Per Venia

In 2 Tim. 1 Paul laid out the big three things that God fills the container of our spirits with (if we allow Him).  The first he mentioned was power.  Power denotes energy, strength, might and ability.  As I read the next chapter, something Paul notes in vs. 9 really stands out, "God’s Word is [...]

Those of you who like me live near MoTown immediately think of Ford, GM and Chrysler as the "Big three".  They for years dominated the US car market and when you thought of cars their products came to mind.  According to Paul there is a "big three" of characteristics that God places within us.  They [...]

I’ve long thought that making pottery on a turntable looked really cool. The clay is kind of unceremoniously dumped onto the table and shaped into a slightly less sloppy looking lump. The table begins to turn and the hands of the potter begins to work their magic. The hands of [...]

What a great service this morning!  The presence of God was there in a powerful way!  We experienced what Paul wrote about " Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2Co 3:17)  The Spirit was moving and speaking to us in a powerful way.  What [...]

I read 2 Timothy 3 today , in it Paul describes what people will be like in the last days before Jesus returns for His church. “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, …without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of [...]

I was reading an excerpt about Luke 18:7 in a devotional book by Max Lucado today. It is sometimes hard to understand God’s timing but according to His Word He’s always on time. Verse 17 poses 2 questions (with an answer in v.18) 1st – Won’t God bring justice for His people who [...]

Today the pace of life is frenetic and most of what rushes at you isn’t good. We’re constantly bombarded with messages that are contrary to God’s Word, stand for God’s way and you end up feeling downright pelted. Paul gave Timothy some advice that is pretty timely for us today, he said “holding [...]

Last week my Dad turned 70 years old, nearly 50 of those years have been spent in ministry! I can only hope that I have that kind of spiritual stamina and determination. Dad has served God faithfully in the face of adversity as well as joy. Dad didn’t make a short term [...]

I was reading again in Colossians today. I was reading in chapter 4 where Paul instructs us to live wisely among non-believers. That’s a challenge isn’t it at times, to constantly be sure that our conversations are “full of grace”? I certainly want that to be the case. What a great [...]

In the NLT Col. 3:2 says to “let heaven fill your thoughts”. I read this in my devotions the other day and it has set me to thinking, from what perspective do I view life? My perspective is so limited by my own biases, understanding, and even abilities. Sometimes I can’t see [...]