Category: Faith

5/17/2023 0 Comments

Put the Spotlight on Me!

Loren and Ralph Erickson

On Saturday, family and friends gathered to honor and remember Ralph Erickson. Ralph lived a whole life of 90 years, serving as an Army Chaplain, a Clinical Pastor, and a Grief Counselor. Married twice (both of his wives, Joanna and Darlene, passed away), Ralph was a man who loved Jesus and who cared deeply about his family and people. He served as an Army Chaplain for 24 years, with two tours in Vietnam. He received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Air Medal (a medal for aviators awarded him for the incredible number of hours he spent on helicopters to minister to troops).

3/31/2023 1 Comment

The Power of Care

Do you feel like a caring Creator guards your life, or are you feeling incredibly vulnerable and unsafe? When we know Jesus, at least three important facts should kick into gear. First, we understand from Psalm 139:16 that “Your [God’s] eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” There is nothing accidental about our lives—we were purposefully designed. Second, we know from John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Faith in Jesus brings us a redeemed life with God that will forever unfold. But we must understand a third critical fact to negotiate life joyfully.

3/22/2023 0 Comments

Boldness

Herodotus, a Greek historian from Halicarnassus, wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars that modern historians and archeologists have largely validated.[1] The Roman orator Cicero called him “The Father of History.” Herodotus wrote, “It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.” Herodotus understood Spartan warriors' courage and the Greeks' bravery in defeating Persian armies that dwarfed them in size and resources. Imagine if this astute historian had understood the boldness available to those who serve an unshakable kingdom!

2/28/2023 0 Comments

From a Deeper Place

Hannah suffered from three places. First was the place of torment. She had a rival—a woman who taunted her severely to provoke her, often reducing her to tears and enflamed resentment. Second was the place of pain. She could not bear a child, which ate at her soul as she felt God’s withholding hand. Not even the encouragement of her loving husband could ease the ache she carried. Third was the place of misunderstanding. Eli, the priest, mistook Hannah’s silent prayer in her anguished worship. He saw her moving lips and thought she was drunk. Instead of investigating, he scolded her and told her to stop drinking.

2/6/2023 0 Comments

Who has Real Faith?

Geoff Davis

The walk of faith is constantly filled with paradoxes. Think about it! We must surrender to win. We must fall to rise. We must bow to be blessed. We must die to live. And if you are a Paratrooper, you must jump from the aircraft for the parachute to open. We are constantly bombarded with this or that view of faith.

1/16/2023 0 Comments

No Choice in the Matter

David & Teresa

Around 2010, David was having his quiet time on his outside patio when the Lord said, “I want you to give me everything.” He responded, “Lord, You have everything . . . we served You on the mission field . . . ” The Holy Spirit then impressed on his heart, “I want everything in your bank accounts.” David’s heart broke, and he began weeping. Then he conceded, “Lord, it’s all yours.” He went to his wife, Teresa, and shared what had happened. She replied that before emptying their bank accounts, she wanted confirmation. After two days of prayer, Teresa heard from God and agreed with her husband. They emptied all their accounts and wrote a check to Eternal Perspectives Ministries. David told me, “It was fun to write that check but very scary.” About two years later, God directed them to move from Indiana to Oregon. Without funding or a job but full of faith, they obeyed. For six months, with two of their children and a dog, they slept on couches in friends’ homes until the time came when God blessed them with provisions to have their own place and ministry.

1/14/2023 8 Comments

Navigating the Christian Life

Author Geoff Davis

Over forty years ago, on April 1, 1982, I pinned on a US Army Ranger Tab. When I began that program on February 2, 1982, I started with some of the Army’s best soldiers. God used it as one of the most formative lessons in my walk with Him, so that I might know Him better.

1/6/2023 1 Comment

The Lord Will Provide

The old Mary would have freaked out but not the new Mary. The old Mary was extremely insecure with finances and struggled with worry. The new Mary was all about trusting God, and now she faced one of the biggest tests in her life. One of her clients owed her over $60,000 and had missed several deadlines in paying their debt. She had leveraged her credit card to keep her business afloat, and if ever there was a time for panic, it was now. But instead of harassing the client to pay or taking them to court, she was gracious to them and kept her confidence that her business was God’s and not hers. He would provide. First, her hospital wrote off a bill she owed of $170,000! Second, other clients provided much-needed funds. Finally, a different bank gave her a new and better credit line of almost $200,000.

11/13/2022 0 Comments

The Night Before a Hanging

Esther is an amazing book that teaches why God’s people should trust Him, keep their faith, and not give in to opposition and persecution. The Israelite exiles faced elimination thanks to an antagonist named Haman, who talked his king into decreeing their destruction. Before the dreaded day of death came for the exiles, Haman constructed a gallows for his enemy Mordecai and went to sleep, confident of his diabolical plan’s fulfillment the next day.

11/7/2022 1 Comment

Salvation with Fear and Trembling

Salvation is a free gift received by a heart that recognizes sin, takes responsibility for it through confession and repentance, and then places one’s faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, that He is Lord and the only One capable of sacrificing His life to pay the debt of sin, forgiving transgressions so that all who place their faith in Him might experience eternal life with Him.

9/26/2022 0 Comments

Why We Exist

Gerry got back from Afghanistan, and he is not in good shape. Half his squad was on a mounted patrol when their vehicles were hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), killing four and badly wounding two. Unfortunately, he had to identify the bodies and could not get the images out of his head. Now between alcohol and too many medications, his life has lost meaning, and he has frequent thoughts of ending it.

7/16/2022 0 Comments

The Missing Spatula Handle

Ron and Joyce, shortly after getting married, hosted a prayer breakfast at their home. A British Major General visiting Fort Benning was to be the speaker at the prayer breakfast. Joyce baked a coffee cake for breakfast that morning. While cleaning up the kitchen, she realized the spatula handle was missing. After looking everywhere, she concluded it must have fallen into the coffee cake.

7/1/2022 0 Comments

Inability to See

Meditation
John 8:25-27—“Who are You?” they questioned. “Precisely what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him—these things I tell the world.” They did not know He was speaking to them about the Father.

5/14/2022 0 Comments

Your Faith has Healed You!

Life is full of challenges. As you read that what challenge comes to mind that you are facing? For some of us, it is financial, for others relationships, and still others health, the need for work, etc. What is unhealthy is when we let the problem(s) we face dominate our thinking because we flounder in fear and uncertainty. In his book Brave, Strong & Tender, Phil Downer asked, “Do you ever find yourself spending more time thinking about the size of your problems than thinking about the size of your God? Do you feel locked up because of fear?”

4/30/2022 1 Comment

The Purpose of Religion

Cassandra was baptized in church on Easter in front of hundreds of cheering people. Her testimony was amazing. She spoke of getting pregnant as a young teenager. She shared her struggles with shame, feelings of inferiority, and rejection. Then she testified how a stranger introduced her to Jesus but that she had not followed Him. She credited her husband with getting her involved with the right crowd of people who taught her what it means to pursue God. Now her life is on a heaven-honoring trajectory. She loves ministering to people and most importantly pursuing God.

4/7/2022 0 Comments

Guaranteed!

Payne lives in the United States but is from Great Britain. Payne grew up as an agnostic. When he came to the U.S., he accepted an invitation to church and heard the minister encourage people to give in support of the ministry. Payne was surprised when the pastor guaranteed that if anyone tithed and did not see God bless their efforts and consequently lost money, he would return their total gift. After the service, he went up to the pastor and said, “Let me get this straight. You are giving us a money-back guarantee if we give and do not see an increase in our finances?” The pastor replied, “I’ve been pastoring for over 30 years, and I have never lost this challenge—so yes, I’m giving you a money-back guarantee!”

3/24/2022 0 Comments

Believing Gained by Reading

Erwin introduced me to Rojan* an 80-year-old doctor born in Peru. We listened to him as he explained that there is no such thing as hell and that when he dies, he will simply decompose and return to the earth—body, spirit, and soul. There is no afterlife he said. Implied in his words were his belief that there is no God and no accountability for us in how we live. He was firm in his convictions and seemingly unconcerned of a finite life.

3/13/2022 0 Comments

Understanding Wisdom

What is the source of wisdom? Is it academic institutions? If we want to be wise is the best method to gain the highest degree and be immersed in learning institutions, listening to teachers and professors? Or is it experience? Do we agree with Confucius? “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” Will Rogers had a more colorful adaptation, “There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.”

1/17/2022 1 Comment

My Plan will take Place

One of the hardest things about being human is the reality of the unfinished and the certainty of the unknown. For example, no matter what plan we devise, truthfully, we do not know what the outcome will be. Steve excitedly began a new job only to be let go eight months later. Shaq thought he would spend his life in poverty and inherited a fortune from a rich relative who died. Sally trained for a sporting event she hoped to win then suffered planter fasciitis. Ralph counted on finances being strong for his growing family when inflation took off. Raquel bought a ticket for a cruise now cancelled by travel restrictions. Kim thought her marriage would last until death but Joe divorced her. Rob and Shelly bought a bigger house to store their antiques and a tornado destroyed it.

1/6/2022 1 Comment

Tell the Righteous!

Meditation
Isaiah 3:10-11—Tell the righteous that it will go well for them, for they will eat the fruit of their labor. Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them, for what they have done will be done to them.

God’s word to Isaiah challenged me to study the word righteous because it is in that context that things go well for people. What I found was staggering in some ways. But before we look at the signs and fruit of righteous living we should understand 14 lessons that teach:

Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles