Have you ever had an experience where you knew God was calling you to do something and when you answered the call of God, you were excited and energized about the possibility of service and you couldn’t wait to get where you were going or do what you needed to do. But it turned out to be so unlike what you expected. Sometimes our heart is willing to serve God, but our circumstances cause us to draw back or limit our service and we are often quick to allow those circumstances to define our level of service to God. If things get hard, we look for a way out or…

We like to think of Paul as a bulldozer, plowing a path of Christianity everywhere he went. But Paul ran into road blocks too. Not just the road blocks of persecution and imprisonment placed in his path by people – but there were also road blocks put in place by the Holy Spirit. One of the hardest things to do is accept when a path that we have been following becomes closed to us. It’s tempting to try and climb over the rubble and continue on even though God has placed it there to deter us. We have to learn to discern whether the road block is man made and…

I recently attended a concert that offered the opportunity to sponsor a child in a foreign country. Their stories are often heart breaking and I was touched by the many responses in the crowd. I was also reminded that we have a mission field right here outside our own front doors. The definition of Macedonian cry is an outcry for help. Within our own towns and communities are many people who need help. We’ve all experienced a year like no other and our new normal is anything but normal. The fallout from 2020 has left many depressed, devastated, lost and hurting. The outcry is great….”Come and help us.” We’ve all…

If you’ve accepted Christ’s invitation to come, have you obeyed His commission to go? During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. – Acts 16:9-10. I was watching a TV series about first responders. A fireman was giving a tour of the fire station to a young group of kids and his response has stuck with me. He said that when you hear the sirens you don’t need to be afraid, they are…

A message from The Daily Bread Reflect & Pray O stir me, O stir me, Lord, till all my heart is filled with compassion for those who are lost. Until Your compelling love drives me to pray and follow Your leading, not counting the cost. –Anon. When the apostle Paul saw in a vision the man from Macedonia, it change the history of the world. Heeding the man’s plea to ‘come over to Macedonia,’ Paul altered his plans. It was in Macedonia he met Lydia and led her to the Lord, and it was there that the Gospel message was first given in the Western World. All Christians should be…

The apostle Paul was on his 2nd missionary journey and was revisiting the churches in Asia Minor to encourage the believers. He was traveling with Silas and desired to take the Gospel message to other cities in Asia. But God had a different plan for them. He prevented them from going to the other cities in Asia so they turned aside and headed towards a different region. Upon reaching the border they were again prevented from going further into those cities by the Holy Spirit, so they passed by and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over…

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Lydia’s story began long before her name was even mentioned. God was at work not only in her life, but the life of many people because of her and that’s one of the things that makes her story so hopeful and encouraging. As we study Lydia this month we need to remember that…

For the month of August we will discover some the many lessons that can be learned from studying the life of Lydia. Overview – Disciple in the Making Lydia was a businesswoman who lived in Philippi.  She was a dealer in purple cloth which was a luxury that only the wealthy could afford.  Her business provided a large household for which Lydia was responsible.  She was also a spiritual seeker.   One day when she had gathered by the river with other women to pray she met the apostle Paul.  He had traveled to the region because of a vision that the Lord had given him and that vision led him…

Isn’t it fitting that this new month starts with a Divine Encounter. God is so good! On my morning run I was taking in all the beautiful sights. The birds singing, a woodpecker making his own sound, a baby deer under the trees in the bushes, squirrels racing around and ducks swimming in the stream. This path is indeed beautiful. I was getting tired on my run and was taking the inside track around the bends to save some steps. As I trotting along I was thanking God for His amazing creation and that I had not seen a single snake this season. A few steps later as I rounded…