It was time for Israel to grow up!  For forty years Israel had known God’s special protection very much like what you provide for your children before they leave home. Manna was provided for them every day. The lived under the safety of the giant cloud that provided shade during the day and light at night. Their clothing and sandals did not wear out. Once the people crossed the Jordan River things would be different.  The Israelites had experienced the direct hand of God in their lives in ways that.. read more

The book of Judges tells the story of a dark time in the history of Israel. Yet even in the darkness, God was at work. As He often does, He brought light and hope from the most unexpected place. Naomi accompanied her faithless husband, Elimelech, to Moab; he doubted that God could provide for him in the land of promise. So he turned his back on the provision of God. Years later, Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab. Her husband and her two sons had died. All she had to.. read more

Tomorrow is the anniversary of 9/11. Eighteen years ago, the word terror took on new meaning. It was the formal beginning of a war and a new way of life which shows no signs of ending any time soon. This war is fought by targeting children, shoppers, office workers, airplane passengers, and folks simply wanting to go for a walk or to go out to dinner. The weapons are not only instruments of war, but the ordinary vehicles of daily transportation. The battlefields are not marked by soldiers lining up.. read more