Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Our Battle

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Dr. Denison’s Forum, Scripture4 Comments

I hear a lot these days about the “culture wars” and I want to explore that idea today. According to Wikipedia (not a source I generally use, but it does have a better than adequate definition):

A culture war is a form of cultural conflict (metaphorical “war“) between different social groups who struggle to politically impose their own ideology (moral beliefs, humane virtues, and religious practices) upon mainstream society. Wikipedia

So, the social groups that are in conflict, in my opinion, are those who believe in Biblical moral values and those who do not. This is not a war that we can win with armchair politics and by always insisting that we are the ones on the right side. The right side, of course, is God’s side, but we win over others by being loving and kind, not by being vocally obnoxious.

Remember who our fight is against, and it’s not against other people or even what they believe. It is against Satan who has influenced them to remove God from their lives and be free of His restrictions. We end up pushing people away because what we usually expound on are the restrictions that they absolutely, positively must adhere to if they want to be a Christian. Pause and think about that. Did God meet you where you are or did He want you all cleaned up and totally presentable before He saved you?

We try to impose a standard on others that God did not impose on us. We want to see change first, but that comes gradually as one accepts the truth of salvation being a free gift. If change came immediately, we would all be perfect right after salvation and we know that’s not true! So, why do we expect others to change their social beliefs before they can become a Christian? Why do we strive to change the outward when God wants the heart and will work on the rest once He has it?

Dr. Denison had a great article in his forum today about the cancellation of Colbert’s show. Basically, he is spot on about the fact that we are each drawn to the media that supports the beliefs we already have. If I watch news shows (rarely), I tune to Newsmax or Jesse Watters on Fox. My husband prefers to watch BBC and CNN, both liberal channels because he wants to hear “what the other side is saying.” Dr. Denison has a point about the great divide between us all and I want everyone to think about who is causing that great divide. Hint: It’s NOT God!

Denison Forum-Colbert-July 22, 2025

I hope that I have given you food for thought and perhaps a desire to approach those who think differently than you in a whole new way. We are all sinners…some of us have been saved by grace while others still need to come to the Lord. But we are all sinners who should not be battling against each other but against the true enemy of our souls whose main purpose is destruction, not life.

Restoration from God

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

God Will Restore You (You Version Daily Refresh, 7-21-25)

Have you ever walked through a desert or been in a desolate area? If you’ve spent much time there, then you know how it feels to begin to grow weary or thirsty in an empty, overwhelming land.

The people of Israel often found themselves in the desert. They found themselves within seasons of desolation and abandonment. Over many years of being in the desert, they became exhausted and tired.

In the midst of one of those seasons, God began to speak promises to them through the prophets. God spoke prophecies about the future. He promised them that He would refresh them and satisfy them in the midst of dry and difficult seasons.

While we may not be Israelites walking through the wilderness, we still follow and walk with the same God who walked with them. And if we’re being honest, our spiritual lives can sometimes feel like walking through a dry desert. Some seasons of life are exhausting and difficult to persevere through.

But in the midst of those seasons, God continues to refresh and satisfy His people. He continues to uphold us when we are tired. He does these things for us because His character never changes. He is the same God who continually refreshes His people.

So if you currently feel tired and exhausted, take a moment today to sit with God in prayer. Tell Him exactly how you feel and what is going on in your life. Ask Him to refresh your soul and satisfy you if you feel weary and weak. Allow Him to refresh you and give you rest, and continue to build a habit of talking with God each and every day.

My Thoughts

When I first read the devotional today and the accompanying verse, Jeremiah 31:25, I pictured in my mind a very old table that my mother paid to have restored. Its original state was dinged, dented, scratched and scarred. It was not a table that my mom would ever have anyone sit down around because of its appearance. I saw the way it left the house and the way it returned was remarkable. The mahogany wood gleamed and the table looked brand new, not just restored. That, I feel, is what God does for me when I spend time with Him being refreshed. He takes all of my dings, dents, scratches and scars and smoothes them over with His love and tender care. Never have I gone before the Lord and honestly told him about my latest ding that He didn’t immediately comfort and give me wisdom about how to keep moving forward. He is restoring me daily with His Word and He will do the same for all who come to Him.

The God Who Sees

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture, Song, YouVersion App2 Comments

Part of my blog today is from my devotional, “The Bible in One Year, 2025 by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel” from the You Version:

All this is by grace (vv.15,17,20–21). Allow these truths to sink deep into your heart. See yourself as God sees you – as righteous in his sight – and believe that, because of what Jesus has done for you, when God looks at you he is pleased with you.

Lord, thank you so much for the death of Jesus on my behalf. Thank you that although I deserve judgment and condemnation, you have made it possible for me to be justified and to receive the righteousness from God by grace as a gift.

God sees us as righteous, forgiven, loved by Him beyond anything we can comprehend.

Hagar was ready to just admit defeat for herself and her small son Ishmael. But God was right there and saw her and had a different plan.

How often are we ready to just give up, to admit that we cannot face the challenges of life any longer? I had a week like that. I don’t talk about it, but my husband is a hoarder which almost drives me crazy since I am an organizer bunny. I was getting ready this week for family to visit, and I do try very hard not to go into the back bedroom, the site of my husband’s “treasures” but I had to dust. I was so dismayed to find that he had decided to “clean out the closet” and other spaces by stacking things under the mattress of the bed. The bed now sits about three feet higher than the frame and I think it looks ridiculous, not to mention, slightly unsafe since it’s uneven. We had an argument about it and neither of us is happy with each other. I want the family members coming to be safe but also to not be overwhelmed by the sheer outrageousness of my husband’s collections. Newspapers, boxes, video tapes, plastic containers, etc. There is no reason for all of it…it just is. The whole hoarding thing has gotten worse since retirement and I have no solution. I cannot face it, but God can. He sees my frustration and discouragement. And he also sees my husband’s mental problems that cause the problem to begin with. So, what to do? I choose to submit to God, knowing that He sees me just the way I am and will help me once again get through this situation that seems to have no answer. I generally end up backing off and my husband has his way about everything, but I am so tired of that posture. I really want God to intervene, but His intervention may be that I change and not my husband. In the meantime, I feel somewhat like Hagar, in the wrong place at the wrong time and with no one to help me. But then, there is Jehovah Roi, the God who sees. I am blessed beyond measure by God who sees all and continues to love me.

The God Who Sees by Kathie Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen

What’s the Catch?

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture1 Comment

You know the bait and hook schemes that are rampant in the world today, especially with all of us online much of the time? Well, this isn’t that. The catch is that there is no catch, no bait and hook, just simple truth.

The promise from God’s Word is that everyone who calls on Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be saved. There is no fine print that says this is only if you are smart enough, rich enough, famous enough or extremely popular. The promise is for all. But there is something you have to do to receive the promise. You have to believe that Jesus came to earth as a man and died for your sins. That’s it! Just believe and receive!

Jesus already did all that He needed to do to restore your relationship with the Father, your Creator. Now, it’s your turn. Pray, accept, believe. If you need more information, go to the book of John in the Bible and read John 3:16 and John 3:36. Then go to the book of Romans and read Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.16.NIV

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.36.NIV

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.3.23-24.NIV

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.6.23.NIV

You can stop what you are doing right now and pray to God for forgiveness of your sins. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus died for your sins. What do you have to lose? There is no fine print, no catch, no bait and hook. Just the free gift of salvation that saves you from eternal separation from God.

If you have prayed and believed, the next step is to find like-minded believers in a local church. They will support you and help you to become more mature in your beliefs as you learn more and more about the Savior you died for you to have life forevermore. May God bless you in your journey of faith. See you in Heaven!

Let There Be Light

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture2 Comments

At the very beginning of the world as we know it, all was darkness. And God said:

Darkness and light cannot co-exist because the light always dispels the darkness. God called the light “good.”

Isaiah prophesied that the people who walk in darkness (sin) have seen a great light (Jesus). The Lord vanquished the darkness of sin in the world once and for all, but we have to come to that light in order to see it and be affected by it.

Jesus clearly stated that He is the light of the world. When we follow Him, we are no longer stumbling around in the dark, bouncing from one sin to the next. We have the light of life within us. God started by giving us light, mankind sinned and turned away from the light and Jesus’s life and death restored it to us, if we choose to follow.

This is our admonition since we are “people of light.” We are to live like it. Encourage others, confront sin (as led by the Holy Spirit) and be the light that others need by telling them about how the light came into your life. God created light and said that it was “good.” Jesus was the light and God said He was “well pleased” with His beloved Son. And one day, we will stand before the Father and if we have fulfilled our mission of being the light for others, He will say, “Well done!”

Gratitude for God’s Faithfulness

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Characteristics of God, Scripture, Song, testimony4 Comments

If we started sharing all of the wonderful attributes of our God, we would be here a long time because just when we think we know God, He shows us another facet of His character. Today, I am focusing on the faithfulness of God. We know God is faithful to His Word. He is also faithful to His promises. And best of all, He is faithful to each of us, even when we forget to acknowledge all that He has done for us.

I can, and I hope that you can, too, easily come up with all of the things I have seen God do in my life. I have kept journals in which I wrote my thanksgiving down and praised God for all that He has done and is still doing for me and for my loved ones. Why, this week alone, I have testimonies! Our son-in-law Aaron had been sick for well over a month. When he finally saw a doctor and they did blood tests, his liver function was low. This week, the doctor repeated the test, and it is normal! Hallelujah! Our granddaughter Teagan fell in the yard and broke her wrist. This week, she went to Shriner’s Hospital in Erie where they told her she only has to wear the cast for two weeks and perhaps a brace after that. So, praise God! My husband had an appointment this week with his regular dentist to start the process for a dental implant. This whole thing has taken about a year, so we are both ready for it to be done, but we didn’t really know what to expect at this week’s appointment. Pain? Dietary restrictions? None of the above. The dentist took virtual photos in order to order his permanent implant and put in a temporary crown while he waits for it to arrive. Once again, a praise report!

Of course, there are the prayers that I am still praying and waiting for an answer, but I can count on God to be faithful. He was faithful before and He doesn’t change, so He will continue to be faithful. Instead of wallowing in the pain of unanswered prayers (or sometimes those not answered the way I hoped or expected), I am praising God for His faithfulness, knowing that the answer is on the way and His answer is always what is best for me.

Instead of just reading this first verse, I recommend that you read the entire Psalm 105. Read it aloud. Say it to your mind and your heart and let it sink in what God is capable of doing and what He has already done. I think the last part of the verse is very important and often overlooked. We praise God and proclaim His glorious name during our devotional time, but do we make known what He has done? Do we testify to others about this faithfulness to us, His goodness, His grace, His mercy? Others cannot know if we do not tell. To many, if they even think about God’s existence at all, He is that scary guy who could zap them at any time or He is that smiling guy who keeps blessing them in ways they don’t really appreciate. What about if we gave personal testimonies about what God has done in our lives every day? Every week? Instead of calling friends to tell them how bad the week has been, how about calling and telling them all of the good things God has done for you because He is faithful? It’s all about perspective. You can keep what God has done for you and “ponder it in your heart.” But you can also reach out to others and give them a reason to think about God and His love and faithfulness. I think the latter is a better plan, don’t you?

Faithful God-I Am They

Look What the Lord Has Done-Charity Gayle

Please keep praying for those in Texas who have lost loved ones. God is sending His comfort and peace because He is faithful. Let us be faithful to pray for them in their time of grieving unbearable loss.

Friday Praise

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, Song, worship4 Comments

After a hard week of tragedy in Texas, family health issues and life’s circumstances in general, I didn’t feel a lot like praising this morning. I just wanted to curl into a ball and withdraw from the chaos all around me. But, God called me to praise and that has been the best thing for me, today and every day. We were created to have a relationship with our Creator and one of the ways we have that closeness is to recognize who He is and to praise Him. The things around us fade in the presence of the Almighty God. Thus, I encourage you to join me today in praising our Father who knows all things and is always with us. Let’s check our attitude of dissatisfaction and praise God because He is good…all the time!

Do you see what I see in this verse? Everything that has breath is praising God, and I am just joining in, raising my voice with creation to the Creator of all.

Take a moment and inhale deeply. As you exhale, give God praise for the fact that you were able to take that breath. Then, spend some time just thinking of all He has done for you from the inside out.

It feels good to praise the Lord! It is like being a bottle of seltzer water, shaken up and ready to explode. Let it go…God knows that we need to praise Him.

Every Praise-Northland Church

Goodness of God-Bethel Music

Great Are You Lord-All Sons and Daughters

Speaking and Listening

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture1 Comment

As those of you who follow my blog regularly know, my word for this year is “listen.” God has been working on my active listening skills so that I really hear with empathy and compassion what the other person is saying. That way I hope to respond with more of Christ’s love instead of my own emotions.

Have you ever heard the phrase “speak off the cuff”? It means, according to http://theidioms.com, to speak without preparation or to speak without thinking about it. Isn’t that what most of us do most of the time? We want to get our voice out there, thinking that our opinion is the most important one. When we take time to think about what we will say, we tend to give a more coherent answer that actually addresses the issue and hopefully shows people that we are in tune with God’s Spirit.

There are some real characters on the political platform these days, those who say anything to get into the spotlight and then end up looking foolish in the eyes of many Americans. One particular politician comes to my mind immediately for her vitriol against the President and her support of all things racist. I was even more appalled at the woman from Texas who blamed the floods on those who voted for Trump and hoped that the people who didn’t vote for him were safe and that the MAGA voters got what they deserved. That doesn’t sound like any kind of Christian perspective to me. No one gets what we deserve thanks to God’s grace and mercy! But to attack grieving parents and family members and friends in such a vile manner…she doesn’t know the scriptures about listening before speaking, does she? Now ask yourself, do you listen before speaking? And do you think before you speak? We don’t want to talk to others “off the cuff.” We want to say the words that will help, not hurt more.

We need to be the ones who spread peace and love and hope, not hatred or division. If we are actively listening to what others are saying, we can respond with an answer that does not add fuel to already burning fires. Some people will set fires just to watch them burn. We are called to use our words to put the fires out and to soothe those who have already been burned by the flames.

We are the only example of Jesus that some people will see because they never go to church. If we are entering into the same kind of debates that those around us seem to think is expected, then how are we different? Did Jesus debate or did He simply speak the truth and pray? God’s Word and His truth is not open to debate. If we speak the truth in love, we are presenting a message of hope, not one of condemnation and judgment.