Psalm 34:17-19 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Grief, pain, joy, sorrow. My emotions […]
I believe many of you know that a week ago we lost our Board Chairman and one of my very best friends Ronnie Norris. Ronnie has been serving as the Board Chairman of YBL for almost 20 years. He was more than a friend, he was family. He traveled with us around the world watching […]
Last week I was reading, re-reading and meditating on Psalm 112. God is still applying it in my life. In fact the wedding ceremony I performed on Saturday had as one of their Scripture readings Psalm 112. Of all the weddings I’ve done no one has used that Scripture. Initially I concentrated on the first […]
July is the month that we celebrate our country’s independence. Take a minute to read Kevin DeYoung’s blog post from the Gospel Coalistion, about how and why we can Thank God for the Idea of America. Thank God for the Idea of America Jul 04, 2017 | Kevin DeYoung It has often been said that […]
“With God are wisdom and might; He has counsel and understanding.” Job 12:13 Dear friends, Just recently I heard the statement that in our culture followers of Christ are not viewed as intelligent people. Many suggest that believers are not rational and thinking individuals. Doug Webster in his book the Discipline of Surrender says this, […]
Dear Friends, Then those who fear the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His name. Malachi 3:16 The prophet Malachi rebukes the priests and the people for offering blemished animals, not speaking […]
Dear friends, You call XYZ Company. The person comes on the line and says, “Would you please hold for a moment?” You place a call about a problem with a service to which you subscribe. You get the recording, “All our agents are busy at this time. We will connect you to the next available […]
Dear friends, Cancer. Alzheimer’s. Suicide. Broken relationships. Broken marriages. Churches in conflict. Birth defects. Stillborn babies. Special needs children. All of these are hardships that carry with them gut-wrenching emotions. I have heard all of these challenges in this last week in different conversations. Our hearts cry out to know there is meaning and purpose […]
I suspect everyone has had that moment. The moment when you realize that you did not see what was there in front of you, because it was hidden by your own blind spot. It can make your stomach turn, as you replay scenes that perplexed you, adding this new information and seeing if it makes […]
Dear Friends Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. I Corinthians 15:58 This is one of my favorite verses. It helps me keep a long-term perspective. If you’re in the ministry or dealing with people you […]
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? ….[He] who swears to his own hurt and does not change; —Psalm 15:1,4 Very few people like dishonesty. We all remember the kid who, when we were playing games, kept changing the rules to make sure he won. Even […]
“Now the God of peace… equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20, 21 Dear Friends, My actions matter to God. Although I am totally accepted and justified […]