How’s your prayer life? For what do you pray? Prayer is a gift God gives you, especially for spiritual warfare. Jesus tells us that we should pray consistently AND not give up hope.
Hi Family! I absolutely LOVE fall! And fall means that Christmas is not too far away. In fact, stores are beginning to display their Christmas wares.
Christmas mean Bethlehem. Christ Jesus is the REAL reason for the season. Yet, Bethlehem isn’t just for Christmas. Bethlehem is available all year round!
September 29 is St. Michael and All Angels Day. This is the time in the Christian Church year where the Christian Church around the world focuses on spiritual warfare. This time of the Church Year is called “The Church Militant.”
Spiritual warfare doesn’t occur only during the month of October. It happens every day and the devil is at work every hour. Though he’s defeated and Christ Jesus decisively won the War on Calvary and with the empty Easter tomb, daily battles still occur. Spiritual warfare will continue until the Day when Jesus returns. So, where do you place your hope and trust? Is God first? If not, then what or who is first?
Hi Family! I pray you’re all getting back into the swing of things after Grandpa’s funeral in Wisconsin.
Thanks for helping with everything, especially in getting the house in order and cleaning it out. As God would have it, the readings for this week following the funeral and cleaning everything out, focus on “stuff” and how it can adversely affect the Christian and Christian living. We’re to live out our faith toward others. We’re to live out Christ’s power and love as He is the One who works in us. However, the LOVE of stuff can get in the way of our relationship with God and our relationship with our fellow human beings. Keep things in perspective. You can’t take it with you!
Christianity is certainly about the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. This is available exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus is VERY inclusive. He wants ALL people to follow Him. It matters not what a person has done, or who they are, or how much money they have or don’t have. Jesus wants them, and Jesus wants you.
As we wait for Christ Jesus’ return, God wants us to be Christ to others. This is called Christian Living, and Christian ethics. In today’s message, Rev. Dr. Gerry Bode talks expounds on the prophet Amos, and I have a little message on Psalm 113:5-7 and Teddy Bears.
Being a disciple–follower of Jesus–isn’t easy in this world. It can also be a bit confusing when we hear what Jesus has to say to the Christian in today’s Gospel reading. There is a cost to following Jesus. The cost is that the Christian is broken away from the world. Jesus did the breaking in His death and resurrection. Jesus did the breaking for each of you in your Baptisms. Now the life of Christian existence in this world takes place. And like it was for Jesus, it’s not always easy for you, His disciple.
A little note on Philemon as it relates to today’s theme; Philemon was a Christian who had a non-Christian slave named Onesimus. Onesimus ran away and found Paul. One thing Onesimus understood is that Philemon and Paul had a unique relationship with one another that was different from what he observed in other people. He fled to Paul, and during his time with Onesimus, God worked His power and promise. Onesimus became a Christ follower! Now, he had to go back and face Philemon. However, now these two were Christian Brothers because of Jesus.
Philemon had every right according to the legal system to punish Onesimus, and Paul for that matter for harboring Onesimus. Paul appeals to Philemon to go against the grain and live out a life of mercy and forgiveness toward Onesimus. I’m sure that Philemon’s non-Christian friends and associates thought he was nuts, and ridiculed him because of this.
Hi Family! It’s nearing the end of the regular season for baseball. Question: Will the Brewers finally win a World Series? Shouldn’t they, after all, since they participated in the entire season? That would only seem fair.
Not everyone gets the trophy. Yet, that’s how many people view life after death; everyone should go to heaven. The readings today reflect this. And yes, there is the Way to receive God’s eternal Trophy!
This week we’re looking at —– Wine! Well, sort of. King David writes in Psalm 119:83 that he feels like a wineskin. That’s weird. But it has to do with the way the ancients used to make wine.
As Christians we still feel the heat and smoke from a culture that really doesn’t understand the One True God. When the Christian stands on God’s word and commandments, His statutes and His promises, then the Christian is going to be in the heat and smoke of things. When this happens the Christian continues in prayer, which is usually the first casualty when suffering occurs.
Do you ever feel like you’re swamped and swimming up stream? Does it ever seem like God may never keep His word? The unbelieving world has a lot of answers for the Christian. They ridicule Christians for putting their hopes, dreams, and desires in something so futile as “this Jesus.” The newest label for the Christian here in the US is “Christian Nationalist,” and it’s not a term used for flattery. Nevertheless, the Christian presses forward.
This is nothing new. God’s people have always been challenged in various ways. And the Christian has the added burden as we, too, wrestle with anxiety. Psalm 33 has the answer!
Good day Family! It was GREAT having you all with us last week for the wedding!
You’re feeling it at the gas pumps. Right? Feeling it at the grocery store. Right? As of Thursday, July 28th, our country is officially in a recession. It looks like we could be heading for stagflation as well. You’re way to young to know about this because the last time stagflation happened, it was under the Carter administration in the late 70s.
Times like these are challenging for every person, Christian and non-Christian alike. However, the Christian handles things differently than the rest of world does. Yes. We’re to store up, but what are we to store up on?