Yokemates

“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” Isaiah 58:9 This past week has been filled with many answered prayers. Some I couldn’t share with others, some I was able to rejoice with others in. What an amazing gift God has given us in the gift of friendship and conversation with the Almighty! And, to be able to go directly to Him through His Son, Jesus, is beyond wonderful. There are no busy signals, empty texts, lost contacts or dead air spaces to deal with. He listens at any time and no matter what our mood. He just loves to hear from us and to share His heart with us as well. Through scriptures, songs, nature, friends, pastors, Bible studies and even children. Prayer – the gift of intimate conversation with our Creator and Savior. What a blessing we have to be thankful for each and every day! My devotions this morning were a compilation of Scriptures and they reaffirmed all that God had been sharing with me in the...

What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word, worship? Many of us instantly think of musical worship, right? Our favorite songs and artists, a favorite hymn or even times when we sense God’s presence ever close on a Sunday morning. Other times of worship that might come to mind may focus on prayer, offerings, time spent in nature or in our quiet moments alone with God. Defining worship can be an interesting challenge – one that goes beyond the activity associated with it. A consistent phrase that is used to define worship is often something of this nature: Worship is a natural response to our encounter with God. Our encounters with the Almighty God are as vast and unique as each individual’s relationship is with Him. Our responses are likely just as varied from person to person, as they are from church to church and culture to culture. If we focus in on expressions of worship found in the Bible specifically referring to musical worship, we find some exci...

The Word of God is one of the most important and valuable strengths in our Christian life and witness. Within God's authoritative Word, we can search out  the truths of God and further define our Christian faith. We can find our sense of purpose, direction in times of confusion and peace in the promised blessings and hope of eternity.   The Bible is not outdated, nor will it ever be. The Bible always has something more to teach us and gives us insights into how we can successfully move through the challenges and blessings of life. The Word of God is not impressed by our human efforts or personal accomplishments. It keeps no record of how many copies we have on our shelves or have uploaded on our devices.  It is not impressed with how many times we've read it from cover to cover, but it does yearn to be hidden in our heart and to be a true catalyst for change in our lives.  The inspired Word of God opens up our true motives and points to those areas that are ...