The Twin Towers on 9/11

Whose Side is God On?

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw movement behind the kitchen door. Was that Abe hiding on him when he was so anxious to be on the road?
The horses were harnessed and Jake was set to ride into town. He planned on getting to town early [...]]]>

Goliath, the Bully!

He, a brute of a man, stood on the mountain, shouting at the people across the valley, “I dare you! Come fight me! If you kill me, fine, my people will be your slaves. But if I kill you the Israelites will be our slaves!”
Across the valley, the Israelites looked [...]]]>

A Healthy Relationship with God

The True Spiritual Test

Determined to see God [...]]]>

Living Free

Happy Endings

Our Ultimate Supernatural Hero

We all look for supernatural heroes and events, the unexplainable, in our lives and in our world. Some have been around for ages, like Paul Bunyan. The more common of our heroes are Superman and Spiderman, and lately Harry Potter.

The supernatural can also ignite our faith. That is why I wrote the Christian children’s fantasy novel, The Lion Tree and am now in the process of writing the sequel, Battle in The Lion Tree. In it, the main characters, Darian and Cassidy, find themselves in crave difficulties. God puts three supernatural heroes in their lives to guide them to victory and success. They live in a tree, like Shrek, but their purpose is quite different. The animals in the Lion Tree are put there primarily for Darian and Cassidy and have God’s answer to their problems.

Jesus used His miracles as signs to prove that He is the Son of God. Do you notice he didn’t do miracles to be flamboyant? His miracles were done out of a heart of love. With them He met people’s needs, healing them, and providing them with the necessities of life, bread and drink; in this account, wine at a wedding reception.

Sometimes it is the supernatural miracles that Jesus did and still does today that draw people’s attention to Him. But the ultimate end is finding a deep personal relationship with Him. He died, arose from the dead, and is now in heaven interceding for us. One day we too will be immortal like Him and live eternally in heaven with Him.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and with the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with this news.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 to 18 [The Living Bible]

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Today read:
Judges 15:1-16:31
John 2:1-25
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 14:17-19

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Did Jesus Need a Ghostwriter?

My daughter, Denise, is a ghost writer. Because I like to write my own stuff and have my name on it I find it hard to understand how she finds satisfaction in ghost writing. I like to get credit for what I do.

So what is a ghost writer? Just that – a ghost; you never see her. She writes articles for people who have great ideas but can’t find the words to say them. Then she lets her client sign his name to it. I think you have to be humble to be a ghost writer; humble but smart.

I see my daughter and other ghost writers as very creative and flexible. She writes on various topics and for various audiences. She can adapt to her client’s style and express his unique viewpoint.

When I ask her if she doesn’t want her name on the pieces she writes she says, “I enjoy the challenge of writing in different voices, for different purposes.” And she does it well. You can check out her talents at her website http://cassidarink.com/about/

She writes to make other writers look good. She stays in the background and lets her client shine in her spot light. She promotes them like John the Baptist promoted Jesus. Jesus did not need someone to put His thoughts and ideas into words. He is omniscient. But John’s talk and work were all about Jesus with His signature.

John the Baptist was only a voice in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus’ campaign. When it was time for Jesus to begin His ministry, John the Baptist faded into the background. He not only allowed but even encouraged some of his disciples to follow Jesus instead.

Our life also is not about us but about Him. We are to exalt Him. So what does that look like in my everyday life? I believe that in everything we do we reflect His worth and value. We express how great and glorious He is.
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“John replied, ‘God in heaven appoints each man’s work. My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him – that is all. The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction – the bride will go where the bridegroom is! A bridegroom’s friends rejoice with him. I am the Bridegroom’s friend and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.’” John 3: 27 to 30 [The Living Bible]

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Today read:
Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16
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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com