I am old enough to remember the thrill of receiving a letter in the mail. I had several pen-pals (“virtual friends” of a bygone era) when I was growing up. I invested heavily in stationary, sealing wax and stamps.

Waiting for the mailman to hand-deliver the mail was an event that marked each day like the ringing of town church bells. I anxiously awaited each delivery, looking for handwritten messages from my frien

ds. God has also given us a message, a handwritten love letter delivered down through the ages from papyrus to paper. When we read and receive God’s missives, He expects us to sound forth His truths to those around us and to the coming generations. The Good News is a message of hope and salvation for every tribe, tongue and nation. Let His Word sound forth.

To do Part 5 of A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith Part 5; Sound Forth

Welcome to part 4 of 1 Thessalonians: A Life of Faith. I pray God richly blesses you for your diligence to His Holy Word.

Proverbs 22:1 states,  “A good name is is to be desired more than great wealth.”

A good name is very important. Indeed, parents expend great amounts of time and energy in choosing the perfect name for their progeny.  A poorly chosen name can mean a life of frustration for the the one who bears it. Names serve not only as markers of identity, put they become indicators of character as well. Say the name of a well-loved individual and everyone’s face will light with favor. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true; the mention of a bad name produces discord and murmuring.  There is one Name that stands above every other name. At the sound of  The Name, every knee must bow and tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord!

To continue 1 Thessalonians: A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 4: The Name

The Bible states God is the God of Hope. He offers His hope to us through the good news of the Gospel. By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can accept one of the many gifts of the Gospel–hope.  “The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:11. In the face of hardship, trials and persecution, we please God when we choose to fear Him instead of our circumstances.

Because of the Gospel, we have hope for our trials, our diagnosis, our wounds and our brokenness. To learn about the hope of the Gospel, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith: The Gospel, Part 3

Peace out. Peace on earth. Peace of mind.

What comes to your mind when you think of peace? According to www.globalissues.org, the world spends about $2 trillion dollars every year to keep the peace. We only have to listen to the news for a few moments to realize that our peace plan is ineffective. A life of peace cannot be bought with earthly currency; it is only purchased through faith by the blood of Christ. The world continues to rage, and we continue to face hardships and challenges. But when we live a life of faith, God gives us His grace so we can live in peace with Him.

To do today’s Bible study, please click on the link below;

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Grace and Peace

Welcome to Day Five of One-Week Workout!  God has great blessings in store for you today! Jane and I are praying for you to grow stronger spiritually and physically. Today let’s humble ourselves before the Lord so He will lift us up.  Get your Bible, pen and notebook and let’s get going!

 Bible Study:

To do the Day Five Bible study, just click on the link!

One-Week Workout! Bible Study: Day Five

 Workout Options:

Easy  2 Mile Walking Workout

Intermediate 3 Mile Walking Workout

Advanced  4 Mile Walking Workout

Extra Challenge with Coach Dan!

Do you want a little extra challenge? Join Coach Dan of Let’s Go Fitness for a quick workout!

Doubt. Hopelessness. Discouragement.

Three feelings that I have struggled with today because of a situation that is very slow to resolve. Yet in the midst of this, God shows me what my place needs to be in this story by encouraging me with another’s story, that of Obadiah.

1 Kings 18 opens with a vignette of Obadiah’s life. He lived in a precarious time, during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. As you may know, King Ahab goes down as one of the most wicked kings in Israel; he was married to Jezebel, a notorious woman in her own right. Together they were a formidable pair. The people of Israel had been suffering through a three-year drought when Obadiah is introduced. The Bible describes him as “a devoted follower of the Lord.” I was then shocked to find out what his job was: Obadiah was in charge of the palace! Imagine that. Talk about being in the lion’s den.

In his position, he, a devout believer, would have constant contact with the royal family. As I thought about that, it occurred to me that it was no accident that Obadiah was where he was. God strategically put this man of faith in the place where he would be able to thwart the evil that was going on around him. And the Bible shows us that he did that. When Jezebel tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah heroically hid 100 of them and supplied them with food and water. He probably would not have been privy to the inside information (and resources) that tipped him off to the prophets’ plight had he been living anywhere else.

As I was lamenting my own situation, I began to see that God also has me exactly where he wants me. Right in the midst of this mess that needs the prayer of a believer. Because only God can “unmess” it. Just like Obadiah, I need to put my intercessory prayers in that gap between heaven and earth as I pray for a resolution to this problem. I may not like the situation, but I need to make myself useful while I am here.

How about you? Where does God have you at today? That illness, that relationship tangle, that addiction is just the place where he needs a prayer warrior courageously interceding for healing and reconciliation. It’s time to get to work.

Doubt. Hopelessness. Discouragement + Prayer =  Faith. Hope. Encouragement.

Pray on!