How are you?
When people ask me that, I usually reply “Blessed and Highly Favored!” Store clerks are often amused . . . or confused as how to respond to such a declaration. Still others will smile say, “Me too!”
My sunny disposition was forged in the trenches of combating negativity . . . .
Read MoreApparently there are whole armies of war-faring angels. I have read over Jesus’ reference to “twelve legions of angels” probably hundreds of times without wondering why. Why does heaven have armies?
Heaven doesn’t need defending. . . .
Read MoreWhen my children were young, I would tell them that God’s rules are our umbrella of protection. If we follow God’s rules, then He covers us. But if we step out from underneath His umbrella of protection, then we make ourselves vulnerable.
These verses from Proverbs are even better imagery. When we follow God’s ways, He becomes our Personal Bodyguard. He is protecting and guarding us as we choose what is right. . . .
Read MoreGod pierced Adam’s side to give him a bride. And the Last Adam - Jesus Christ - His side was pierced to give Him a bride!
Blood and water came out of our Lord Jesus’ side. It was His redemptive blood and the water of His Word that gave us life – spiritual life. I have a fresh understanding . . .
Read MoreAs others are making New Year’s resolutions, I am making New Year’s declarations.
Declarations speak the promises of God as fact in our lives, no matter how things look or feel. Speaking declarations is how we partner with the will of God to see change our lives.
Speaking declarations is an excellent way to overcome anxiety and produce joy (Pr. 12:28). Speaking declarations releases life wherever we go (Pr. 18:21). And declarations are essential to entering our “promised land” (Joshua 1:8).
So here are the declarations that I am going to speak over my life this year: . . .
Read MoreMary, the Mother of Jesus, foreshadows the Christian Life!
Why have I never seen this before? When the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary with Baby Jesus, He was foreshadowing Jesus coming to live inside of us once we accept Him.
Like Mary, we will be misunderstood and scorned at times. But, Oh, the joy of having Jesus . . .
Read MoreI love the Christmas season so much that it breaks my heart to hear people say, “I’m just trying to get through the holidays.” Because I eagerly anticipate the focus on Jesus and the time with family, I am saddened to know that many people actually dread the Christmas season. If that’s you, I want to encourage you . . .
Read MoreIf I could, I would buy every one of you a copy of this book!! I cannot loan you mine because I want it near at hand. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed by the storms of life, I want to be able to pull this book off my shelf.
Andrea Thompson has overcome abuse, cancer and other traumas . . . and come out smiling!! . . . .
Read MoreIn these verses, God is commanding that specially prepared oil be continuously brought for the priest to keep the menorah – the lamp – continuously lit. Hanukkah commemorates the miraculous provision of this specially prepared oil after the Maccabean Revolt.
About a hundred years after Alexander the Great conquered the Holy Land, his successors had long departed from his relatively benevolent rule. Antiochus Epiphanies prohibited the practice of the Jewish religion and tortuously murdered . . .
Read MoreAs a child, I had a distorted view of God. I envisioned Him as a condemning judge seated in heaven on a golden throne. He was constantly watching me; waiting for me to mess up, so He could bop me on the head! Naturally, I had no desire for a relationship with a God like that.
Imagine my relief when I actually read the Bible and found out that God is NOT a condemning judge but a Loving Father! He smiles down on me with eyes of love, . . .
Read MoreThis passage encourages me today. Like Habakkuk, I’ve been standing and praying for “my people” for decades. I had begun to despair over my vision for my loved ones.
God’s answer to Habakkuk encourages me greatly: . . .
Read MoreSpring of 2016, I attended the School of Creativity at Bethel Church. At the time that I registered, I would not have said that I was a creative. In fact, my confession was that there was not a creative bone in my body. I signed up for the conference, because I felt the familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit. I was being obedient.
The first day of the conference, the lies that I had believed, fell off like a discarded garment . . . .
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