Roger

Had there been a newspaper in Jerusalem on the day Christ was crucified, His death would not have made the headlines.   After all, the Romans were constantly crucifying someone.   Causes around Israel and specifically Jerusalem, were not in short supply.   Some zealot, religious or not, was always trying to defy Rome. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, reporters would have disregarded the story as well.   Had sleazy tabloids existed in Nazareth, perhaps they would have disclosed a rumor – that one of the town’s teenage girls was pregnant.   The rumor mill would also have included something about angels appearing to several unsuspecting shepherds. They knew nothing about a supernatural plan that was in progress. God has always operated in obscurity among the naturally oriented and spiritually blinded of the world.   That is why solid biblical preaching is so vital.   The Bible reveals God’s heart on any given matter.   Pastor and author, David Crabt...

None of us are going to get out of here alive, unless the Rapture occurs!   One day, as surely as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, we will “go the way of all the earth” (1 Kings 2:2a).   When our time comes, it won’t matter how much money we have in the bank, what kind of home we live in or the make and model of our car.   Someone said, “I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul!”   Only one thing will matter on that day:   A personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The following poem was written by an anonymous writer, which beautifully conveys what’s really important when we leave this earth. I’m Glad You’re in My Dash I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend. Her referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning to the end. He noted that first came her date of birth, And spoke of the following dates with tears. But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the t...

Have you ever noticed the “suddenlies” of God recorded in the New Testament? Here’s a few: “ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests’” (Luke 2:13-14). “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.   Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2). “As he (Saul of Tarsus) neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him” (Acts 9:3). These times of God’s intervention reveal His modus operandi, or His way of responding to people.   Have you ever experienced this aspect of God’s intervention in your life? Often, life tends to rock along and we are required to wait and to endure.   Answers to prayer seem slow in coming.   Miracles evade us.   Then, all of a sudden, God shows up and bring...

I don’t wait well.   Do you?    And I have a theory:   The acid test of patience is how we deal with delays in the drive-thru lines of our favorite fast-food restaurants! I hate to admit it, but often I act like the children of Israel. On one occasion they failed miserably in the “waiting department!”   They were required to wait on Moses, who had climbed Mt. Sinai to hear from God.   Moses’ delay sent them into an angry frenzy that ignited their rebellious and lustful natures.   The outcome was a golden calf – an idol!    God’s unique purpose in our waiting is to renew and equip us for service.   “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31). What a revelation!   This is one reason why event-oriented Christians become impatient.   They hate to wait!   Furthermore, what they want, they wan...