“For  I am  not ashamed  of the gospel  of  Christ, for  it is the  power of  God  for  salvation for  everyone  who  believes.”        Romans 1:16 (NKJV) I don’t know how it is in your neighborhood, but around here in the fall  football season, the signs are  inescapable. The fans turn out in their bragging mode, showing their colors  with the Big Orange T visible everywhere. Flags fly from  car windows and on porches. I think it’s not only the college-age young people that  show their colors. Alumni of all ages also give evidence that they have the school spirit. And it’s a good thing to do. Our…

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) In our internet age, just about everyone is  familiar with  a  “search.” We  go online and check into Google and search for nearly everything.  Google handles about 70% of all internet searches worldwide, but there are other search engines besides Google, and  AI-powered answers are now available to almost any question. But the search that our focus text  is referring to is  not  for information nor  merely for satisfying our curiosity. It is a search that brings us  into communication with the One who gives us  far more than AI-generated…

“Beloved, let us love one another,  for love is of God  and  everyone  who  loves is  born of  God  and  knows  God.” 1 John 4:7  (NKJV) For some reason, New Year’s resolutions are often short-lived. We make them, and in a few days—perhaps a few weeks—after trying to keep them, we slip up, and soon we go on as if we had never made them. If this has happened to you, don’t feel ashamed of your track record; we’re all in  this together. We tend not to keep our resolutions  because of problems with the resolutions themselves. For one thing,  they are often  simple and inconsequential, desired cosmetic changes  that…

“And Moses said to the people, Do not  be afraid. Stand still, and  see the salvation of the Lord, which  He will accomplish  for you today.” Exodus 14:3  (NKJV) As is usually the case at the end of a year and the start of another, many people are ready to make a move, to get up and go, move ahead. It may be that moving  gives them a sense  of a fresh start,   a new perspective,  a change of environment or more desirable  prospects. But in some situations,  it is best  before taking off  on something new to stand still  and see what happens. When I was a youngster, a…

“Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful noise  to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp, and the lute.” Psalm 81:1 (NIV) Christmas is a happy time for most people, despite all the hustle and bustle and  the pressures that come with the holiday.  It’s a longstanding tradition that at Christmas we make room for singing in our homes, in churches, in concert halls, in schools, and even in the shopping mall. The world thrives on the music of this season,  the traditional carols.  They not only tell of the miraculous  birth of  our Savior, but  they are  wonderfully singable  and …

“Truly the  light is sweet. And it is pleasant  for the eyes to behold the sun.” Ecclesiastes 11:7  (NKJV) One thing that people in the Caribbean know about is sunshine. They don’t need the tourism  ads to remind  them  how brilliant it is  or how gorgeous it looks at mid-afternoon. They know. They have it year round, except on those days  when  a hurricane threatens and the  dark, thick clouds glower above the Caribbean Sea. As a Caribbean person myself,  I know about the sun, including  its penetrating rays that cause perspiration  to be a constant discomfort. Do we in  the island  ever feel glad for the sun?  I must…

“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”  Isaiah 12:3 The video made a strong impression on me.  It was produced by a church volunteer organization  that builds wells for people  living in dry places in Africa. Drought and other  environmental conditions have robbed  the people of the water that is so vital to life.  For years, the organization has been  digging in the brutally dry  soil and building wells—simple structures leading from an underground source.  In the video, when the water was turned on, people came running from every direction bringing containers to fill. One youngster simply stood by the pipe, cupped his hands,  and…

“Therefore,  if anyone is in Christ,  he is a new creation;  old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17  (NKJV) A lot  of you may not  remember pay phones, but once they could be found  just about anywhere,  readily available in an emergency, or just to make a personal call since not many people had a telephone at home before  the nineteen fifties.  I remember going to a writers conference at  a New York City hotel with hundreds of attendees. At a break in the sessions, we would stand in a waiting line at the bank of wall telephones in the lobby and wait…

“O give thanks  to the Lord,  for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”   Psalm 107:1  (NKJV) Another day of national thanksgiving. How shall  we spend it? Surely, we want to spend time with  our family and friends and enjoy the feast of good food that can be so delicious  on this special day.  But let us pause during this season of acknowledged blessings to express  thanks to  God who gave us all things through His Word.  Actually, it is through  the words of Scripture  that we come to know Him. One of the things that the Scriptures  invite us to do is to be thankful. ****“Enter into His…

“In the same way let your  light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify  your Father  in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (NIV) With all the bad news we read and hear about in the  nation today, it may begin to seem that there’s a dearth of good deeds, but good deeds do  occur, and opportunities for doing  them  abound.   Christ’s followers are noted for their good works, a large amount of it being done in groups or as part of an organization. In times of disaster, church groups join together and work tirelessly in community efforts to help the hurting victims. The people who do this…