THE COIN IN THE FISH’S MOUTH

However, so that we do not offend them,

go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up;

 and when you open its mouth,you will find a stater (coin).

Take that and give it to them for Me and you. 

Matthew 17:27

​It was Christmas time, and - as always - the expenses were running higher than usual. Two holiday cards that my wife and I had bought at Menards lay on the lampstand in the living room. During a family visit, they got knocked off onto the floor. As I picked them up, I started to tuck the cards back into the envelopes when I noticed something. One of the envelopes already had something in it: four crisp one-hundred-dollar bills! No one in the room had put them there. All we could guess was that someone had gone into Menards and loaded the bills into the envelope as a holiday surprise for whoever bought the card.

​Like the coin in the fish’s mouth, the money showed up in a strange way, just at the right time, to pay for worldly expenses.

​Not that the Lord will do this ever again, or for anyone else. The point is just that Jesus never forsakes the righteous (Psalm 37:25). Like the dad who slips his son a little money for college before the trip back to school, our Father faithfully contributes to our needs in a thousand ways, some of which we never know. There is never a need to go beyond the path of righteousness in order to pay the temple tax. All that we need will be supplied to us by God’s hand somehow, though we may not see it coming. There is nothing fishy about trusting the Lord.​

Davy L. Troxel

BE CAREFUL LITTLE EARS WHAT YOU HEAR

Teach me Your way, O Yahweh; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Psalm 86:11

I bought a lot of “secular” music in college. My record player had a speaker in the record player cabinet and a separate speaker cabinet that plugged into it and into a wall outlet to get stereo. Stereo was just developing in those days. However, my favorite group was the Ventures, an instrumental band. What I liked about them was you had the current sound and the melodies of the popular songs of the month, but no lyrics. Too often when I could figure out the lyrics I did not appreciate them. I knew they were not spiritually uplifting or innocent. (I also bought “Christian” albums, by the way. My favorite artist was Dallas Holm.)

It is easy to criticize and condemn secular music for its lyrics, but have you taken a close look at the lyrics of the hymns in your hymnbook or on the songs on your screens? Or the lyrics of your Christian artist? There are many wonderful hymns and songs, but if you look with a critical eye, asking yourself “Is this biblical?” you may be surprised, especially at Christmastime. Many urban legends, assumptions and wrong teachings are a part of even beloved songs. When we sing or listen to false lyrics we are reinforcing in our minds what those lyrics teach. Whether the false teaching was the intention of the writer or not does not excuse us. And even if the lyrics are 99% good and accurate, how much poison does it take to do harm?

Let’s be discerning in all our music, even the hymns and spiritual songs we choose to sing and listen to. 

Jeffrey Eno

CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE?

And behold, I am coming quickly.  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. 

Revelation 22:7

Can you even imagine a world where all believers in Jesus Christ are suddenly missing from the planet?  A powerful man steps forward promising peace and help to a chaotic world after 1/4th of the population is wiped out in quick order.  Amazingly this “messiah” rules the world, is worshipped and controls the entire economy, forcing all to take a special mark (666) in order to buy or sell.  Welcome to the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6-19) following the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)!

Can you even imagine a world where you daily experience unquenchable fire, torment (Mark 9:45-46), total darkness, weeping, gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30) and punishment without dying forever and ever (Matthew 25:46)?  Welcome to hell!

Can you even imagine that God Himself would come to earth in human flesh and blood to die on a cruel cross to pay for all the sins of mankind (Romans 5:8)?  Then shockingly, He would rise again from the dead, ascend to heaven and promise to return at an unannounced time (Matthew 24:44).  Welcome to Jesus Christ!  Can you even imagine a place where all is perfect: no sin or injustice, no tears or sorrow, no pain or suffering, no darkness or death?  A place where all is peace, joy and contentment forever and ever?  A place where God dwells with His angels and redeemed children (Revelation 21:1-7)?  Welcome to heaven!

Can you even imagine that you yourself can be forgiven of all your sins, be justified before God, be adopted into His family and given a home in heaven (John 14:1-6), thus delivered from the Great Tribulation and even worse, hell itself?  You can and will if you turn from your sin and your way to trust Jesus alone to be saved (John 3:16; Acts 16:31).  Welcome to God’s amazing grace!

Bob Kulp

IT DIDN’T FIT

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [a]shifting shadow.  

James 1:17

My wife got me a battery powered heated coat for Christmas.  When I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was that there was no battery or charger.  She thought she had gotten the one that included a battery and charger.  But, she had not.  It won’t heat up without a battery.  Then, I tried it on and found that it was also too small.  So, it was not a good gift for me because it was too small, and it was not perfect because it was not complete without a battery.  So, we had to return it, which turned out to be quite an ordeal, and we got another one.  The second one not only fit and included a battery and charger, but it cost less, PTL!

Our verse today tells us that our Heavenly Father does better than that.  His gifts are good and perfect the first time, every time.  Our part is to have faith. Faith is realizing that what God gives us is good and perfect, even if we don’t understand why the gift is so.  Sometimes what we want or think is good, is not good.

The verse also says that our God doesn’t “vary” meaning, He doesn’t change. Nor does He even show a shadow of “shifting.”  Not a hint of waffling. He is the same always, stable and secure. Believe it! Trust it! Thus, He will always give us good and perfect gifts as He sees that we need them.   And, we can use these gifts to serve Him better each and every day until He comes for us. 

Tom Johnson

THE BEST BUNKER

Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, 

A stronghold in times of distress. 

Psalm 9:9

Have you ever considered building a bunker or an underground safe-house? Before planes and nuclear bombs, the safest place to be was considered to be in a castle or a fort. But within the last 100 years, there have been many people who have considered that building an underground fort or bunker to be the safest place to be. There are all kinds of contractors out there who will help you build the best bunker for you. But the question is, will one of those ‘nuclear-proof bunkers’ really protect you? 

In order to answer that question we need to consider what we truly need protected from. Jesus instructs us, “And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). In Psalm 9:7-8, David reminds us that Yahweh will judge the world. But as believers, we do not need to fear that judgment, because “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). 

As children of God, we have access to the very best bunker, Yahweh Himself. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to be our stronghold, our bunker, in times of distress. Therefore, as David goes on to say in verse 10, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You.” He has never forsaken one of His children yet, and He never will. Turn to Yahweh, trust in Yahweh, the only guaranteed bunker in all of life.  

Joshua Steiner

TAKE YOUR SPIRITUAL TEMPERATURE

Then Jesus spoke a parable to them that people

always ought to pray and not lose heart. 

Luke 18:1

 In Exodus 5, after the people believed and worshipped (Exodus 4:31), Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah. As you know, their demand to worship God (5:3) was met with denial and increased labor for the people. As a result, the people castigated Moses and Aaron (5:21). The people turned to politics.  They complained to Pharoah, Moses and Aaron about their work situation.  Moses and Aaron complained to Pharoah about their worship situation.  Which concerns you the most?  Your work situation or your worship situation?  Do you think more about what is going on at work or what you need to do at work, or about worshiping God?  Do you think more about the message you hear on Sunday or the passage from the Bible which you read, or about work?  It reveals your spiritual temperature.

When you face difficulty at work, do you politic or pray?  Do you complain to men or to God?  It reveals your spiritual temperature.  Are you spiritually healthy or sick?  This is true for students at school and wives at home also.

William Cowper lived in England.  He became so despondent that he tried to take his life by drinking poison.  Someone found him and took him to the hospital.  He took a coach down to the Thames River to drown himself, but the driver stopped him and took him home.  At home, he tried to fall on a knife, but the blade broke.  Then, he went down into the basement, tied a rope around his neck and tried to hang himself, but a member of the family found him and got him down.

In complete despair, he opened the Bible and began to read the book of Romans.  He was marvelously saved.  Later, one hymn he wrote had these words.

​God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform,

​He plants His footstep in the sea and rides upon the storm.

​Deep, deep in unfathomable minds of never-failing skill,

​He treasures up His bright design and works His sovereign will.

Ike Graham

SOME THINGS WILL NOT CHANGE IN 2026!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

As each year passes, witnessed by a frail Humanity’s return to dust (Ps. 90:5-6; Eccl. 3:20; James 4:14), we are inevitably reminded that our Fallen Universe is subject to unrelenting change and disarray (Ps.102:25-26; Isa.51:6). Likewise, the world’s volatile political and economic institutions reel in instability, even as its fluid conventions swirl endlessly in a perpetual state of flux.

BUT… there are those things that we CAN count upon not to change in the Year of our Lord 2026!

1. Christ will NOT change (Heb. 13:8), and He will be with us throughout 2026 (Heb. 13:5)!

2. The Believer’s Position & Privileges in Christ cannot change! NOTHING can either destroy our Justification before God—based upon Christ’s work and merits (Rom. 8:1)—nor eradicate our standing as adopted Members of God’s Family (Rom. 8:14-17)!

3. God’s promises—including those related unto our sanctification—are not fickle (2 Cor. 1:18-20); they will not change! Lacking contentment? Heb. 13:5-6. Impossible trials? 2 Cor. 12:7-9. Struggling with guilt? 1John 1:7,9. Direction in godliness? James 1:5-6. Need spiritual power? John 7:38.

4. You will still have Conflict in 2026… the World (Rom. 12:2; Matt. 10:34-38)… the Flesh (Rom. 7:19, 21) …and the Devil (1Pet. 5:8, Eph. 6:11-12)!

5. The revealed will of God and its demands will NOT change in 2026 (Matt. 24:35, Isa. 40:8)! His Word will still prove all sufficient in meeting all our spiritual and emotional needs (2Tim. 3:16-17; Ps.119:11-12)!

6. The glorious hope that is ours in Christ will NOT change! This hope continues to be the certain expectation of obtaining our glorious eternal destiny in Jesus Christ (1Cor. 15:19; Titus 2:11-13; Rom. 8:22-25; Heb. 11:1, 9-10)!

Terry L. Reese

NO APPOINTMENT

The king was talking with Gehazi . . . the woman appealed to the king . . . this is the woman . . .  

2 Kings 8:1-6

Read the Bible passage in full before reading these comments. Our all-wise, all-powerful Father in heaven is the best Appointment Arranger. Did Elisha’s servant and the woman who appealed to the king “just happen” to be before him at the same time? God is never surprised, and His timing is never accidental.

Another missionary and I traveled to Chad where our Conservative Brethren had been trying in vain to receive their etat-civile (government recognition of the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches). We Americans had only a few days to meet the government official who could grant that recognition. If approved, the Brethren could meet openly for worship and form a Fellowship of Churches. We had no appointment, but we repeatedly went to the building where his office was located. Each time we were told to come back later. Yet “later” never resulted in a meeting.

Then someone told us where the minister lived. We prayed that he might see us after hours. I stepped out of the pickup truck in front of his house. Even though he was a high official, there were no working streetlights. My foot went much lower than expected and sank into a concrete sewer. What was intended as a storm sewer is also used as a sanitary sewer in Chad.

Someone with access to the minister ran into the house and told him that a white man had stepped into the sewer. The minister came out personally to see what happened. He led me into his home, removed my shoe and sock, and began washing my foot and leg! He also made sure someone washed my shoe and sock.

That stinky situation became an open door. He served refreshments and listened carefully to why we needed to see him—without any “You have ten minutes” rush.

A couple months later, ladies from the church sang Christmas carols at his home. He asked who they were and then told them he was granting the recognition they had sought for months.  Praise the Lord—right time, right place. He arranged the appointments.

Les Vnasdale

WHEN JESUS SAYS “NO”

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying,

“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Acts 16:9 

Paul looked out over Galatia toward the mountains of Cappadocia. He grew excited with visions of the Far East, perhaps taking the Gospel as far as China. But, just like that, without the blink of an eye, the Holy Spirit said, “No, Paul, not there.”

​Paul then looked northward, aiming at Bithynia, and again the Holy Spirit said, “No, Paul, not there.”

​Paul then turned west and wound up in Troas, where a vision from the Lord called him across the water to Macedonia. I would love to know what happened those two times that Paul interpreted as the Holy Spirit turning him a different direction. But what we do know is interesting.

​We know that people who are very astute in discerning the will of God can still get it wrong. Even with the good intentions of proclaiming the Gospel; our mode, time, or direction of outreach might be outside of God’s will. The Holy Spirit affected entire populations when He redirected Paul, reminding us how wide-sweeping one small decision might be. The reason for the Holy Spirit’s prohibition in this case is unknown, buried somewhere in the heart of God’s universal plan for reaching the elect. But, our takeaway from this event is perhaps the most obvious detail: we must remain righteous and in the proper condition to hear the voice of the Lord. “No” was not meant to stop Paul’s work. It was just to keep him from doing this Paul’s way instead of God’s way.

​We can apply this to prayer as well. “No” doesn’t mean “stop praying”. It means keep praying, but in a different direction.

Davy L. Troxel

A NEW SONG

Sing to Yahweh a new song;

Sing to Yahweh, all the earth.

Sing to Yahweh, bless His name;

Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.

Psalm 96:1-2

For our 45th wedding anniversary I made a compilation CD of love songs from our youth, accompanied by a booklet with all the lyrics. The CD label and booklet cover had matching special artwork. It was quite a project to listen through hours of old songs, pick out the appropriate ones, record them, find the lyrics, edit all the different lyric formats to one consistent one, burn the disk, and produce and print the booklet ... all while keeping it a secret until our anniversary. But it was soooo worth it when she opened it and listened to it! I think I remember there were a few tears. When I hear it these days I find the lyrics still fit, and my mind wanders to prayer, remembering and thanking God for how He superintended our meeting each other those many years ago in college.

But as sweet as that was, how I enjoy singing and listening to songs that extol God and express my growing love for Him! And what a joy it is to discover some new song that brings out a different aspect of my relationship with Jesus, or expresses it in a new way. I have preferred music styles, but if the lyrics are biblical and touch my soul I can enjoy most any style. I even have a 50s do whop song in my collection. 

Yet I am sure all those will fade when I hear the music of heaven with the perfect lyrics, the perfect music and the perfect singers. And the singing voice that COVID took away will be restored. I can hardly wait to sing to Jesus a new song!

Jeffrey Eno

THE BREAD OF LIFE

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger,

and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 

John 6:35

Sadhu Sundac Singh was distributing Gospels in the Central Province of India. He came to some non-Christians on the train and offered a man a copy of John’s Gospel. The man took it, tore it into pieces in anger and threw the pieces out of the window. That seemed the end. But it so happened, in the providence of God, there was a man anxiously seeking for truth walking along the train line that very day. As he walked along he picked up a little bit of paper and looked at it, and the words on it in his own language were “The Bread of Life.”

He did not know what it meant; but he inquired among his friends and one of them said, “I can tell you; it is out of the Christian book. You must not read it or you will be defiled.” The man thought for a moment and then said, “I want to read the book that contains that beautiful phrase!” and he bought a copy of the New Testament. He was shown where the sentence occurred—our Lord’s words “I am the Bread of Life”; and as he studied the Gospel, the light flooded into his heart. He came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he became a preacher of the gospel. That little bit of paper through God’s Spirit was indeed the Bread of Life to him, satisfying his deepest need. 

Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:37, 40).

Ike Graham

UNWORTHY OF LOVE

No, my daughters; for it is more better for me than for you, for the hand of Yahweh has gone forth against me.

Ruth 1:13b

Have you ever been around a pessimist? It’s never an enjoyable experience. It doesn’t matter what happens, he still finds a way to interpret the cup as being only half full. One person tried to encourage a pessimist, “Try to be more positive.” to which the pessimist replied, “Okay… I’m positive that we will fail!”

Naomi seems to fit this description. Her pessimism underscores her assumption that God must not love her because she had failed personally (her husband and two sons died), relationally (she was unable to provide a husband for her two daughters-in-law), and religiously (she had failed to point her daughters-in-law to the true God, vs. 15). Her pessimistic attitude is further underscored as she attempts to persuade her daughters-in-law not to return with her (vs. 8, 11, 15). She must have thought of herself as having such “bad luck” that it would rub off on anyone who accompanied her. Her perception of life had become so skewed that she was attributing her problems to God. (v. 13)

So, when you encounter a pessimist, how should you react? Or, in this context, what was it that God used to soften the bitter heart of Naomi? It was the love and loyalty of the Moabitess Ruth. Yes, Naomi had messed up, but that did not mean that God now hated her. In fact, the opposite was true. God showed His love for Naomi by sending her a friend who would love her and help her to see how much He still loved her. Will you be that kind of friend to some pessimist today?

Philip Moeller

WILL YOU BE CROWNED OR GET CROWNED?

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.

 2 Timothy 4:8a

The New Testament speaks of five crowns that believers can receive from our Savior as a reward for faithfulness to Him.  The IMPERISHABLE crown will be rewarded for running a consistent, steadfast, victorious “race” for Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).  The crown of REJOICING is rewarded to those who faithfully share the gospel with others with the goal of seeing them trust Christ as their personal Savior.  Paul said to the Thessalonian believers that they would be his crown of rejoicing in Jesus’ presence (1 Thessalonians 2:19).  The crown of RIGHTEOUSNESS is rewarded to those who complete their Christian race with integrity, longing for Jesus’ return (2 Timothy 4:7-8).  The crown of LIFE will be rewarded to those who persevere for Jesus despite great trials, tests, temptations and persecutions, motivated by their love for Christ (James 1:12). Finally the crown of GLORY is rewarded to pastors who faithfully serve the Lord and His flock (1 Peter 5:1-4).

When do we receive these crowns?  We all as believers will stand before the Bema (judgment) seat of Christ to be evaluated and rewarded for our service to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10).  What will we do with these crowns?  Revelation 4:4, 11-12 informs us that the 24 elders (symbolic of believers in Christ) will cast these crowns before God’s throne saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power!” 

My dad used to say if we didn’t behave we would “Get crowned!”  Will you be crowned in heaven for your loving, thankful, faithful service to your Savior?  I trust that you won’t “get crowned” or punished for all eternity by rejecting the only One who can save your eternal soul (John 3:16; 14:1-6).  Remember, it’s not how you start your life race; it’s how you finish it.

Bob Kulp

WALKING BY FAITH

But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his seed after him, even when he had no child. Acts 7:5 

Having read through the historical account of the history of the nation of Israel in Genesis through Second Kings, it is fascinating to read Stephen’s overview of that history in Acts 7. We know that God called Abraham to leave his country and go to a land that was not yet his. But the way Stephen describes it in verse 5 emphasizes that Abraham really was walking by faith the entire time; not just when he left, but even as he arrived in the Promised Land that was not yet his. In fact, the writer of Hebrews reminds us, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (11:13). It is this example of walking by faith that God calls us to emulate. 

God calls parents to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). God calls pastors to preach the word with great patience and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2). God calls employees to do what is right, even if they suffer for it (1 Peter 2:20). At times it might seem like God’s method is not working. It is easy to consider an easier or more effective method that will bring the results we want. In those moments, will we turn to the ideas of man, or will we continue to walk by faith and trust God to keep His promises as He always has?  

Joshua Steiner

THE LUIGI EFFECT!

And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.  And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts. Revelation 9:20-21

I saw in the news recently Luigi Mangione in court for his murder of Brian Thompson, a United Health Care CEO back in 2024.  Even the news described him as smiling, happy and making jokes.  This is a man that I would say the authorities are about 95% sure that he is guilty.  He was not a bit remorseful, sorrowful, regretful, and not even serious.  He clearly is not repentant for what he has surely done.  Here he sits facing judgment and soon conviction for what he has done, and he has no conscience.  He doesn’t even plead for mercy.  I tell you this is typical of the unrepentant sinful people that will be caught up in the judgments of the Tribulation Period.  They will have the same attitude of Luigi - the “Luigi Effect” to put a name on it. 

They will not repent of worshiping false gods, nor murders (like Luigi).  They’re also unrepentant of “sorceries” (GK. Pharmakia – Drugs). A more prevalent sin is their immorality.  With all the world’s sinful adulteries, living-together, marriage abuses and the whole LGBTQ perversions, there will be a lot of unrepentant people like this. And then, there are thefts, a seeming minor thing in comparison. These are the people facing the judgments of the Tribulation.  We should be the exact opposite of the Luigis. 

Tom Johnson

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN…

…I have learned in whatever state I am in, to be content. 

Philippians 4:11

Mrs. Monroe of Darlington, Maryland had 8 children.  She came home one day with arms full of groceries and saw 5 of her children sitting in a circle on the floor being unusually quiet.  They were intensely interested in something.  It always concerns parents when children are very quiet and still.  She put the groceries down and went over to see what was going on.  As she peered into the circle, she saw 5 little skunks.  The children were playing with them.  Well, when she saw this, she yelled, "Children, run!"  Each child grabbed a skunk and ran!  She was frantic!  She scared each child so much that they squeezed the skunk they had.  You know what happened.  That was the beginning of a bad day for Mrs. Monroe.

Have you ever had a bad day? If we had asked Moses that question, he would probably have said, "Ah, you don’t know the half of it!"  Moses and Aaron, God’s dynamic duo, were standing before one of the legendary Pharaohs of Egypt, Amenhotep II (Exodus 5).  His military prowess and personal physical strength have been recorded on Egyptian obelisks which show him riding a stallion and shooting his bow striking the target with a bull’s eye.  He was a physically and mentally tough ruler.  His stubbornness is legendary, too, as we see from Exodus.  God did not choose some cream-puff, milk toast or Twinkie to demonstrate His power.  He chose the most powerful man on earth at the time.

In your life and mine, God brings what seems like insurmountable odds. How do you respond? Read Exodus 5-6 to see how Moses responded.

Ike Graham

BEING ROPE HOLDERS

In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me. And I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

 2 Corinthians 11:32-33.

Paul recounted his dramatic escape to the Corinthians some twenty years later. Although he never named them, the rope-holders who helped him were never forgotten. His remarkable ministry would not have been possible without these unsung servants. Every soul brought to Christ, every church planted, and every worker trained through Paul’s ministry was credited, in part, to them — much like the promise that a cup of water given in God’s name shares in the reward.

The church is still filled with rope-holders. Some faithfully give or pray for missionaries. Praying mothers hold the rope for wandering children. Men and women of faith stand in the gap during threatening times, as Abraham did for Lot when Sodom and Gomorrah were caught up in conflict (Genesis 14:1–24).

During a summer 2014 week at Camp Christigan, two grade-school boys were preparing to leave for Papua New Guinea with their missionary parents, saying goodbye to everything familiar. On the final evening around the campfire, I shared the story of rope-holders and challenged the campers to commit to praying for these boys. I reached into my pocket for the rope I had brought so they could tug on it as a symbol of their promise — but it wasn’t there. I later realized I had left it on my desk. Thinking the idea was too gimmicky anyway, I looked down… and right by my foot lay a two-foot piece of rope. I picked it up, convinced God wanted us to continue.

One by one, campers stepped forward and tugged the rope in front of the boys. They never forgot that moment, and both they and their parents were deeply encouraged.

Let me encourage you to be a rope-holder — for missionaries, the wandering, the sick, the persecuted, and weary pastors. Your support matters more than you know. 

Russ Simpson

March-May Edition

The newest edition of Grace for Living will begin on March 1. Check back each day for the devotion of the day. Thank you and God bless.

Ethan