**Please click here to see Anne’s prayer.
December 17, 2015
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Isaiah 60:1-2
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Terrorist attacks in Paris, Colorado Springs, and San Bernardino have left us ashen-faced and horrified. Polarization within political parties, corruption at the highest levels of government, name-calling of opponents, character assassination of those who disagree, lies spun as truth, brutality covered up, the economy propped-up are just some issues that are contributing to our sense that America is unraveling. We no longer trust our government, our leaders, our bankers, our police officers, our newspapers, our business partners, our investors, our neighbors…even our religious leaders.
November 27, 2015
…Be strong and do not lose courage…. 2 Chronicles 15:7¹
The history of Israel includes some riveting similarities to our world today. One brief vignette that caught my attention recently is from 2 Chronicles 14-15. After the glorious, golden years of King Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him. While Solomon was wise, Rehoboam was arrogant, foolish, and in short order had led the southern kingdom away from faith in God. A warning through God’s Word came to him plainly, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you…’”² And God did. While He spared Rehoboam’s life, He allowed Jerusalem to be ransacked, and all the amassed wealth of Solomon to be looted by the Egyptians.
October 9, 2015
On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.…and that rock was Christ. Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 10:4
Christians have been targeted for death in a school in Oregon. On a beach in Libya. In the villages of northern Syria. In a hospital in Afghanistan. In the bush of Nigeria and the deserts of Sudan.
But Tertullian, an early church leader, wrote in 197 A.D. that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Praise God! Glory Hallelujah! His Truth is marching on!
September 22, 2015
…Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25
Strong foundations are vitally important if a structure is to remain standing during a significant storm. This was illustrated when Ike, a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 143 miles per hour almost destroyed Galveston, Texas, in 2008.
August 25, 2015
Less than one week ago, on August 19th, I said good-bye to my husband of almost forty-nine years. At that moment, the only thing that truly mattered was the decision he made as a five year old boy in vacation Bible school to trust Jesus as his Savior. As a result, he knew for the rest of his life that his sins were forgiven, he possessed eternal life, and he had peace with God. What a gift his faith was, and continues to be, to his family and friends. We know our good-byes were not final. We grieve, but with hope. We know we will see Danny Lotz again in Our Father’s House not because of anything that he has done, but because of God’s amazing grace extended to him at the Cross.
