The Disciples: Matthew Levi
Matthew once again is a disciple we do not know much about. Many scholars believe he is also the tax collector Levi and as with Simon Peter and Judas Thaddeus, his name is interchangeable. The…
The Disciples: James the Less
James the Less is often referred in this way, because there were two James in the apostle. The other was James, the son of Zebedee, who is often referred to as James the greater. …
Praying through the Struggle
Recently, a friend encouraged me to write prayers for thirty days to the Lord. I decided to not only use this for my writing but also for my weight loss. Each short prayer was accompanied…
Heroes of the Faith: Ruth Bell Graham
Ruth Bell Graham was the wife and life partner of evangelist Billy Graham. She was born on June 10, 1920 in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, Republic of China. Her parents L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell were…
Behind the Hymn: God Will Take Care of You
God Will Take Care of You was written by Civilla D. Martin. She also wrote the well known His Eye Is on the Sparrow. Civilla Martin was born in 1866 Nova Scotia. She was the…
Names of God: The Lord of Hosts
David uses the term Yahweh Tzevaot which means “the God of the armies of Israel”. In Hebew Tzevaot, Tsebaoth or Sabaoth refers to the armies or armed hosts of the Isrealites in Exodus and of…
The Disciples: Judas Thaddeus
We first meet Thaddeus in the list of disciples of Jesus. “…Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus.” {Matthew 10:3} The name Thaddeus is believed to be a Aramaic form of the Greek name, which means a…
Pushed Out of our Comfort Zone
I know of someone who had been in his job for over a decade. He was happy where he was and with what he was doing. Then everything began to turn against him, he lost…
Heroes of the Faith: Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith is known for his down home, good clean humor on his shows The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. However, he was also a gospel singer. Andy Samuel Griffith was born on June 1,…
Behind the Hymn: Lead Me To Calvary
Lead Me to Calvary was written by Jennie Evelyn Hussey. Hussey was born on February 8, 1874 and grew up on a family farm in Nenniker, New Hampshire. She was the fourth generation to live…
Names of God: The Anointed One
The Anointed One speaks of the prophesy of the one who will come and restore or rebuild Jerusalem. This refers to Christ. Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to…
Cherish the Moment
Recently, I was discussing a book about Alzheimer’s with someone. I was reminded of a quote in the book, even when you get tired of answering the same question over and over be thankful to…
Heroes of the Faith: Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader during the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury. He brought major changes to the church during the reigns of King Henry VIII and two of his children, Edward VI and…
Behind the Hymn: There’s Power in the Blood
There is Power in the Blood is a great old hymn about the power of Christ blood. The hymn was written in 1889 by Lewis Edgar Jones. Lewis Jones was born on February 8, 1865…
Names of God: The Ancient of Days
The term Ancient of Day is a name used for God in the book of Daniel. The term is used three times throughout the book of Daniel and is used in the sense of God…
The Disciples: Bartholomew Nathanael
Bartholomew is almost always mentioned in connection to being with the disciple Philip. In the book of John, he is referred to as Nathanael. The name Bartholomew in Greek meaning son of Talmai or son…
Work for Eternal Fruit
Recently I partnered with another writer on a ministry project. Before beginning on the project we opened in prayer. Each time she prays, she ask the Lord “let us work for eternal fruit in this…
Heroes of the Faith: Jonathan Goforth
Jonathan Goforth was a Canadian missionary to China. He and his wife, Rosalind, became the leading missionaries in early 20-Century China and helped to establish and the revival of the Protestant China missions. Goforth was…
Behind the Hymn: There Shall Be Showers of Blessings
There Shall Be Showers of Blessings was written by Major Daniel Webster Whittle. He was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts on November 22, 1840. After moving to Chicago in 1857, he began to attend a…
Names of God: Shepherd
The Lord is referred to as the shepherd. A shepherd is a person who guides or directs in a particular direction and tends or rears sheep. A shepherd stays with his sheep to guide them,…