Author: Eyes2c

article by site founder, Connie Rice

It’s so easy for us to take the blessings in our lives for granted (even our own Creator and Savior and those relationships closest to us). We can develop a complaining and critical attitude where we focus on things we don’t like rather than choosing to look at the bigger picture.  When we focus on the positive and count our blessings every day, it changes our attitude and not only does it make us easier for others to be around us, but we will become happier and more content.  An article by Imed Bouchrika, Phd for Research.com offers “35 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude: Mental Health Research Findings for 2026”.  Scripture shows us how to have God’s peace (which is not found in the world):

“Rejoice in the Lord always.   Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:4-9

The Thanksgiving season reminds us to be more reflective.  The First Thanksgiving in America was held to thank God for His provision in the new land.  They were strong people, but they also recognized that they needed the Lord’s help in order to survive.  It can be hard for modern Americans to comprehend the challenges of those early Americans.  Here is the one of the only records of the celebration – from a letter to a friend in England from “E.W.” (Pilgrim Edward Winslow) as documented (and put in modern English) by “Plimoth/Patuxet Museums”:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit,with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

Winslow’s Letter in Mourt’s Relation (ed. Heath), 82

Those of us who have participated in even one mission trip have discovered how hard day-to-day life is for people in poorer countries.  We also find that so many of our struggles are not that different from each other, but are common to all people.  We are all made in God’s image and we are all trying to get by in a broken world that is under the sway of Satan, the evil one. He is the prince of this world and has had thousands of years to study humans and learn how best to take them down. He uses many Ds to accomplish this – doubt, deception, discord, distraction, distress, disunity, distortion, despair, etc. – all with the goal of destruction.  Believers must realize that they are in a spiritual war, how to identify the source of each battle that comes their way, and learn how to live victoriously.

“Satan may be the god of this world, but his domain is limited to unbelievers. Born-again children of God are no longer under the rule of Satan. God the Father ‘has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves’ (Colossians 1:13).  The apostle Paul was sent by God to turn people ‘from the power of Satan to God’ (Acts 26:18). Unbelievers, however free they may think they are, are caught ‘in the snare of the devil’ (2 Timothy 2:26) and lie in the ‘power of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19). As the god of this world, Satan exercises his power over the unbelieving world to keep them from Jesus.  Second Corinthians 4:4 indicates that he is responsible for the spiritual blindness of people without Christ: ‘The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.’   Satan snatches the gospel from people’s hearts (Matthew 13:19).   He promotes false philosophies and ‘doctrines of demons’ (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV).  Satan’s philosophies are the fortresses in which people are imprisoned, and they must be set free by Christ.”

quote from “Got Questions” article, ”How is Satan god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)?”

God has graciously offered us so much.  As if Jesus voluntarily sacrificing His life to pay the penalty for our sins so we could have access to a holy God and be with Him for eternity in heaven isn’t enough, He doesn’t stop there.  He also gives us the His Word (the Bible), the Holy Spirit, the path to a clear conscience, His peace (even in the midst of trials and chaos around us), and purpose during our time on earth, allowing us to be part of His Kingdom work of pointing others to Him so they can experience His amazing love and hope of heaven for themselves.

“O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation’.”

Isaiah 12:1-2

Through the Bible, God has revealed Himself so we can know Him as well as what is true and good.  We also see how God has worked in the world throughout human history and allows us to see ourselves since our true identity comes from our Creator.  God tells us how to fight spiritual battles with the Bible as our offensive weapon.  Every believer should be reading through it every day, over and over again, throughout our lives.  Satan attempts to keep us from being effective in Kingdom work and we cannot live a life of victory without knowing the Bible. Jesus is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings and has been given all authority.  Through His name, we can tell Satan and his demons to take a hike and leave us alone. 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.   Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 

Ephesians 6:10-13

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can better understand the Scriptures, be reminded of verses when we need them, be empowered to overcome sin in our lives, have the ability to love, serve, and forgive others, and be transformed to accurately reflect Jesus.  The Holy Spirit also convicts us when we do wrong, so that we can repent and ask for forgiveness and help to not repeat the same mistakes.  Satan condemns, but God seeks to restore.  Living with a clear conscience is a tremendous gift as well.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish the calling given to us by God, who has created and gifted each of us for a life with purpose and meaning. 

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

James 4:7-8

When we take the time to reflect on what the Lord has already given us and focus on the positive things in our lives, we cannot help but be thankful for the unmerited favor He gives to those who choose to trust in Him.  We truly serve an awesome God, who is also holy, deserving of our praise and to be kept in His rightful place as Lord in our lives. He is God and we are not.

© Constance Rice 2025

Guest post from friend, Laurie Reifsnyder (her newsletter post for her motorcycle club)

Scripture: “They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.” – Psalm 144:4 (NIV)

This past few weeks have had some sad moments for the HOG membership. We
did Russ’ Memorial ride, Eva Joy’s little sister was tragically killed in an accident
and Paul’s wife passed away while receiving cancer treatments. It is shocking and
painful to lose friends and loved ones suddenly. This scripture reminds us that life
is fleeting and we don’t know when it will be our turn to keep our appointment
with God.

Yet, it is heartwarming to see us come together and support those who have lost
loved ones. We check on one another, give great hugs and lend a helping hand.
We show loving-kindness to each other, just as God has commanded us to do.
When we are young, we feel invincible, as if life has no ending. We ride with the
wind and don’t look back. As we age, we become more in touch with our frailty
and our mortality. Hopefully, we gain wisdom in our journey through life and ride
a little slower. King Solomon reminds us that there is a time for everything:
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven; a time to
be born, and a time to die; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn
and a time to dance. – Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2, 4 (NKJV)

God doesn’t want us to fear death because he took care of it through Jesus. Jesus
died in his earthly body but rose again and conquered spiritual death. He gives us
hope that when we die in this body, that we will gain eternal life by believing in
him. We go from one kind of life to another life which has no ending, nor tears,
nor pain. We are not annihilated; our consciousness lives.
Let us thank God for the days that we have on this earth and pray that we will see
our loved ones again, in heaven. In the meantime, we enjoy the wind therapy we
get from him.

Blessings, Laurie

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Sadly, most Americans are not aware that for most of its history, America’s public schools used the Bible and its teachings were foundational elements in the education for youth of all ages.  The first textbook in America’s  public schools was “The New England Primer” and it was used until the 20^th Century.  In teaching the ABCs, it began with “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.”  A reprint of it (I have one) is available for purchase.  Studying quotes from our founding fathers can prove enlightening (quotes below are from ”Wallbuilders”, an organization with a large collection of original documents and letters):

“I advise you, my son, in whatever you read, and most of all in reading the Bible, to remember that it is for the purpose of making you wiser and more virtuous. I have myself, for many years, made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year. I have always endeavored to read it with the same spirit and temper of mind, which I now recommend to you: that is, with the intention and desire that it may contribute to my advancement in wisdom and virtue.” John Quincey Adams in a letter to his son

“The general principles in which the fathers achieved independence, were the only principles on which that beautiful assembly of young men could unite, and these principles only could be intended by them in their address, or by me in my answer. And what were these general principles? I answer, the general principles of Christianity, in which all those sects were united, and the general principles of English and American liberty…15  Quote of John Adams from exchange of letters with Thomas Jefferson

Most Americans also are not aware that the first colleges and universities were founded so that every citizen leader in America would have a solid biblical foundation and understanding of Scripture. The original mottos make that clear – scroll down this website’s page to read some of them. Over time (and in own my lifetime), universities became places of open debate and were considered bastions of free speech where everyone’s ideas and opinions were welcomed to be discussed and analyzed. People could disagree without becoming emotionally charged and could even be friends with those who did not share the same opinions.

Harvard University – 1st U.S. university; its namesake & its 1st president were both reverends: “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae“, Motto Latin for “Truth for Christ and the Church“.

Unfortunately, the open debate that allowed students to critically consider all views also gave opportunity for activists espousing dangerous leftist philosophy to shift the atmosphere of colleges and universities to becoming places of indoctrination with one-sided opinions and based on ideology rather than historical facts. Those professors and students with conservative opinions and/or religious convictions faced increased pressure, mocking, and exclusion.  Author, David Horowitz, came out of that ideology when he realized how dangerous it was and spent the rest of his life warning others through his books and founding of the “Freedom Center”. 

“Communism has decided against God, against Christ, against the Bible, and against all religion.”  Billy Graham

Churches in the last century became timid in teaching a plain reading of the Bible because so many fell for the lie that science had proven millions of years, Darwinian evolution, and even the ape to man story.  Christians lost their confidence in the truth of Scripture and also removed themselves from the “dirty business” of politics, leaving America with leaders who had no fear of God. In doing so, our government became even more corrupt with self-gain and power becoming the primary goal for many. In just my lifetime, the Bible and prayer were removed from public education, schools went from teaching Darwinian evolution as a theory to teaching it as a fact even as recent discoveries discredited it and were better supported by the biblical account. A narrative was created and defended in universities and science journals and those who disagreed were censored, mocked, and faced loss of their careers and reputations.

“The Bible is clear: God is the Creator. Any interpretation of science that attempts to remove God from involvement with origins is incompatible with Scripture.”  Quote from article by “Got Questions”, “What does the Bible say about creation vs. evolution?”

When Jesus came to earth, He found the religious leaders going through the motions and not accurately teaching/keeping God’s law as it was written, and thus His harshest words were for them.  When He comes again, how will He find the church?  Since the beginning of Western Civilization, the church has influenced the culture by boldly exclaiming the unified message of God to the world.  Now, a minority are biblically literate. Church leaders should tremble at how so many churches have allowed worldly ways to infiltrate and influence large bodies of Christians and the culture at large. Many believers have not recognized the value of reading the Bible, studying it, and surrendering fully to obeying their Savior’s commands to be light and salt while on earth. What is the result of this?

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [g]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”

Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:13-14

Unbelievers no longer hear the unified message of God, but are hearing different messages – all supposedly speaking for God.  We’ve seen other institutions that had always been revered and trusted following the same gameplan of creating narratives and censoring, mocking, and discrediting those who voice opposition or different opinions.  The culture is falling apart with more confusion, division, broken families, mothers seeing their children as a burden to be rid of rather than the blessing that they are, fathers abandoning their wives and children, the innocence of children being destroyed, people being used for sexual gratification for personal gain, corruption at the highest levels of government, the tragedy of millions of innocent babies killed by abortion, the elderly not being revered, and levels of depression, despair, addiction, and suicide never seen before.  Groups develop a tribal mindset that sees others as their enemies instead of their fellow man who was also made in the image of God

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. and loved by Him.“ 

1 John 4:7-11

Without a fear of God and the realization that they will stand before Him as Judge and give an account for their lives, people are capable of great evil and can rationalize and justify most anything.  For those who believe that man is inherently good and also do not know the Bible, this rise in evil can be a great and unexpected shock. That is not so for those who have a personal relationship with their Creator and know His Word, including prophecies of the End Times. Do you have a biblical worldview?  Dr. George Barna has an online questionnaire to help you determine whether or not you do.  Quote from his website:

“Imagine experiencing…

• calm in the midst cultural chaos
• sure confidence in your faith
• standing strong no matter the pressures
• relationships built on love and trust
• having answers to the tough questions of our time

The biblical worldview helps you navigate the many challenges of life. It’s the only way to be…in the world, but not of it.”

Public education’s rejection of the Lord as the author of life and the Bible as His revealed truth and moral code for everyone has given the prince of this world (Satan) the opportunity to deceive, confuse, discourage, destroy, and torment so many while keeping them away from the One who created them and loved them enough to die for them so they would not have to be in bondage to sin. He made it possible for each person who chooses to surrender their lives to Him to have fellowship with a holy God and live with a clear conscience while serving Him and others. Our physical lives are short compared to eternity where our souls will live on – either with Him in heaven, reuniting with believers who have gone before us or to a place of torment. God gave us the gift of free will and because we are all human – we all have a propensity to rebel and choose our own way, trusting in our limited knowledge instead of trusting the only One who is sovereign over nations and individuals and is the source of all that is good and true.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

James 1:16-21

Public education has not just been in decline in teaching the basics to students.  Starting with colleges and universities and now even with the youngest of students, public education has gone from preparing students in knowing Scripture and learning to be responsible and productive citizens who can be honest and humble leaders to intentionally indoctrinating, sexualizing, scaring, and confusing students.  Can Public Education be redeemed or reformed?  I don’t have the answer to that, but know that we can trust the Lord to call people to accomplish that immense goal if time allows in His plan of when Jesus will return.  In the meantime, let each of us repent of our own sins as well as the sins of our nation and seek the Lord in the Bible with our whole heart, mind, strength, and soul with prayer and a commitment to spending the rest of our lives being part of His Kingdom work in whatever we do so that more precious souls can be redeemed from the clutches of the Evil One.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 

1 John 5:1-5

Our culture’s rejection of the Lord as the author of life and the Bible as His revealed truth and moral code for everyone has given the prince of this world (Satan) the opportunity to deceive, confuse, discourage, and torment so many while keeping them away from the One who created them and loved them enough to die for them so they would not have to be in bondage to sin. He made it possible for each person who chooses to surrender their lives to Him to have fellowship with a holy God and live with a clear conscience while serving Him and others. Our physical lives are short compared to eternity where our souls will live on – either to His presence in heaven, reuniting with believers who have gone before us or to a place of torment. God gave us the gift of free will and because we are all human – we all have a propensity to rebel and choose our own way, trusting in our limited knowledge instead of trusting the only One who knows the future, is the source of all that is good and true, and knows us intimately but loves us anyway (in itself is a great mystery).

”We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 

1 John 5:19-21

© Constance Rice 2025

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Scripture is clear that as Christians, we are to be unified as one body, each surrendered to the One who was tortured, died in our place, and overcame both sin and death so that we could be freed from the power of sin, have peace and joy in the midst of a broken world, have purpose in our lives, and also have the hope of eternity in heaven with Him. Jesus said we will be known by our love for one another and by our fruit.  So why is there so much division among believers and churches?  Well – we all have a sinful nature and an enemy who is always looking for a way to create division among God’s people and in His churches.  Sadly, many self-professing Christians are more vulnerable to Satan’s lies and deceptions because they do not know God’s Word well enough to have discernment and as a result, tend to follow the world’s ways and/or justify their sins rather than obeying Christ’s commands.  Scripture teaches unity among believers.

^“ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus’ words to His disciples before His Ascension in John 13:34-35

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

1 John 1:5-10

Every one of us have a sinful nature, making us prone to being prideful, stubborn, self-serving, critical, and arrogant. We can be quick to judge others and react impulsively.  It is hard to see and admit our own faults and weaknesses because we really want to see ourselves as being a “good person”.  Some do not want to think about evil, so choose to just ignore it and others are unaware of the enemy’s tactics and are unprepared for them, making them all vulnerable.  How many of us have unknowingly become patsies for Satan in His rebellion against God instead of becoming more like Christ so that we can exhibit His love, mercy, grace, and patience to others and prioritize His Kingdom work in this life so we can bear fruit that lasts forever? 

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  ‘Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’’’  

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:18-23

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

John 12:24-26

Think about it – God doesn’t need us, but allows us to take part in drawing people to Himself.  What an honor!  Everyone will suffer, but as a Christian, we recognize Christ’s suffering on our behalf and know that when we fully surrender our lives to Him, seek Him with our whole heart, mind, strength, and soul, and lean in to Him – He fills us with His peace that this world cannot know and blesses, guides, and strengthens us, never wasting any pain.  He allows trials that grow us, make us more humble, and prepare us for what He knows is in our future.  In the process, as we trust Him, He reveals more of Himself to us. How heartbreaking that so many walk away from the faith without ever really experiencing this precious relationship with their Savior because they turned away from Him instead of running to Him.

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from His works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” 

Hebrews 4:9-13

Let’s remember that Jesus created us, knows everything about us, and yet holds open His arms to receive us into His family. Let us trust the One who has already shown His love for us so that our relationship with Him becomes so deep that we would be willing to give up everything and suffer anything rather than deny Him.  ”Redeem TV” is a free faith streaming service.  The videos there on stories of missionaries, great heroes of the faith, Christian history, etc. can inspire us to make the most of our lives here.  Other helpful resources include “They Were Christians: The Inspiring Faith of Men and Women Who Changed the World” by Cristóbal Krusen (founder of “Messenger Films”) and “Freedom: The History of Western Liberties” by Kevin Swanson (founder of ”Generations”). Another great resource is “The Power of Knowing God” by Tony Evans – it is both helpful and powerful. For free 24/7 streaming of Creation content that supports the biblical account, go to the ”Creation Science Network”.  The more we see of what God has created, the more we see His genius and our awe of Him continues to grow. 

“Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.  And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” 

John 4:13-23

Time is short – end times prophesies are lining up to be fulfilled as we see an increase of natural disasters, increase of evil, violence, & despair, attempts to create a global government, many people of no or other faiths coming to Jesus, revivals in multiple areas, and apostasy (individuals and churches turning away from the clear teachings of Scripture).  A line in the sand is being drawn and God is trying to show people their need for Him. Throughout Scripture, God warns HIs people before judgment. We need to be prepared by reading and studying the Bible and being part of a body of believers as we are stronger together.  Just like predators look for one of a flock or herd that is isolated from the rest, Satan continually seeks ways to wedge his way in to create division within relationships and churches. From personal experience, I can say that it’s not uncommon for people to be hurt by the actions of other Christians and churches (all made up of sinful people).  Instead of being part of Satan’s attempts to divide, may each of us step back and pray for all involved, and wait on God to work things out His way and in His timing.  He is always faithful to provide for and guide those who are truly trusting in Him and obeying Him. 

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  1 Peter 5:5-11

We should read or reread the short book of James about taming our tongues and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us follow its teachings.  We need to be on guard to take every thought captive to Christ.  Our actions and speech can bring division in our relationships and churches, giving the enemy a foothold in a situation or our actions and speech can bring prayer and encouragement, pointing people to Jesus.  Let’s be determined to love one another with Jesus’ love through the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, a gift to all believers.  Let’s not be unknowing patsies for Satan, partnering in his plan of division, deception, destruction, & death in the world.  Instead, may we love one another, giving glory to God, from which love and goodness originate.

“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”

James 1:26

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

© Constance Rice 2025

Article by site founder, Connie Rice.

Why are we seeing such a rise in people who are confused about their identity?  It’s shocking to a lot of people and is tragic to us all, but is it really a surprise with biblical literacy in America at its lowest in 250 years?  Those who study the Bible recognize that there is an epic spiritual battle going on for people’s souls and the identity crisis of our present day is yet another method being used by Satan to cause confusion, doubt, anxiety, and depression.  At the same time, it draws people farther from their Creator and the truth found in Scripture that can reveal God’s love for them.  Jesus Himself warns us about the devil and calls him “a liar and the father of it”, “the enemy”, “the evil one”, and “the prince of this world”. 

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it’.”  

Jesus’ words in John 8:42-44

God wants that none should perish and is the Author of life.  He is not the author of confusion, but His adversary uses confusion in addition to a number of other things to keep people from knowing God.  Satan also uses temptations adapted to each person’s weaknesses and sinful tendencies, casts doubt on the truth of the Bible and/or God’s goodness, uses addictions of all kinds, deceives people into thinking they are doing good when they are actually working against God, divides people along racial, economic, political, religious and/or other lines.  Once we grasp this reality, we can gain discernment through Scripture, but even then can be caught off guard because we all have a sinful nature that is self-focused and prideful.  When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we receive not only eternal life in heaven, but also the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to turn from our sinful desires and helps us to focus on God and the needs of others.  This gives us a sense of purpose. 

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 

2 Peter 3:9

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17

We will also understand that there are only two sexes – male and female.  God made this clear in Genesis and Jesus affirmed it in the New Testament. 

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’.” 

Genesis 1:27-28

“And He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:4b-6

God has already proved His love for us and has gone to great lengths to provide a way of salvation for us because everyone falls short of His glory.  He made Himself evident to all of mankind by His Creation.  More and more things are being revealed that support the biblical account. Recent discoveries in DNA research, geology, biology, astronomy, archaeology, etc. allow anyone who wants answers to find them. This website offers a multitude of resource links in numerous areas for anyone who wants to learn more.  John Piper says this about seeking God:

“The great obstacle to seeking the Lord is pride. ‘In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him’ (Psalm 10:4).  Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord.  The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. ‘If you seek him, he will be found by you’ (1 Chronicles 28:9). And when he is found, there is great reward. ‘Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  God himself is our greatest reward. And when we have him, we have everything.  Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!’” (Psalm 105:4). 

John Piper quote from article, “What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord?”

Before Western civilization was brought on by the spread of Christianity and knowledge of the Bible, cultures tended to be more tribal or pagan in nature, with various groups warring with others.  God chose the nation of Israel thousands of years ago to be set apart from everyone else and live in obedience to Him so they could be blessed and other nations would see His favor upon them and seek Him too.  Unfortunately, there were cycles of disobedience with God’s people.  They would turn from Him leading to God’s judgment to the people then crying out for His mercy to God then bringing deliverance causing the people to rejoice, and then to the people disobeying again, “doing what was right in their own eyes”, with the cycle repeating over and over again. Our present culture seems to be doing the same.

“Tom Holland, author of Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, believed in his youth that Christianity had ushered in an age of superstition and that the Enlightenment revived classical values. But when he studied Christianity’s effects on Western civilization, he discovered that the self-giving example of Christ and the Christian ethic that respects all human life as made in God’s image are the real foundations of all those values we cherish. Elsewhere, Holland writes, ‘[Christianity] is the principal reason why, by and large, most of us who live in post-Christian societies still take for granted that it is nobler to suffer than to inflict suffering. It is why we generally assume that every human life is of equal value’.”

From article, “Western Civilization Still Needs a Christian Foundation” by Sharon James for The Gospel Coalition

God promised a Savior (Messiah) to His chosen people, but when most of them did not recognize or receive Him (Jesus Christ), God opened up salvation to the gentiles (the rest of mankind).  Those outside of the Jewish faith who seek the Lord and receive this amazing gift are adopted into God’s family – I am so thankful for that!  Since that time, the world has been in what is called the church age. 

“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”  And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” 

 Paul’s words to the Jews in Acts 28:28-29

Throughout the church age, those who have received the gift of salvation through believing and following Jesus Christ have found love, acceptance, peace, and truth.  Through their sanctification process, they become more like Christ and grow in their concern for their fellow man.  This is when we saw the increase in care for widows and children, the creation of hospitals and orphanages, and the courage of people who stood up for making the Bible accessible to the masses, even to the point of death.  Education was emphasized, especially in early America, when multiple universities were founded to make sure young people would be prepared to live out God’s calling on their lives and be equipped to share the gospel.  Most people have no idea that American Ivy League colleges and universities were founded with this purpose and some were even founded and/or funded by clergy (scroll down this site’s “Historical Quotes” page).

“We stand in the shadow of the Bible today as opposed to in the pages of the Bible. I think that the biblical illiteracy comes as a direct result of a failure to recognize that the DNA of western civilization comes from a biblical worldview.”

Quote by Hank Hanegraaff

May all who struggle with their identity choose to seek the Lord with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul.  Jesus died for every person, but waits to be invited into our lives because He won’t force Himself on anyone.  The Christian life is not easy because the enemy does not want us to find salvation. When we do, instead of being God’s enemy, we become his enemy.  He will try to still use deception, doubt, discouragement, etc. to keep us down, but we will now have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to show us our true identity and enable us to live a victorious life of purpose while experiencing His amazing love, mercy, grace, faithfulness, kindness, patience, gentleness, as well as have a future filled with hope. 

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

^“ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 

1 Peter 2:9-10

© Constance Rice 2025

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Sadly, even many Christians do not benefit from true wisdom because they do not place a high enough priority on reading and studying the Bible.  Through His Word, God has provided a way for us to not only know who He is but to rightly understand ourselves and the world as well as how to receive eternal life in heaven through Jesus Christ.  Paul gives us a description of who Jesus is in Colossians:

^“He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

Colossians 1:5-20

Satan was the angel, Lucifer, who rebelled against God and was cast down.  He is the prince of this world, the devil, the great deceiver, the father of lies, the tempter, the accuser, etc., and he is a master at confusing issues, redefining words, and who tries to keep people from salvation.  For those of us who do surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and trust in Him alone for our salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a victorious and purposeful life pleasing to God.  However, while on earth, we still have a sinful nature and Satan uses our own weaknesses and sinful nature against us to pull us away from the abundant life that Christ made possible. 

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.’”

Jesus’ words to the Pharisees (Jewish leaders) in John 8:42-47

God has made Himself known through what He has made, so we all see evidence that He exists. Those who deny His existence have to reject what they see with their own eyes.  Some still hold to Darwinian evolution even though it cannot account for how the first living cell came into being and the fossil record does not support it.  More on this topic from scientists and others who recognize that recent research supports the biblical Creation account can be found on this site under Creation. 

^“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Romans 1:18-20

Once we believe that God exists, the next step is to know Him.  He has chosen to reveal Himself to us in His Word.  The wisdom of the world is not true wisdom because Satan creates nothing – God is the Creator and Author of truth, life, and all that is good.  Satan offers lies, death, and all that is evil.  Oh, he can dress up lies and even death and evil to make them look appealing to us or even to appear good.  That’s why we need to determine good vs. evil from our Creator and not allow ourselves to be deceived.  How do we know true wisdom from worldly wisdom?

“Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.  Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

James 3:13-18

When you look at the attacks on Scripture throughout history, notice that they mostly focus on Creation, the historicity of Adam and Eve, Noah’s Flood, and the nature of humankind.  This is strategic and intentional – if Satan can convince people that Creation did not need a Creator (question God’s existence), that Adam and Eve weren’t real people (not understanding that their disobedience cursed the world with, evil, sickness, and death), that Noah’s Flood didn’t happen (discounting God’s judgment on evil then and that He will judge evil again), and that humans are basically good (rationalizing and justifying sins and even having the arrogance to judge God), then he can keep them from fearing God and seeking Him with their whole heart, mind, strength, and soul, and crying out to our holy God for mercy.  Thankfully, He is a merciful and forgiving God who waits with open arms for us to realize our need for Him and to turn from our sins and toward Him, the only One who knows everything about us yet still loves us unconditionally.  As a loving God, He not only made a way for us to live forever with Him in heaven because of Jesus’ atonement for the sins of all mankind, but also has provided us with ample warning of coming judgment:

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless”

2 Peter 3:9-14

According to Bible prophecy, we are approaching the end of the church age, which means the Rapture could happen at any time. The Great Tribulation would follow and after 7 years, Jesus will return to fight Satan and lock him away for 1000 years.  At the end of that time, He will conquer Satan and evil once and for all.  In the meantime, may we all seek true wisdom, which begins with the fear of God:

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you,
To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things,
from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness.”

Proverbs 2:1-13

The book, “The Power of Knowing God” by Tony Evans is a wonderful resource that I highly recommend – God has really gifted him with great communication skills.  The analogies he uses are excellent (the one on 3 pit bulls made me laugh) and help us to better understand biblical principles.  Every chapter in this book is powerful, but the one on wisdom relates to this post. This quote is from Chapter 10, page 147:

“Wisdom is located in God alone.  To access that wisdom, you must fear God (Proverbs 1:7;9:10). What does it mean to fear God?  It means to reverence Him in the high esteem He deserves.  It means to surrender to His Kingdom rule over every area of your life – to seek His viewpoint based on His inerrant Word and to walk in its ways, rather than your own.  To fear God involves a conscious awareness of His presence while allowing that awareness to impact your choices.  Wisdom is about so much more than just knowledge.  It is a merging of understanding with that knowledge, which then plays into life application.  Knowledge is perceiving the true nature of a matter.  Understanding involves knowing what to do with that knowledge.”

Tony Evans’ quote from his book, “The Power of Knowing God”

If you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, may I repeat the Bible verse that Billy Graham often used: “Now is the day of salvation” from 2 Corinthians 6:2.  Your loving Creator is waiting for you.  If you are a professing Christian, are you ready to receive all that your Savior has for you?  One of my favorite verses is 2 Chronicles 16:9:  “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

© Constance Rice 2025

Article by site founder, Connie Rice

Can professing Christians be taken in by the lies and deceptions of Satan?  Sadly, this is a resounding yes!  Satan is a master of deception – making sin look attractive until it has us in its grip or convincing us that we are good people whose own wisdom is sufficient or redefining sin so we don’t recognize it as such. Jesus came and endured immense suffering and death so that we could be free from the bondage of sin, but the father of lies (Satan) can make God’s way look like bondage and sin look like freedom to us.  Jesus expects and deserves our obedience to His commands. It’s only when we recognize who He is and the depth of His love for us that we can completely surrender our lives to Him.  As we do so, we are gifted with the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand the Bible, obey Jesus, and have the desire to live according to His commands because of our love for Him.  The Holy Spirit also convicts us when correction is needed.  The purpose of conviction is to warn us or to cause us to recognize any sin we’ve committed so we can repent (turn from it) and have fellowship with our Creator restored.  Guilt is one of Satan’s tools and its purpose is to condemn.

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Jesus’ words in John 14:21

The Holy Spirit empowers us to obey Jesus’ commands, but as long as we are on this earth, we also have a sinful nature that wants its own way and convinces us that we know better than God.  We also have an adversary, the prince of this world, who knows our weaknesses and uses everything in his toolbox to take us down – lies, deceptions, temptations, distractions, discouragement, etc. to rob us of the abundant fulfilled life of purpose that Jesus would like for us to experience.  We see how effective Satan is with increasingly destroyed lives, broken families, the rise of a death culture, addictions, immorality, corruption, selfishness, etc.  Even if we aren’t intentionally choosing to disobey God, we have a tendency to think that our own way is somehow better than His plan for us or that our own wisdom is sufficient in this life.  If we do not know the Bible well, we will develop false expectations, expecting our lives to be comfortable, so the trials of this life can derail our faith.  We also tend to take for granted the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall obtainthrough the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Romans 5:1-11

Perhaps it would benefit us to remember the story of Pinocchio.  Jiminy Cricket did his best to guide Pinocchio with wisdom, recognizing that the path he was taking would be harmful to him.  However, Pinocchio followed his own pleasure and desires until he realized that it was not the best for him.  One of the scenes from the Disney animated film has the following quotes (from IMBD quotes):

• The Blue Fairy: You must learn to choose between right and wrong.

• Pinocchio: Right and wrong? But how will I know?
• Jiminy Cricket: [watching] How’ll he know!
• The Blue Fairy: [to Pinocchio] Your conscience will tell you.
• Pinocchio: What’s a conscience?
• Jiminy Cricket: What’s a conscience! I’ll tell ya! A conscience is that still small voice that people won’t listen to. That’s just the trouble with the world today…

God created humans with a conscience so we will know right from wrong.  He has also gifted us with free will – not forcing us to follow Him, but providing us with the Holy Spirit to speak wisdom into our lives as we read the Bible, pray, and seek the Lord with all of our heart, mind, strength, and soul.  Jesus’ death conquered both sin and death, allowing us to have a close relationship with our Creator and Savior – a bit of heaven on earth.  The Holy Spirit gives us the  power to live a life that reflects the Lord’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control (fruit of the Spirit) to those around us and guide us according to God’s will.  What an amazing gift!  Only a loving and compassionate God would do this.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if professing Christians learned the commands of Jesus and lived them out?  This is what happened to create Western Civilization with care for the poor, care for orphans and other children, care for the sick, the building of universities & hospitals, the pursuit of science, and was instrumental in the founding principles of America.  That’s why knowing past events in history is so important (being careful that our sources have not allowed a biased agenda in how they document the past). See pages under History on this site for sources using original quotes and documents (ie. wallbuilders.com):

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Jesus’ words in John 16:12-15

As we study Scripture, not only do we learn more of who God is and who we are, but we also learn what is true so we can develop discernment and more easily identify the lies and deceptions of this world.  There are helpful resources in addition to Scripture that have helped me in my walk with the Lord to better understand the unseen epic battle between good and evil that has existed throughout human history.  Here are some of them:

• “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis
• “The Non-Profit’s Guide to Spriritual Warfare: What Every Christian Needs to Know” by Todd Hampton (one of the Prophecy Pros from https://prophecyprospodcast.com/ which I highly recommend).
• “The Strategy of Satan: How to Detect & Defeat Him”by Warren W. Wiersbe
• “Winning Your Spiritual Battles”by Tony Evans
• “The Overcoming Life” by D.L. Moody
• “The Covering: God’s Plan to Protect You from Evil”by Hank Hanegraaff
•  “Armor of God”:  Bible Studyby Priscilla Schirer (I also recommend her “Unseen” Bible studies for younger elementary & preteens).

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Jesus’ words inJohn 10:9-11

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1 John 4:4-6

As we get closer to Jesus’ return, may we seek the Lord with all of our being and trust in His revealed Word.  He patiently waits for us to figure out our need for Him.  May we not fall for the lies and deceptions of this world, but instead recognize that Jesus is the source of all truth and goodness.  Let’s not be patsies for Satan through ignorance, deception, or through following our own sinful nature, but let’s also not be discouraged when we fail (as we all will no matter how much we strive to be like Jesus on this earth).  Let our hearts be broken by our sins so we will be quick to acknowledge and repent from them, asking God to forgive us out of His rich mercy and help us to be more faithful.  Let us focus on the hope that Jesus made possible for us, both here and in heaven for eternity.  May we be worthy of the calling He has given us and may others find their way to Him through our witness of His love for us all.  To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

© Constance Rice 2025

This blog post is credited to Charles Spurgeon‘s “The Risen King: 40-day Devotions Before Easter”, edited by J.A. Medders, published by The Good Book Company.

This devotional book was recently gifted to me by a good friend and it’s quite powerful! Although written for the 40 days prior to Easter, it could be read at any time with much benefit to anyone desiring to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus by adding this to daily Bible reading. What follows is the Day 18 entry in its entirety:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.‘ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her’.”

Luke 10:38-42

The one thing necessary is what Mary chose – that good portion which should not be taken away from her. Very clearly this was to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear his word. If anything is plain at all in Holy Scripture, it is evident that this is the one thing we need: to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear his word. This and nothing less: this and nothing more.

We are always to be learners and lovers of Jesus. Never let departure from him and independence of him be named among you. It is weakness, sickness, sin, and sorrow for a believer to leave the Lord and become either their own leader or reliance. We are only safe while we remain humbly and gladly ready to obey him. Jesus Christ is a monopolizer of human hearts; he will never accept just one part of our person. He bought us altogether, and he will have the whole of our personality. Christ must be everything, or he will be nothing. Christ must be first to us. We do not love Christ if we love anything as well as Christ. And neither do we trust Christ if we trust in anything besides. Christ must reign alone. ‘Jesus only’ must be the motto of our spirits. It is good for us, therefore, that only one thing is necessary, for only one thing is possible. And from this one blessing flow many blessings.

To sit at Jesus’ feet means holiness, for those who learn of Jesus learn no sin but are instructed in lovely things and things of good repute. It brings strength, for they who sit with Jesus and feed upon him are girded with his strength. It means zeal, for the love of Christ fires hearts that live upon it, and they that are much in the company of Jesus become like Jesus, so that the zeal of the Lord’s house burns hot within them. So, when we say that sitting at Jesus’ feet is the one thing necessary, we have not uttered a mere truism; it encompasses a world of blessings.

Christian, it is necessary for you today to have communion with Christ. Do not think of it as only indispensable tomorrow – it is needed now. There are dangers you cannot see which can only be warded off by present and immediate fellowship with Christ. ‘One thing is necessary.’ However much you advance, O believer, you never advance beyond this. Whatever your experience or your information or your ripeness for glory, it is still necessary to sit at Jesus’ feet. You shall never get into a higher class in the school of wisdom than the class which Christ teaches. It is always necessary – every moment necessary – that we sit at Jesus’ feet.

REFLECT: Is anything distracting you from sitting at Jesus’ feet? What could you do to enjoy Christ’s presence more?

PRAY: Lord, help me to sit at your feet today, tomorrow, and all of my days. Communion with you is my greatest need, reward, and joy. Show me what is hindering me from unhurried fellowship with you. I’m ready to sit at your feet. In your name, Jesus. Amen.”

article by site founder, Connie Rice

American culture has moved farther and farther away from God and His Word, and in a number of ways, actually promotes what God has clearly taught is sin. This environment makes it easier for even Christians to minimize or justify the sins in their life. Of course, this comes easily to all of us since we are sinful beings. To do otherwise requires the will and intentional commitment to know and obey the Lord’s commands. It is all too easy to develop the world’s way of looking at things, especially when they make it sound right, good, and even compassionate. However, there are always consequences to our choices, so it would be wise to seriously consider what God has said. Has He given clear guidance on an issue? Does He repeat any of His commands? How well do we know what He teaches? Have we come to know Him on a personal level? Does He have His rightful first place in our lives? When Jesus comes to meet His children in the air, will we be excited to see Him or like a disobedient child, will we dread standing before Him to give an account? I can’t help but wonder if the tears Jesus wipes away might be tears of our own individual regrets and lost opportunities that we didn’t consider while on earth.

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

1 John 1:5-10

When we really seek the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, soul, and strength in prayer and in His Word, He reveals Himself to us. The command to seek Him is repeated in the Bible, even by Jesus. Reading the Bible helps us to know God and see things more clearly. We begin to understand that all love and goodness come from Him and that the reason He hates sin is because He knows the destruction it causes His children. When we choose to do things His way in spite of what we may desire or may not understand, or maybe even disagree with, God is pleased and pours out His blessings on us. Does that mean life will be smooth and trouble-free? Of course not – we live in a broken world due to the sin of Adam and Eve. However, what we find when we live a life of trust and obedience to our loving Savior is that He is patient, merciful, and gentle toward us and is faithful to provide for our needs. He even sometimes surprises us with unexpected and undeserved blessings.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Sadly, many Christians have not experienced a close relationship with their Savior because they haven’t fully surrendered to His Lordship in their lives. We can be good at thinking we know better than Him, but we only fool ourselves and set ourselves up for more trouble than we would have had otherwise. Habitual sin can also destroy our witness to unbelievers because it does not allow us to reflect the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we are not set apart as God intends. We’re supposed to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world – He fills those trusting in Him with His peace, strength, light, and joy so others can also find eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Romans 8:5-8

We see the effects of a world that has denied God and His Word – evolutionary teaching has caused those who don’t seek evidence for themselves to think that God does not exist, that the Flood did not happen, and that the Bible is not true. When we look at powerful leaders and influencers in the world in recent years, we see people trying to be God instead of seeking Him. They give glory to those who copy some of the characteristics of incredible creatures that God has made instead of giving glory to the One who created the creature to begin with. We see people trying to improve on God’s ingenious system of a perpetual and nutritious food supply and boast that the engineered food is more plentiful and pest-resistant (I can’t help but ask why is it good that the pests don’t recognize it as food anymore). We also see people trying to control the world’s weather and climate and even trying to improve on humanity itself with technology. The closer we look at God’s Creation, the more in awe of Him we become unless we deny the obvious and fool ourselves into thinking that we are smarter than the Creator of the universe.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Romans 120-25

In my preparations to teach on how Jesus fulfilled the components of the Old Testament Tabernacle, it is clear that sin is a serious thing to God. He knew we would never be able to be with Him as sinful beings, so made a plan through the sacrificial and voluntary death of His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind so God would see His righteousness over us. He only asks that we believe in Jesus as His Son, that His perfect life made it possible for His death to pay for our sins, and that He rose again, overcoming both sin and death. All we have to do to be forgiven is to acknowledge our sin before Him and ask to be forgiven. Jesus says that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (and gives us the power to love and obey with the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell us). What more could He have done for us?:

• gave us His own power to live in fellowship with our Creator while on earth
• freed us from the power of sin in our lives
• fills us with purpose, His peace, and joy – even in the midst of the inevitable challenges of living in a broken world.
• gives us the future hope of eternal life in heaven with Him

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Matthew 24:36-39

We’re watching Scriptural prophecies fall into place, so Jesus could return at any time for His children. Will we be deceived into thinking that our sins don’t matter to God? Will we minimize or rationalize them? God has not been silent and He does not change. God deserves our devotion, worship, and obedience and is looking for those whose hearts are turned toward Him. The closer we get to the end, the more we should seek God in prayer and His Word and share the good news with others so they can live in heaven with us and avoid the horrific times that Scripture teaches will most certainly occur. I personally suspect that after Jesus takes His children in the Rapture, the story will be that we were all abducted by aliens so the whole world has to come together – bringing into fruition the one-world government and Tribulation times prophesied in the Bible.

“Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. “

2 Thessalonians 2:5-10

© Constance Rice 2025

Article by site founder, Connie Rice

The book of Hebrews is powerful on so many levels, explaining the divinity of Jesus (including how He is our High Priest).  This book also encourages us to be diligent to enter God’s rest once our time on earth is over and provides encouragement and hope for believers. Reflecting on heroes of the faith that are listed in Chapters 11-12 as a “great cloud of witnesses” is inspiring – especially as we see that included in that list are people who had weaknesses and made mistakes and that God still used them in His Kingdom work and honored them. It’s interesting that many descriptions of them begins with the phrase, “by faith…” and that they were or became dedicated to following God no matter the cost to them personally.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11:13-16

Hebrews also gives us thought-provoking truths to contemplate as we live out our lives and our faith. It might be surprising to some who have fallen away to discover that Chapter 6 says that doing so puts our Savior to an open shame and that we crucify again for ourselves the Son of God if we don’t repent and return to Him (see Scripture passage below). It would appear that drifting from our faith is far more serious to God than we may have realized or understood and that there are concerning consequences.  However, there is also hope for those who figure it out and turn back to the Lord.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall’.”

Matthew 21-29

Whenever a person accepts Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, submitting their lives to His leadership, he or she receives the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct.  From that point on, the believer has the power to better understand Scripture, the power to turn from sin and the promise that God will always provide a way to escape it as well as gain access to God’s peace which the world cannot give. In a Bible study I’m presently doing, “The Power of Knowing God”, Tony Evans likens the Holy Spirit to a dimmer switch.  All believers have access to God’s light, but how much of God’s light is in our lives is completely up to us.  Sadly, many people keep the dimmer switch on low and very few allow all of the light in that the Lord has made available to us.  He promises to draw near to those who draw near to Him.

“Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?’  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

‘God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble’.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Lament and mourn and weep!  Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

James 4:4b-10

Another good resource is “The Awe of God” by John Bevere (the Bible study I finished before my present one).  May each of us be intentional about seeking the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, soul, and strength, learning what He wants us to know about Himself and the world through His Word, and choosing to trust and obey Him with every aspect of our lives.  Let us not fool ourselves into thinking that we know more than the One who created the universe and each one of us.  He is all-knowing so knows what’s ahead of us, is everywhere at once, is sovereign and all-powerful, and is the source of all wisdom and goodness.  He’s worthy of our praise and obedience and wants to bless us.  The natural consequence of not being intentional in seeking God is to drift away; there is no such thing as a static faith.   May we know God so well that His light shines through us so others will seek Him too.  May none of us be a stumbling block to those needing salvation and/or stand before Jesus and discover that we have put our Savior to an open shame and have again crucified for ourselves the Son of God.

© Constance Rice 2025

 

article by site founder, Connie Rice

For those of us old enough to remember when most people were healthy and chronic disease was very unusual, the “new normal” of so many people suffering with chronic and serious health issues is both shocking and disturbing, especially for those of us who have lost loved ones and whose own children suffer from chronic disease. It makes me sad to realize that this came into play with my own generation’s focus on convenience, speed, and striving for instant gratification (grown worse with each generation). My childhood saw the introduction of fast food, GMO and highly processed foods, increased sugar consumption, use of high fructose corn syrup, increased pesticide use and huge farm industries taking over small, independent farms. It was also the rise of prescription drug usage focusing on alleviating or minimizing specific symptoms without considering how God created the body as a self-healing mechanism with integrated body systems. At the same time, the things of God were removed from our schools, universities, media, and culture so that recent generations (sadly, this includes self-professing Christians)are more ignorant of what the Bible teaches than any previous American generation.

“Secularized Americans should not be expected to be knowledgeable about the Bible. As the nation’s civic conversation is stripped of all biblical references and content, Americans increasingly live in a Scripture-free public space. Confusion and ignorance of the Bible’s content should be assumed in post-Christian America.”

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. from his article, “The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem”

As Christians also withdrew from political arenas, people with no fear of God or knowledge of His Word gained power and influence over every American institution and we are now seeing the withdrawal of the biblical principles of goodness and love of fellow man that created Western Civilization reverting back to tribal and paganistic attitudes and practices. Instead of people sharing common values, they separate into various groups while demonizing other groups. We are the United States and need to return to our roots and find our way back home to God. It is only with a knowledge of what He has shared with all of humanity and a desire to know and love our Creator, crying out to Him for mercy, that we can be restored. Thankfully, He is a merciful God and waits for us to realize our need for a Savior to rescue us from the bondage of sin that Satan desires we remain entrapped. When people don’t have God’s wisdom, they make decisions out of their own. Those who seek power and influence attempt to take God’s place, but work against all that is true and good – perhaps even unintentionally. Satan is the prince of this world and when we do not belong to Jesus, we are mere puppets for the Father of Lies and the Deceiver.

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.”

Proverbs 2:1-9

In order to be physically healthy, we need to recognize that God has given us incredible bodies – our brain alone is a marvel. Each one contains more switches than all the manmade computers in the world as noted in a 2010 CNET article by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore. Think about our eye and how efficient it is (when there is no pathology). We have multiple body systems that were designed to work together without our even thinking about it. When our bodies haven’t been hindered by toxins or drugs or pathologies, they function efficiently. Some things I’ve learned that help become healthier and better support our bodies so they can do their job properly, as well as feed the spiritual needs that all humans share are listed below:

• A much as possible – eat whole, natural foods that have not been altered by pesticides or additives.
• Stay hydrated with water or tea (green tea very beneficial, especially when use with honey & some turmeric with a dash of pepper; maybe drink 1 cup of coffee & 1 cup of green tea.
• Avoid high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, excess sugar, too many simple carbs.
• Get sufficient exercise (walking, stretching, isometrics, Qigong, use light weights if able; all according to ability, then work from there).
• Sunlight heals and supports Circadian Rhythms (especially early in the morning); being outside 20-30 minutes each day without sunscreen helps strengthen the immune system.
• Get restful sleep – check out Circadian Rhythm cycle – how our bodies are affected by light, etc.
• Since soils are most all depleted because of big farm policies, take supplements to support immune/liver functions.
• Work brain – learn new skill (play instrument, juggle, etc.), learn a new language; read more, take a class (on-line or in-person), play games that improve cognitive skills (Scrabble, memory games, Bananagrams, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc.) .
• To increase brain function – use sound/light therapy at 40 hertz (MIT & other studies showing promise in removing amyloid plaque in brain).
• As much as possible, avoid prescription meds – research natural healing methods for various areas – ie. to help regulate blood sugar/insulin resistance: supplement diet with cinnamon, chromium picolinate & apple cider vinegar and whenever eat sugar – also eat/drink protein to minimize blood sugar spikes.
• Learn how to lower and cope with life’s stresses (work, relational, emotional, dealing with grief, etc.); sound therapy, red light therapy, prayer, music, start new hobby, grief support, abortion recovery, etc.
• Read and meditate on God’s Word, crying out to Him when feel overwhelmed. A helpful book to understand this is “The Power of Crying Out” by Bill Gothard.
• Develop an attitude of thankfulness – perspective can be self-fulfilling. If we focus on problems, they seem bigger and hopeless; if we instead focus on our blessings, it gives us hope and problems shrink.
• Find a Bible-teaching church and join a small group for community and Bible study. Pray for how God would have you serve in a ministry.
• Look for ways to help others. Having purpose is important to every person and God blesses our efforts to serve Him and others through ministries, in our communities, and beyond.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure earlier this year if we were watching the end of America – that God’s patience might have finally run out. However, it appears that He is giving us another chance to figure it out. My prayer is that more people will and turn to Him and His Word. Not only is God showing us mercy when we don’t deserve it, but He is revealing Himself to people all over the world through visions and dreams. You can learn what He’s doing around the world by going to Christian news sites. This is part of biblical prophecy, but increased persecution is as well, and we are also seeing that and need to pray for those affected. Those who follow Christ and know the Bible want all people to know their Creator and to surrender to His plan for them so they can also experience His faithfulness, peace, strength, and joy in the midst of the turmoil of this world and have the hope of living forever with Him in heaven where there will be no sin, evil, sickness, or pain. Praise God for His patience, mercy, grace, faithfulness, power, sovereignty and love for mankind. He wants to bless His children, but it does require us to trust Him and obey His commandments (He even offers us His power to do so). I’m encouraged that Bible sales have gone up over 20 % even while book sales have only gone up a little (although I’m a strong supporter of books in general and would like to see them maintain strong sales too). Perhaps more people are recognizing that the answers we need have already been provided and protected by God for our benefit.

“Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”

Psalm 34:11-22

What an amazing Lord we serve! May 2025 be a year filled with healthy bodies and healthy souls! To Him be the glory!

© Constance Rice 2025

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Having a grateful heart helps us keep the trials of this earthly life in perspective. God’s gift of salvation through Jesus tops the list of things to be thankful for, so that leads us into celebrating His birth as He entered into human history to pay the price for the sins of us all, knowing we were incapable of saving ourselves. We are dead in our sins before a holy God, but turning from our sins and believing in Jesus for salvation gives us new life and eternity with Him in heaven. As if that wasn’t enough, He gifts us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible, obey the Lord’s commands, love others, and have meaning and purpose throughout our lives. He also makes it possible for us to know God and develop a relationship with Him. This truly is a joyous season, no matter what challenges we may currently be going through. Paul explains this better than I ever could in Romans 8:

“Do do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

‘For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.‘

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So many people think they have tried Christianity and subsequently walked away, but perhaps they have never fully surrendered their lives to Jesus – there are areas they hold on to or closets they won’t open. Perhaps they don’t understand that true wisdom and understanding only comes from God:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”

Jesus’ words in Luke 12:4-5

Nothing is hidden from the Lord, so it’s really ourselves that we deceive if we think we can live out of our own wisdom and have no fear of the One who knows everything. The more we know the Lord, the more we realize the amazing love, mercy, grace, and patience He freely offers to those who love, trust, and obey Him. There are two books that are very helpful in understanding how important this topic is (I finished the first one as part of a Bible study group and our group is just beginning the second one): “The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life” by John Bevere and “The Power of Knowing God” by Tony Evans.

Are you ready to experience God in a deeper way and discover the life Jesus created you to live? It is not easy as Jesus told us that we would be persecuted and face tribulation. We face spiritual attacks and temptations as well as other challenges, but we can be victorious through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus has also overcome the world and so equips us with all we need. Following Christ is the greatest adventure we could ever have, giving us purpose, providing excitement, personal growth, and a future filled with hope. Could it be time to believe God and step out in faith to do things His way? The more we know the Lord, the more meaningful Thanksgiving and Christmas become to us and we find ourselves rejoicing even when our circumstances are difficult. The more we know God, the more we find ourselves rejoicing the rest of the year as well.

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Has anyone else noticed that the world has become a much darker place in recent years? The Bible predicted all of this, so it should come as no surprise. Even though I’ve been praying for another Great Awakening, a revival of God’s people, for truth to prevail, and for evil to be exposed – it is still a shock to see the extent of evil being revealed. There are way too many examples to list, so since the protection of children is so important to me personally, this focuses on them.

• Promoting the killing of unborn babies up until the time of birth (despite advances in medical technology showing that they are distinct persons with their own DNA from the time of conception).
• Losing track of over 85,000 children who were brought into our nation illegally (putting them at high risk of sex/slave trafficking).
• Intentionally sexualizing and destroying the innocence of children in books, schools, movies, libraries, etc.
• Intentionally confusing children regarding their basic identity and then promoting permanent physical harm to them with dangerous, life-altering drugs and mutilating surgeries (creating a huge profit for hospitals and lifelong patients for big Pharma).
• Parents trying to protect their children are bullied and threatened, and even become at risk of losing custody of their children.
• Foods are now full of chemical additives and addictive sugars that the body cannot effectively process. Fruits and vegetables have less nutrition from the push for longer shelf life and being “pest-resistant” with the use of poisonous pesticides (caused me to ask, “Is it pest-resistant because the pests recognize that it isn’t real food?”).

Personal experience – when I was in elementary school, I had vaccines for Polio and Smallpox (my sister & I both had a reaction to the latter injection site – puffed up and refused to heal for months; still elevated). I had all the childhood diseases and have been immune to them all since. Over the years, I had a few Tetanus shots, but nothing else. At 70, I have no serious health issues, no allergies, and take no prescription meds (reversed my pre-diabetes with diet changes and supplements). As a parent, I believed what doctors told me, that my children needed all the childhood vaccines to be healthy and go to school. Both of them are in their 30’s and have allergies, ADD, anxiety, and have suffered from debilitating chronic illnesses ( one developed M.E. (Myalgic Encephalopathy) at 14 after 2 bacterial infections, the 2nd one damaging the Central Nervous System; the other child contracted Lyme Disease as an adult – several doctors missed it over a 9 year period, resulting in it becoming entrenched and causing severely limited function; after 17 years of marriage, they are also unable to have children). The childhood schedule now has even more – over 72 vaccines by age 18. After serving the Lord continually over the last 30 + years, it is clear that the number of children with special needs (illnesses, allergies, ADD or ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, difficulty communicating/socializing, cancer, etc.) has steadily increased. A recent article by Dr. Brian Hooker references a recent study by the Toxicology, a research journal, that shows “58% of infant Deaths reported to VAERS occurred within 3 days of vaccination”. An article from Cleveland Clinic lists the childhood schedule. Why are all newborns given Hepatitis B shots (at risk are IV drug users and sex workers)? The term “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome” (SIDS) was coined in 1969 for babies dying without a known cause – infant vaccines began in the mid-60s.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Ephesians 6

Americans have freedoms and opportunities that most have historically respected and valued as a source of good in the world. Unfortunately, too many Americans have found fault in recent decades instead of being grateful for our country. Too many Christians responded to the “ugly business of politics” by refusing to get involved or vote, which basically handed over our nation to those who have no fear of God. Tragically, this has resulted in our country acting badly toward other governments and even its own people in numerous ways that Americans never would have anticipated. However, our founding fathers did:

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”

Benjamin Franklin

“We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.”

James Madison

“If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted . . . . If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”

Noah Webster

‘But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”

John Adams

“I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have … The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”

Thomas Jefferson

As a populace, we have become soft, seeking comfort and security for ourselves and our own without much consideration for future generations. Our founders fought and died with their focus on posterity (future generations). Not enough people are students of history and many younger people have not been taught the sacrifices of those who have gone before them. One of the enemy’s tools is to rewrite history and keep new generations from knowing these things. The founding of America was truly miraculous and God has blessed this nation since its founding. As our government and culture moves farther and farther away from God and His teachings, we are suffering from the removal of His blessings and protections – Proverbs 29 applies:

“He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.

The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.

A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

By transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices.

The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Scoffers set a city aflame, but wise men turn away wrath.

If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, but the upright seek his well-being.

A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.

If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

The king who judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever.

The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall.

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint but happy is he who keeps the law.

A servant will not be corrected by mere words; for though he understands, he will not respond.

Do you see a man hasty in his words? there is more hope for a fool than for him.

He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him as a son in the end.

An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; he swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Many seek the ruler’s favor, but justice for man comes from the Lord.

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.”

As Christians and as American citizens, we have the privilege of governing ourselves along with the responsibility to be good citizens, doing our civic duty, which includes voting for the candidate whose policies most closely align with biblical principles. There is no perfect candidate besides Jesus Himself. There is a 50-min sermon by Gary Hamrick, pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Virginia, that does an great job of explaining this topic. Let us prayerfully respond to the challenges of our day with our focus on God and His Word along with posterity as our founders did so God can again bless and protect America. We do not know God’s timing regarding the end times, so need to be prepared, pray continually, and be about our Father’s business in the meantime, sharing truth with others so they can also find their way to Jesus, their Creator and Savior – regardless of who is in office:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

Daniel 2:20b-22

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

It makes me sad when I hear kids, teens, or adults saying that history is boring or that they are not interested in learning about dead men. To be fair, history is not always taught in ways that engage the student. They may not realize that learning about the past allows us to see how people have overcome difficult circumstances, which can inspire us. It also helps us to recognize that all people, no matter when they lived, share some of the same struggles that we do. We have more in common with them than we might have previously thought. In addition, learning from the mistakes and accomplishments of the past can help us to better understand the present and help us work toward a better future, both on a personal level and on a societal level. Below are some quotes from people who recognized the importance of studying history.

“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”

Winston Churchill from a 1948 speech before House of Commons

“A nation that forgets its past can function no better than an individual with amnesia.”

David McCullough

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”

George Orwell

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

Marcus Garvey

“In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind.”

Edmund Burke

Of course, as a Christian, I’m interested in seeing how God has worked throughout human history. In reading the Bible, we see how He worked in the lives of the people and nations represented in Scripture. We learn that He is always working, in our time as well as in biblical times. In the book of Hebrews, we are given a list of the “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives are honored for their obedience to God. Since Bible times, many amazing people of faith provide us with additional examples of how God has worked through them. We see that the efforts of believers have affected the world in many positive ways, sometimes at great personal cost and sacrifice. These include people from all walks of life. Some of the greatest scientists of all time were motivated by their faith to discover what God had made. You can find lists of them here and here. Here are just a few from recent history:

Isaac Newton (1642-1726/27) – mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, & author: “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”

Werner von Braun, rocket scientist (1912-1977): “My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?”

Raymond Damadian, inventor of the MRI machine (1936-2022): from an ICR article: “‘[I understand] what the Apostle Paul calls the renewed mind. Out of a mind renewed by Jesus came the obvious. How could a scientist achieve his goal of discovering the absolute truths that govern the natural world without the blessing of the Author of those truths? For me now the true thrill of science is the search to understand a small corner of God’s grand design, and to lay the glory for such discoveries at the Grand Designer’s feet’. He credits God for his work that continues to save countless lives saved through accurate diagnoses.”

Henry Richter, designed & developed first earth satellite for JPL/NASA (1927): from CREV article: “I didn’t find that relationship [with Jesus Christ] in my life until I was past the age of 40, but I am ever so thankful that I did, because now I have a personal bond with the Creator of the universe! All those amazing designs I saw in nature now make sense. I have a purpose in life. I’m heaven bound.”

I’m presently putting together a series on the biblical roots of the U.S. Constitution and as I go through founding documents, quotes of founding fathers, and details of how our country began – it is plain to see that our founders were motivated by their faith, that they acknowledged God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men and nations, and that they focused less on their personal benefit and more on posterity (generations down the road). Their goal and sacrificial efforts were to create a government that would honor God and protect the rights of all citizens to worship freely and plan their own future, government that believed the rights of citizens were from God and that the purpose of government was to protect those rights. Everyone has a bias based on their own experiences and what they have learned, so it is always best to go to source documents and quotes whenever possible. The faith, courage, and sacrifice of our American founders should always be remembered. Just a few of the quotes of some of our founding fathers include:

“Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope.”

Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, & Defender of “Constitution”

“And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

Benjamin Franklin, Signer of Declaration of Independence & U. S. Constitution, Pennsylvania Governor, diplomat, printer, & scientist

“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

George Washington, 1st U.S. President, Member of Continental Congress, Commander-in-Chief of Continental Army, President of Constitutional Convention, & judge

“And can the liberties of a nation be though secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are of the gift of God?”

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, signer of Declaration of Independence,

“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

Noah Webster, author of the 1828 “American Dictionary of the English Language”

Unlike our founding fathers, others in history sought to gain power and control, even to the point of murdering their own citizens. There were numerous examples throughout history of people being treated poorly and even being killed by their leaders. Sadly, during the 20th Century, there was tremendous bloodshed with two world wars. Most know about the holocaust under Adolf Hitler (fascist dictator in Germany) and Mussolini (fascist dictator in Italy), but many do not know how they came to power. This is important to understand. People under communist rule in different parts of the world do not have personal liberty or freedom of speech or freedom of religion and poverty rates are very high. Countries that became communist nations in the 20th Century include Soviet Union (under Josef Stalin), China (under Mao Tse-Tung), Cuba (under Fidel Castro), Venezuela (under Hugo Chavez), North Korea (Kim Jong Un), Vietnam, Cambodia, countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The image below from Researchgate.net shows that about 100 million deaths resulted from Communism:

The stories of missionaries and people of God can encourage and inspire us as well and show us how God worked in and through each of their lives. There is a partial list on this site on the Inspirational Christians page under History. Unfortunately, many of the biographies written about people in history have had their faith gleaned out, leaving the reader to think their accomplishments were entirely out of their own strength and wisdom. For a number of them, this is not the case. Books that include the faith of people in history can be found on this site on the Judeo-Christian history books page under History. There are also a number of great resources for older kids on the Resources for preteens page under Leaders (scroll down to Christian History). Below are just a small sampling of incredible people of God not already included in this post:

Martin Luther (1483-1546) – priest, theologian, author: “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

John Bunyan (1628-1688) – author of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, preacher: “I will stay in prison till the moss grows on my eye lids rather than disobey God.”

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – composer: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

George Whitefield (1714-1770) – preacher of the Great Awakening in America: “God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.:

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) – author: “Remember!—It is Christianity to do good always—even to those who do evil to us. It is Christianity to love our neighbor as ourself, and to do to all men as we would have them Do to us. It is Christianity to be gentle, merciful, and forgiving, and to keep those qualities quiet in our own hearts, and never make a boast of them, or of our prayers or of our love of God, but always to shew that we love him by humbly trying to do right in everything.“

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) – nurse during American Civil War “God called me in the morning and asked me would I do good for him alone, without reputation?”

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) – missionary to China: “Carrying the cross does mean following in Jesus’ footsteps. And in His footsteps are rejection, brokenheartedness, persecution and death. There are not two Christs – an easy going one for easy going Christians, and a suffering one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are we willing to follow His lead?”

Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) – powerful preacher, evangelist (personally baptized over 15,000 new believers): “Do I live as carelessly and worldly as unbelievers while professing to be a follower of Jesus? If so, I am exposing Christianity to ridicule and leading people to speak evil of the holy name by which I am called.”

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) – author, atheist turned Christian apologist: “Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us… While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What, then, can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness?”

Gladys Aylward (1902-1970) – missionary to China who walked over 100 children through mountains for weeks away from war: “Oh God, here’s my Bible, Here’s my money. Here’s me. Use me, God.”

Billy Graham -(1918-2018) evangelist: “Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don’t be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do.:

The importance of learning history cannot be understated. Without recognizing past mistakes and successes, we really are doomed to repeat devastating events. For believers, learning history and the stories of those who have gone before us can challenge us to live in a way that helps us discover the individual Kingdom work that God has placed on each of our lives. When we surrender fully to the Lord, obeying Him and trusting in His plan, He equips us for whatever He would have us do. That is where we find the peace and strength that is not found in this world while adding purpose and meaning to our lives in the process. It is also where we can accomplish God-sized tasks through the power of the Holy Spirit that have a positive impact on those around us and the world, while giving all glory to God!

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

In recent years, our culture seems to have become obsessed with pride of self and expects everyone to celebrate pride. God has warned us in Scripture that He is far from those who have pride in self or pride in heart. Unfortunately, the same word is also used in our language for pride in a job well done or to be proud of our kids when they’ve worked hard. These are not the same thing, so the concept of pride as a serious sin creates confusion. This shouldn’t surprise us since Satan is the prince of this world and the author of confusion – he uses this to further his goals of separating people from God and causing them to doubt the truth of His Word. God repeatedly warns against pride of self and pride of heart, and many times tells us that having a humble heart is a requirement to pleasing Him. Since He is the source of all life, goodness, and truth, this is an importance concept for us to wrestle with. However, He has not left us without guidance and His laws are for our personal benefit as well as for the benefit of society. Celebrating what God calls sin is incompatible with the Christian faith and puts us at risk of being on the receiving end of God’s wrath and judgment as individuals and as a nation. A concordance is a Bible study tool that lists where a particular word appears in Scripture, referencing each verse where the term is used. The term “pride” is referenced in numerous places and is depicted as a negative trait. Here are just a few references:

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.” 2 Chronicles 32:24-26

“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” ~ Proverbs 11:2

“In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.” ~ Proverbs 14:3

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” ~ Proverbs 16:18

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” ~ Proverbs 29:23

“And He [Jesus ]said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man’.” ~ Mark 7:20-23

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” ~ 1 John 2:16

C.S. Lewis was quoted as saying, “For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” Jonathan Edwards said, “Remember that pride is the worst viper that is in the heart, the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and sweet communion with Christ; it was the first sin that ever was, and lies lowest in the foundation of Satan’s whole building, and is the most difficultly rooted out, and is the most hidden, secret and deceitful of all lusts, and often creeps in, insensibly, into the midst of religion and sometimes under the disguise of humility.” An article by “Got Questions” addresses this topic as well: “What happens to those who walk in pride? (Daniel 4:37)”.

Although God repeatedly warns against pride of heart, He also encourages people to humble themselves and turn to Him so they can be restored – forgiven and blessed instead of facing His judgment and wrath. In His love for us, He gives us the freedom to choose – but there are consequences to our decisions. Will we, as expressed in one of the Indiana Jones’ movies, “choose poorly” or will we choose the path that was uniquely created for us by our loving Creator? The latter leads to a meaningful life, though certainly not without challenges in this fallen world. However, it also includes amazing peace, strength, joy, and close fellowship with the Lord while on earth for those who choose to trust and obey Him. This is in addition to the amazing gift of being in heaven with Him when our time of earth ends.

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” ~ John 10:7-11

We have looked at how God sees those who are prideful, but what does His word say about how He looks upon those who are humble?

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” ~ James 4:1-6

“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” ~ Proverbs 22:4

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ~ Philippians 2:3-11

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” ~ Micah 6:8

“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.   And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.   But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” ~ Matthew 23:9-12

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5

God loves us so much that He has given us free will and then in His love and mercy, also revealed Himself through Scripture so we could know Him and would know the consequences of the choices we make. He provided a way for us to be freed from the bondage of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, making it possible for us to spend eternity in heaven with a holy God. And as infomercials used to say, “But wait, there’s more!” God also imparts His power to us from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that we can turn from sin and make choices that allow His blessings to flow in our lives. That doesn’t mean an easy life, but He is faithful to sustain us through life’s challenges and uses them for good in our lives and in the lives of others. Thankfully, those who surrender their lives to Jesus also receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which gives us the power to obey His commands – He knows that we are unable to do so out of our own strength.

Will we choose to lift ourselves up with pride of self or pride of heart and ignore the warnings God gave us or will we humble ourselves before our loving Creator, recognizing that His path is the only one that can bring us supernatural peace, strength, joy, and real meaning in our lives? His Word provides us with what is true and even provides us with the understanding of what the future holds when Jesus returns for His children and that He will be victorious over evil once and for all. If we haven’t yet contemplated what happens to us in light of eternity so that we can make the best choices during our time on earth, perhaps that time is now?

These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
and who tremble at My word.”

Isaiah 66:2b

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

The grace that God extends to His children is so amazing to me. What is grace? It is “unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification“ or simply undeserved favor, giving us what we have not earned as part of our spiritual journey. Of course, the greatest example of God’s grace is the offer of salvation through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ. As believers, we experience God’s grace in many ways throughout our lives, but His Word shows much more.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:1-10

As we study the Bible, we see the Lord’s grace in Him telling us plainly who He is and what He loves, what He hates, the consequences of our choices, what He blesses, what He disciplines, etc. In the latter days we’re living in, I’m especially thankful for the grace He has exhibited to us by prophesying what we should expect to see in the world during the end times and what heaven is like. Students of the Bible should not be surprised by the extent of evil being revealed, seemingly more every day, by rising apostasy, by rising persecution of faithful followers of God (scroll down Religious Freedom page to Websites – Religious Persecution Around the World), by the breakdown of families and governments, or by powerful forces seeking to control everything and everybody. It means time is short and we need to warn as many as possible about the deceptions and lies of this world and upcoming tribulation so they have the opportunity to cry out to the Lord for salvation. We need the Holy Spirit’s help in communicating truth with love and grace. It’s also beneficial for us to ponder heaven because looking forward to that can help us get through tough times while still on earth.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death’.”

Revelation 21:1-8

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament that have already happened, a number of them about the coming Messiah “who would take away the sins of the world”.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

1 John 2:1-11

Many may not be aware that the probability of the same person fulfilling even 8 of the prophesies about the Messiah is 10¹⁷ or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (taken from book, “Science Speaks: “ by Peter Stoner), and Jesus fulfilled about 300 prophecies. A more recent Crosswalk.com article on this topic by Dr. Roger Barrier may be helpful: “What Is the Probability of the Reality of Jesus Christ?” Things about heaven were also revealed in the Old Testament book of Isaiah:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.“

Isaiah 65:18-19 (continues through verse 25)

As things progress along the biblical timeline, let’s be about our Father’s business and access the supernatural peace, strength, wisdom, and even joy in the midst of an increasingly confusing and frightening world. Let’s show people the source of our hope and share the light of His grace that He freely offers to those who faithfully follow Him and His ways. Let us give Him the glory He so deserves and ponder heaven, our future home for eternity that Jesus is preparing for us.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way’? Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’.”

John 14:1-6

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His characteristics through various names. A study of the names of God is a helpful endeavor to better understand His nature. God reveals His existence to us through His amazing Creation. Thankfully, He has also revealed who He is through the inspired text of the Bible (He did not have to do so). It’s important for us to read Scripture in order to know who He is. There is nothing better than God’s Word to help us understand Him, but we live in a time where there are also the writings of godly people that should not be read with the same authority of Scripture, but may prove helpful as well. Resources I’ve used to study the names and characteristics of God in addition to the Bible include:

• “Knowing God” book by J. I. Packer.
• “The Knowledge of the Holy” book by A.W. Tozer.
• “The Power of Knowing God” book by Tony Evans.
• “What are the different names of God, and what do they mean?” article by “Got Questions”.
• “Names of God” and “The Attributes of God” (Rose Publishing pamphlets).
• “God, What’s Your Name?” (“Discover 4 Yourself” Inductive Bible Studies for Kids by Kay Arthur).

In Genesis 16, the account of Hagar, Sarah’s maid who gave birth to Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, is given. The LORD sent an angel to minister to her and her son in the wilderness. Genesis 16:13a says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me’.” In Hebrew, the name is “El Roi”. In this passage, we see God’s care and concern even for those who were outside of the people He had chosen through which His promise of a Messiah was to be fulfilled.

Through Scripture, we can follow the lineage from Isaac (Abraham’s son with Sarah) all the way to the Jesus, who was God in the flesh sent to free all mankind from the bondage of sin so they could be reconciled to their holy God. Matthew 1 gives a genealogy to Jesus through the line of Joseph, his earthly father. All lineages given in Scripture before that were listed through the paternal line, so even though Joseph was not Jesus’ actual father, that record was important to the people of that time. There has been some discussion about Luke’s genealogy being attributed through Mary’s line. The “Got Questions” article, “What was Mary’s lineage?” may be helpful in understanding that topic.

Even though this particular name of God is only shown in this passage, other areas of Scripture also communicate that God sees everything and everyone, and that nothing is hidden from Him:

• Job 28:24: “God looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.”
• Psalm 14:2: “The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”
• Psalm 33:13-14: “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind.”
• Psalm 94:9: “Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see?”
• Proverbs 5:21-23: “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.”
• Proverbs 15:3: “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”
• Hebrews 4:13: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
• Psalm 33:6-15: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth—He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”

When we look at these verses, we recognize that the Lord sees everything we do and say, and every thought that goes through our mind – and loves us anyway, even to the point of great sacrifice. That is absolutely incredible to contemplate! We also see that for those who choose to repent of their sins (anything counter to what God says) and choose to follow Him and His ways, then His majesty, power, sovereignty, and goodness bring us great comfort. On the other hand, if we are living out of our own wisdom and choose ways that are contrary to God’s will – His majesty, power, sovereignty, and goodness should make us tremble. Knowing the Bible is how we know God and how we should live. It is also how we know what is true, which keeps us from being deceived in these treacherous times. We learn that this life is short and that illness, death, and sin were not part of God’s original plan, but that the earth and everything in it is cursed because of sin. We also learn that we are in the midst of an intense spiritual war where an epic, mostly unseen tug-of-war is being fought for the souls of men and women, boys and girls. It’s time to pay close attention.

The end times prophesies given in Scripture are coming to pass before our eyes, and we need to urgently, yet lovingly, speak truth to all who will listen. We don’t need books or movies made by people – we are living the biggest adventure of all time, and the stakes are high! Will you choose God’s way or Satan’s way, goodness or evil? Life or death? Will you try to define good and evil for yourselves or will you trust the words of the One who created you and warned us of the times we are in? Remember, Satan is the father of lies and a master of deception. We need to know the Bible so well that we can easily discern whether what we are hearing is from God or from Satan, and so that we can live a victorious life with God’s supernatural love, peace, grace, strength, and courage to stand up for truth as we encounter the ever more trying times ahead. A great resource that uses Scripture and stays away from speculation is the half-hour “Prophecy Pros Podcast” (they’ve also written some helpful books). Other great authors on this topic are from David Jeremiah and Steve Miller.

May the God Who Sees Us be glorified as we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to share His love and truth with love and grace. Then we can all look forward to Jesus’ return and our reunion in heaven with those who went before us and where there will be no more death, sickness, sadness, evil, or pain. To God be the glory!

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Psalm 145 is a powerful prayer from King David in the Old Testament. David sinned greatly after allowing himself to be vulnerable to temptation. He used his power to take someone else’s wife and when she became pregnant with his child, arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. He then married her (not his only wife). However, God refers to him as a man after His own heart. How could this be? An article from “Got Questions” addresses this: “How could David be considered a man after God’s own heart?” (there’s also a short video). David trusted God and loved His law. As soon as David became aware of his sin, he was quick to throw himself on God’s mercy and repent. In Old Testament times, God gave His spirit to specific people at different times. David had first-hand experience of what happens when God’s spirit is withdrawn. When he was still young, David was brought in to play the harp for King Saul to help ease his torment after God withdrew His spirit from Saul. Perhaps this may have motivated David to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy immediately upon his realization of his own sin. God forgave David, even for his serious sins, but there were resulting consequences. David understood God’s character and majesty.

“I will ^[a]extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is ^[b]unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
^5 [c]I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And ^[d]on Your wondrous works.
⁶ Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
⁷ They shall ^[e]utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰ All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
¹² To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all ^[f]generations.

¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
²⁰ The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

As I reflect on this psalm, I am reminded of God’s majesty, awesome power, holiness, greatness, compassion, graciousness, love for people, and faithfulness. Through David’s life, we are able to see that nobody is beyond God’s incredible forgiveness when they cry out to God in repentance and seek His ways. This gives hope to us all, whether we have sinned greatly or think we have just sinned a little. It’s important to understand that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6b). Comparing ourselves to each other doesn’t give us an accurate picture of our own sinfulness – we need to compare ourselves to Jesus, who was fully God and fully human. Only His death, He who lived a perfect life on earth, was capable of paying the penalty for all the sins of mankind. In this, He conquered sin. In His resurrection, He conquered death as well. As we reflect on His love for us, our heart should overflow with gratitude for his voluntary suffering and sacrifice on our behalf.

As we reflect on this psalm, we see that God is worthy of all praise. May we each recognize that our Creator has a purpose for our existence and that we have been put in this time and place for a reason. Verses 4-9 in this psalm support the calling God has given me – to minister to children and help them discover that they can trust God and His Word with every aspect of their lives (more recently to preteens). It is enough that God provided a way for us to overcome sin and temptation and walk in freedom, but He also provided a path to heaven for all who believe. It is enough that God provided a path to heaven for all who believe, but He also provided us with the peace that this world cannot give. It is enough that He provided us with the peace that this world cannot give, but He also provided us with an identity and a purpose here on earth. It is enough that He provided us with an identity and a purpose here on earth, but He also gifts us spiritually so we can effectively minister to others. it is enough that He gifts us spiritually so we can effectively minister to others, but He also indwells believers with His spirit (unlike Old Testament times, but made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice). It is enough that He indwells believers with His spirit, but He also blesses and provides for the needs of those who fully trust in Him. He gave all of us the gift of beauty, of music, of art, of relationships. The more I learn of what He has created, the more in awe of Him I become. To God be the glory!

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

God is outside of time and space and is the Creator of all life. God is infinite, but His creation is finite. Because of that, we can never know God completely this side of heaven. However, He did not leave us in the dark. Anyone who sees His creation can see that He exists and that He is powerful, intelligent, creative, and that He cares about His creation since He gave each one the adaptive ability to survive. However, He also chose different people in different generations to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to write down more about Himself and how He has revealed Himself throughout human history so that we would know even more about Him. How amazing that He even shares some of His characteristics with all people – of course, not to the same degree. Here are some of the things we know about God because He has revealed them to us in His Word:

• God is love – not just loving, but the essence of love itself; He gave people the capacity to love as well.
• God is holy – without sin, set apart from everyone and everything else.
• God is light – in Him is no darkness at all. He made the greater light (sun) and the lesser light (moon) for His creation.
• God is the author of all life.
• God is the source of all wisdom – fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.
• God is omnipotent – all-powerful.
• God is omniscient – He knows everything past, present, & future and knows the hearts & thoughts of every person.
• God is omnipresent – He is everywhere at once; nothing is hidden from Him.
• God is just – the source of all fairness; He gave people the desire to want justice and fairness.
• God is merciful – He forgives all who turn from their sins, ask for His forgiveness, & choose His ways; mercy is not giving us what we deserve, withholding deserved punishment.
• God is creative – He created uniqueness among every person, animal, plant, and even snowflakes; He also gave people the capacity to be creative, each person gifted a little differently from the rest.
• God is good – even when evil occurs, He brings good out of it for those who are trusting in Him.
• God values His creation and looks out for even the sparrow.
• God is faithful – He keeps all of His promises and provides for those who are obedient and trusting in Him.
• God hates evil and will ultimately destroy it.
• God is sovereign – He is in control of all things and His plan will play out; that’s why we don’t have to live in fear , despair, or confusion.
• God judgment is righteous – since He is the source of all that is just.
• God is eternal – He always was, always is, and always will be; He put eternity in the heart of each person (survival instinct) so we would seek the way to heaven.
• God is worthy of all praise – just because of who He is.
• God wants to bless His children, but can’t bless disobedience.
• God is gracious – He knows that people have a sinful nature, but also knows when they are trying to be obedient and offers His grace to us; grace is undeserved favor.
• God knew that humans had a sinful nature and were dead in their sin, so He made a way of salvation for them.
• God is one, but exists in 3 persons – the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit; each one having specific roles; the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of mankind, to conquer evil, to overcome death, to be the intercessor for those trusting in Him as their Lord & Savior, and is the way God chose for people to enter heaven when they die; Jesus lived a sinless life, so was able to pay the penalty of sin with His death; He rose again, overcoming death itself; Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a helper to indwell and empower those believing in Him so they would not have to be held in bondage by sin. The Bible gives us the characteristics of the Holy Spirit that can be seen in believers who are following the Lord (if everyone had all of these characteristics all the time, what a wonderful place this would be). The fruit of the Spirit is found in Galatians 5:22-23:
  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-control
    • As long as we’re on this earth, we will still battle our sinful natures which will prevent complete victory here. God knew that and is gracious to us when we are quick to confess and ask for forgiveness. We can be victorious with the help of the Holy Spirit and should never give up. God looks at our hearts and knows when we’re trying to do things His way.
• Jesus was tortured and chose to voluntarily give His life “for the joy set before Him” of providing a way of salvation for all mankind.
• Every person will stand alone before Jesus as judge – those believing in Him have have their sins covered by the blood He shed and will receive rewards from Him; those who rejected or ignored Him will receive judgment for the sin in their lives. He knows everything about us, even our thoughts & the intents of our heart; therefore, He is the perfect and fair judge.
• God wants to His children to reflect His characteristics so others will seek Him and also find eternal salvation through trusting in Jesus. We show our love for Jesus by being obedient to His commands and choosing to follow Him instead of the world. We are to be His ambassadors.

Read through this list when you need to be encouraged. If we don’t know Scripture, much of what is going on in our world will make no sense and can be frightening. Read the Bible – it provides discernment and understanding. I recommend you start in book of Psalms to get an idea of God’s majesty and sovereignty. Then read the gospels, starting with the book of John, and then the rest of the New Testament. You may want to read the Old Testament before the book of Revelation as it will make more sense. I’ve found that reading through the Bible chronologically is helpful since history makes more sense that way. In order to better grasp events of the end times, there are a number of helpful resources that can be helpful on this site’s End Times Prophecy page. We are in the middle of life’s greatest adventure!

We can know God because He has revealed so much of Himself through His Word. The more we learn about who He is, the more we see that He deserves our praise and worship, and that our lives should bring Him glory. As we learn more about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, the more we should want to live for Him and make sure others know His love for them. We may not know everything about God, but we know enough. And since we don’t know what’s around the corner, we need a Guide who does. It’s been said that God doesn’t waste any pain, and I’ve found that to be true in my own life as well. The Lord wants to bless us, give us meaning and a sense of purpose in this life, prepare us for the things life throws at us in our broken world, and prepare a place for us in heaven so we can be with Him for eternity – a beautiful place where there is no death, no sickness, no sadness, no evil, and no sin (not even our own). How heavenly is that? The darker this world gets, the better that sounds – let’s keep doing what God has called us to do while keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith. Let’s keep sharing about His amazing love and have an eternal mindset – because God has even shown us the future and it will be glorious to behold! It will also be a grand reunion with all those who have gone before us!

© Constance Rice 2024

article by site founder, Connie Rice

Do things seem out of control and upside down in America and around the world? For those of us old enough to remember the “Twilight Zone” television series, it seems as if we are stuck in one of those episodes. How did we arrive at a place where public servants and trusted institutions reveal themselves to be corrupt, where actual crime is ignored but law-abiding citizens are treated as criminals, where barbarism as well as the intentional harming of children is defended, where death is promoted and even celebrated, where courage is required just to share facts, where Christians are being persecuted around the world with no media coverage, where words are redefined to mislead people, and wars and threat of wars are all around? Does peace seem to be a distant concept while anxiety and stress rule the day? Does all hope appear to be lost?

God did not leave us alone with no way of understanding what is happening. He provided a Savior, making a way for all who would believe to be reconciled to Himself so heaven could be our eternal destination. I didn’t grow up attending church, so wasn’t familiar with hymns, but I’ve discovered how powerful the lyrics are in so many of them. This one has been really encouraging to me in recent times:

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Lyrics & music by Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)

Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection conquered both sin and death. Oswald Chambers wrote that those who fear God do not have to fear anything else – not man, not evil, and not even death:

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

Oswald Chambers

God also gave us the Bible, His revealed Word, with prophecies of what to expect during the end times. We can know what is really true because the Creator of it all has told us not only what has occurred in the past, but what will happen in the future. Those who know the Bible know that prophecies are being fulfilled and that things are lining up for the return of Jesus Christ. Much of the Bible is prophecy. Some of it has been fulfilled exactly as prophesied. Some of it has not yet happened, but God means for us to see the signs so we will be prepared. This is the time to seek truth, which means to seek Jesus, because He is the way, the truth, and the life.

“The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.”

Psalm 33:13-22

“’Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’”

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’.”

John 14:1-6

America has pretty much rejected God and His ways. How is that going for us? Most people recognize that God’s blessings have been on both Israel and America in previous times, but don’t realize that His blessings are contingent upon obedience to His commands. Unfortunately, the history and science being taught over recent decades rejects biblical teachings and has become so biased that highly educated people develop a belief system that is far from God’s ways. These same people gain influence in our government, our media, educational, scientific, and medical institutions, etc.), drawing the culture further from the ways of God. The prince of this world (Satan) has cleverly and gradually directed our nation away from life and wholeness (God’s creation) toward death and destruction with the intentional killing of defenseless and innocent human life in abortion, intentional killing of the elderly and/or sick in euthanasia, addiction (loss of a productive life and many times life itself), destruction of families, loss of committed fatherhood, increased violent crime, loss of hope and meaning in life resulting in despair leading to suicide, etc.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”

Paul’s encouragement to believers in Philippians 2:12-17

At the same time, we see the love of God manifesting itself through His calling people to Himself and continuing to restore and transform lives. On a 12-minute video in “Stories of Us” from Prager University, Adrienne Johnson explains, “Why I am No Longer an Atheist”. There are so many other powerful testimonies of God revealing Himself to those who seek Him with their whole heart and answer His call in their life. Some of these amazing stories include that of atheist doctor, Greg E. Viehman, former women’s studies professor and lesbian, Rosaria Butterfield, former Muslim and author of “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”, Nabeel Quereshi, and Jewish businessman turned Christian missionary and author of “Betrayed”, Stan Telchin. Former newspaper investigative reporter, Lee Strobel, and former cold case detective, J. Warner Wallace, both used their career skills to try to prove Christianity wrong, but instead discovered that it was true. Both ended up not only accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but gave up their careers to became evangelists to point others to the truth. Lee Strobel’s journey resulted in his book, “The Case for Christ” , which was made into a movie and he has written numerous books and Bible studies since, even some for preteens. J. Warner Wallace’s chronicled his journey as well in his book, “Cold Case Christianity” and has written other books and Bible studies since – as well, as some for preteens.

“We must warn the nations of the world that they must repent and turn to God while there is yet time. We must also proclaim that there is forgiveness and peace in knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.”

Billy Graham

We may not ever write a book or become well-known, but may our words and deeds point people to the One who can fill them with supernatural peace and strength for today and where they can find hope for tomorrow. May we continuously strive to allow Him to transform us more and more into His likeness and praise Him for who He is and all He does. To God be the glory! Forever and ever. Amen.

© Constance Rice 2024