Where Do Those Angels Come From?

By Janet Perez Eckles

Crazy, isn’t it? When life goes undisturbed, we stroll through the garden of prosperity and bask in the sunshine of success. Our feet sink in the green grass of hope while inhaling the sweet scent of anticipation for more good things to come.

But suddenly, a loud clap of thunder halts our steps. And a storm of adversity shakes our world. We wonder what happened. What went wrong? Where had we failed? How did we allow the rain of misfortune to pour on us?

But in the midst of our bewilderment, something totally strange, bizarre, actually, happens—an angel appears. Unannounced, often unseen, but definitely felt, angels show up in mighty and sometimes simple ways.

Read more

Our DNA: The Fingerprint Of God

By Peter Lundell

People talk casually about their DNA and how it determines who they are. So I wondered, Is that something through which I can connect with God?

Under super magnification the DNA molecule looks like a spiraling ladder, commonly called a “double helix.” DNA is made up of four chemical bases linked like ladder rungs along the spiraling helix.

DNA contains the genetic instructions—twisted, compacted, and packaged into X-shaped chromosomes—that direct every nucleus of living cells. They might be human, animal, plant, even virus (though viruses act differently—they’re always bad boys). Humans have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes (including those pesky Y chromosomes responsible for all the men in the world).

Read more

Do I Pass The Test?

By Warren Mueller

Thirty years ago I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. Soon afterwards, I heard a nagging voice in my head tell me “It isn’t that easy to get to heaven” and “You are fooling yourself if you think God can readily and easily forgive you for all the wrongs you have done.” I have also seen those who struggle with this question and go forward many times in church to accept Christ or try to prove by their good works that there has been a genuine change. So how can a person know for sure that a spiritual birth has occurred, that sins have been forgiven, and that they are a new creation indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that we are to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you unless, of course, you fail the test?” From this we see that each person must examine themselves about whether they have been transformed into a child of God by faith in Jesus. Nobody can do this for you or assure you that it has happened within you. Only you can answer this question. What are the questions we should be asking to evaluate this important change? I recently taught a Sunday School class on this subject and we compiled a list of questions to do this self examination. These questions are not listed in any order of importance.

Read more

Thanksgiving…Again?

By Kathi Macias

Didn’t we just do Thanksgiving? It couldn’t possibly have been a year since the last one because I promised myself I was going to lose those extra turkey-and-mashed-potatoes pounds but…I haven’t! How can that be?

Seriously, when I was young I could lose ten pounds by skipping lunch for a few days. Now? Turkeys follow me around laughing. They know they’re not the only ones who are going to pay the price for this calorie-laden holiday.

I remember Thanksgiving when we were kids, when my mom started baking on Monday for Thursday’s feast. She was so busy preparing for the big day that she forgot we still had to eat until then. Between Sunday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week, we survived on dry cereal and cold hot dogs.

Read more

From Trash To Treasure

By Cheri Cowell

I know I’m my mother’s daughter because I have one secret habit that comes directly from her. This is indeed a dirty little secret that my husband wishes I didn’t have. I can’t help myself, but as I drive by homes on garbage day, I survey the trash. I’ve found chairs, lamps, bookshelves, silk trees, and even a perfectly good fruit tree. My husband was horrified the first time I made him stop beside a garbage heap while I jumped out of the car to retrieve something. Over the years, he’s learned to go along with my treasure hunts and has even begun to enjoy our excursions on garbage day.  

There are “hidden treasures” around us every day, people who have been tossed out on the trash heaps of mankind, labeled useless to society. These worthless rags, unseen and forgotten by the rest of the world, are seen by God. He has called us to be His treasure seekers, looking for the lost and reclaiming them for Him. Because of your faithfulness in seeing the trash heap of another as a place of buried treasure, generations after you will come to know Jesus. 

Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »