David answered Gad, “I’m in anguish. Please, let me fall into the LORD’s hands because his mercies are very great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.” (1 Chronicles 21:13, CSB)It is true! God forgives completely and remembers our sins against us no more! On the other hand, humans have long memories and, apart from God, can hold our sins over us for a lifetime. Sometimes the recipients of merc...  Read More

As I was reading today's Prayer Journal on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, that 'all Scripture is breathed into by God', my mind was taken back to our recent conversation about the Name God gave Moses ("I Am" - Exodus 3:14) being transliterated, YHWH, and in Hebrew sounding like breath - YH = inhale; WH = exhale. Every time we breathe, we speak His Name. He is our Life, our Breath.Next, my mind went to a video...  Read More

Most of us probably read the word 'Baal' and think of the great encounter of Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. In many cases, Baal is associated with the worship of idols. Context matters! If you do a quick search, the words 'owner, master, lord' will probably show up in reference to 'baal.' They are appropriate. In 1 Chronicles 14, David is dealing with those Philistines who have a v...  Read More

Tell me if you agree, Jesus' favorite day for healing someone was on the Sabbath. He does so again in John 9 (see vv.14 and 16). Sabbath was sacred. It was a day given to worshiping God, to resting from daily labor so one could be restored in God's presence and reflection on Torah and God's blessing was essential. The funny thing about Jesus' accusers is that they always worked on the Sabbath...it...  Read More

"We must be vigilant that, in all we do, the love of God has an odor that is so powerful none can miss it." (Brent Peterson on John 13:35 in the "Prayer Journal"). I don't know about you, but when I think of odor, I think of smelly socks or sweaty gym clothes...not pleasant. If I were writing that sentence, I would substitute the word 'aroma' for 'odor'...in fact, I did write it in my journal. A p...  Read More

If you know me, and were listening to our preacher yesterday, Rev. Wes Tink shared a testimony about reaching a neighbor for Jesus. When the man got to reading the Bible, his observation was, "I don't like the Old Testament, but I like the New Testament." I smiled. Passages like today's O.T. scripture are one of the excuses people use for not liking it. I was about to focus in on the genealogies u...  Read More

To me there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit made certain that John 8:1-11 was recorded in our Scripture. It is powerful, poignant and personal. The woman caught in a grievous sin encounters Christ and discovers God's great and amazing grace is real. It's personal. Those conniving scribes and Pharisees reveal their own great sin, and confronted with their own proud and judgmental sinfulness, slink...  Read More

The promise of Jesus (John 7:37-39) is for the fulfillment of the mission He authorized and commissioned His disciples to engage (Mark 16:15). Quite clearly the promise was fulfilled on Pentecost (Acts 2:1f) and has not ceased to be the mission of all Jesus' followers. We are to go everywhere with this Great Good News: Jesus saves...completely! Here is the reminder to the timid and reluctant...it ...  Read More

The difference between listening to respond and listening to understand is profound (see Michael Johnson's words in the Prayer Journal). We do not live in a listening culture, but when there is listening, it tends to be the former. Jesus' words in John 7:24 grabbed my 'listening to undertsand' attention this morning. In a world that listens little and then judges by appearances, listening to respo...  Read More

Hezekiah prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:2-3). The LORD (YaHWeH), God (Elohim) of his ancestor David (same God, everpresent, in full control) said: "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you" (v.5b). Josiah heard the Word (Torah) of God and tore his clothes, repentant, and said to the priest: "Go pray, intercede!" (2 Kings 22:11-13). The LORD responde...  Read More

Jesus said, "The one who comes to me I will never cast out." (John 6:37b)I found today's Prayer Journal reading from Matthew 9:38 (a passage we have studied recently) very compelling. Meditate on these few words by David Goodwin, its author."The instruction in today's scripture comes from a reservoir of love bigger than the universe itself. The gut-wrenching compassion of Jesus compels him to enli...  Read More

John's sign #4 is today's Gospel reading (John 6:1-21 - we looked into the 1st on Sunday, water to wine; the 2nd was the healing of the Gentile officials son; the 3rd was the healing at the pool). One of our challenges in life is to want to be comfortable more than anything...you know, we are living in a material world and we like our creature comforts. When this becomes our sole focus, we are in ...  Read More