Atonement
The Old Testament Hebrew word that we translate "atonement" means literally "to cover up." The animal sacrifices were intended to "cover" a man's sins.

Dear Friend,
I'm writing to say thanks. I wish I could thank you personally, but I don't know where you are. I wish I could call you, but I don't know your name. If I knew your appearance, I'd look for you, but your face is fuzzy in my memory. But I'll never forget what you did.
 
There you were, leaning against your pickup in the West Texas oil field. An engineer of some sort. A supervisor on the job. Your khakis...

RULES FROM GOD
1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
"This is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24)
2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks...

Miracles For The Mistaken

When The Wind Blows
Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.
"Are you a good farm hand?" the...

The Hopes of the Helpless
Psalm 10:17 "Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them."  (NLT)
"The hopes of the helpless." Interesting phrase don't you think? What are the hopes of the helpless? Help. Escape. Relief. Freedom. Deliverance. Strength. Energy. Light. Refreshment. Revival. Renewal. Dreams. "Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."
"The hopes of the helpless." Would those descriptive words apply to you? Weak. Weary. Worn-down. Restless. Barely holding on. Holding...

To Know Love!
To my surprise I've recently discovered that I'm slowly losing my mind.

The Depth and Width of Your Calling
"If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." - 2 Corinthians 1:6
"God must love you a lot! He doesn't allow someone to go through the kinds of adversity you have experienced unless He has a special calling on your life." Those were the words said to me by two different...

THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE
Two prospectors went to a desert in search for gold. They carefully noted every landmark, because to be lost could mean certain death. One night a great storm drove them into a cave, and from there they watched the lightning flash. Soon the rain began to pour and floodwaters gushed across the desert, ripping up cacti and completely changing the terrain.
One of the prospectors cried out in panic, "All the landmarks are swept away and we are...

The Mountain of Faith
When Abraham was over eighty years old, God made him a wonderful promise: "A son coming from your own body will be your heir. Look up at the heavens and count the stars - so shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:4-5).
Many years went by without any indication that God would fulfill this promise.  Finally, when Abraham was one hundred years old (and his wife, Sarah, was ninety) God fulfilled His promise through the birth of Isaac. But...

The Search For An Honest Man
The following story reportedly came from Sports Illustrated.
The game was played in Wellington, Florida. In it, a seven-year-old first baseman, Tanner Munsey, fielded a ground ball and tried to tag a runner going from first to second base.
The umpire, Laura Benson, called the runner out, but young Tanner immediately ran to her side and said, "Ma'am, I didn't tag the runner." Umpire Benson reversed herself, sent the runner to second base, and Tanner's coach...

God's Timetable, Not Ours
I heard a story which illustrates how we often confuse God's timing with ours.
A country newspaper had been running a series of articles on the value of church attendance. One day, a letter to the editor was received in the newspaper office. It read, "Print this if you dare. I have been trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I plowed on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I did all the cultivating on...

THE CONCEPT OF GRACE
There is a great article that illustrates the concept of grace written by Charles Stanley.

Guard Against the Yeast
When God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He told them to prepare for a quick departure by making bread without yeast.  He gave instructions to remember their departure through the celebration of Passover - also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  During this celebration there was a seven day period when yeast was not even allowed in the home: "For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And...

Theology In Five Lines
God formed man,
Sin deformed him,
Education informs him,
Religion may reform him,
Only Jesus Christ can transform him.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, 'I tell you the truth, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (John 3:13)
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