NEWEST!   

         All Seek Their Own    His Law    Principle of the Law

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
The Eternal Perspective

Narcissism and Christianity     Married to God      French Fries     Bananas


The Harvest Field      Mirror of God's Word     Throne of Grace     Milk or Meat?     Joy


Seeing God     The Beauty of Holiness     All Things are Possible      The Father's Heart


The Power of Prayer     The Gates of Hell     A Wise Man and Many Miracles     Oasis


Howdy Stranger!     Seeking     Devoted      God's Yearning Heart     Let there be Light


A Proper Fear of God     Prepping     A Shanty or a Castle?     No Privacy


The Great Mourning     The Love that Saves     Glorified by Love     Transformation


Real Love- I John 4:8     Twenty Minutes a Day     The Spirit of Preeminence     Shoes


The LORD our Righteousness     Test the Spirits     Qurarantined with Jesus


Pandemic      Compassion, Anger and Grief     I Am with You Always     True Worship


Miracle at the Mall     Of Servants, Slaves and Friends      Jesus Holds the Future


Communion - The Bread that is Broken     The Merciful God      Volcano     Seek


Why Do The Heathen Rage?     The Martyrdom of Job     Anchor of the soul


Preferring The Precepts of Men     The Box     Distractions      Go and Make Disciples


Come to the Mountain     Gardening     God Speaks Today     An Icy Ride


Value the Intangibles     A Royal Priesthood     Nowhere Else to Go     Fullness of Joy

A Lively Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – I Peter 1:3

The Apostle Peter begins this verse with praise, “Blessed be” – praise be to God for His abundant mercy and the “lively hope” given to us because of the glorious resurrection of Jesus, our Messiah, from the dead.
    The word in the Greek for lively is zao (dzah-o) which means, “To live, breathe, be among the living, not lifeless, not dead.” In other words, zao is the exact opposite of that which is lifeless or dead.
    The King James translators chose the word “lively” as the English equivalent for the Greek zao. Some translations use the word “living” instead. However, that which is living can be alive, yet motionless, or inactive. The word “lively” suggests something that is alive, yet has movement, and is active.
    We try to imagine the exhilarating joy that Peter and the other apostles experienced when they witnessed their resurrected Lord for the first time and realized that death had been vanquished. Their hope was indeed lively and invigorating, as is our hope in Jesus is today. It is a twirling, dancing, pirouetting, skipping, leaping, celebrating, joyful, exuberant hope that cannot remain motionless or inactive. This hope propels us into the streets to share the Good News with others, joyfully compelling them to join in the dance and partake of the celebration of the gift of eternal life that frees us from the bondage and fear of death.
    Our hope is indeed lively and was never designed to be contained within the walls of a church building. How beautiful upon the mountains are the dancing feet of those who publish peace and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others!

Joy at the Wailing Wall

Driving into the Storm


A Tale of Two Kitties


Praise from the Mouths of Babes


Trying the Reigns of the Heart


Seek and You Shall Find


We're all in the Same Little Boat


Twenty-four to One Hundred and Four


They Know Not What They Do


An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth

M y husband and I had to take a short ferry ride across the James River in Virginia. We arrived at the dock and as we drove onto the ferry we decided to turn on the car radio. It happened to be tuned to a classical station and as the ferry slowly drifted away from the dock, a beautiful theme began to play. It was a lovely accompaniment to our short journey.

I am always a little apprehensive of boat rides in general. I cast a wary glance at the life boat next to our car. I was glad it was there just in case, at the same time I didn’t want to be reminded that there is always the possibility it might be needed.

I turned my attention back to the water and the sky. The boat churned through the river and a flock of sea birds sailed by making lyrical maneuvers that seemed to match the melody flowing from our radio. We relaxed, enjoying the music and the beautiful scenery.

We eventually arrived at the other side of the river. As the boat glided into its berth, the familiar first movement of the piece we were listening to that had launched us, repeated as a finale which perfectly coincided with the end of our brief trip as the ferry came to a stop and the music faded into silence.

We broke out into laughter as we realized the music had been perfectly timed to match the beginning and the end of our ferry ride. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is the music that God has provided that accompanies us along our journey through this life, even in those times when a life boat is necessary. As we glide through our appointed days, we are never alone, and the beginning is as perfectly orchestrated as its end. But when we reach the end of our travels in this world, the music won’t dissolve as we arrive. It swells and grows grander as it accompanies us into our Father’s waiting, loving arms.