Did you know that Jesus flipped over the merchants tables in the temple two times? Here is the account from Matthew: We find that Jesus did this before his public ministry in John 2:13-16 and then again right before his crucifixion as cited in Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17 and Luke 19:45-46. Why did Jesus cleanse the temple? Jesus said it: They made it a house of merchandise, but it was suppose to be a house of prayer. People came from long distances to the temple to worship especially during passover week. Think of it in terms of people traveling to go to the Olympics, Daytona 500 ..read more

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 A lot of us have heard this verse, but I think that many of us don’t really take it very seriously. After all, it is so much easier to focus on the things that we can see and feel. Yet, there is a very real war going on in the world and all human beings are affected by it. This war is a literal battle for the soul of each and every one of us. You might ..read more

Don’t’ be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b This is the time of year that a lot of us are feeling very worn out. I feel like I notice it more because of the cold weather and lack of sunny days. But it’s more than just that.  A sense of being worn out happens to all of us for many different reasons. Weariness can cause us to quit doing things that we know we should be doing. We can even be tempted into going back to things that we know we shouldn’t be doing because it just seems easier. When this happens to us, we always have the solution. It’s the same soluti ..read more

The Bible isn’t filled with ancient stories of spiritual people who could never relate to our fast-paced, modern culture. When you really start reading, it’s easy to find that the people written about in Scripture were down to earth people just like you and me. And that’s all for a good reason. The Bible is for every generation, every culture, and every person. Recently I have been thinking about two sisters in the Bible, Mary and Martha. One story about them is in Luke 10:38-42. As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into he ..read more

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46 Have you ever been able to relate to this verse at one time or another in your life? Maybe you have even encountered a person who ultimately uses it as an excuse for rejecting God. I mean, why would they ever want to follow a God who forsakes them in the first place? This thinking, however, comes from a lack of knowledge about the true nature of God.  Life is full of pain and trials. But how do we deal with it? Many of us draw inward and become depressed, others become angry or bitter, and still others turn to pain-numbing "solutions ..read more

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given... Isaiah 9:6 KJV It’s that time of year again. The festivities are in full swing. Concerts and parties are being attended, gifts are being bought and wrapped. Trees and houses are being decorated. For many people, this is the “most wonderful time of the year.” For others, though, it can be a time of loneliness or even sorrow.  For some reason the Christmas season is a very emotional time. I see this everywhere. Many adults want to re-live their childhood years of excitement and gift giving. Others are hurting over a missing loved one. S ..read more

This year, I decided to join a choir at my local college. Since quitting my job at the church, I needed an outlet to perform music on a stage. After all, playing, singing, and performing music are some of my favorite things to do! So when a friend told me about a choir she was part of, I decided to give it a shot and audition. I was selected as a singer for the alto section. During the first rehearsal, we were given the music we were to perform at the annual Christmas concert. I wasn't sure what to expect, considering I would be singing in a secular college choir. But I was shockingly pleased ..read more

In these days when there seems to be so much going on around us, it is very easy to be fearful. We don’t know what is going to happen and we can't control the future. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by it, and panic can set in. This can lead to added stress and our health can be affected.  Did you know that God is aware of all of this? He knows that we struggle with fear…and that we sometimes struggle a lot. The reason that God knows all about it is because He created us. He knows all about our weaknesses. For He knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:14 God knows t ..read more

Sometimes I look at my past self and just shake my head. I was 30 before I had a child. In my 20’s most of my friends started having children - some of their children were nearly teenagers before my own kid was born. I watched all of them, noting the parenting techniques that worked and those that didn’t. After a decade of careful observation, I knew that parenting would be a piece of cake. I could just bypass all of the mistakes that younger, unexperienced parents would make. (Insert head-shaking here.) As soon as my daughter was born, I realized that this was not the cake walk I thought it w ..read more

Have you ever met someone that introduces themselves as a Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, etc. before they tell you that they are a Christian? I used to do that! In my case, it was because of denominational focus. Denominational focus becomes dangerous when we start revering our denomination more than God. As Christians, it’s not our denomination that we worship. We worship Christ. What is denominational focus? Denominational focus is when a person places more value with the beliefs and ideologies of their church denomination rather than with the Bible. Some people call this “legalism.” Unfortuna ..read more