by Marie | Nov 6, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
A pastor who went to the railroad station every night to watch the express train roar through town. His congregation wondered why. When suspicions arose, a deacon followed him, watched him, and asked what he was doing. He replied, ‘This train is the only thing that comes through this town that I don’t have to push!’ God hasn’t called your pastor to do everything in church, He’s called them ‘to prepare [you] for works of service.’ So, have you found your area of service yet? Are you functioning in it? Paul writes: ‘Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body…God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can, as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous in helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. Meditation:
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by Marie | Nov 5, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
It’s easy to forget why God saved you, what He’s called you to do, and how you’re supposed to live. So here’s a memo from heaven: ‘Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of good. Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honouring each other. Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble and prayerful always. When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out… If someone mistreats you… pray that God will bless him. When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone will see you are honest clear through. Don’t quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible… never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for He has said that He will repay those who deserve it… Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry.
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by Marie | Nov 4, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
We tend to forgive others more easily than we forgive ourselves. This is especially so when we fail in a major area like a marriage or career, or our actions have hurt others, or our habits have hurt us, or we know we are not doing what we should. So what should you do? Acknowledge it. Don’t be afraid to confess what you’ve done. You’re not unique. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last to fail. Once you’ve obtained God’s forgiveness, get the support of a trusted friend. ‘Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much’ (James 5:16 NKJV). Delete it. Often it’s not the offence itself, but the guilt and stress associated with remembering our actions that make us feel bad. Our reaction is the problem! Continually revisiting our failures doesn’t help at all, and it disappoints God. So catch yourself doing it—and hit the delete button! Focus on the fact that God has forgiven you, then put it behind you. ‘In Him we have…the forgiveness of sins…’ (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV). Replace it. Instead of guilt, choose gratitude. That’s not hard to do; just begin to reflect on God’s goodness. That’s what David did: ‘Bless the Lord, O
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by Marie | Nov 3, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
WHEN GOD forgives you but you refuse to forgive yourself, you’re spurning His grace and choosing to be miserable. When you do that: 1) Your loved ones are at risk. It’s not just about you. When you wallow in guilt you tend to be more withdrawn and critical, and less open and affectionate. So your spouse, children, parents, co-workers, friends, and even your pets suffer along with you. 2) Your health is at risk. Your mind affects your body. Doctors say bitterness generates chemicals that affect your vital organs. They increase your heart rate, raise your blood pressure, disrupt your digestion, tense your muscles, dump cholesterol into your bloodstream, and reduce your ability to think clearly. Each time you rehearse the past those bad feelings deliver more corrosive chemicals. Science is now confirming what God has said; namely, that those who don’t forgive themselves, and others, are more prone to heart attacks, depression, hypertension and other serious illnesses. 3) Your future is at risk. The Bible says, ‘You will again have compassion on us… you will…hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea’ (Micah 7:19 NIV). Stop dredging up what God has buried. Start looking ahead; otherwise you’ll get mired in a bog of your own making. The Bible says, ‘He is so rich in kindness and grace
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by Marie | Nov 1, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
Ezra’s assignment was rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, and there were moments when it felt overwhelming. So here’s what he did: ‘We fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.’ When you are willing to go without food and take the time to seek God with all your heart, He will respond to you. So, when should you fast? Let’s observe three things Ezra fasted and prayed for: 1) ‘…To seek from Him the right way for us…’ (v. 21 NKJV). Without God’s guidance, you are left to the mercy of your own best thinking, and that can get you into trouble you may not get out of in a hurry. God doesn’t want you travelling blindly into the future, hoping for the best. His promise to you is, ‘Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come’ (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT). 2) ‘…and [for] our little ones…’ (Ezra 8:21 NKJV). Because God Himself is a father, this much is sure: when you petition Him on behalf of your children, He gets involved in their lives! Samuel was moulded into one of Israel’s greatest prophets by the prayers of a godly mother called Hannah. 3) ‘…and all our possessions’ (v. 21 NKJV). If unemployment, the home foreclosure rate, and
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