PRAISE AND POWER            MOUNTAINS TO CONQUER           March 31, 2020
Perhaps you have never had a day you felt you could not get through to God? But the children of Israel did when they were trapped at the Red Sea. To them, at first, the sky must have seemed as though it was made of brass. They were caught at a dead end. It was like the mountains were too high and the rivers too wide. They felt...

PRAISE AND POWER                   IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD              March 25, 2020
There is a wonderful verse in Galatians which includes an exhortation. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith [believing].” (Galatians 6:10) People are not a part of the household of believing simply by physical birth. God makes us part of His household even though we do not deserve it. Let’s look...

PRAISE AND POWER                   GRACE AND PEACE                  March 19, 2020
“Grace and peace" are a part of the greeting in each of the church epistles. Grace is God’s unmerited favor -- things given to us that we don't deserve. God has given us so much by grace, when we didn't deserve it or earn it. "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; …)" (Ephesians 2:5) Our salvation is...

PRAISE AND POWER                            Author of Peace                               March 7, 2020
Jesus Christ came into the world as the "Prince of Peace." His coming was attended with a divine proclamation: "Peace on earth, good will to men." Now, 2,000 years later, there is much talk about peace, but there is little peace in the world.  There are wars, controversies, group struggles.  People who are envious of other people. Even Christians, who should know better, offend and are offended.
The question here is often...

PRAISE AND POWER                               TRUST IN THE LORD                                 February 29, 2020
Trust is included as a step toward believing. First a person has to hear information, what is to be believed. Next a person has to have confidence in the source of the information. Having confidence in the source, a person can also have confidence in the information. Next trust in the source and the information is required. With confidence and trust regarding both the source of the information and...

PRAISE AND POWER                       RUN TO NOT FROM GOD                February 24, 2020
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you've tried to run away from God? Have you ever turned your back on His Word in your life, or the guidance He has given you in a particular situation? You wouldn't be the first to rebel against God and His will. Adam and Eve started us on this path by refusing to follow God's commandment. They ate of the...

PRAISE AND POWER                           By Whose Power?                      February 20, 2020
At the last supper, on the night Jesus Christ was betrayed, he told his disciples: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12) When Jesus sent out the twelve and the seventy, they were empowered and performed wonderful healings and miracles. But...

PRAISE AND POWER                                   LOVE ONE ANOTHER                                February 14, 2020
In Galatians 5:13, 14 we are given some instruction on the importance of love. Verse 13b ". . . by love serve one another.” And verse 14: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Isn't it amazing to think about all the law being fulfilled in one word -- "LOVE"? 
Ephesians 5:1, 2 tells us "Be ye therefore followers [imitators] of...

PRAISE AND POWER                      ANSWERING TEMPTATION                               January 31, 2020
“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 to...

PRAISE AND POWER                 ACCORDING TO THY WORD              January 28, 2020
Luke 1:35 - 38 records a visitation of the angel of the Lord and what was said. “And the angel answered and said unto her [Mary], The Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit, God] shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest [God] shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God….  For with God nothing shall be...

PRAISE AND POWER                     KNOWLEDGE AND POWER OF GOD                      January 20, 2020
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures [God’s Word], nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) This was a statement made by Jesus Christ to the Sadducees in a discussion regarding the resurrection. There are two things unknown to these Sadducees; they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God. Both things need to be known. A person cannot know...

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...