Sing to the Lord

Praise the Lord

The Lord is good

He is a God of mercy

Love the Lord

Give your cares to him

(April 30, 2005 8:41 AM CDT)

"When the kindness and love
of God our Savior appeared, he saved us;
not because of any righteous deeds we had done,
but because of his mercy.
He saved us through
the baptism of new birth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
This Spirit he lavished on us
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs, in hope, of eternal life.
You can depend on this to be true."
Titus 3:4-8

You can depend on Jesus Christ.
He will save you.
Put your faith in him.
Trust in him.
He gives you eternal life.
It is a free gift.
He wants you to be with him forever.
You need this new birth.

(April 29, 2005 6:21 AM CDT)

Jesus said,
"Now has judgment come upon this world,
now will this world's prince be driven out,
and I --- once I am lifted up from earth ---
will draw all people to myself."
John 12:31-32

Jesus was lifted up on a cross.
He was there for all the people to see.
He was a sign.
People are drawn to him.
They want to understand him.
They want to know more.

(April 28, 2005 6:18 AM CDT)

"As Jesus was making his way out of the temple area,
one of his disciples said to him,
'Teacher, look at the huge blocks of stone
and enormous buildings!'
Jesus said to him,
'You see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left upon another ---
all will be torn down.'"
Mark 13:1-2

There will be change in your life.
It will happen.
Things that you depend on will be gone.
Trust in the Lord.
He is always there.
You can depend on him.

(April 27, 2005 6:25 AM CDT)

Another one of my uncles died yesterday.
God be with his family and comfort them.

"The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil;
for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage."
Psalms 23:1-4

The Lord is there.
He is there in the good times and the sad.
He is our shepherd.
We listen to his voice and follow him.
He will lead us home and keep us safe.
He gives us courage to continue.

(April 26, 2005 6:20 AM CDT)

"You will be brought to give witness
on account of it.
I bid you to resolve
not to worry about your defense beforehand,
for I will give you words and a wisdom
which none of your adversaries
can take exception to or contradict."
Luke 21:13-15

Defend the faith.
Put up a good fight.
The Lord gives you the words to say.
Stand up for the truth.
You know what is right and wrong.
Trust in God to give you the words.
The Lord will be with you.

(April 25, 2005 6:23 AM CDT)

Yesterday my car would not start.
I had just finished my walk at the Westroad Mall
and I could not drive back home.
The battery had become weak.
I could listen to the radio still (100.7 FM KGBI),
but it did not have enough energy
to start the car.
I called AAA (800-AAA-HELP) and
they were there in a half hour to rescue me.
I took it somewhere to have the battery replaced.
When I was driving there the "ABS" light was on
and the "TRAC OFF" light kept flashing.
That was a little scary.
If your battery is over 4 years old,
you might want to have it tested.
You don't want to be stranded.

Jesus went on to say:
"What comparison shall we use
for the reign of God?
What image will help to present it?
It is like a mustard seed which,
when planted in the soil,
is the smallest of all the earth's seeds,
yet once it is sown,
springs up to become the largest of shrubs,
with branches big enough
for the birds of the sky
to build nests in its shade."
Mark 4:30-32

Your faith begins small.
It is tiny and weak.
The Lord provides new energy.
He gives you a jumpstart and off you go.
He sends you in new directions.
He provides you with warning lights along the way.
He wants to keep you safe from harm.
Stay near to him.
He is your source of energy.

(April 24, 2005 8:01 AM CDT)

I just heard this on a TV program.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
on your own intelligence rely not;
In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

The Lord is there.
He is all wisdom and truth.
Seek him.
Seek his ways.
He will lead you to the truth.
Trust in the Lord.

(April 23, 2005 6:49 AM CDT)

"The Lord answer you in time of distress
the name of the God of Jacob defend you.
...
May he grant you what is in your heart
and fulfill your every plan.
...
Some are strong in chariots; some in horses;
but we are strong in the name
of the Lord, our God."
Psalms 20:2,5,8

Do you need help?
Are you in distress?
Your answer is the Lord.
He will rescue you.
He will be your strength.
Call on the name of Jesus.
Be strong in the Lord.
Make him part of your plans.

(April 22, 2005 6:23 AM CDT)

We are getting rain just about every day now.
Did you see the rainbow last evening in Omaha?
I saw it out my kitchen window.

"Have no love for the world,
nor the things that the world affords.
If anyone loves the world,
the Father's love has no place in him,
for nothing that the world affords
comes from the Father.
Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye,
the life of empty show ---
all these are from the world.
And the world with its seductions is passing away
but the man who does God's will endures forever."
1 John 2:15-17

Go for the permanent things.
Hold on to things that last forever.
The things of this world are passing away.
Let them go, so you can grab the important items.
Look up.
Your future is with the Lord.

(April 21, 2005 6:15 AM CDT)

"Now to him who is able
to strengthen you in the gospel
which I proclaim when I preach Jesus Christ,
the gospel which reveals
the mystery hidden for many ages
but now manifested
through the writings of the prophets,
and at the command of the eternal God,
made known to all the Gentiles
that they may believe and obey ---
to him, the God who alone is wise,
may glory be given through Jesus Christ
unto endless ages.
Amen."
Romans 16:25-27

Seek God.
He is wise.
He has all knowledge.
Go to him and ask for guidance.
He is most helpful.
He is the source of wisdom.

(April 20, 2005 6:15 AM CDT)

It was interesting to watch the announcement
of the new pope on TV yesterday.
It still amazes me that you can see
something happening a half world away live.
God bless him and help him to be a voice of truth.

John the Baptist said,
"I baptize you in water
for the sake of reform,
but the one who will follow me
is more powerful than I.
I am not even fit
to carry his sandals.
He it is who will baptize you
in the Holy Spirit and fire."
Matthew 3:11

We need the waters of life to flow over us.
We need the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has come with power.
He is the Lord.
Ask him to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, come.
Send your Holy Spirit into my life.
I need you, Lord.
Thank you for the gift of your Spirit.

(April 19, 2005 6:18 AM CDT)

"Paul said,
'I appeal to the emperor!'
Thereupon Festus declared:
'You have appealed to the emperor.
To the emperor you shall go.'"
Acts 25:11-12

You wonder why Paul did this.
He was a Roman citizen.
He knew he would end up in Rome.
He would be a witness to the emperor
and all the people there.
He would probably die there.
You wonder why he did it.

(April 18, 2005 6:18 AM CDT)

"Let no one look down on you
because of your youth,
but be a continuing example
of love, faith and purity to believers.
Until I arrive,
devote yourselves to the reading of Scripture,
to preaching and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you received..."
1 Timothy 4:12-14

Jesus calls young persons like you.
He loves you.
He cares all about you.
Study your Bible.
Learn all that you can.
You have been given the gift of faith.
Share your gift with other young persons.

(April 17, 2005 8:39 AM CDT)

"To sum up, then:
just as a single offense
brought condemnation to all men,
a single righteous act
brought all men acquittal and life.
Just as through one man's disobedience
all became sinners,
so through one man's obedience
all shall become just."
Romans 5:18-19

Adam fell.
He sinned.
We inherited this sin.
We were condemned.
Jesus came.
He corrected the problem.
He rescued us.
He set us back on the path of life.
You have eternal life because of Jesus.
We owe him a lot.
Thank the Lord.

(April 16, 2005 8:45 AM CDT)

It's a rainy morning here in Omaha.
I mowed the lawn last night.
Good timing.

"Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call him while he is near."
Isaiah 55:6

Timing is everything.
The Lord is right here --- right now.
He is near to you.
Call on him.
Someday it will be too late.
The window of opportunity is only open so long.
Now is the time.
Seek the Lord.

(April 15, 2005 6:30 AM CDT)

"This is the day the Lord has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it."
Psalms 118:24

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Truly, let us rejoice!
The Lord has made today.
It is full of possibilities.
There is so much to discover.
There is so much to do.
Today is the day.

(April 14, 2005 6:18 AM CDT)

My uncle is very sick.
Please, pray for him.
Thanks.

"I must go on boasting,
however useless it may be,
and speak of visions and
revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ who,
14 years ago, whether he was
in or outside his body I cannot say,
only God can say ---
a man who was snatched up to the third heaven.
I know that this man ---
whether in or outside his body
I do not know, God knows ---
was snatched up to Paradise
to hear words which cannot be uttered,
words which no man may speak."
2 Corinthians 12:1-4

Paul was given a glimpse of heaven.
It is there.
It does exist.
It is promised to us by Christ.
Ask him to show you heaven.
Ask him to forgive your sins and start again.
One day you will see Paradise
(and you won't be lost, as in Paradise Lost ).

(April 13, 2005 6:19 AM CDT)

Pray for someone that I used to work with.
They had an operation last week.
They have cancer.
God be with them and their family.

"Praise be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
he who in his great mercy
gave us new birth;
a birth unto hope
which draws its life
from the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead."
1 Peter 1:3

We have new life in Christ.
He died and rose again.
He is our hope.
He is our eternal springtime.
He is new life each day.

(April 12, 2005 6:20 AM CDT)

"So it is with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown in the earth is subject to decay,
what rises is incorruptible.
What is sown is ignoble,
what rises is glorious.
Weakness is sown, strength rises up.
A natural body is put down and
a spiritual body comes up."
1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Plant the seeds of faith.
Bury the dead things in your life and
expect new life to rise up.
Seek the strength of the Lord.
He will give you a new spiritual body and soul.

(April 11, 2005 6:11 AM CDT)

Part of prayer is thanksgiving.
We thank the Lord for the rain yesterday.

"So they called them back and made it clear
that under no circumstances were they
to speak the name of Jesus or teach about him.
Peter and John answered,
'Judge for yourselves whether it is right
in God's sight for us
to obey you rather than God.
Surely we cannot help speaking
of what we have heard and seen.'
At that point they were dismissed
with further warnings."
Acts 4:18-21

They could not keep quiet.
They had seen many things
that Jesus had done.
The warnings would not silence them.
They had to tell someone.

(April 10, 2005 8:11 AM CDT)

We pray for sufficient rain for the farmers.
God bless them with much needed rain.

"The Lord appointed a further 72
and sent them in pairs before him
to every town and place
he intended to visit.
He said to them:
'The harvest is rich
but the workers are few;
therefore, ask the harvest-master
to send workers to his harvest.'"
Luke 10:1-2

There is work to be done.
There are many people
who do not know Jesus and his love.
The Lord sends you and me.
Share what you know.
He is the way, truth and life.

(April 9, 2005 10:00 AM CDT)

I saw a clever license plate the other day
on a silver Mustang as I drove west on Dodge Street
near Memorial Park on the way home from work.
It said: LUCKEME (lucky me).
A few weeks ago I saw one that said:
WAITNC (wait and see).

Billy Graham is on TV the next week.
Check the TV listings for your city.
In Omaha he is on KMTV channel 3
Saturday 4-16-2005 at 6:00 PM.
In Lincoln he is on KLKN channel 8
Thursday 4-14-2005 at 8:00 PM.

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork."
Psalms 19:1

I usually visit the
Astronomy Picture of the Day .
It is amazing to see what the Lord has made.
One of my favorite sights is the Pleiades .
Very beautiful!
Praise the Lord in his creation.

(April 8, 2005 6:14 AM CDT)

We have had some 70 F degree days lately.
Very nice.

"Jesus is always able to save those
who approach God through him,
since he forever lives
to make intercession for them."
Hebrews 7:25

Jesus intercedes for us.
He is on our side.
He backs us up.
He prays for us.
He wants us to accomplish great things.
Receive these blessings from above.

(April 7, 2005 6:15 AM CDT)

"When we are insulted
we respond with a blessing."
1 Corinthians 4:12

Is that you?
Can you take it?
Can you keep your cool?
You will be insulted.
People will make fun of you.
They will laugh at you.
They don't know what they are doing.
Pray for them.
Ask the Lord to bless them.

(April 6, 2005 6:25 AM CDT)

Continued from yesterday...

"Then Jesus led them out near Bethany,
and with hands upraised, blessed them.
As he blessed, he left them,
and was taken up to heaven.
They fell down to do him reverence,
then returned to Jerusalem filled with joy.
There they were to be found
in the temple constantly,
speaking the praises of God."
Luke 24:50-53

Jesus, lead us to heaven.
Raise us up.
Bless us.
Help us to speak of you.
Fill us with joy.
We give praise to you.

(April 5, 2005 6:12 AM CDT)

Continued from yesterday...

"Then Jesus opened their minds
to the understanding of the Scriptures.
He said to them,
'Thus it is written
that the Messiah must suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day.
In his name,
penance for the remission of sins
is to be preached to all the nations,
beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of this.
See, I send down upon you
the promise of my Father.
Remain here in the city
until you are clothed
with power from on high.'"
Luke 24:45-49

Lord, open our minds.
Teach us all about you.
We want to learn from you.
Give us understanding of the Scriptures.
You inspired these words.
Send down your promise on us.
We need you.

(April 4, 2005 6:17 AM CDT)

Continued from yesterday...

"While they were still speaking about all this,
Jesus himself stood in their midst
and said to them,
'Peace to you.'
In their panic and fright
they thought they were seeing a ghost.
He said to them,
'Why are you disturbed?
Why do such ideas cross your mind?
Look at my hands and my feet;
it is really I.
Touch me, and see that a ghost
does not have flesh and bones as I do.'
As he said this he showed them
his hands and feet.
They were still incredulous
for sheer joy and wonder,
so he said to them,
'Have you anything here to eat?'
They gave him a piece of cooked fish,
which he took and ate in their presence."
Luke 24:36-43

They couldn't believe their eyes.
It can't be.
They knew Jesus had died ---
and yet there he was standing before them.
He brings words of peace
and they were scared to death.
He has to convince them it is he.
They examine his hands and feet.
It took some convincing for them to believe.

(April 3, 2005 7:48 AM CDT)

It was amazing yesterday to see all the people
all over the world praying for John Paul II .
He will be missed.
Our local newspaper has a huge picture
of him on page 1 this morning.

Continued from yesterday...

"When Jesus had seated himself with them to eat,
he took bread, pronounced the blessing,
then broke the bread and
began to distribute it to them.
With that their eyes were opened
and they recognized him;
whereupon he vanished from their sight.
They said to one another,
'Were not our hearts burning inside us
as he talked to us on the road and
explained the Scriptures to us?'
They got up immediately and
returned to Jerusalem,
where they found the Eleven and
the rest of the company assembled.
They were greeted with,
'The Lord has been raised!
It is true!
He has appeared to Simon.'
Then they recounted what had happened
on the road and how they had come
to know him in the breaking of bread."
Luke 24:30-35

It is a touching story.
Jesus is there and they don't know it.
He is that close.
He is teaching them.
He is explaining things.
He is eating with them.
They don't recognize him.
He breaks the bread and
then their eyes are opened.
Their hearts felt something.
They run to tell others.

(April 2, 2005 6:33 AM CST)

We pray today for the Pope
who is very sick and near death.
He stood up for the truth.

Continued from yesterday...

"Jesus said to them,
'What little sense you have!
How slow you are to believe
all that the prophets have announced!
Did not the Messiah have to undergo all this
so as to enter into his glory?'
Beginning, then, with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted for them
every passage of Scripture which referred to him.
By now they were near the village
to which they were going,
and he acted as if he were going farther.
But they pressed him:
'Stay with us.
It is nearly evening ---
the day is practically over.'
So he went in to stay with them."
Luke 24:25-29

You would have liked to have been there and taken notes.
What are the Scriptures that referred to Jesus?
It would be interesting to see the list.
I imagine tradition has passed
many of them down to us over the years.
They wanted Jesus to stay with them.
They felt his presence.
Jesus, stay with us.
We want to be near to you.
Teach us the Scriptures.

(April 1, 2005 6:15 AM CST)

"Two of the disciples that same day
were making their way to a village
named Emmaus 7 miles distant from Jerusalem,
discussing as they went all that had happened.
In the course of their lively exchange,
Jesus approached and began
to walk along with them.
However, they were restrained from recognizing him.
He said to them,
'What are you discussing as you go your way?'"
Luke 24:13-17

Jesus is there.
You just don't recognize him.
He is walking along beside you.
What are you discussing as you go your way?
Would you like Jesus to join your discussion?
He is there.
Talk to him.