Scriptures

This covers our Scripture Sheets and just random Scriptures we think will be an encouragement to you.

Demystifying Speaking in Tongues

We can’t read the Book of Acts and avoid the subject of speaking in tongues.  The word tongues means languages.  Basically, the Holy Spirit’s powerful presence enabled Jesus’ followers to speak to God in languages they had never learned.

Acts 2:4 shows 120 followers of Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

Acts Chapter 10 records Peter’s ministry to a group of non-Christians in Cornelius’s home (See Acts 10:46.) These people received Jesus as their personal Savior and then spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Then we read about the Apostle Paul’s visit to a city in Turkey named Ephesus.  There he met twelve followers of John the Baptist who accepted Jesus as their Lord.  Subsequently, “When Paul placed hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues” (Acts 19:6 NIV).

Speaking in tongues was a part of the early Christians’ experience.  What’s it all about? …

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Hold On, Your Day is Coming!

Recently, I switched our television from one major network to another. I probably spent three to five minutes listening and seeing what ABC, CBS and NBC broadcasted at that time. That’s all it took; I was angry! These network programs were all together ungodly, anti-Christian and immoral.

The anger I felt toward sin and this sinful world then turned into grief. I found myself actually mourning over the sin all around us. I read the words of an earlier child of God, “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed,” Psalm 119:136. To those who arrested him, Jesus pointed out, “This is your hour when darkness reigns,” Luke 22:53. Sin will dominate the earth until Jesus returns. We must accept this and not be overly upset, discouraged or disheartened by sin’s control of the world in which we now live. …

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Our Personal Comforter and Encourager

God is a person. Humans can fellowship with this divine person. He isn’t distant, unknowable or remote. Humans can experience God, fellowship with him and enjoy his presence. His wonderful presence imparts hopefulness to our hearts, courage to our minds and joy to our emotions. …

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Your Global Positioner

Beautiful turquoise Caribbean water surrounded the one hundred and ten-foot-long boat.  Several lushly forested Honduran Islands lay scattered around us.

As I stood on the top deck of our little boat, a friend requested, “look at my GPS monitor.”  He handed me a rectangular device about the size of a television remote control “The global positioning system monitor shows me my exact longitude, latitude, elevation and distance from my home in Texas. Twenty-two satellites in orbit around earth electronically communicate with this device.  I always know where I am,” he said.  Remarkable technology! …

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When You Want Out of the Perfecting Process

Overcome and sticky notesHave you ever wondered why God tested Adam’s and Eve’s obedience?  He tested them because he wanted something more than innocent people; he wanted perfected people.

Innocence clothed the first humans.  They were guiltless of any wrong doing.  They were like naive military recruits: genuinely a part of the military, but certainly not battle tested.  The first humans’ love for God was real, but imperfect because it was untested. …

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Making Sin Sick of You

Several years ago I planted a hibiscus in our flower bed.  With frequent watering and occasional fertilizing the plant grew larger and larger and produced beautiful showy flowers.  My heart often sings to the Creator whose genius designed such beauty! …

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Before All Else Fails

Famous last words: “After all else fails, read the instructions.”

God suggests something much better: “Before all else fails, praise.” That’s right, praise for God acts as a preventative for so many human ills.  After all, doesn’t the Lord’s Book of Instruction command us to be constantly praising him?  We praise him for who he is, what he like and for all he does.  This praise for God releases his power against everything that threatens us and those who love us.  The divine power overwhelms many of our enemies before they can lift their hand to strike us. …

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Rejecting Membership in the Jeremiah Club

Ever feel deficient?  Ever say to yourself, “I don’t have what it takes?” Do your personal defects dominate your attention?  Well, it looks like you’re a member of the Jeremiah Club.  …

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God’s Unbroken Concentration

God can’t take his eyes off you.

Have you ever been so physically ill that you couldn’t focus attention on the Lord?  Has depression, fear or worry ever gripped you so tightly that you couldn’t think about the Lord?  Sometimes life becomes so difficult that we are unable to meditate on the Lord even if we wish to.  Then we feel guilty for not directing our thoughts toward God.

Well, you have nothing to worry about!  Even when you are unable to concentrate on God, he continues directing his attention toward you.  Job 36:7 promises that God “does not take his eyes off the righteous,”  Psalm 34:15. promises that “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”

God constantly thinks of us whether or not we constantly think of him.  You truly are God’s treasured possession.  He loves you so much that he just can’t take his eyes off you.

The next time you feel unworthy of God’s unswerving attention, look up and quote a portion of Genesis 16:13.  This scripture portion says, “You are the God who sees me.

Scriptures referred to: Job 36:7; Psalm 34:15; Genesis 16:13. 

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