Spring of Hope

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here   Better is the end of a thing      A sign posted in a hospital reads: "Our doctors are at their best when you are not". The turning of water into wine described by John in Chapter 2, is a sign and a miracle that teaches the demonstration of God's best in our worst. Verse 11 reads: "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." A sign is something that indicates the presence or existence of something else. Vital signs like blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate etc. are important signs of health. Almost every product we buy has warning label. Many of them are required by law to educate consumers. This sign that Jesus performed indicates God is at His best when we a...

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here   Arise and Shine      “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3). Epiphany is the celebration commemorating the visit of the Magi (Wise Men) from the East bringing gifts when they came to see the baby Jesus. The gospel writer Matthew reports that they brought three gifts. It is generally assumed that there were three wise men. The text does not tell us how many were in the group.   Some say that there could have been six or even more in the group. This delightful tale of stra...

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here   Arise and Cross      After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:1-5) Newyear celebrations are over and the holiday gifts have been unwrapped. The lef...

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here   Advent of Love       A Jewish rabbi, renowned for his piety was unexpectedly confronted by one of his devoted youthful disciples in a meeting. In a burst of feeling, the young disciple exclaimed, "My master, I love you!" The ancient teacher asked his fervent disciple, "Do you know what hurts me, my son?" The young man was puzzled. Composing himself, he stuttered, "I don’t understand your question, Rabbi. I am trying to tell you how much you mean to me, and you confuse me with irrelevant questions". "My question is neither confusing nor irrelevant," retorted the rabbi. "For if you do not know what hurts me, how can you truly love me?" Love is complex. It is both a noun and a verb. The more mature one grows in this life, one finds that love gets...

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here    Advent of Joy "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Advent is a season of the coming of joy into this world and into our lives. The good news of Jesus’ birth brought great joy in the hearts of the shepherds.  Internal joy is not dependent on external elements. It does not depend on the gifts we give or the gifts we find under the tree. Material things can never give us complete joy. The source of joy that flooded the hearts of the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, the hosts of heaven, and Mary and Joseph was not from this world.  They were all full of joy in spite of the circumstanc...

Buy my book   " Joy in the Journey " on Amazon now 20% goes to missions               Experiencing sound quality issues?  Please Click here   Advent of Joy       An angel appeared to the shepherds in the field and said, "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." (Luke 2:10). The birth of Jesus is good news of great joy for all people because all people need a savior. We would never save ourselves from the bondage of sin and death by ourselves. The good news of great joy is that the Savior has come. When you realize how much you need him, this good news will be to you the greatest joy! God has made many wonderful promises to us in His Word, yet sometimes we can get weary in waiting for our breakthroughs. At such times, we must remember the shepherds. Little did they know that “Today” would be the day when everything would change. Today might be your day of ...