What Do You Think You’re Doing? (part 2) -from Three Questions by Jim Wood Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 When we read the phrase, “offer your bodies,” all of [...]
It is the Lord Alone Who Can Keep Us Steady Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,  for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12: 28 & 29 I would like to offer a special word of [...]
Often, those who give with an open heart are rewarded in return more abundantly than what they are able to give. That is the story of many volunteers, including Beth Luck. Mrs. Beth first heard of Wears Valley Ranch through friends when she moved to the community about 3 years ago. She currently volunteers as [...]
“in Him we were also chosen...in conformity with the purpose of His will..." When God told us to adopt three children from Ukraine, we had never seen a photograph of them, we had never met them. Though we had been to Ukraine, we had never been to the village where they lived and had never seen [...]
For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 Often God says no to a prayer request in order to grant something greater than what we had asked of Him. Amy Carmichael prayed as a child that God would replace her [...]
Prayers for healing in the Bible happened in the context of Christian community and biblical authority. They also happened in the context of honest confession and repentance: “The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your [...]
Obviously, it is right to pray. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. How can it ever be wrong to pray? Let me suggest five situations or circumstances in which, according to God’s word, we are out of line when we pray. Part 5 - Substitute for Obedience In Exodus 14:13-16 we read:  Moses [...]
Obviously, it is right to pray. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. How can it ever be wrong to pray? Let me suggest five situations or circumstances in which, according to God’s word, we are out of line when we pray. Part 4 - Clinging to Sin Psalm 66:18 says, If I had [...]
The Bible is filled with illustrations of God’s people speaking passionately with Him. We see this vividly in the Psalms. The psalmists honestly poured out their hearts to God. Psalm 73 is a great example: This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I [...]
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 6:7 Once, while swimming in the ocean, I shouted an exceedingly short but extremely earnest prayer. Susan and I had gone to the beach in New England, where the ocean water [...]
