On this date, June 19, in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger notified the last of enslaved African Americans in Texas they had been set free – two and a half years before!
The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, setting over 3.5 million African Americans in the Confederate States free. For two and a half years the African Americans had continued to labor under their cruel taskmasters, not realizing they were free. Why? Because no one had told them!
Over 150 years later, millions still remain enslaved, carrying heavy burdens of guilt, addictions, sorrow, and sin. What makes this even more tragic is that these same people were set free over 2000 years ago, when God’s Son died for them on the cross and John 8:36 promises “if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” Yet so many still struggle under their heavy loads. Why? Because no has told them they are free!
This June Nineteenth, as our nation celebrates the end of slavery, let us also celebrate the freedom we can find only by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for us. And let’s not forget to share this wonderful news with those still entrapped by sin and guilt – they can be free, free indeed!
That was one of my first thoughts when I woke up this morning. For the last 10 years or so, it’s been hit or miss whether I would get to spend time with my children on Father’s Day. We lived 3-½ hours apart, which meant a long drive for either us or them if we were going to be together.
Not this year, however! This year we all live within 3 miles of each other, which means I’ll get to spend time with each of my children at some point in the day. That’s amazing!
Ana asked me last night what I wanted for Father’s Day and I told her I’ve already got it. Just being close to my children is the only present I need.
That’s how God feels about you and I. Psalm 103:13 says, “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”
God loves you and he longs to have you with Him. That’s why He gave us Jesus, “his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT).
Our Heavenly Father is not satisfied with a long-distance relationship with you. He wants you with Him, not just for a few hours, but forever. So He’s planning a big move for all His children. He’s already got a new home prepared for each of us, just down the street from His palace and Moving Day is just around the corner.
On that day “the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
Forever! I like the sound of that, don’t you? So does your Heavenly Father. He can hardly wait for that day to come. He can hardly wait to be with you and all of His children – forever!
When you finally walk through those pearly gates God is going to be right there to meet you, with a big grin on His face, and arms open wide. For Him that’s going to be, far and away, the Best Father’s Day Ever!
Today is June 14, National Flag Day here in the United States. It is a day set aside to honor the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, which has flown proudly over our nation, in one form or another, for over 200 years.
We fly our flag as a symbol of our national pride, a reminder of the resilience of our country and the principles upon which it was built. We fly it as a beacon of hope to all who come to our shores in search of “liberty and justice for all.”
As citizens of this great nation we take pride in our flag and all it stands for. When we pledge allegiance to the flag we are also pledging allegiance to “the republic for which it stands”, committing ourselves as its citizens to supporting it and helping it reach its full potential.
No matter what nation we call home, God calls us as its citizens to “submit to governing authorities.” (Romans 13:1). He tells us, “Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Romans 13:7). In other words, we are called to be good citizens.
At the same time, however, we must always remember that we, as Christians have a higher calling. While we must do our best to be good citizens, always honoring the flag and “the republic for which it stands,” working its “peace and prosperity” (Jeremiah 29:7) we must never forget we are also “citizens of heaven”. (Philippians 3:20). We are “a chosen people…royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9).
This does not present a conflict of interest, because as God’s chosen people we will be the best citizens a nation could ask for. We will honor God by honoring our nation’s leaders, keeping the nation’s laws (as long as they do not conflict with God’s higher law), and working for the good of its citizens.
No matter what earthly nation you are a citizen of, no matter what flag you pledge allegiance to today, let your citizenship in heaven guide you to be the best citizen possible here on earth, showing by your lives “the goodness of God,” calling them “out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
A little over a month ago I asked you to pray for my friend, Mike Temple, who had had a massive heart attack and was in need of a heart transplant. Well, this last week Mike got his new heart!
The transplant went well, but Mike still has many challenges ahead. His kidney’s took a hit, necessitating dialysis, and he is very weak, but progressing well. Please continue to keep Mike in your thoughts and prayers. There are still many tough days ahead, but he’s headed in the right direction, praise God!
I’m thrilled that Mike has a new heart, but there are so many of you that I care about who are also in need of a new heart. With hearts diseased and broken by sin, you feel like you are stumbling through life only half alive, living in this world “without God and without hope.” (Ephesians 2:12).
The fact is we all were born this way. David laments in Psalm 51:5, “For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” And Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things…desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
All around us we see the horrible results of our conditions. Whether it is the atrocities being inflicted on the people of Ukraine, the almost daily mass shootings that plague our nation, or starving infants in Somalia, the cause of all this pain and suffering is the same – humanity’s diseased and sinful hearts.
But there is hope. Through Jesus Christ we can all receive what we really need – a new heart! That is why He came to this earth, “not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28). If you will let Him He “will give you a new heart, and…put a new spirit in you. [He] will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
With his new heart Mike has a new beginning, a new chance at life. You too can experience a new start today. Mike had to wait for several weeks for his new heart, but you can have yours right now. Give Jesus your diseased, broken heart today and He “will give you a new heart” – a heart filled with love and joy and compassion, a heart that beats only for Him and for your fellow man.
Don’t wait until tomorrow. Don’t even wait another heartbeat. Give Jesus your life right now and start enjoying your new heart today!
I need a favor! I need you to pray for my friend, Mike Temple.
Yesterday Mike had a massive heart attack. They had to do CPR and use an AED to bring him back. He was airlifted to a hospital in Bismark, North Dakota, for further evaluation and a heart catheterization.
Please lift Mike up in your prayers today. He is a special man who has dedicated his life to sharing God’s love and an encouraging word with others on a daily basis. Mike’s Open Word e-devotionals, which were the inspiration for this EncouragingWordsForToday blog, have become an important part of my daily routine. His insights have many times been just what I needed to get me through a difficult day.
It is so hard when something like this happens to someone you care about, especially someone who is making such a difference in the world. Sometimes we can’t help but ask, “Why?” “Why would this happen to someone like this?” The only answer I can find is that we are each citizens on a sick planet, where bad things happen to even good people.
Jesus warned us it was going to be this way. In John 16:33 He said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” That’s just the way things are. Being His follower is no guarantee we won’t have bad things happen to us. But there is good news! Jesus went on to say, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
No matter how bad things get, how many setbacks we have, we can find comfort in this – Jesus has “overcome the world.” Good will win in the end. Someday soon Jesus will come to take us home. On that day “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT). No more heart attacks. No more illness. No more broken dreams. I can hardly wait!
But until then there is something we can do for Mike and his family and our other loved ones and friends who are experiencing illness or other hardships. We can pray!
Sometimes people, when facing illness or other setbacks, sigh and say, “I guess all we can do is pray.” But, the thing is, prayer is the most important thing we can do, because “prayer offered in faith will heal the sick” and “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:15, 16).
So, please pray for Mike and his family. Pray also for your other friends and family facing illness. Lift them up to the only one who can truly help, to the One who loves them with an everlasting love. Pray for restoration and for healing, but pray most of all that they may have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding…”, knowing “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Philippians 4:7, Romans 8:28 NKJV).
The last 3-½ months have been some of the most hectic of our lives. I started work in Walla Walla in January, but Ana had to stay behind in Cashmere, WA, because of her job and to get the house packed for our move. It was hard being apart, but it couldn’t be helped.
Each week I would work Wednesday thru Friday, drive back to Cashmere Sabbath morning, work like crazy finishing the house and packing Sunday and Monday, then drive back to Walla Walla on Tuesday, only to do it all again. It was exhausting, but we finally moved into our new house in early March. Since then we’ve been busy unpacking and finding places to put things. It’s still stressful, but at least we are finally home!
Our new home has been an adjustment. It’s a nice house on a quarter acre lot, but it’s quite a bit smaller than our old home, so we’re having to do some serious downsizing. Goodwill is going to get a windfall of donations before we’re done!
The house is also in town, which is new for us. We’re country people, so this has been a big change. Thankfully it’s a very nice, quiet neighborhood and we’re enjoying it so far. What we like the most is we’re only a few minutes from our boys, their wives, and the grandkids. To top it off, our daughter took a job here and moved down from Spokane, so we’ve got our whole family here now! God is so good!
One thing I’ve learned through all this is that home is not a place. Home is where the ones you love are. We loved our home in Cashmere and we miss our friends and co-workers there, but, even as stressful as the last few months have been, we’re so glad we moved. Being close to our kids and grandkids is amazing. We’re finally home and we’re loving every minute of it.
Moving is never fun and I hope we won’t have to do it again anytime soon. There is, however, one move I’m really looking forward to – the move to our heavenly home.
In John 14:2, 3 Jesus promised, “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.”
Jesus wants to be with us even more than Ana and I wanted to be with our kids, so He’s gone ahead of us to prepare a home for us. Someday soon He’s coming back to move us to our new home – our final home.
That’s a Moving Day I can hardly wait for, that day when we will be, truly and forever, finally home. May that day come soon!
I love rollercoasters! I love the anticipation as the car climbs that first hill, that breath-taking first plunge, and all the twists and turns that come after. It’s such a rush!
Rollercoasters can be a blast, but when your life begins to feel like one it’s not nearly as much fun. That’s how it’s been for us recently.
In the last two weeks I started my new job in College Place, we sold our home here in Cashmere, lost out on the home we were hoping to buy, and ended up signing a contract on a home that’s even better. I’ve made multiple trips to College Place and Yakima, slept on a hard floor and in a comfortable AirBnb, eaten delicious meals and way too much junk food. In the meantime, Ana has still been working full time, while trying to get our home ready for closing in a few weeks. It’s been a crazy ride and it ain’t over yet.
Through all this we’ve had enough ups and downs, twists and turns, and highs and lows, to leave our heads spinning. We’ve had times of exhilaration, followed by terrible lows, filled with doubt. Yet, even with all the craziness, it’s been so cool to see God’s hand at work in our lives.
I guess that’s why I’m telling you all this. I want you to know that, no matter how crazy your life is right now, God will be with you through every high and low, every twist and turn. He is in control and He “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT).
This week, when life seems to be spinning a little out of control, and you feel like shouting, “I wanna get off!”, stay buckled in. The only time a rollercoaster is dangerous is when you try to get off while the car is still moving. Instead, put your trust in the One who’s in control. He knows what He’s doing and He’ll work everything “together for good” in the end. So, sit back and enjoy the ride. God’s got this!
It’s New Year’s Day and while many are waking up still groggy (and maybe a little hung over from the festivities of the night before), others have gotten an early start, determined to get a jump start on their New Year’s resolutions.
Making New Year’s resolutions is an annual tradition for many of us. We resolve to lose weight, to exercise more, to cut down on sugar, to read more and watch less TV, to be kinder to others…the list goes on and on. The one common denominator in all this is that most of us end up giving up on those resolutions within a couple weeks.
A study done by Strava, a social network for athletes found most people break their resolutions by January 12. The University of Scranton found only 8 percent of people achieve the goals they set on New Year’s Day.
These are discouraging statistics, but I have good news. Philippians 4:13 promises that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” On our own we are doomed to failure, but “with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 NKJV).
So, go ahead and make that resolution to lose those extra pounds, to spend more time in prayer, or to exercise every day. Then take it one step further and ask Jesus to help you succeed. Come to Him today, acknowledging your own weakness and past failures, and let Him take control. He promises “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37).
The Bible tells us “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). Join me today and, like the apostle Paul, resolve “to know nothing” in this coming year “except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
This is the secret to success in every area of your life. If you do this, if you put Jesus first in your life and in your heart, then everything else will fall into place. Give Jesus control today and make this your best year ever!
Have you ever gotten to the end of a really good book and felt a sense of sadness that the story was over? You’ve connected with the characters and it’s hard to let them go. But then you turn the last page and you see these words, “Be sure to read the second book in this series…” Suddenly, you can hardly wait to buy Book 2 and find out what happens next.
That’s kind of how I feel today. Last evening I finished my last shift at the Walk-in Clinic. After over 15 years I’ve come to the end of this chapter in my life. It’s been a wonderful experience working with the amazing staff there. They have become so much more than co-workers. Through the years they have become friends and even a second family to me. I will truly miss each one of them.
In spite of the mixed feelings I have about leaving, I also am looking forward to what lies ahead. Today is a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for us. In a few days I will start a new job and soon we’ll be moving to Walla Walla to be closer to our children and grandchildren. It’s a fresh start, a new beginning. It’s a little scary too, but I know God is in control.
As this year ends and a new one begins, that is the thing I want you to remember – God is in control. No matter how this chapter of your life is ending, tomorrow is a new day, a new year! God says to you today, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18, 19 NIV).
New chapters in life can be scary, because we don’t know what comes next. However, we don’t need to worry, because Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV). He loves you with an amazing love and He promises “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
God’s plans are “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). He’s writing your story right now and you get a say in how it all turns out. Give him your life today. Let Him have control and you’re going to love how the story ends!
You too are starting a new chapter tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to turn the page. The best is yet to come!
Our daughter, Rishana, was helping out at the Journey to Bethlehem reenactment in Spokane, WA a couple weeks ago and she told us about something special that happened that night.
As one little girl walked through the streets of Bethlehem that night, she was overwhelmed by what she was seeing. She was filled with wonder by all the sights and sounds around her. She petted the sheep and goats, listened to the music, and listened attentively to the story the actors told at each stop.
Finally, they reached the stable and this little girl gazed in awe at the baby asleep in the manger. She heard the shepherds as they circulated through the crowd, spreading the good news, “The Messiah has come!”
So totally was this little girl caught up in the story, that she couldn’t hold back any longer. Running from the stable, she went out into Bethlehem’s streets, telling everyone she met, “The Messiah has come! The Messiah has come!”
People laughed at this little girl’s enthusiasm, but when I heard this story it made me think. What would happen if we all got as caught up in this story as this little girl? What if we believed like she did? I think we’d be joining her, telling everyone we met the good news – “The Messiah has come!”
This Christmas I pray you will rediscover the little child in you. This morning, as you read about the babe in the manger and the shepherds and wisemen, let the wonder of this story fill you till you can’t hold it any longer. Then, like the shepherds and this little girl, go and tell everyone you meet the good news, “The Messiah has come! The Messiah has come!”
