This month (August 2008) I have struggled with the message to bring.  I thought about all the "new beginnings" of 8-08-08, and about the "grace" scriptures in the New Testament.  Nothing materialized.  This morning God brought to mind a song He gave me in May 1979, following a rough time in my life.  I now share that with you, hoping it will minister to someone.
The Smile
"You gave me a smile to wear on my face.  A smile that's so full...

"Long may our land be bright With freedom's holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King!"  Samuel F. Smith
Now that the sparklers have burned out and the fireworks displays are quietly over, we return to our normal lives once again.  "Happy Birthday America 232" is relegated to the annals of history.  But what did we really celebrate, alongside hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and ice cream?  We celebrated our freedom as a nation!  The Oxford Dictionary defines "freedom"...

There are beliefs and behaviors that qualify us for God's Kingdom, and characteristics or actions that disqualify us.  Let God's Word explain.
Jesus prayed that God's Kingdom would come, and that God's Will would be done on earth like it is done in Heaven.  He preached, "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand" or as the Message Bible says, "Change your life! God's kingdom is here!" (Matt 6:10 & 4:17).  Jesus told Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God...

To a Christian, the word "faith" is a big part of his or her relationship with God.  I find it interesting that faith is mentioned only twice in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32;20 & Habakkuk 2:4).  In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul taught, "...the Law is not of faith...Christ redeemed us from he curse of the Law...in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the...

For the past several months I have watched these TV shows: Project Runway; Dancing With the Stars; Oprah's Big Give; American Idol; Supermodel; The Bachelor.  They all have one thing in common.  Each week someone is eliminated from the competition.  In other words, they were either "rejected" by the judges or by the viewing audience.  No one likes to be rejected, by their peers or by a higher authority.  But life is like that.  At one point in time, everybody...

The issue between Church and State is not a 20th Century debate.  It began with Jesus the Messiah in 33AD!  Before Jesus was crucified, He was first taken to the Chief Priest Caiaphas (religious).  Then He was led to the Roman Governor Pilate (state's right), and passed over to King Herod (federal government) to be examined.  Everybody wanted something done with Him, but no one wanted to take responsibility for doing so!  Church and State and Federal Government all had a say...

I am American ~ a citizen of the United States of America.  I'm neither African-American, Asian-American, Latin-American, Middle Eastern-American, nor Native American.  My ancestors came from Europe, but I don't call myself "Euro-American!"  I am American!  If you were born on this soil in the US of A, or immigrated here legally from another country, you are American ~ period ~ regardless of your ethnic heritage.  Generally, people can look at you and hear you speak, and determine what is your...

He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new.  Write, for these words are faithful and true" (Revelation 21:5).
If you could forget the past and start all over, would you choose to do so?  I say most of us would.  We've all made mistakes, done things wrong, messed up and had to fess up!  A new month and a new year provide you with the opportunity to start over.
In December 2007, while contemplating the upcoming...

The Christmas hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" written by Phillips Brooks, has always been my favorite this time of year.  The words are picturesque:  "How still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hope and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." That's almost the whole gospel preached in one verse of one Christmas song!  Bethlehem, in the Hebrew,...

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him; bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His grace is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm100:4-5.
As most of my regular readers know, articles have been inactive for several months.  I have been "on the go" with various activities.  In August my husband and I both attended our separate 50th High School reunions.  It was great re-visiting our hometowns and seeing many friends and...

Most of the United States has experienced extreme heat and humidity this summer.  Lots of areas have been ravaged by wildfires, too.  Why do we think it strange that this is upon us?  Why is this summer different from last year?  No hurricanes, so far, for one thing!
In his second letter to the faithful believers in Jesus the Christ (Yeshua Messiah), Peter wrote:  "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass...

God's word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  This revelation comes from Psalm 119:105.  But what is meant by God's "word?"
The writer of Psalm 119 uses "word" approximately 38 times in the NAS translation.  About half of them are the Hebrew dabar, meaning the spoken word of God, and half are imrah, the written word or commandment.  In the New Covenant they are called rhema (spoken) and logos (written) words.
"Thy [spoken] word is a lamp to my feet,...

"Our Father . . . ."  Everybody who has been conceived has a father.  It takes two humans to make a baby, with a sperm and an egg.  Whether one is created in a body, or in a petri dish, it took a male and a female to produce the raw material.
Because God so loved the people He created, He sent His only true Son to earth to be born of a woman, and establish a family.  Joseph, Mary's husband,...

God informs His prophets of what is to come.  Whether it happens tomorrow or 2000 years from when He says it, it will come to pass.  God does not live in our Time Zone ~ Chronos ~ but in Kairos ~ the fullness of Time.  Remember, always, that God loves us eternally.  But God also wants us to be knowledgeable about life on Earth today.
"Prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On that day, when...

NOW, this very moment, is all we have.  No one knows what will happen 5 minutes from now.  Live fully in the present moment!  Learn to take pleasure in what we're doing--now.  This moment will never happen again.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "But now is Christ risen from the dead."  The expression means "About Face!"  It's meant to get our attention to what's being said.  (Paul used this term 18 times in his letters.)
There are...