A Christian Life: Don’t Take It for Granted!
I hope you spent a wonderful Christmas day celebrating the joyful event of Jesus’ birth. Because of his birth, regardless of whatever situation we are currently facing, we can take Jesus’ promise to heart, “with God all things are possible.” On Christmas Eve, I turned on the faucet and was greeted with tepid water. This began a series of unfortunate events and made for spells of tremendous surprised yells and outbursts of laughter from my family. The water progressed from tepid
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 56 – Real Security
by TJ Bates He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. -Psalm 91:1-4 Since I feel
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 55: Searched and Known
by TJ Bates via TheologyMix.com Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely. O Lord, you hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. -Psalm 139:1-5 Does this verse make you panic thinking God knows
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 54: Nothing Can Separate Us
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 53 – The Plan
"For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:11-13 Israel was in exile when Jeremiah sent his letter to them. They had been stubborn and rebellious
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 52 – Anger and Patience
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all: he has compassion on all he has made. -Psalm 145:8-9 "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…" Not only a sweet sound, but, "What a relief! God could have been anything he wanted to be, but he is actually gracious and compassionate. In our Western or 'Christianized' world we're so used to hearing about 'amazing grace' that it doesn't seem so amazing anymore." "…Whatever pain
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 51- Beyond Random
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. -Acts 17:26 Do you ever wonder why you are alive at this particular time, what your purpose for being here is, and why you live where you live? Paul tells us that we are here in the times we live by divine assignment. "God expects us to search out and find
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 50 – Ask for the Impossible
I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? –Jeremiah 32:27 Of course the answer is: absolutely nothing! A wonderful reminder as we continue our 100 Day Prayer: "What we are doing in this 100-day period is daily lifting up to God all those things that come only from his generous hand. Nothing is the slightest bit more difficult for him to do than anything else. So while we're asking, why not ask for the moon?" TODAY'S
The Gift of Family and Friends
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. -Genesis 1:21 For most of us, we are very aware of the joy of family and friends at Christmastime. I particularly enjoy attending worship services in places where winter days bring snow and freezing temperatures. The bleak weather outside makes for a startling contrast to
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 49 – I Chose You
by TJ Bates You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. -John 15:16 Understanding the meaning of "I chose you" is so important, that instead of quoting a portion in the book, I'm quoting the complete explanation: "In the church today, we talk a lot about 'making Jesus Lord' or choosing Jesus or making a decision for him. But
