1 Thess. 4:7  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. God calls to every saint to “holiness”.  For many years the implied focus for holiness has been on behavior, how we act.  Yet holiness is much deeper!  What is holiness then? Holiness is a conscious awareness that I am a vessel,…

Luke 21:19  By your patience possess your souls. Being patient is a challenge for those of who are action oriented, Type A personalities that must be ever “doing” rather than “being”.   For some of us, including myself, it seems easier to be patient with everyone else than ourselves.  We become self-antagonists, rather than appreciating our…

Psalm 31:22    For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. Spoken words have consequences that reach beyond when we utter them, especially words spoken in the heat of the moment.  Reactive words often are…

Psalm 100:4  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,  And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Think of someone who “has it all”; wealth, honor, prestige, wisdom, health, strength are just a few. Two awesome insights for those who will offer thanksgiving to the Lord, even in the midst of…

Psalm 41:1 – 3  “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will…

Psalm 56: 9  When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. There is a plethora of information and knowledge available to us due in large part because of the internet.  Information is as close as a google search. The most important bit of information every…

Psalm 11:1  In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? There are times when you want to simply run and hide as the challenges of life and the ministry opportunities they bring confront us. David seems to be having a conversation with himself.  Those…

Gal. 6:9  let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. With all the distractions in our society, we need to keep our hearts rather than losing our hearts.  Whether news from Washington, Wall Street, Ukraine, London, state capitals, across town or across…

Psalm 4:3   But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;     The Lord will hear when I call to Him. Being “godly” has benefits, two of which the Psalmist reminds us of. One benefit of living “godly” is we become “distinguished” i.e. “set apart”.   It’s not that we distinguish ourselves, but the Lord…

Eph. 4:29  NASB  Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Many have prayed for the Lord to touch the hearts and lives of those who are high profile personalities. …