Thought For the Week

Greetings Friends, In light of the current pandemic, I wanted to post something that would hopefully be helpful to you all as you find yourself forced into circumstances beyond your control. It comes from D. L. Moody. in his book, "The Overcoming Life" originally penned in 1896. Just another confirmation that although times change, situations change, and technology changes, the nature of man remains the same as it always has! Relevant then, relevant now, and will be until the day Jesus returns. (Scripture quotes updated using the NIV.) Enjoy. "If we are going to overcome, we must begin inside. God always begins there. An enemy inside the fort is always more dangerous than one outside. Scripture teaches us that in every believer there are two natures warring against each other. Paul says, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate,...

Greetings Friends, I hope you are all faring well in your isolation (or partial isolation). Hopefully we will soon be past the worst of this pandemic, and our need for confinement, and be able to greet one another once again with a handshake, hug, or holy kiss. Until then (and since most have a bit of time) I offer you this very insightful 'thought.' It comes from a book called, "The Strong Weak People" by Jay Kesler. Formerly a worker with Youth for Christ, and a practicing pastor, and then president of Taylor University, Jay is a man with a very pastoral heart. In fact, I can honestly say I've never read anything by him that I did not like! This excerpt comes from the chapter of his book entitled: "The Family That Failed Together." As I read through it I found myself saying "how true" more than once. I did cut down the length and hence the many times you'll see the little .... following a section. I encourage you to browse through...

Dear Friends, Who would have thought – just 2-3 weeks ago – that things would be where they are today in relation to the spread of Covid-19 and the worldwide efforts to stem its spread? It’s been a lesson in growing international cooperation, while also being a study of human nature as we watch the many varied ideas, theories, and reactions of people to the general concern about the virus. When each generation is confronted by a new threat, we can often forget the lessons of wisdom and self-sacrifice displayed during similar threats in the past. Those unfamiliar with history are often unaware that we are not the first generation to encounter things which are a massive threat to human life and global stability. Just to name a couple, there was the Black (Bubonic) Plague (1346-1353, often called “the greatest catastrophe ever”) which killed 50 million in Euro-asia, or 60% of the population and its recurrence years later in England (in 1665-1666) killing nearly 25% of London’s popula...

Dear Friends, This story is one of many found under the category of "Life Lessons" in the book, "God Allows U-Turns: True Stories of Hope and Healing" by Allison Gappa Bottke. It's actually the second volume and is titled, "MORE God Allows U-Turns." This particular story has to do with the physical discipline of children. I found it intriguing. I believe you might as well. Enjoy.   A Severe Mercy "According to my mother, who was the disciplinarian in my home, I was a precocious boy, prone to mischief. The most severe punishment I ever got, however, was not from my mother but from my gentle father. Many people said my dad reminded them of Jimmy Stewart. He was tall and trim with the same side-part hairstyle and boyish grin. After the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" was released in 1946, folks in our town, McKinney, Texas, teased him by calling him George Bailey. Not only was his resemblance to Jimmy Stewar...

Dear Friends, Today's "thought" comes from a prodigal who returned to Christ and His church after many years of straying from the faith -- only to be drawn back in by God's inexplicable grace. It comes from Kathleen Norris and is found in her New York Times bestseller, "Amazing Grace - A Vocabulary of Faith." It is taken from her chapter dealing with three very unpopular words in our society - Sinner, Wretch and Reprobate. I offer this for your consideration. Enjoy. “I am a sinner, and the Presbyterian church (I attend) offers me a weekly chance to come clean, and to pray, along with others, what is termed a prayer of confession. But pastors can be so reluctant to use the word “sin” that in church we end up confessing nothing except our highly developed capacity for denial. One week, for example, the confession began, “Our communication with Jesus tends to be too infrequent to experience the transformation in our lives You want us to ha...