Devotions (Page 60)

Authors: John & Kuen Tan from the West End Life-Spring What is going on in the world today and where are we heading?  Two months ago if someone mentioned that there would be a pandemic caused by an unknown virus called Covid-19, which will bring the world to a lockdown and the worldwide economy crashing down, many would have just brushed it off as impossible or scaremongering.  Why? The world was at the height of an economic boom, the stock…

Dear Church Family, I just wanted to share with you two prayers from my time with the Lord today. These two prayers are taken from the ancient devotional practice chronicled in the book, The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle The Midday Office The Prayer Appointed for the DayGrant me, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while I am placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus…

So, I don’t know this from personal experience, but they say when people get married, all of their habits and complexities, all the quirky little things that make up each person, come right along with them… Apparently, they don’t just exist there with you though. The good, the bad and the ugly of each person becomes even more obvious and exaggerated in marriage.  Before COVID-19 changed life as we know it, that was only a hypothetical to me. As it…

Happy Good Friday everyone! This weekend marks a special time for Christians everywhere–Easter weekend. In past years, Good Friday may have just meant a day off of work, but I think it has special significance this year in light of COVID-19. What we commemorate on Good Friday is the day that Jesus was crucified and buried. Can you imagine what this day must have been like for Jesus’s disciples and followers? After Jesus’s crucifixion, the disciples went into hiding, fearing what might…

Matthew 12 New Living Translation (NLT)7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep!…“…For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you…

Psalm 1211 I look up to the mountains—    does my help come from there?2 My help comes from the Lord,    who made heaven and earth!3 He will not let you stumble;    the one who watches over you will not slumber.4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel    never slumbers or sleeps.5 The Lord himself watches over you!    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.6 The sun will not harm you by day,    nor the moon at night.7 The Lord keeps you from all harm    and watches over your life.8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,    both now and forever.…

“And the words of the LORD are flawless…”  This word, uttered by David in his prayer to God in Psalm 12:6, was so stirring I was moved to record it in my journal March 15, 2020. As a result, I heard the Lord’s response which I also recorded as follows: “Yes, son, you can take my words to heart. I will instruct you in the way chosen for you. I will teach and counsel you by my Spirit who dwells…

God has been refining who we are at Lifespring: A KINGDOM FAMILY: Genuine Love for God & Genuine Care for Others As I look at the letters of Paul, he always ends his letters thanking the many people that are alongside him in the journey, that are advancing the kingdom, and that are loving God and caring for others.  I think of how wonderful it is to be part of a Kingdom Family here at Lifespring – to have people genuinely care for our…

One of the main themes that keeps coming to mind during this bizarre season is God’s faithfulness. In the times I’m feeling most discouraged or frustrated with navigating such a different way of living life, the Lord will drop little reminders in my heart.  He will remind me of what he has been doing in my heart before this and show me how it connects now. He’ll remind me of what he has done to intervene in difficult situations in…

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Obviously, God is not surprised and/or caught off-guard with what we are going through right now. In fact, Dorothy and I believe that God prepared us for this situation by giving us the “words” to pray on a daily basis. Our story below. Around Christmas and New Years of this year, we received our traditional Christmas gift from our National Directors of FamilyLife Canada. It is the pocket edition of The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle. This book is a compilation of…

Zechariah 14 New Living Translation (NLT) The Lord Will Rule the Earth6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. 8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. 9 And…

Psalm 100:3 3 Know that the Lord is God.     It is he who made us, and we are his;     we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Know that the Lord is God – Know experientially that He is the Lord, He is God. We need to know that He is in control. And trust that He is.                                                    …