Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
I’ve openly shared about my struggle to lose weight and become healthy. However, one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in this struggle is that to make these changes and sacrifices requires self-control. Dictionary.com defines self-control as: Control or restraint of oneself or one’s actions, feelings, etc. Self-discipline, self-reliance, willpower, levelheadedness The Greek word egkrateia means […]
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In looking at those in the New Testament who belong in the Hall of Faith, one would think of the Apostle John. In the Gospel of John, he is referred to as the “Beloved disciple” or the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. He is first introduced in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke as “ he saw other two brethren, James […]
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In discussing who in the New Testament deserves to be listed in the Hall of Faith, Mary Magdalene seems a very logical choice. Other than Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene is listed among the women who were the most faithful followers of Jesus. Her name derives from Luke 8:2 which says “Mary, called Magdalene.” The town of Magdala […]
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Today, we wrap up our series on the gifts of the spirit. Be sure to join me next week as we start a new series on the fruits of the spirit. Today, we will be discussing giving and mercy, fortitude and exhortation and marriage and celibacy. At the end of this article, I am providing several links for you to […]
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John the Baptist is listed as the forerunner of Christ. Many compared him to Elijah, whom was taken up to heaven. In the foretelling of his birth, the angel stated that he would “ turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,” and that he will go forth “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” {Luke 1:16-17} […]
Read more As we reach our last two weeks on spiritual gifts study, we are going to cover spiritual gifts that we often take for advantage or neglect today. These are two spiritual gifts found in the Old Testament. Both of these have to do with our artistic abilities. Craftsman—these are special abilities that are given to artists. Jesus was a […]
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We all know the story of Jonah and the Whale. However, the story of how Jonah ended up in the whale is not as well known. The name Jonah means dove. “Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is […]
Read more We are looking at the spiritual gifts we are given. This week, we are going to focus on serving others and hospitality. Serving—Romans 12:6 says, “or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry”. Serving another is ministering to that person. I remind myself of that every day when I am working at the nursing facility. “Since there are many types of […]
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Elijah is one of only two people mentioned in the Bible as being “taken into heaven”. However, time and again he proved his faith to God and took a stand for righteousness. The name Elijah means my God is Yahweh. The story of Elijah is found in 1 & 2 Kings. In 1 Kings 17:1, we are introduced to […]
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At Christmas and Easter, I love to attend Passion Plays. The re-enactments of watching the life come to Christ is so moving each and every time I see it and I receive something new each time. Drama is another creative outlet that can allow us to draw closer to God. Today, many churches now have their own drama groups in […]
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We’ve discussed creative praying using art and the gifts we’ve been given. But we can also worship God using our arts and crafts. The examples in the Bible of using arts and crafts, were actually the crafts {or work} of the day. Today, many of these have become more of a wide range hobby, although there are still individuals who […]
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Our pastor retired several weeks ago and the one thing that was consistently mentioned about him was that he lived a life of integrity. Integrity is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”. He exhibited this integrity both from the pulpit and in his personal life. He was not afraid to address the hard issues […]
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When life grows stressful one of the most expressive ways I’ve found to express myself is by writing my feelings. But, you may be saying I’m not a writer! You don’t have to be a writer to write out your feelings, thoughts or memories. There are many writings that will never be known beyond God and the writer. So, what […]
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David is described as a man after God’s own heart. {1 Samuel 13:14}, so it is no surprise that he made the Hall of Faith. We first meet David as a young shepherd boy and watch him grow from a man anointed by God, to a man on the run, to King of Israel, to a man driven by desire […]
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I recently had a friend ask me about Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The individual, who was not raised in church, believed that they were married and the misconception that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. This belief that she was a prostitute began in the Middle Ages, when several women mentioned in the scriptures were combined. But, then my friend […]
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Barak was a 12th-century BC ruler and Judge of Ancient Israel. As military commander in the biblical Book of Judges, Barak, with Deborah the prophetess, from the Tribe of Ephraim, defeated the Canaanite armies led by Sisera. The name Barak in the Bible means lightening. Barak was the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, Barak’s mother was from the […]
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The next mention we have of Mary Magdalene after Jesus heals her, is of her presence at the crucifixion. Luke 23:49 says, “”women who had followed him from Galilee” standing at a distance”, but does not mentioned these women by name. However, the other three gospels do mention these women and among them is Mary Magdalene. Matthew 27:56, says, “Among them […]
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Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiezrite clan in the tribe of Manasseh and lived in Ephra. As a leader of the Israelites, he won a decisive victory over a Midianite army despite a vast numerical disadvantage, leading a troop of 300 ‘valiant’ men. The name Gideon means “feller” or “hewer” in Hebrew. A hewer is a person […]
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Last week, we ended the book of Genesis with a look at Joseph. The next person listed in the Hall of Faith is Moses, who picks up the story of the Israelite’s several hundred years later, in the book of Exodus. In the Hall of Faith, Moses story is summed up as “ By faith […]
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Joseph was the son of Jacob, and his father’s favorite son. This is because he was the oldest son of his mother, Rachael. If you’ll remember from the story of Jacob, that Rachael was his favorite wife. Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob’s twelve sons. His mother, Rachael, died giving birth to his brother Benjamin. The name Joseph means […]
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