The Hollywood Hills Cross
One of the most recognizable images in the US is the “HOLLYWOOD” sign in Southern California. People from all over the globe come to “Tinseltown” to gaze at cement footprints of stars and perhaps catch a glimpse of celebrities who might pass by. It’s hard for these visitors to miss the sign anchored in the foothills nearby.
Less well known in the Hollywood hills is another easily recognized symbol—one with eternal significance. Known as the Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, this 32-foot cross looks out over the city. The cross was placed there in memory of Christine Wetherill Stevenson, a wealthy heiress…
On March 28, 2016 It was a very windy day. I was in my room on the top floor kneeling giving thanks to God for sending his son, ('For God so Loved the World that He gave His only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him will not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16) and I heard a loud rumbling sound. It never dawned on me to jump up and go see what the noise was I just kept praying. Sometime during that evening, my son came home and informed me that the tree in our back yard had fallen and nicked the edge of the gutter on the roof knocking it off and caving part of the fence. I jumped up to examine the damages and found out that God had delivered me out of danger. I had been kneeling in the place that the tree would have fallen if it would have swayed toward the right. Instead!!, God had laid the tree straightforward and rested it on the carport with minimal damages. A Lighthouse is a mimic of God's unfailing love his light will shine to all those who acknowledge him and seek him. God is our navigator.
A Patriarchal culture of the Bible
When reading the Bible, you can’t escape noticing that men were clearly in charge. A patriarchal world is definitely the setting in which the story of the Bible is told. But today on “Discover the Word,” author Carolyn Custis James and the group discuss how making the patriarchal culture of the Bible the message instead of the backdrop to the message can cause confusion. An enlightening conversation today on “Discover the Word”!
When I Died to Myself At Work
Several weeks ago, my church mate commented about the attitude of an intern working in her organization. Whenever he did not know how to do something, she said, he would keep quiet instead of seeking help, or say that it could not be done.
Don’t Walk Away
In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: “I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand.” But Piper didn’t walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church.
Although success is a word easily misunderstood, we might call John Piper successful. But what if his ministry had never flourished?
God gave the prophet Jeremiah a direct call. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” God said. “Before you were…
I checked into a womens' shelter in Spokane, WA around 4 o'clock in the morning in March 2015. I arrived by Spokane Police Department car after being treated at an ER for multiple facial lacerations and spinal trauma. I was assaulted at a campground by someone very close to me who was in a black-out rage. After being assigned a bunk and change of sheets, I laid on the bed to pray about what to do. Since my clothes were covered in blood I did not want to venture into the public without a plan. The shelter had a library near the food table with some comfortable chairs for quiet time. I sat in a rocking chair to think and look at the books around me. On a shelf within reach was a Bible and a copy of Our Daily Bread. These are two items that I had with me at the campgrounds but as I was vision impaired after the assault, the Park Ranger and I could not find them in the dark. It was comforting to me to see this devotional since I have done it almost everyday for years. When I think back to the placement of the Bible and Our Daily Bread on that shelve at that time I truly Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ orchestrated many people over many days, weeks, and months for ME to find it there. He knew that my spirit would be broken and exactly what I would need for comfort. I thank this Ministry for all that each of You do to have those perfectly placed devotionals strategically placed for us all. I cannot tell you how many people I have passed the devotional on to because it is too many to count. Each time I give one away I pray for the receiver to even be blessed a portion of the amount I have over the years.
Let’s begin a study called Malestrom
Today on “Discover the Word,” author Carolyn Custis James joins the group to begin a series of conversations about something she calls the m-a-l-e “malestrom.” Just as women are often marginalized in our world, Carolyn feels that in many ways men are in trouble too. So be part of the “Discover the Word” group with special guest Carolyn Custis James as they begin a study called, Malestrom on “Discover the Word”!
Wisdom and Grace
On April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African-American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. Many had not yet heard of Dr. King’s death, so Kennedy had to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only their pain but his own abiding grief over the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy then quoted a variation of an ancient poem by Aeschylus (526–456 bc):
Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon…
When Did You Last Try to “Fix” Yourself?
It’s a bad day at work. One of the kids is acting up again. This time, he’s putting his legs up onto his chair. Regardless of how many times I tell him to put them down, he refuses. Each time I repeat myself, it sounds like I’m nagging.
Whatever You Do
God reveals Himself to us, and we are to mirror Him. He created, and at the end He said, “It was good.” So whatever it is that you do—do it well. Do it with purpose. Do it for Him. And at the end of the day, you can say, “It was good.”
Wisdom and Grace
On April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African-American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. Many had not yet heard of Dr. King’s death, so Kennedy had to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only their pain but his own abiding grief over the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy then quoted a variation of an ancient poem by Aeschylus (526–456 bc):
Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon…
The Blacksmith and the King
In 1878, when Scotsman Alexander Mackay arrived in what is now Uganda to serve as a missionary, he first set up a blacksmith forge among a tribe ruled by King Mutesa. Villagers gathered around this stranger who worked with his hands, puzzled because everyone “knew” that work was for women. At that time, men in Uganda never worked with their hands. They raided other villages to capture slaves, selling them to outsiders. Yet here was this foreign man at work forging farming tools.
Mackay’s work ethic and life resulted in relationships with the villagers and gained him an audience with the…
The Prodigal Son’s Father
The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-31) is a familiar one. Its three main characters could be the stars of a TV series: The rich patriarch, his elder son, and his youngest—the wild child. We know how it goes: The wild child takes off with his plentiful inheritance to enjoy life.
Too Close
I grew up in Oklahoma where severe weather is common from early spring through the end of summer. I recall one evening when the sky boiled with dark clouds, the TV weather forecaster warned of an approaching tornado, and the electricity went out. Very quickly, my parents, my sister, and I climbed down the wooden ladder into the storm cellar behind our house where we stayed until the storm passed by.
Today “storm chasing” has become a hobby for many people and a profitable business for others. The goal is to get as close as possible to a tornado without being…
It’s all about our motives
How do you handle it when you don’t get the recognition you feel you deserve? Or when others receive credit for your efforts? Today on “Discover the Word,” we will talk about the difference in doing what we do to get recognition for ourselves or doing it for the glory of God. It’s all about our motives.
