“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 (NKJV) Imagine you wake up in the morning, and it’s a beautiful day. You praise God as you head out into the world, but the day turns out to be nothing like you expected. People are turning on you, anger and pain surrounds you; even loved ones seem to be against you. The noise of the world becomes almost too loud to bear; your past comes to bear down against you. Or worse yet, what if by the end of the day you found yourself unjustly put in jail: sitting on a cold slab ..read more

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12 I have always loved walking along the beach, or through a paddock, or searching through disused quarries. Why?  Well, I love stones and pebbles.  Each one is different whether it is their size, their color, their texture or their shape and I marvel at the different strata’s that make beautiful patterns in them.  Even broken rocks have their inner beauty and it is often only when they are broken that you can see the magnificence within.  Some are smooth and easy to handle, beautiful colors an ..read more

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 Sometimes in life, it’s the smallest jobs that are hardest to get done. I know in university, I would often forget small assignments because they seemed so insignificant. The teachers needed to make sure they were worth a good percentage of our grade; otherwise no one would have ever done them. Some students didn’t do them either way. As for me, I wouldn’t have completed smaller assignments unless they contributed to my grade. I’m so glad God is not like me ..read more

“You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV) We are free either to love God or not. He invites us to love Him.  He urges us to love Him.  He came that we might love Him.  But, in the end, the choice is yours and mine.  To take that choice from each of us, for Him to force us to love Him, would be less than love…. He leaves the choice to us. By Max LucadoUsed by permission From: Everyday Blessings To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at: http://maxlucado.com/about/ FURTH ..read more

“I have hidden your word in my heart.”.. “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”  Psalm 119:11 and 18 She is a wife and mother, busy with the details involved in maintaining a family and household. Outside the walls of her home she works in her church and community. Life can be overwhelming even for the most organized and Holy Spirit-filled woman. In the middle of one such busy day her eyes fall on the Bible she first began studying while in college. The pages are fragile, loose and tattered, the binding broken. She stops for a moment, fingers drifting over that much ..read more

“O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.” Psalm 15:1-2 It all started when a California pastor happened by the book display at a major national retailer. He was taken aback at what he saw. All of the Bibles on display had price tags that identified them as fiction. When it hit the news there was an outcry from evangelicals who believe in Biblical truth. One leading pastor said that people should be allowed to believe what they believe, but at least the giant retail chain could l ..read more

In a world connected by the Internet, we communicate instantly, yet we may stare at the screen in wordlessness when a friend needs encouragement. “My friend is sad, but I don’t know what to say.” We think, and think, and think…. Perhaps our stammering tongue is a God-given reminder to listen before speaking. How often wounded ones seek a hearer’s encouragement only to be wounded again by rash and impatient words. It is better to be speechless than reckless, especially with someone else’s soul. God, help us to wait upon you for the best words, if any. “Listen, then seek words…give me the righ ..read more

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse When Israel lay devastated in the face of a ruthless enemy that would rob all glory and strip bare the very soul of God’s people, God issued his promise. While the destruction visited upon them was in response to their rebellion and sin, God’s punishment wasn’t punitive alone, but redemptive. In their destruction, God promised prosperity, hope, and a future. Just as a doctor must cause pain when he sets a broken bone so ..read more

Confession!  It’s a word that conjures up many images—some not so positive. Confession isn’t telling God what he doesn’t know.  That’s impossible.  It’s not pointing fingers at others without pointing any at me.  That may feel good, but it doesn’t promote healing. Confession is a radical reliance on grace—a trust in God’s goodness.  The truth is, confessors find a freedom that deniers don’t! Scripture says, “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust ..read more

”If we (freely) admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins (dismiss our lawlessness) and (continuously) cleanse us from all unrighteousness (everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action)” 1 John 1:9 (Amplified). Cleaning the oven is not my favorite thing to do. In fact, it slides down to bottom of my “to do” list several times before I actually make it a priority. I know I am not the only person who feels this way. The owner of the house we moved into obviously disliked cle ..read more