Corona Devotionals

Everyone talks about the book of Revelation .  What does it mean?  How should we interpret it?  Some pastors are afraid to preach about it.  Other pastors are fixated on the teaching of it.   As with anything intimidating, overwhelming, or unknown: a good place to start is not in the middle, or with a zoomed-out overview.   But instead at the very beginning.  What does God say about the book of Revelation ?  What is the point and what is the purpose?  People try to answer that question.  And pastors and priests try to answer that question, too. But let's start in the first verses and hear how God explains the content within the book of Revelation . If we're interested in learning about Revelation , I think this would be a good place to start. And I also think that is why God begins the book of Revelation with these verses... To give us an understanding and a foundation of where we begin with the book and where we are headed wi...

Oooooo, I was SO mad!   I like to believe that my feathers don't ruffle over just any old thing, and I really do try and see both sides of an argument...even when I am in the argument.   I also like to believe that my faith keeps my feathers unruffled.  I know  that God is in control of all things, even "my thing" that I might be struggling with. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  ~Colossians 1:17 But sometimes...  In certain situations...  With some people... My feathers get ruffled!  And oooooo!  I get SO mad! Such was the case last night.  The specific situation doesn't matter, only because then it relegates the feelings of explosiveness to me, and I know that we all get to this point once in a while, and each of our causes are different.   Have you been there?  ( So mad? ) Injustice, unfair treatment, persecution, secular-world , prejudice, darkness-seeking-to-snuff-the-light....

“Then, after doing all those things,  I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.   Your sons and daughters will prophesy.   Your old men will dream dreams,  and your young men will see visions.   ( 29)  In those days I will pour out my Spirit  even on servants—men and women alike.    ~Joel 2:28-29 ~~~ I will pour out my spirit… Have we seen it?  Are we seeing His spirit being poured out on people?   The Bible says not to be surprised when we do. Are our  sons and daughters prophesying ? The Bible says not to be surprised when they do.  ~~~ A (senior in high school) friend of our family announced his football signing with a Division One university recently.  The first words out of his mouth at the public event (and in his online post) attributed the life-decision to "much prayer", and he went on to thank Jesus for this opportunity in his life.    A friend of mine recently st...

Does God really say that we can only have  faith-in,                 rest-in,                                and  worship                                                         ONLY  Him?   Yes. We are deceiving ourselves if we live (and offer our hearts in worship) otherwise. You must acknowledge no God but me,  for there is no other savior.  ~Hosea 13:4 What are we striving for today?  Stability?  Joy?  Successful outcomes?   Marital union?  Marital unity?  Material wealth?  Accolades?  Approval? You must acknowledge no God but me,  for there is no other savior.  ~Hosea 13:4 What is ki...

Blessed is he who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  ~James 1:12 ~~~ Let’s face it: we will endure trials as we seek to live and serve Christ.   We wish it wasn’t true…but if we have been serving the Lord long enough…we know that it is.   Some of our trials are external.   It’s no secret that Christ-followers can receive push-back from the main-stream.   From integrity attacks to (unnecessary) red-tape, to actual physical abuse and imprisonment, and in extreme cases: death …for true followers-of-Chrsit, the cost can be heavy and if we have entered service to the Lord, then we must accept that trials will be something that we will endure. Blessed is he who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  ~James 1:12 However--some of our trials are entirely internal.   Thi...

I'm no meteorologist, but this is the coldest and snowiest Ohio winter that I can remember. We have been covered in snow and below average (and below freezing!) temperatures for weeks.   We've had a foot of snow for as long as I can remember: the ground is buried, we often wake up to driveways and front steps that are buried, and some days-- we feel buried. But today, I saw a sign of life poking through the snow.  No, it was not a miracle daffodil (one of the first flowers of spring) mistaking February for April.  And no, it wasn't a little woodland animal poking its head about the drifts after awakening from a hibernating winter slumber.  It was neither flora not fauna...but it was an unmistakable and telltale sign of life, peeping its head up and over and through the harsh cold surroundings.  The sign of life that I saw sticking out of calf deep snow said: JN 11:25-26 on it.                     ...

Do you like riddles? Here's one: When is a locust not a locust ? The prophet named Joel, in the Bible, opens the first chapter of his book talking about locusts . And he is speaking of actual locusts .  (Some scholars ascertain that the locusts he mentions represent other nations that have come against Israel.)  But most Biblical scholars agree (and the Bible says!) that Joel is really speaking about actual locusts .  The locusts , they came and attacked the field. Then, the  locusts , they came and cleaned out what was left in the field.  And then the  locusts , they came back and left total decimation in the fields, and then the  locusts , they came once more and stripped it all again.  In all your history,  has anything like this happened before? ( 3)  Tell your children about it in the years to come,  and let your children tell their children.   Pass the story down from generation to generation.  ( 4)...