The Pot of Boiling Acid
on Nov 16, 2009. "For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn m...

Your New Job Description -- BLESS!
on Nov 15, 2009. "This goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless--that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9, The Message). We have been called to live exemplary lives -...

Every Name in the Book?
on Nov 14, 2009. "They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right." (1 Peter 2:23, The Message). Like most anyone, I have been called a few names over the course of my journey -- but I'm...

The Exemplary Life
on Nov 13, 2009. "Live an exemplary life." (1 Peter 2:12, The Message). The word exemplary means "serving as a commendable pattern to be imitated." No pressure here, but may I ask what about your life as a follower of Jesus would others say is exemplary? If the qu...

The Night-and-Day Difference
on Nov 12, 2009. "Tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you-- from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted." (1 Peter 2:9,10, The Message). Jesus doesn't merely clean us up, dust us off, and patch up a few dings here and there -- He perfo...

The God Who Helps
on Nov 11, 2009. "You call out to God for help and He helps -- He's a good Father that way. But don't forget, He's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God." (1 P...

Bloom Where You are Planted
on Nov 10, 2009. "I am writing to the exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten." (1 Peter 1:1, The Message). From one point of view we see a national disaster -- hundreds of thousands of citizens uprooted from their homes by an occ...

On Assignment by Jesus
on Nov 9, 2009. "I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah" (1 Peter 1:1 The Message). Delightful thing this is, to be on assignment by Jesus. The word means to appoint a particular person to a specific use. Os Guinness wrote, "Our passion is...

In the Midst of Regular Work
on Nov 8, 2009. "It was their regular work." (Matthew 4:18, The Message). Here we have two guys minding their own business, when suddenly, and unexpectedly they are interrupted by a preacher. We could finish the story fifty different ways, but none would be as as...

Enlarged in Distress
on Nov 7, 2009. “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress” (Psalm 4:1, KJV). The poetry of this verse is too beautiful to overlook. David is deliberately placing two extremes side by side to demonstrate the profound difference that God's power makes in ou...