Literally meaning “Head of the Year,” Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar. It begins at sunset of Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and ends at nightfall of Friday, October 4, 2024. Rosh Hashanah includes a service in the synagogue that begins with the sounding of the shofar, an instrument made from the horn of a ram or another animal. Attendees repent of their mistakes in the past year and resolve to do better in the new year. This…
Recently a friend kept saying to me, “I’m sorry for you”, “I’m sorry you are going through that”, or “I’m sorry, so, so sorry, about that.” As I walked away, there was a heaviness on me. It felt like darkness, an oppression, a heavy weight that I didn’t understand. Then I realized what she was speaking into my life: SORROW. I searched and searched my Bible to find somewhere—anywhere—where Jesus told someone that he was sorry for them. The woman…
There is a place in eternity that is being created for everyone. The price has been paid, but there are different states of being, and with different liberties. Each eternal habitation is dependent on the development of the spirit and soul of each believer while here on the earth. Some believers will fall short of what is available, and consequently will believe that where they end up is solely as God determined. But while on earth, they have missed lessons,…
In a dream, a close friend and I were at a comforting and quiet retreat. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so we were having a joyous time visiting with one another, enjoying the time together, and experiencing wonderful fellowship while doing simple and quiet activities. We spent time praying, and talked of God’s goodness and marveled at His creation in nature. Halfway through our visit, a famous actress arrived at the retreat with her beautiful wardrobe,…
Anyone else have a season rife with constant ups and downs, highs and lows, ease and challenges? Not knowing what to make of these swings, a word was given to me, “patient continuance”. In other words—keep walking regardless of circumstances. Don’t fight, don’t fret, don’t be anxious, don’t worry, don’t get frustrated, and certainly don’t get angry. The flesh doesn’t like this season, but if we are to overcome the flesh and its reactions, we must have ‘patient continuance’. Sometimes…
This summer, I’ve been spending time in the books of several of the minor prophets: Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Obadiah, and Joel. In the next month I’ll be moving on to Habakkuk and Zephaniah. These were pre-exilic prophets who pleaded and warned the two nations of Israel and Judah of impending judgment for their failures and sin. The people constantly were falling away from their promise to honor God alone, but rather choose to follow other gods and trust in their own…
Happy 4th of July. God bless America. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
“The Weaver” “My life is but a weaving Between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors He weaveth steadily. Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; And I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper And I the underside. Not ’til the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Will God unroll the canvas And reveal the reason why. The dark threads are as needful In the weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver…
Do you hear the echo of the distance cries of Christians being persecuted willing and ready to die? Do you hear their prayers filled with faith and grief asking God for comfort, for peace, and for relief? Do you see each tear drop as they roll down each face of those that are imprisoned for sharing God’s grace? Do you see the hurting the wounded and the dead those who have been tortured for the words that they’ve said? Do…
A friend recently told me that the “Old Testament” of the Bible doesn’t really pertain to our modern times, so we need to stay in the New Testament. When she said this, I was right in the middle of reading the Old Testament book of Job. There’s an old ‘country’ expression that describes the experience of an intense or traumatic life event that leaves us forever changed. “Being pulled through the knothole,” means going through a situation so exceptionally intense…