Everybody Needs a Martha!

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Author Mary Alford

The story of Martha from the Bible reveals several things about her. She had a servant’s heart. We first meet Martha while she and her sister and brother are hosting a dinner for Jesus. Martha wanted everything to be perfect and got frustrated with her sister Mary for not helping.

We later read about Martha after her brother Lazarus died. She meets Jesus and tells Him that if He’d been there, her brother wouldn’t have died, but then she says something that shows her faith in Jesus.  

But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.

In both these incidences, Martha speaks without really considering the consequences of her words. Still, we can learn much from Martha’s story such as don’t stress about the insignificant things in life and don’t let anything shake your faith in Jesus.

That’s the Martha from the Bible. Let me tell you about my friend, Martha.

She’s outspoken like Martha from the Bible, but she has a heart of gold, and she’s been one of my biggest supporters as an author.

Recently, when a few days before my husband and I were scheduled to leave for Colorado, the cabin where we thought we’d be staying wasn’t ready, Martha offered her cabin to us to stay.

I’d told Martha we were going to Colorado a few weeks before the problem came up, and she’d told me she wished we could have stayed in her cabin. That’s just like Martha. Always so giving.

At the time I thanked her for her kind offer and then later when I found out that our cabin wouldn’t be ready, I asked her if we could stay at hers for a few days. She never hesitated to tell me we could stay as long as we wanted.

She and her husband built the cabin many years ago. They spent most summers there together. When we bought our cabin up there in the small community in the middle of national forest, we had the honor of meeting these two wonderful people.

After Ed passed away, Martha still came and spent several months up there by herself. She drove herself there and stayed until the weather started changing in October.  

The Martha I know is a strong woman. She’s outspoken like the Martha from the Bible, but her faith in Jesus is every bit as unshakable as Lazarus’s sister. And it’s been a blessing and an honor to call her a friend.

I wish I had a picture to post of her smiling face, but I don’t, so I’ll let you leave that to your imagination.

I hope each of you are blessed enough to have someone in your life like my friend Martha. Because everybody needs a Martha!

Here are a few photos taken from the cabin. I hope you enjoy them.

All the best. . .

Mary

www.maryalford.net

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The Unruly Tongue by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 11, 2024 by jrcoggins

The Biblical writer James addressed the dangers associated with the tongue (that is, associated with our words) in James 1:19-27.

In James 3:1-12, he went further. James began by warning, “Not many of you should become teachers…because…we who teach will be judged more strictly.” James included himself in this, and there were certainly times when he said the wrong thing. James then compared the power of the tongue to the power of a bit in a horse’s mouth or a ship’s rudder. If we take the analogy of the church being the body of Christ, the teacher/preacher can be considered the tongue. As such, the preacher has the power to guide the whole body (like a ship’s rudder or a horse’s bit) but also the power to “corrupt the whole body” (James 3:6). False teachers and false prophets have been a problem throughout history, a corrupting influence on the people of God in the Old Testament and in the church. In the modern era, we can see it in the sordid history of televangelists and morally flawed megachurch pastors (as well as some morally flawed but less prominent pastors). Power of any kind can easily go the head. And yet teachers are still necessary. James himself, in spite of past failures, was continuing to teach through this letter. Teachers are necessary, but teachers need to be warned to teach with humility, fear, and trembling, very aware of the judgement of God.

James also talked of the corrupting power of the tongue generally. He said it is virtually untameable, “a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:7-8). James then suggested that what comes out of the mouth reflects what is inside the person. This reflects Jesus’ teaching. Jesus said, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them” (Matthew 15:11), adding that what comes out of the mouth originates in the evil in people’s hearts (Matthew 15:18-19). Jesus also said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit…A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:43-45). Jesus also said, “Watch out for false prophets.…By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:15-20). James used a very similar image: “Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?” (James 3:11).

This sounds as if the situation is hopeless—the tongue is untameable. But what James actually said is, “No human being can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). What is impossible for human beings is possible with God (Matthew 19:26). In Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12, Jesus told His followers that they should not worry about what to speak when they were brought to trial because “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Jesus also promised in Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” We cannot tame the tongue, but if God has entered our lives, if His Holy Spirit is redeeming and controlling us, then He can tame the tongue.

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Keep Track of Reading by Tara Randel

Posted on September 9, 2024 by tararandel

Have you ever wondered how many books you read each year? I never really thought about it until the women in my chiropractor’s office were talking about it. It was in January of this year and the doctor was lamenting the fact that she hadn’t had the time in 2023 to keep up with her reading progress. Before that, we frequently suggested books to each other and the office staff. It’s a treat to show up for an appointment and find out which new books and authors everyone loves. The doctor even has a small lending library in her office to take or exchange books.

After that visit, I have to admit, I was curious. How many books do I read?

Once I finish a book, I dive into the To Be Read pile next to my bed for my next adventure. I look ahead to new books released by my favorite authors so I can order them in advance. I’m always reading, whether it’s a romance, mystery, thriller, or a combination of these. During my devotional time I read topical Christian books.

So why not discover how many books I read?

As of September 2024, I have read 53 books. This averages out to about six books a month. The most I read in one month was eleven. I don’t have anyone to compare the number with, but as far as I’m concerned, this is pretty normal for me. I’ve always been a big reader and now that I write books, I’m reading all the time.

As I was getting into this concept of recording the books I’ve read, I was on Amazon one day and came across a number of journals you can purchase to log your results. Some keep the number of books read, others are more elaborate including date, name of book and page count. There are logs that look like the library cards that used to be in the back of library books, which is nostalgic for me because I remember those days. You can buy an entire stack if you really want to get into the fun. One book had a graphic of a stack of books where you write in the name of the books you’ve read along the spine. There are bookmarks to record the number. I even saw a pocket-sized book log. Some come with stickers or others have room for you to review the book. The journals are either very basic or very nice hardcovered copies. Yes, I went down a rabbit hole of research.  

I went old school to start, keeping track of books read on a piece of paper. But next year, I’m going to order a journal or the library cards and make a big deal about my progress.

Here’s my challenge to you. Why not plan on keeping track of the books you’ll read in 2025? It’s only a few months away. You can get caught up in searching for different logbooks or journals before the new year so you’re ready to go on January 1. Maybe you’d just like to keep track of your favorite books. Or you can keep it a mystery and not figure out how big of a reader you are. Bottom line, reading is fun, whether you keep track or not. Isn’t that why we love books?

I’ll come back to this topic later this year to record my final tally of books read and to see if you are on board with the journey to keep track of books read. In the meantime, keep reading!

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, THE SURPRISE NEXT DOOR, available MAY 2025 . For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. 

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The Spiritual Journey of John Denver by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 4, 2024 by jrcoggins

“You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply,” John Denver sang in the song “Rocky Mountain High.” What did he mean by that?

Denver was an American singer and songwriter who died in a solo plane crash in 1997. His songs chronicle a spiritual journey, a journey not uncommon for people of my generation.

“Rocky Mountain High,” released in 1972, describes a spiritual awakening when Denver first came to the Colorado mountains, where he later established a home in the ski resort of Aspen. Describing his own experience in the third person, it begins: “He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he’d never been before. He left everything behind him, you might say he was born again, you might say he found the key for every door.” “Born again” is a Christian metaphor, describing what happens when a person becomes a Christian. But Denver meant something else by the term. The Colorado mountains were where he developed a strong love of nature, a love that became for him a type of religion.

The song contains other semi-religious imagery: “His life is full of wonder” and “Now he walks in quiet solitude the forests and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes.” Grace, of course, is a blessing of God, but for Denver it is a blessing bestowed by nature.

Denver is thus a pantheist. He is in the line of 19th-century “Romantic” poets, who saw God in nature but not God behind nature. It is a line that also includes many modern environmentalists—it is notable that Denver also wrote “Calypso,” a tribute song to environmentalist Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

“Rocky Mountain High” also contains the lines: “And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun, and he lost a friend, but kept the memory.” I am not sure at all what he meant by that. It might refer to a personal relationship that we know nothing about. However, for me, it is a good metaphor for Denver’s spiritual journey. Icarus was a figure in Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun (Arrogantly trying to rise too far? Trying to reach the realm of the gods?) and perished. It is clear that Denver had left behind whatever Christian faith there was in his background (most people in that era had some Christian influence in their family history). Although Jesus was no longer his friend, he “kept the memory”—that is, while not a Christian, Denver retained an interest in spirituality, an awareness of God, a conviction that there is a divine presence of some sort.

In “To the Wild Country,” Denver expressed his search: “There are times I fear I lose myself, I don’t know who I am.” He found the answer to his search and his salvation when the “spirit” of the wild country called to him: “To the mountains, I can rest there; to the rivers, I will be strong; to the forests, I’ll find peace there; to the wild country, where I belong.”

Perhaps the clearest expression of Denver’s pantheism came in the song “The Flower that Shattered the Stone.” That song begins, “Earth is our mother,” and goes on to talk of “Our father above us whose sigh is the wind.” Many animist and other religions speak of “Mother Earth.” Christians believe in “Our Father above us whose sigh is the wind,” wind and breath being biblical images of God’s Holy Spirit, but it is unlikely Denver had anything that specific in mind. The line “Like a bright star in Heaven that lights our way home” can be taken literally since mariners and other travellers have used stars as a guide, but it could also be understood by Christians (and some others, possibly including Denver) as referring to the guidance of God in heaven (see 2 Peter 1:19 and Revelation 22:16, for instance). Denver’s pantheism comes out in the line “In the infinite beauty we’re all joined in one.”

The most evocative lines in “The Flower that Shattered the Stone” are: “I reach out before me and look to the sky. Did I hear someone whisper? Did something pass by?” That is the crux of the matter, isn’t it, the key question? Is God a “something,” a vague life force (as celebrated in the Star Wars movies) that is present in everything, or is God a “Someone,” a personal God who created everything and gives everything purpose? Christians believe in the latter; Denver believed in the former.

There is no evidence Denver ever lost his faith in his religion. But after his marriage broke up, he was restless. Looking at his life from the outside, it would seem that he not only never found God, but he also struggled to find himself.

I liked John Denver and admire his songwriting and singing gifts, and I am sad for him.

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What’s Your Story?

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Author Mary Alford

Usually when someone asks us about our story we think about where we’re from. What we do for a living. Our family. And that is our story. . .but God is the one writing it—not us. God has a plan for all humanity and for each of us individually. That plan was formed long before we came into existence.

Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God writing the stories of his people from Abraham and Jacob in the Old Testament to Peter and Paul in the New Testament. Even when each thought they knew what God’s story was for them, or when they were at odds with God and tried to take away the pen, God still made their mistakes work according to His plan. 

Psalm 139:16, says, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

God has a purpose in mind for each of our lives and He is always working to shape our will to match His perfect plan for our lives. All we have to do is trust Him!

God is still writing your story, quit trying to steal the pen. Trust the author!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net

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The Real Story by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Nancy J. Farrier
By Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com

I recently had the privilege of writing a short story slated to be part of a book of short stories. This is my first foray into short fiction, and it was a challenge for me. I enjoyed being part of this project so much.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that each story an author writes contains a bit of themselves within the words. That is true of the short story I wrote. I thought I would let you know the story behind the story.

Back in the 1960s, when I was around ten-years-old, I was walking home and found a brooch in the gutter. The brooch was beautiful, with a stone that looked like a ruby. My birthstone is the ruby, which I knew at that age. I loved that piece so much.

Hurrying home that day, I showed the pin to my mother. She told me I should take the jewelry back and as at the closest house where I found it. Instead, I hid it away in a box and eventually forgot I had the brooch.

Years later, I tried to find the people who lived in that house. I wanted to see if the pin belonged to them. The woman who lived there had died. I didn’t find any of her family or a way to return the brooch.

When we decided on the topic of a piece of jewelry or a gemstone, my thoughts went to that brooch. I thought of a what ifscenario and Hidden Truth came to life in my head and then on paper. 

Our book, The Jeweler’s Heart, released September 1st. I hope people enjoy these short stories about the history behind the gems the jeweler finds. This is a great way to try out some new authors. I hope you enjoy.

The Jeweler’s Heart

Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .

The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.

Here in The Jeweler’s Heart are their fascinating tales told by several of the talented writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler’s Heart is a treasure.

Includes stories by Gayle Roper, Stephanie Grace Whitson, Veronica Heley, Robin Lee Hatcher, Tracy Higley, Amanda Dykes, Cara Putman, James Scott Bell, Susan Meissner, Sunni Jeffers, Louise M. Gouge, Angela Hunt, D’Ann Mateer, Amy Wallace, Janet Chester Bly, Kate Angelo, Lenora Worth, and Nancy J. Farrier.

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The Obedient Farewell by Julie Arduini

Posted on August 30, 2024 by juliearduini

This is me last month, helping at a color run activity while serving at Special Touch Summer Getaway Ohio, a camp for those with disabilities. I was in my glory because not only was I with my family and friends, but I also made lots of new friends.

I also was able to combine serving, mentoring, speaking and writing. My favorite things!

In the last year, things have shifted where my serving has increased and my writing decreased. It’s a blessing because my heart is to mentor and challenge readers to move forward in Christ’s freedom. As I’ve done so, I’ve realized this season needs more of my time and focus.

In obedience, I resigned from youth ministry, an assignment I’ve loved for probably a decade. I love being around young people and I believe God gave me a desire to mentor and pray for them because I was that age when I walked away from religion and felt I had to navigate life on my own terms. I never want anyone to feel that’s their only option or even their best one. Jesus truly is the Way, the Truth, and Life!

Now I know that out of Godly obedience, it is time to say goodbye to my rotation here. I believe Vicki, our founder and leader, and I were the remaining members from the original team. In the time I’ve blogged here I believe my youngest not only started school, but graduated! She’s now a junior in college. Our three children are now married, and there are five grandchildren!

I started out not only unpublished, but new. I blogged and had writing credits with several anthologies. I leave published with Surrendering Time (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged) Surrendering Stinkin’ Thinkin’ co-authored with my daughter, Hannah (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant), stand-alone novellas Match Made in Heaven and Restoring Christmas.

My latest series, Surrendering Hearts, features the Hart sextuplets and their quest to find a love like their parents shared. Each sibling will have their own book, and two are available, Anchored Hearts is Jordyn’s story, and Ryan has Repairing Hearts. I’m working on Evan’s story, Building Hearts, now.

I also have two small-town romance novellas coming out as part of a multi-author project in 2025 and 2026. I’d love for you to follow me so you can stay in the loop!

It has been an absolute honor to write for Christians Read.

God bless each of you!

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The Garden Tomb – “Peace be still!”

Posted on August 30, 2024 by dtopliff

I’ve been blessed to be inside Jerusalem’s Garden Tomb several times. I’ve seen the extra space hollowed out to accommodate a man of taller than average height. Stillness and darkness ruled in that place for three days while guards stood outside to make sure nothing changed. Except they could not stop life from emerging, or darkness becoming light.

Death can’t stop life. Nothing can stop a living seed from pushing sprouts up or sending anchoring roots down. We’ve all seen sidewalks or driveways where insistent plants pop up through cracks and with sunshine and rain, grow big enough to open those cracks wider until the covering cement may entirely crumble with time. Below is the Crown of Thorns on the Ceiling of the Church of the Flagellation on the Via Dolorosa.

I have an inspiring pastor friend. Steve Ruetschle, who at age forty, suffered a motorcycle accident that almost killed him. He is legally a quadriplegic, but he and his loving family pushed back and didn’t accept that. Although he still has no nerve feeling,  today with great effort and dogged determination, he is capable of walking short distances and pastors and preaches heart-stirring sermons. He practices “minute prayers” to maintain peace. He inhales the Lord’s word “Peace” and exhales “be still” on waking and at many other opportune times during the day.

The Lord may give you other phrases, but “minute prayers” work. The Pharisees were known for long-winded prayers with many words. The sinner simply prayed, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner,” and he was heard.

Maintaining peace is as simple as breathing. And breathing is essential to life.

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Faith and Deeds by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 28, 2024 by jrcoggins

James 2:14-26 is the reason 16th-century Protestant Reformer Martin Luther dismissed the book of James as “an epistle of straw.” In this passage, James stated, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (verse 17) and “A person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (verse 24). Luther rejected this book because it seems to contradict Luther’s great discovery of “justification by faith alone.”

James here said that faith has to be put into action. Was he saying that people are partly justified by works? No, but he was saying that faith is shown to be real by what we do.

The dilemma is partly resolved by considering what faith is. It is not a mere opinion or an intellectual conclusion. (As James said in verse 19, demons believe in the existence of the one true God but are still His enemies.) Rather, faith is a commitment. And a commitment means nothing unless it is acted upon. This does not mean that we are perfect. James suggested Abraham and Rahab as believers who acted on their faith. But Abraham is recorded as having lied on occasion, and his treatment of Hagar was far from exemplary. Rahab was a prostitute and hardly perfect.

What James said here is not that different from what the writer of Hebrews (perhaps Paul) said in the great “faith” chapter: “By faith Abel brought God a better offering…Noah…built an ark…Abraham…obeyed and went…Moses…chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin [and others] conquered kingdoms, administered justice…and escaped the edge of the sword…” (Hebrews 11).

Years ago, when I was a university student, there was a young man in our dorm who claimed to be a Christian but was sleeping regularly with his girlfriend. He said he knew it was sinful but was confident he would be forgiven on the basis of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” He assumed he could go on sinning as much as he liked and God would have to overlook it as long as he claimed to be a Christian and asked for forgiveness. 

Paul, in his exposition of justification by faith, said, “Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—‘Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is just!” (Romans 3:8) and “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1). He also said “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). The writer of Hebrews was even more forceful: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

We who sin can be forgiven. We can be saved by God’s grace. But when we presume upon God’s grace, we are not being faithful, we are not demonstrating faith. We are demonstrating that we are rebellious and not committed to God at all.

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Viewer Discretion Is Advised by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 21, 2024 by jrcoggins

When you’re watching television, have you ever encountered a warning such as this: “This program contains violence, coarse language, nudity, and mature subject matter. It may not be suitable for all ages. Viewer discretion is advised”?

Of course, you have. It comes on just before almost every program. Even the news.

Since it comes on before almost every program, what is the point? Why not just post one warning on the TV itself (“The programs on this television contain…”) and be done with it? Why bother to warn people if the problems are so widespread that viewers should know by now what is coming anyway?

The answer is that this way the networks and streaming services don’t have to do anything to clean up the violence, coarse language, etc. It is much easier to just post the warning and not do anything else or even think about the harm they are doing. If you don’t like it, you can’t say you weren’t warned.

As a Christian, as a parent and grandparent, and as a citizen, I am concerned about this situation.

But as a writer, I am also concerned about something else. I think many TV programs (and movies too) should with a warning like this: “This program contains hackneyed script writing, unbelievable characters, stilted and hokey dialogue, derivative plots, predictable endings, overused clichés, token characters (blacks, gays, hypocritical Christians), woke propaganda, and a lot more that you are not going to enjoy. But you can’t say we didn’t warn you.”  

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Walking the Walk Even in Fiction!

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Author Mary Alford

Faith in Fiction. As a Christian and Amish Suspense author, one of the key points I want to come through in every story that I write is God’s love and forgiveness to all. It is the greatest story ever written by the Creator of every thought.  

Whether the story is about something the hero or heroine have gone through in their lives that shakes their faith or has them wondering how a loving God could allow such awful things to happen, as in Ambush in the Mountains where the heroine is caught up in human trafficking and the hero is battling his own darkness after losing someone he loved to the war. God is there with them in the midst of their doubts and their hopelessness.

Psalm 28:7-8 says, The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Or if I’m writing a story where the protagonists come face-to-face with true evil straight from Satan himself as in The Last to Know. Even in that type of darkness, there’s hope as John 14:27 proclaims; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

No matter what spiritual warfare might be coming at the hero and heroine of a story, there is always God’s light shining throughout the pages restoring faith and softening hearts.  

As Christian writers we are called to shine His light into the darkness whether it’s in the world around us on the pages of our books that spotlight Him to those who may not know the one true God.    

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net

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A Special Light

Posted on August 16, 2024 by dtopliff

I’m not writing about Israel today, but I hope you’ll see the connection. Teaching in a small Christian college brought many special dividends. Students came from around the world and lived in our homes instead of in dorms. Sometimes their families also visited, stayed with us, and we became friends. When I could manage air tickets to their homelands (or had airmiles) I was part of their extended family—not a tourist. That’s my FAVORITE way to see other countries.

And my friends are kind. On one visit to Scotland I told Dianne, mother of two of my students, that one day I’d love to see the island of Iona where Irish monk St. Columba did so much transcribing and illuminating of the four Gospels in the outstanding 7th century Book of Kells masterpiece. Eighteen years later when I returned, Dianne had remembered my wish. “Our ferry tickets are booked from Oban to Mull and beyond,” she said, and off we went.

When Vikings swept down from the north to raid and plunder, the Book of Kells was preserved by rushing it to Dublin for safekeeping where it is displayed in Trinity College Library as a priceless treasure today. I’m thrilled to have seen it twice, lovely with its breathtaking decorations in gold and silver leaf and paints made from crushed jewels.

The small cave-like structure attached to the Iona abbey is where St. Columba worked on the manuscript. There’s a large stone on the hill outside where he also sat and worked looking out over the Irish Sea on non-stormy days.

It’s something to see and connect with the places where great things happened, and with the consecrated life of someone who helped anchor and spread our faith. Columba is credited with converting Scotland.

As I bent to peek into the small structure, it suddenly glowed with beauty. My old iPhone had no special features. There was no flash, yet the room seemed alive with radiance—as if Columba had just stepped outside and would be back any moment.

Later, after touring the abbey and museum, we returned. This time we saw no special radiance—just cold stone. Yet earlier a special light had glowed for us.

Time is something God gives us to mark our life journeys, but He lives outside of it. He’s free to step in or out of time and give us glimpses of things beyond, or of long ago, or of things to come.

The verse I hear is Ephesians 4:6, “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Sunrises and sunsets contain brief glimpses of that special light. Look for it. Thank Him for the moments here and now that connect us to all He is doing in eternity.

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The Royal Law by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 14, 2024 by jrcoggins

In James 2:8, the writer of that New Testament letter used a curious phrase: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.” James had been saying that Christian church members should treat poor people just as well as they do rich people and then said that this would be fulfilling “the royal law.” What did he mean by that? James went on to say that the royal law is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

When Jesus was asked which were the most important commandments, He answered that they were to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). The word that James used here for “royal” is basilikos. From this, we get our English word “basilica,” which is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the home base of a bishop. The word actually means “base” and refers to a big building for a court or high church official, a power base. So, what did James mean by calling this commandment the “royal law”?  He could have meant that this was the law given by the King (Jesus), but he might also have meant that this is the foundational law that supports and rules all others.

James was the leader of the Jewish wing of the church and, as such, might have been expected to uphold the importance of obeying the Jewish law. But here he made an interesting argument. He said that no matter how many laws we keep, if we break even one, we are sinners: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). We are all sinful. This is the argument that Paul made in Romans (Romans 3:9-20), teaching that we are all saved by faith. James here used a phrase that he had used before, that Christians are to be judged by “the law that gives freedom” (James 2:12). He was not talking about the Old Testament law but about the new covenant that Jesus brought, a promise that we can be forgiven through Jesus’ death on the cross. He then reinforced this idea by saying that “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Included in James’s teaching here is Jesus’ teaching that if we want mercy for ourselves as sinners, we must extend that mercy to others (Matthew 6:12-15, 18:21-35).

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Finding Godly Friends by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by DJ Paine on Unsplash

A friend. Don’t we all need one at times? Someone who will be there for us and love us despite all our prickly parts. So, where do we find them? Often when we become a Christian, the friends we once had don’t share the same values that we now have. We need to be “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,” as it says in the following verses.

“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be strengthened; that is, to be mutually encouraged, while among you, by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12 LSB

In Acts 2, Peter preaches to a crowd and there are many who respond to his preaching and become Christians. 

“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.” Acts 2:41-42 LSB

Every one of these people needed to be mutually encouraged in their faith just as we do today. We can find four pillars of friendship in Acts 2:42. Let’s take a look at those pillars and see how we can apply them to our lives and friendships.

Pillar 1: Devoted to the apostles’ teaching. Are your friends devoted to going to church and to hearing the word of God preached? Do they spend time in Bible study? Do you get together and study God’s word? Do you compare notes about the previous Sunday’s teaching and encourage one another to think on godly things?

Being devoted goes beyond just showing up to sit through an hour of church, returning home, and forgetting about Biblical standards until the next Sunday. It means being involved in God’s word and His will for you every day. Finding friends who are also invested in their faith helps you to focus too.

Pillar 2: Fellowship with one another. Are you involved with people in your church or other Christians? Do you join in movie nights, or hikes, or other activities that build community? Do you help with outreach ministries?

Sometimes, putting yourself out there with new people is awkward. They may already have friends and you feel a little left out. Persevere. God wants you to have friendships among believers. Continue to participate in events sponsored by your church. Maybe you are the one encouraging someone else even when you don’t realize it.

Pillar 3: The breaking of bread. This one is pretty clear, right? Do you invite others to share a meal with you? Or, perhaps you can meet somewhere for coffee or tea. 

Jesus often ate with his disciples, friends, or the people he ministered to. This is something we can do too as we share a meal or coffee. There is something about sitting down to eat that encourage conversation.

 If you have trouble talking to people, make a list of questions to ask. Find a conversation starter and learn to relax and enjoy the time spent together. Sharing food or a coffee is a good way to get to know someone and that person may become a friend that you need, just as they need you.

Pillar 4: The prayers. Do you pray together with the person who is becoming your friend? This is different than praying for a person during your quiet time. Do you take the person’s hand and say, “Let’s pray,” lifting the concern to the Lord right then?

Praying together can make you more vulnerable and give you insights into your friend’s character and their needs. They will also learn about you. Prayer is a way to build compassion and empathy for the other person. Prayer requests are to be private and not shared with anyone else. You must be discreet about prayer requests, but it is amazing how meeting together in this way will strengthen your faith and your friend’s faith.

If we follow these four precepts, we will find friends to encourage our faith, inspiring us to be a better person and a better Christian. Don’t wait for someone to approach you with friendship. Pray about it, ask God to help you, and reach out to someone. 

And then do it again.

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The Blessing of Seniority by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 7, 2024 by jrcoggins

As has often been said, old age is not for the faint of heart. It comes with many physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual challenges.

On the other hand, I have discovered that there are some upsides. Now, I am not really old. I am old, but not old enough to run for president. I am not really old, but I do qualify for the label “senior.” And seniority comes with perks. For one thing, the government sends me money just because I am old. For another, I get seniors’ discounts in restaurants, in movie theaters, in dentist offices, on public transit, and in a host of other places. And people explain things to me. Slowly. And loudly.

That is not all. I have found that age is a wonderful coverall for human failings.

If I do something really foolish, I am not stupid. I’m old.

If I do something bizarre or eccentric, I am not crazy. I’m old.

If I trip and fall or walk into something, I am not clumsy or awkward. I’m old.

If I don’t want to do something, I am not lazy. I’m old.

If I don’t want to listen to someone drone on and on, I am not being rude or hard of hearing. I’m old.

If I don’t want to give to someone or pay for something, I am not cheap. I’m old.

If I forget something, I don’t have a poor memory. I’m old.

I love being old because, like love (1 Peter 4:8), being old can cover over a multitude of sins.

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