(Jesus speaking) “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” (‭‭Mat ‭11:28) “Come.” The Holy Spirit of GOD is calling you into His Presence … “Receive.” The Holy Spirit of GOD sees all your needs and wan

Get out of bed … Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. GOD ’s bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, But GOD rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness… (‭‭Isa‬ ‭60:1) To my mind there’s never been a time like this – not in my lifetime anyway! A time when people are openly asking why you believe what you do, and what really happens in a

The eyes of the Lord are upon even the weakest worshipers who love him— those who wait in hope and expectation for the strong, steady love of God. (‭‭Psa 33:18‬) Our GOD can (and will) come through for us in the most amazing ways. One that sticks in my mind was from a missionary to the Amazon. He told us that he was in a party of 3 missionaries who were trying to cross a particularly difficult river during monsoon. The river wasn’t particularly deep but it was running fast an

… submit to the authority of those who are your masters—not only to those who are kind and gentle but even to those who are hard and difficult. You find God’s favour by deciding to please God even when you endure hardships because of unjust suffering. For what merit is it to endure mistreatment for wrongdoing? Yet if you are mistreated when you do what is right, and you faithfully endure it, this is commendable before God. In fact, you were called to live this way, because Ch

Never retaliate when someone treats you wrongly, nor insult those who insult you, but instead, respond by speaking a blessing over them—because a blessing is what God promised to give you. For the Scriptures tell us: Whoever wants to embrace true life and find beauty in each day must stop speaking evil, hurtful words and never deceive in what they say. Always turn from what is wrong and cultivate what is good; eagerly pursue peace in every relationship, making it your prize.

Hatred keeps old quarrels alive, but love draws a veil over every insult and finds a way to make sin disappear. (Pro 10:12‬) So love finds a way to make sin disappear! What an amazing statement. If GOD has made love that powerful then what do we want from love? Most of us will agree that when we mess up (and we do – often), we don’t want recrimination. What we actually want is kind, constant, and honest communication. We want to see love in action and not a rebuke. We want to

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe,

I can testify that the Word is true and deserves to be received by all, for Jesus Christ came into the world to bring sinners back to life—even me, the worst sinner of all! (1 Tim 1:15) We’re living in unprecedented times where the effects of unchecked fear grows rampant in our society. Fear from false news, fear of Covid-19, fear of job losses, fear of financial issues, fear of physical and mental issues, fear of loneliness, fear of what we’re becoming …! But take heart, for

(GOD speaking) “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. (‭‭2 Cor‬ ‭12:9) This past few days I’ve tried to encourage you with stories of GOD’s Awesome Grace – His outworking Love in action. And for every story recounted of GOD’s Grace, the ripple effect of encouragement will continue to reverberate throughout millions of broken and open hearts all over the world. Child of the Living GOD, we are all weak, we all fall short, we all

Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, the Victorious… (‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:5) My mother tells a story of how at five years old I almost drowned at our local open air Lido swimming pool. All I remember about the event is an intense emotion rising as I watched everyone around me laughing, jumping in and having fun and I wanted to join in – so I jumped in too! Unfortunately, as I didn’t know how to swim I just sank like a stone. I remember sitting at the bottom thinking that this isn’t as muc

Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground. (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:7‬) As a I write this, I’m looking at a card that says: “Don’t laugh at your husbands choices, you’re one of them!” Seeds of anger, bitterness, toxic jealousy, revenge, cannot be allowed to live in us because: We pray to a GOD Who tells us

I lie awake each night thinking of you and reflecting on how you help me like a father. I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy! With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart. (‭‭Psa‬ ‭63) Go back and think on the first time you actually met GOD… wasn’t it amazing?!? For me it was the time that True Love actually stepped into the ugly mess of my life a

Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen! (‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:24) Basically, sin is just choosing to continually stumble into all the toxic elements of anger, bitter

You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of GOD -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day GOD is handing you over to me. (1 Sam‬ ‭17:45) We got a beautiful family picture a few years back of a lovely Italian lady, her husband and 3 children. She had visited us when she was pregnant, but worried because this was her fourth pregnancy and each time she had miscarried. I watched and listened as my

“This is GOD ’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as GOD: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’” (‭‭Jer‬ ‭33:2) There must be a gazillion testimonies out there of people just like us, who have called out to GOD for help and He supernaturally heard and answered their call. (Jesus speaking) “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.

With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart. (‭‭Psa ‭63:8‬) Whether you’re meeting today online, making your way to Church, or having Church in your home – it all only makes sense when we keep our souls close to His heart. … Jesus was moved deeply in his spirit. Looking at his disciples, he announced, “I tell you the truth—one of you is about to betray me.” Eyeing each other, his disciples puzzled over which

God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to crumble away. We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes, moving mountains and casting them into the sea. For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in you. Pause in his presence Surrender your anxiety! Be sil

Why would you ever complain… or, whine, …saying, “ GOD has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their pr

So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. …Here I am depressed and downcast… My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love. Your waterfall of weeping sent waves of sorrow over my soul, carrying me away, cascading over me like a thundering cataract. Yet all day long God’s promises of love pour over me. Through the night I sing his songs, for my prayer to God has become my life… So

I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path. A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours ou