Who do we run to when we are faced with fears or unsettling situations in our lives? As little children we probably ran to Mom or Dad for safety and protection. They were bigger and stronger and knew how to take care of us. They would shelter us from harm and danger.
A refuge is a place that provides shelter and protection. Geese and ducks have places where they can go where they...

PRAISE AND POWER                   GOD’S DESIRE FOR HIS PEOPLE                        October 11, 2018
Some people, Christian people, do not know God’s will for their lives. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (III John 2) Other people think God makes them sick. God’s desire is that His people prosper and enjoy good health. What a comfort to know that God’s desire, is for health and prosperity. Psalm 1:1-3 tells of the...

PRAISE AND POWER                WORDS CAN BLESS              September 29, 2018
How great it is to hear someone say things like, "you are the best," "you're beautiful," or "what you did is awesome."  Often we hear things that ridicule, defame and debase.  Words form pictures in the mind. Mind pictures can enhance or discourage believing.  Words have meaning.  We even have an effect on what others think by the words we...

PRAISE AND POWER      WHEN ONE BELIEVER STANDS     September 23, 2018
God’s Word was almost extinguished many times in human history. It was only because of the believing of a handful of people that it continued to exist through those dreadful times. At one point Noah and his immediate family were the only ones to believe God when the world sank into depravity. Because they stood with God they were able to continue ministering His Word after the...

PRAISE AND POWER                   WAIT AND TRUST               September 17, 2018
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14) God tells us to wait on Him. Instead, we often want to do things according to our timing. We live in an “instant generation.” We want it and we want it NOW. We have instant potatoes, instant pudding, microwaves, and e-mail. We are an impatient people, and yet God instructs us...

PRAISE AND POWER               BLESSED, CHOSEN AND BLAMELESS             September 6, 2018
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:…”(Ephesians 1:3-4)
WOW! If we would just think about those two verses, how blessed our lives would be! God has blessed us in...

PRAISE AND POWER               ANSWERING TEMPTATION           August 31, 2018
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: …” (James 1:13) God does not tempt. We are never tempted of God. I Corinthians 10:13 tells us more about temptation. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [allow] you...

PRAISE AND POWER                        JESUS CHRIST, THE LIFE                   August 25, 2018
One of the great statements Jesus Christ made about himself is found in John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus Christ] am come that they [believers] might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus Christ was and is all about life. Another account records: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,...

PRAISE AND POWER                                     JESUS CHRIST THE WAY                              August 21, 2018
“Jesus saith unto him [Thomas, a disciple], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Some translators have indicated that this could be translated “… I am...

PRAISE AND POWER                       TWO KINDS OF WISDOM                  August 8, 2018
We live in the information age. We can choose from a number of sources to acquire wisdom. Although what is considered in this article focuses on wisdom, it could just as easily be applied to knowledge, learning, believing and practice. There are two kinds of wisdom. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally [generously], and upbraideth not [without insulting];...

PRAISE AND POWER                   GOD’S WORD HEALS                July 25, 2018
Psalm 107:20 says: “He [God] sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” God sent His Word out to His people and as they believed that Word, He healed them. There are many sections in the Scriptures which illustrates this truth. One of the great ones related how Jesus spoke God’s Word to a centurion, who believed and received deliverance for one of...

PRAISE AND POWER             GOD’S WORD IN OUR HEART          July 18, 2018
Psalm 119:11 says: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” One of the benefits of knowing God’s Word is knowing His will. For the born from above believer, sin is breaking fellowship with God by disobedience to His Word. If we know His Word “by heart” meaning we have memorized God’s Word, that will help us not to break fellowship...