Was your cup filled today? If the words of God had special meaning for you, please share your reflections in the comments section at the end of each post. We would love to hear Christ's impact on you.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV) Various false concepts about God negatively impact the unaware or those new to Christianity. These concepts are magnified when believers are part of a church that is not Bible-based. Jeremiah reveals God's true nature. “God helps those who help themselves.” This is a horrible nonbiblical narrative. We humans are unable to help our

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4 ESV) Christ's humanity is especially significant. You see, not only was Christ 100% human, but He was also 100% God. He veiled himself in clothing of flesh, which He pulled back on Mount Tabor, where he revealed His deity to Peter, John, and James during the transfiguration. (Matthew 17:1-3, Mark 9:2-3, Luke 9:28-29) As fully human, Jesus experienced our lives d

“While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words.” (Luke 24:4-8 ESV) As emotio

"O LORD Our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with your mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither fall into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Anglican Prayers

“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” (Luke 22:67-71 ESV) We have arrived at this section of the Gospel, whi

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4 ESV) If you’ve been to more than five or six church services, I’m sure you have heard about the “widow’s two mites” and that she is an example f

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 ESV) Having written on this verse before, I cannot help but write about it yet again. It touches my soul to read David’s Psalm to God. The depth of David's desire for God is staggering. God's continued use of David for His purposes, despite his sins, exemplifies the human condition and the saint's relationship to God.

“And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14-17 ESV) We are all called to spre

“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12 ESV) Those in Galatia were being drawn to false teachers. They preached a gospel contrary to what Christ gave Paul. Paul also reminds those in the church in Galatia that he received the gospel directly from Christ, not from another man. This is

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” (Luke 19:28-31 ESV) Oh my, we are starting tha

Father in Heaven, What we have not, give us. What we know not, teach us. What we are not, kindly make us. For the sake of your only Son, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen An Old Anglican Prayer

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.” (Luke 18:1-3 ESV) Remember, one characteristic of Luke’s gospel account of Jesus’ ministry is that it is fast-moving. As you read these teachings and miracles of Jesus, it seems we don’t ha

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV) Like the word “therefore,” the word “finally” in Paul’s text forces us to look to the preceding ve

“A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. ” (Psalm 143:1-2 ESV) How do I pray? A question I sometimes hear. Believe it or not, there are many in the church who are not sure what true prayer is all about. Learning to pray comes from reading the prayers of the Bible. In this I do not mean we just memorize t

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.” (Luke 11:52-54 ESV) Have you noticed that the further we read Luke's account of Jesus’ ministry, the more the Jewish leaders become hostile toward

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 13-16 ESV) Peter wrote this epistle to Christians living in northwestern Asia Minor and alon

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:5-6 ESV) Unlike many of the previous chapters of Luke, we encounter not a parable, but an actual real-time event. If you go back a few verses, before you see the apostles asking the Lord to “Increase our faith.” You will see this same group of guys wh

O God, Do not think of the sins we have committed or of those we still commit. Put out of your mind the failings we give way to night and day. Do not impute our offenses to us, whether we did them on purpose or whether we could not help them. Remember, Lord, that men are apt to make slips; we are a spineless race, given to blundering; think of our build, our limitations. Our skins may be sound, but there are sores underneath. O God, you are well disposed to us; give us the st

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'” Luke 16:22-24 (ESV) In the 1960s, in the Christian communities that I was exposed to, we had what wer

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV) A person will scarcely die for a righteous person, much less an evil one. That’s what we are without Christ, evil. To die for someone, you love is an act of love. To die for one, you do not know is an act of heroism. It takes a special heart to place oneself in a position to die to save someone else. It is almost unbelievable to the perishing that a God, the God of creati