Abram Is Named Abraham 17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” 3 At...
Ebola. It's undeniable that the biggest outbreak of Ebola has been in our social media and news coverage these past few weeks. During my time here in Africa, I have watched the reaction of our country from afar. The response has been disappointing, to say...
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman 4 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually...
Not long ago I posted about being an ezer in the second half of life. I’m truly thankful for how God is teaching me to trust Him in embracing the ever-changing relational seasons of my life. But here’s the flip side of my journey in...
Promises of Israel’s Restoration 8 This is what the LORD says: “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land...
Many of you may have seen the photo of one of our OVC Kenya children that I posted last week. Since I am friends on Facebook with several of the teachers at Happy Day, word got back around to Gachoki (pronounced gu-sho-kee) that her picture...
Abraham’s Two Children 21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife...
This is embarrassing to admit, but in my late forties I am just now accepting the fact that I will never have a perfect body. I’m sure some of you are thinking, Hello! Of course not! But I have been reluctant to let go...
The Birth of Ishmael 16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I...
147 Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! 2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. 4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name. 5 How great is...
Freedom for Hebrew Slaves 8 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves. 9 He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a...
The Faith of Abraham 4 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not...
The Lord’s Covenant Promise to Abram 15 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all...
110 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” 2 The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem; you will rule over your enemies. 3 When you go to war, your...
Christ Is Our High Priest 8 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was...
5 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject...
Cleaning out closets makes me tremble with dread therefore I avoid it for way too long. Recently, this feared chore couldn’t be delayed any longer and I spent a long and lonely Saturday plunging into the chaos. ...
Istanbul, Turkey is certainly one of my favorite cities in the world. In matters of history, commerce and faith, no other city in the world can compare. Having just returned from my third visit in four years, the city once again exceeded all my expectations. ...
Abram Rescues Lot 14 About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of...
Teaching about Money and Possessions 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal....
29 These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites while they were in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai. Moses Reviews the Covenant 2 Moses summoned all the...
112 Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. 2 Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. 3 They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. 4 Light shines in the...
This morning as I drank my coffee, I clicked on the Greenville News online edition to scan the headlines. The title of the last article immediately caught my eye. It said “25 of the most beautiful women of Greenville.”...
Abram and Lot Separate 13 So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. 2 (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) 3 From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they...
The gospel is the unifying force that crosses cultural and socioeconomic boundaries. Through the cross of Christ, we all have the same hope. Poor or rich, hungry, lonely, overworked or underpaid, incompetent or talented, drowning in debt, mentally unstable, overweight or athletic- all of us...