Category: Gods Love

6/22/2026 0 Comments

When Following Jesus Can Cost You Everything

Blog by Jerry Anze

Meditation
2 Timothy 3:12--In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

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6/15/2026 0 Comments

God Sees, Hears, and Knows

My name is Joseph Adrian Shikokoti, the founding pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Eldoret, Kenya. I have served the church for more than 32 years now. I'm married to Rose Adrian, and together we have raised many children both biologically and spiritually. We started a home in 2007, but we don’t actually call it a home because we want every kid to have a sense of belonging. We already had biological kids, and God used Rose to ask me if we could help one boy (Hudson) who didn't have a father and needed a place to live and food to eat. As a pastor, I felt compelled to offer some kind of help to this boy who has a paralyzed right hand and leg. I accepted, knowing that I would not be able to meet all this boy's needs because, for so long, we had food but no fire to cook with, and we could send our bigger boys to pick polythene papers and broken plastics to start a fire and use as firewood to cook. Now God led Rose to take care of this young man.

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6/9/2026 3 Comments

Faith in the Dust: A Devotional for Those who Feel Forgotten

I asked Pastor Daniel Mugeni, one of our First Cause international leaders, to share with you what it is like to minister in a poor rural community in Uganda. Daniel pastors Grace Harvest House of Worship in Iganga, Uganda, a town 33km from the source of the Nile in Jinja. This is critical because it is so easy to be complacent and selfish in a prosperous nation and forget what it means to suffer and struggle not just in faith but in surviving.

Meditation
2 Corinthians 1:6,7--If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.

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5/26/2026 2 Comments

Lettuce Bless You

We are in a drought in SE Georgia. Nevertheless, the spinach and lettuce I planted have flourished thanks to some very rich, amended soil. Since you can only eat so much lettuce, and it is not great for freezing, Stacy texted several of our neighbors to see if they would like some. Everyone responded, “Yes.” So, I bagged up lettuce and made deliveries. Though we did not ask for anything, in return we were given two dozen eggs, a whole carton of blueberries, and peaches. Neighbors shared from their bounty, and I was struck by how we were blessed beyond what we had given. “Lettuce bless you,” was met with “We berry much appreciate you.” (C’mon, everyone needs a dad joke now and then).

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4/23/2026 0 Comments

"Did They Get Off?"

On September 27, 1942, 500 Marines were trapped by the Japanese on the island of Guadalcanal at Point Cruz.[1]A 22-year-old Coast Guard Signalman, Douglas Munro, recognizing the desperate situation, volunteered to lead 10 Higgins Boats to rescue them, knowing they would all be under intense enemy fire. Then he did something even more amazing. Douglas put his boat between the Japanese and the boats carrying marines. As the last Marines boarded the evacuation boats, Munro maneuvered even closer to the Japanese to draw their fire. This man, who was not even supposed to be in combat, was hit by machine gun bullets to his neck and head. Lying wounded, pouring out blood, he asked Coxswain Ray Evans, “Did they get off?” Evans looked at him and replied, “Yes, they’re all safe.” Munro smiled and passed away.

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4/8/2026 1 Comment

"We're Going to See a Miracle in the Next 24 Hours."

Nate Holding Sushi

Last week, my brother Nate received a cash offer from his neighbor across the street for his 20-acre farm, which he and my parents purchased over a decade ago. Both Dad and Mom died on that property, and it is a place that holds a lot of family memories. The house will close in a few weeks, leaving Nate, Missy, and their great friend Roger without a place to live. They had hoped to purchase a lodge in Alaska, but that fell through. So, faced with enormous uncertainty regarding their future and where they would live, Nate declared, “We’re going to see a miracle in the next 24 hours.”

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1/22/2026 0 Comments

I Have Observed

I remember, as an eighteen-year-old, living with my aunt and uncle in Coeur ‘d Alene, Idaho, who graciously took me into their home while I awaited my move to New York to attend West Point. Norm let me drive his Ford Ranchero and paid me to move pipes and water his crops. Whenever I got in a bind, he would flash his trademark Norwegian grin, which could be translated as “You are such an idiot.” I felt like a little kid in his presence. Given my mechanical stupidity, I’m sure he wondered how I would ever make it in an engineering school. Had it not been for God’s help and classmates like Kevin Stewart, who spent hours tutoring me, I would never have survived the Academy, and I wonder what would have become of my life. Wondering can be a healthy exercise in appreciating God’s sovereignty. This surely must have been the case for one of the world’s greatest leaders.

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9/27/2025 1 Comment

Afraid to Ask

Have you ever had a time in your life when the Holy Spirit or God’s Word spoke to you, but the truth of the message did not make sense? The prophet Daniel, aware of God’s judgment over Israel and having received terrifying visions regarding future events, called out to Him and shared his concerns (Daniel 9). God sent an angel to minister to him. “He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!’ As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me’” (10:19).

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8/26/2025 0 Comments

Intentional

God is holy and intentional; He does nothing unintentionally. Paul wrote in Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Can you imagine what life would be like if God discarded His holy and kind nature and became unintentional, capricious, unpredictable, a decision-maker whose will was based on whim? We would have no hope of redemption, an eternal relationship based on love, because His word would be open at any time to change, dependent upon the state of His nature.

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8/5/2025 1 Comment

Rescuers

I was reading in my quiet time Jeremiah 22, and I was struck by how David’s message praising God’s actions in Psalm 146 was like what God, through His prophet Jeremiah, called the king of Judah, his officials, and the people to do.

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5/20/2025 0 Comments

Wounded Tiger

T. Martin Bennett writes a remarkable nonfiction book, Wounded Tiger.[1] It narrates the true story of Mitsuo Fuchida, Jake DeShazer, and the Covell family, showcasing the intersection of their lives during World War II and its aftermath. I highly recommend this book for its profound depiction of God’s redemptive hand at work.

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5/16/2025 1 Comment

To Be Entrusted

Padel Code

Beth* walked off the court before our game started, sat down by the chain-link fence, and sobbed. Then she grabbed her gear and left the pickleball courts. Candace caught up with her and tried to comfort her. While that was going on, Jimmy (who was going to be her partner) came over and explained what had transpired. He commented to her that he did not enjoy playing with her in a previous game because she was too loud and excitable. Beth was already aware that her behavior might be too much for people, so Jimmy’s words increased her insecurity and hurt her feelings.

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4/17/2025 0 Comments

He Loved Them to the End

Leonardo da Vinci famously portrayed the Last Supper. At West Point, I was part of a group that reenacted this iconic scene. It was a sobering key event during Holy Week, preceding Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. During that final meal with His followers, Jesus demonstrated His immense love for them through His actions and message.

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3/11/2025 3 Comments

Mindlock

They were college roommates with a friendship that brought laughter and fun to almost everyone who entered their orbit. Now, 44 years later, on opposite sides of the political spectrum, they bash each other on social media with barely concealed contempt. Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” was internally dishonest. Negative words do more than upset, they create resentment, rifts, and land littered with destroyed relationships.

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2/25/2025 0 Comments

Crafting Circles Not Cliques

Todd Foreman

My West Point classmate Todd Foreman is the most generous person I know in helping those around him, whether they be friends, coworkers, family, or those who are underprivileged, disabled, neglected, or hurting. Todd has a soft spot in his heart that is bigger than the state of Texas, where he resides. Sometimes, to his detriment, he puts the needs of others before his own needs in keeping with the Apostle Paul’s admonition, “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3,4). Todd is a make-the-circle-bigger kind of leader.

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12/17/2024 1 Comment

Miracles: We Have Never Seen Anything Like This!

Roberta was Stacy’s laundry mat owner and insurance agent in Mexico City. Needing to renew her insurance policy, Stacy scheduled a meeting with Roberta and was prompted by the Holy Spirit that she was to share the gospel with the result that Roberta would be saved. When they met, Roberta confessed, “Sometimes I sit at a stoplight and wonder, God, how can I know You?” That gave Stacy an opening to share the gospel. Roberta responded, “You’re telling me I can walk out of here forgiven for everything I’ve ever done?” Stacy answered, “Yes—everything.” Roberta reacted incredulously, “Even an abortion?”
“Yes, even an abortion.”
“I want that because I’ve gone to a church for 18 years, and the leaders told me that was not possible.” Roberta then prayed and asked for forgiveness for her sins and for Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of her life.

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11/27/2024 0 Comments

Grace-Caused Thanksgiving

Ron York

Dad is bedridden now, and most days, unable to feed himself, requiring care 24/7. Yet despite increased dementia and limited capacity, he smilingly answers simple questions, and his appreciation flows naturally toward those assisting him. He knows and sings the words of Amazing Grace with closed eyes and a swaying head. His eyes twinkle as he joins me in singing the Marine Corps Hymn. A peace within him resonates with the words Paul shared with the Corinthian believers.

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11/6/2024 1 Comment

Calling on God

During the prophet Jeremiah’s lifetime, the world was perilous. Countries were at war. The Israelites were dispersed throughout many nations after Assyria overthrew them. Those living with Jeremiah in Judah were threatened by Babylon, who eventually destroyed Jerusalem and deported those who survived. Pessimism abounded, and great angst filled the hearts of those who pondered their future. Most of the world’s population was ungodly, resulting in chaos and turmoil. Yet, despite all this, God spoke to Jeremiah and encouraged him to call on Him in prayer.

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7/15/2024 3 Comments

Assassination Attempt

The report was shocking. How did Thomas Crooks get into a line-of-sight position after being spotted by local Trump supporters and then fire off multiple shots, killing former fire chief Corey Comperatore and critically wounding others while grazing the ear of his intended target, former president Donald Trump?[1] But for an inch . . . had the Secret Service been more vigilant, Crooks might have been neutralized before shooting anyone. But for an inch . . . Trump could have died. But for an inch . . . an entire nation might have experienced gargantuan turmoil.

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5/18/2024 1 Comment