As I was praying this morning, I was thanking the Lord for my salvation, for forgiving my sins, and redeeming me. And then I paused and considered the word redeemed. I know what it means, but I wondered if an unbeliever would know if they heard the word. Sometimes we forget the world doesn’t understand our lingo. The church is guilty ...
People have asked me, “Daphne, why do you talk so much about righteousness?” My first response is because my life was forever changed at the revelation of the great exchange God made on our behalf– our sins for Christ’s righteousness. And secondly, the Bible says, “For in [the gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: ...
The Bible has a lot to say about the keys of the Kingdom and our place as kings and priests under Jesus, who is the “King of kings” (Revelation 1:5-6, 1 Timothy 6:15)– or we could say He is the King of “us” (those with delegated authority). And if we pause and think about this, that we’ve been made kings under the King, ...
A faith to live by. A purpose to live for. A self to live with. It took me awhile to understand each of these, but I now know without any hesitation that these three are a must (not an option). “But without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, ...
Healing comes in all shapes and sizes. I’m always in awe of the care God puts into the tiniest details. People can receive healing of heart for their brokenness, healing of body for sickness and disease, and healing of mind for trouble and despair. But one thing we need to be clear on: God didn’t “heal” our spirits. Our spirit ...
When we think about something being “permanently fixed,” we’re referring to anything that is fastened, attached, or placed so firm, it’s not readily movable. This could be anything from a palm tree to a cement bunker. In the same manner, Jesus asked us to be permanently fixed in two things: His Word and His Love. If you’ve ever used super glue to repair ...
Throughout God’s Word, we find natural examples to help us understand spiritual principles. One such example is found in Hebrews, Chapter Six. The Bible says if the earth drinks in the rain and then produces a good crop or healthy plants or trees, then it is blessed. But if the earth drinks in the rain and produces weeds, thorns, and thistles, ...
“I felt fine when I didn’t understand what the law demanded. But when I learned the truth, I realized I had broken the law and was a sinner, doomed to die” (Romans 7:9). Do you remember a time when you didn’t realize you were breaking the law and how it felt when it was brought to your attention? It’s not a ...
Endurance. Just hearing the word makes you sweat. Endurance describes a person with the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or some other adverse condition. It is the picture of bearing pain and hardships. One image that comes to mind is from the reality TV show “Survivor” where all the contestants were required to hold ...
At one time or another, we have all been rejected. It’s a lonely feeling–but we’re not alone. “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him… For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 6:64, 7:5). We tend to think Jesus didn’t feel rejection because He was God’s Son, but ...
Jesus was the ultimate game changer. In His message to the multitude, he repeatedly gave them one train of thought and then countered it with: “But I say to you…” For example, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said of those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ BUT I SAY ...
Before you tune me out or call me sappy, let me explain. My heart was rescued from despair the day I got saved. And then, like a perfect gentleman, God kept wooing me, showing up at the door of my heart with sweet flowers and invitations to walk with Him. You know the feeling… there isn’t a person in this ...
The dictionary defines a pawn as: 1. An object used to deposit as security, such as money 2. A person used as a hostage 3. A piece in a Chess game 4. Someone who is used to further another’s purposes I want to focus on the last definition because it is likely we all read it in a negative sense. For ...
I come from a line of amazing ladies. My mom was a school teacher for many years and I observed many students cross her path later in life with loving appreciation of her. She went into education partly by influence from my grandmother, who was a Home Economics teacher. Grandmother sewed many things for me and our family and she loved to cook amazing ...
Suspended Reality. Before this week, I had never heard this phrase before, but it stood out to me. And I immediately thought of our faith in Christ. But before I explain, let me share how others define suspended reality. For starters, a lot of people use this term to describe something fantastical, almost unrealistic or magical. I also read an ...
Are you aware of where and how this whole thing started? I’m talking about Christianity. Here’s the story: And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was ...
As a parent, I’ve told my children it’s not always what you say, but what you do. Anyone can say the right thing, but what are they doing or thinking? For example, when I was growing up, my brother and I lived with our grandparents for a short while. Being older and from a different generation, they didn’t always understand us as ...
Have you ever started to have faith, and then wavered? In a true story of provision, this happened to one of Jesus’ disciples at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-14). A great multitude of people had followed Jesus because of the miracles they saw Him perform among the sick. But as Jesus observed the people, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these ...