Devotional Blog

On every trip, decisions are made. Along the road of life, we inevitably face intersections and decisions about which way to go. It is at those moments that we must live by faith, asking God for wisdom and believing that He will never lead in the wrong direction. It is our hope that each article on the blog will encourage you to keep enjoying the journey…and look for Jesus along the way.

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A journey through 1 Peter shows that in trials there is triumph. We should follow in the steps of the suffering Savior, Jesus Christ. This image depicts suffering and is related to an article that overviews the book of 1 Peter in the Bible.

Journey through 1 Peter

Journey Through 1 Peter In the United States, we know very little about real persecution. Yet, around the world, at this very present hour, millions of believers are suffering and even dying for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have suffered for your faith. Yet, this is nothing new. Persecution has always…

Prolific hymn-writer Charles Wesley (brother of John who began the Methodist Church) wrote the original words to 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' in 1739. The writing marked the one-year anniversary of his conversion. The carol was published that year in a book called Hymns and Sacred Poems. The first two lines were: "Hark, how all the welkin rings/Glory to the king of kings.” Then, in 1753, Wesley's friend and co-worker George Whitfield changed those lines to the ones we know today: "Hark! The herald angels sing/glory to the newborn king."

Hymn History: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" tells the story of an event recorded in the Bible after Jesus Christ was born. On the first Christmas, an...
Hymn History: Go Tell It on the Mountain

Hymn History: Go Tell It on the Mountain

Hymn History: Go Tell It on the Mountain The Christmas season can be one of the most joyful and heartwarming times of the year. Families...
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From the Land of the Bible…

Today our family and a group of friends are walking in the land of our Lord. In a very real sense, all land belongs to...
God came. In this broadcast series, we walk through Scripture and examine this phrase "God came" in the lives of a multitude of people. Old and New Testament. Men and women. Young and old. The presence of God is not for some; it is for all who will walk in faith and obedience. God came sereis sldie, God with us meaning

GOD CAME

God Came. In many ways, these two words summarize the message of the whole Bible! They encapsulate the love and mercy of our God. We...
Franz Gruber wrote the music, and for the first time, Silent Night was sung on that Christmas Eve service in 1818 with a guitar accompanying the congregation.

Hymn History: Silent Night

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." - Luke 2:8 Listen to this...
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Travel with Us through the Land of the Bible

This week we will walk where Jesus walked. My first immersion into Bible geography came during a three day stop in Egypt soon after I...
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My Friend and Fellow Worker

The Lord has a way of connecting co-laborers. More than a quarter of a century ago God allowed me to get acquainted with a young...
In 1897, Oatman’s most influential hymn, Count Your Blessings, was published in the hymnal Songs for Young People. It became an immediate sensation.

Hymn History: Count Your Blessings

Hymn History: Count Your Blessings “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O...
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Where Praise & Thanks Should Begin

When I was a child Christmas was my favorite holiday. As I have grown older, Thanksgiving has moved into that place. I love the time...
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5 Reflections on Life and Death

This year has been a year of loss. In God's economy, loss is so often gain if we are ready to receive it. Somewhere in...
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Looking Vertically

Looking vertically in a world where the majority looks horizontally can be quite the difference maker. To be a dynamic follower of Christ and not...
Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah

Hymn History: Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah

Hymn History: Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah "Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  And...
History: Francis HavergalI wrote "I Gave My Life for Thee" after seeing a depiction of Pilate presenting Christ to an angry mob in a museum.

Hymn History: I Gave My Life for Thee

Hymn History: I Gave My Life for Thee Francis Ridley Havergal was a famous hymn-writer and singer. Raised in a preacher's home, her talent was...
The Real Need of America, problem in America,

The Real Need of America

The Real Need of America We are in a time of national turmoil. Rumors are swirling, tempers are flaring, and feelings of anticipation and dread...
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There is Freedom in Christ!

The world calls it addiction; the Word calls it bondage. Sin always makes men slaves, and only Christ can give liberty. This is very important...
Eochaid is not a name you hear every day. However, that is the given name of the ancient follower of the Lord Jesus. In the late 6th and early 7th century, poetry and education were gaining huge importance in Ireland. Eochaid was better known as Dallan Furgail, a nickname derived from his place of birth and the fact that he was a blind man.  Born into a noble family, Furgail “was early [recognized] as the royal poet and greatest scholar in Ireland” (A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, 1877). He distinguished himself in spite of one huge hurdle - he was blind. Not only did he survive, he excelled in the study of poetry, literature, and theology. Reflect on this - a blind man penned the poem/prayer that would ultimately become Be Thou My Vision. Eochaid, a blind man, penned the poem/prayer that would ultimately become Be Thou My Vision. It was set to tune in honor of St. Patrick.

Hymn History: Be Thou My Vision

“But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” - Psalm 141:8 Eochaid: The...
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Recapturing the Hallelujah

My memory is still vivid of the first time I heard the Hallelujah Chorus given in a pubic meeting. I remember watching that vast crowd of people...
Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Hymn History: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

“It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness....