Fall Creek Christian Church

“The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, 'Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you!' 'Sir,' Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The Lord brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.'"  Judges  6:12-13   Some of the most heartbreaking stories I hear are of those who come home one day only to find out that their spouse is gone. Their pain is palpable as they testify to the unexpected and unwanted demise of their marriage and family. The lonliness and abandonment they feel send a cold shudder down my spine as I imagine walking that miserable path.  A similarly hopeless and defeated spirit engulfed Gideon as he pondered on the sorry condition of his nation. The people of Israel abandoned their pursuit of God and were experiencing the devastating consequences. Gideon, even in the

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."  Proverbs  13:12   A friend recently shared that he had been praying for something for thirty years. He earnestly pleaded with God for a breakthrough in some unbearable circumstances. For all those years, God stayed his hand. His heart was sick, but unmoved from a place of complete trust in God. When all seemed lost, when it appeared more foolish than faithful to keep on praying, God stepped in and moved the mountain. The writer of today's proverb knew the heartbreak of unmet hopes. Those moments we want something so bad we ache and it just doesn't happen leaving us shattered trying to pick up the pieces.  He knew also the invigoration of realized dreams. The pure  exhilaration of a realized vision, calling, deeper than deep yearning that takes us to heights we didn't even know existed.  Interestingly, both  share the center stage of this crazy thing called life.  Perhaps, both serve God'

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' he replied. 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for his servant?'" Joshua  5:13-14   Kids are great. The textures of life expand exponentially once they make their grand entrance into our lives. However, we notice very quickly, from moment one, they view life from the "the world revolves around me" perspective. Feed me. Change me. Hold me. Bounce me. You know the drill. As we get a little older, we're a touch more subtle but the underlying current of me, myself and I still flows freely. In this odd encounter with God's army commander, Joshua was reminded of the need to adjust his perspective. On the threshold of his

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing." Proverbs  12:18     The undeniable truth about words is that once they leave our mouth, there is no way to take them back. What is said cannot be unsaid. I sure wish I could go back and "unsay" many things. I've spoken in anger, in frustration, disappointment and hurt. What about you? On the flip side, I have received my share of ugly words as well. It doesn't feel good at all. Is there any hope for us?     The writer of this Proverb made these same observations thousands of years ago. Those who say the Bible has nothing to say about living today simply are not reading it. He contrasts cutting or wounding words with healing words. He reveals the secret between speaking one kind and not the other ... wisdom. A person of wisdom is positioned to speak healing words.   Which type of words are the pattern in your life? How can we mature in wisdom so that we are speaking words of healing far m