Were Angels Watching Over Tornado Survivors?

TREVOR FREEZE

(BGEA)

If you've never believed in angels before, this may change your tune. At least it did for one Henryville, Ind., family of five.

With a tornado bearing down on their home, Darrell and Tricia gathered their three children—ages 11, 10 and 8—stuffing everyone into an interior closet just like the safety videos would suggest.

But the EF-4 twister with winds estimated at 175 mph lifted the framed home some 50 feet off the ground—with all five still inside the closet—and carried it about 400 yards before it exploded into pieces.

Had it carried the home just 40 more feet, it would have landed in a nearby pond and Darrell is convinced his family would not have survived.

He is convinced the Lord was watching over his family.

Obey God by Using Your Brain

Tom Holladay

“When Joseph heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.” (Matthew 2:22-23a NIV)

A lot of people think living an obedient life of faith means putting your mind in neutral and letting God direct you wherever he wants, as if you are a robot. That’s not it at all.

The Bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27a NIV). You’ve got to engage your brain with God and live out the kind of life he has for you to live.

This is what Joseph did when he obeyed God’s command to move back to Israel. Joseph heard that Herod’s son was reigning in Judea, so he was afraid to go there. “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth” (Matthew 2:23 NIV).

The Godly Role of a Mother and Grandmother

Written by Lillian Penner

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Timothy 1:5)

If Timothy’s grandmother Lois had not beenfaithful in passing on her faith to her daughter Eunice and her grandson Timothy we probably would not have First and Second Timothy in the Bible today. This is a good generational example of the importance of passing on the faith to future generations. Lois is our forerunner who modeled grandmothering for us.

Believe God Will Help You

by Jon Walker

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6 NIV)

You learn to trust God by obeying him in small ways.

You probably agree God is the supreme ruler of the universe, powerful enough to overcome any problem or defeat any enemy, that “everything comes from him; everything happens through him; everything ends up in him” (Romans 11:36 MSG).

The Modest Billionaire

SUZANNE JORDAN BROWN

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Hobby Lobby Founder David Green (The Becket Fund)

Editor's Note: With Hobby Lobby hitting headlines recently because of its lawsuit against the HHS mandate, Charisma wanted to share this article from 2005. It highlights Founder David Green, who believes God has blessed his business so he can share his money with others.

Could you pick a billionaire out of a crowd of ordinary folks? Probably not this guy.

David Green, listed by Forbes magazine in 2004 as the world's 514th richest person, doesn't fit the tycoon stereotype in the least.

The man who runs an empire of successful businesses, including the fast-growing Hobby Lobby arts and crafts store chain, is soft-spoken and appears almost shy. When on the job he often wears khakis and a sport shirt instead of a power suit. His office isn't plush and full of gadgets but simple and comparatively small, yet it sits on a corner of Green's mammoth 3-million-square-foot company headquarters.

But it's not his obvious disregard for luxurious living, or even his quiet, unassuming manner that makes Green a stark contrast to those living the typical lifestyle of the rich and famous. What he counts as valuable makes this man a misfit in the cutthroat world of business.

Green has eternity in mind.

The Ministry of Communion

By Jon Walker 

It is the command of Jesus that none should come to the altar with a heart that is unreconciled to his brother. If this command of Jesus applies to every service of worship, indeed, to every prayer we utter, then it most certainly applies to reception of the Lord’s Supper. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Perfect Love desires communion, the sharing of life together, so it cannot be expressed from a distance. God came in human form to make His love visible. God so loved the world that He came up-close in Christ. 1 John 1:1-3 (MSG)

The Big Idea: Communion is about the sharing of life. It is about knowing others and being known by others, about caring and being cared for on a deep and personal level. And, when we take Communion (the Lord’s Supper) together, we should reflect the life we share with one another because the Life of Christ is active in our hearts.

— — — —

We cannot love like Jesus loves us unless we enter each other’s lives in an intimate and personal way. And so Jesus expects us to come up-close to each other. At the Last Supper, he spoke of the deep communion we should have with him and with one another. This is when he tells us, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me” (John 15:6 TEV).

Why I Wear a Toe Ring

Karen Ehman

"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves." 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)

I remember begging my mom to get my ears pierced. I was in 5th grade and only one other girl in my class had hole-less lobes. I pleaded my case. "But Mooooooom! EVVVVV-ERYONE has their ears pierced but Heidi and me!"

That year on my birthday, she took me to the Meijer Thrifty Acres grocery store where a nice lady in the jewelry department pierced them for me.

The pain was worth the cool.

When I was in college, my friend Carmen got one ear double pierced. She said she did it to remind her that she belonged to the Lord; that she was His slave.

Believe God Will Help You

by Jon Walker

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6 NIV)

You learn to trust God by obeying him in small ways.

You probably agree God is the supreme ruler of the universe, powerful enough to overcome any problem or defeat any enemy, that “everything comes from him; everything happens through him; everything ends up in him” (Romans 11:36 MSG).

And, if this is true, then your struggle to give it all to God is not over the issue of whether or not he’ll be able to fulfill his promises — he clearly can do that.

Can our prayers cause God to change his mind?

Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened - Exodus 32:14

Scripture teaches that God does not change his mind, but he sometimes adjusts his answers to fit our response. The Bible contains many examples of this: the Hebrews on the outskirts of Canaan (see Nu 14:11–23; 1Sa 15:29); Hezekiah’s repentance on behalf of Israel (see 2Ch 29:3–10,36) and the sparing of Nineveh (see Jnh 3:1–10).

Experiencing God’s will is dynamic. As with any interpersonal relationship, God’s relationship with humanity involves unexpected twists and turns. God modifies his responses to ours; we adjust our responses to God’s. So, in a sense, it can be said that God sometimes changes his mind in response to our prayers.

Lord I Want to Know You

Renee Swope

"Those who know your name trust you, O Lord, because you have never deserted those who seek your help." Psalm 9:10 (GW)

I had heard great things about her, but it wasn't until we worked in the same office that I really got to know her. Yet, there were certain traits I only discovered by "doing life" with LeAnn, like her dry sense of humor and her unique way of making each person feel noticed and loved.

As our friendship deepened, LeAnn became someone I could depend on. But honestly, I only discovered she was dependable when I needed to depend on her and she came through for me.

I've found that our relationship with God grows closer in the same way. We may have heard things about God, but we won't really know Him until we spend time with Him - talking, listening and observing who He is and depending on Him.

We learn to trust His heart by interacting with Him and experiencing His character in personal ways.

Fully Restored

Written by James Yorke

I was born in Mullingar and I’m the eldest of four children. Our parents were good Catholics who believed in the power of prayer and gave us a good upbringing.

By the time I received my First Holy Communion I was serious about God. In fact, I had a spiritual experience that day but there was nobody to explain it to me. Not too long afterwards I began to show symptoms of a sickness that caused me to stop walking and have great pain in various parts of my body.

A miraculous healing

Playing in the Mud

Written by Kristi Huseby

 Are you struggling with feelings of sadness, loneliness or despair? Need someone to listen? We’re here. Talk to a mentor.

“And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, The Message)

What is it about boys and mud? It attracts them like bees to honey! If there was any mud to be found in our back yard, my four boys would find it. They would never carefully step around a mud puddle. Oh no, they would stomp right into the middle of it! I can’t tell you how many times I would go out to the backyard and find them playing in a mud puddle and rubbing mud all over each other. They would often try to clean themselves before I found them but that only made matters worse. The only way to get them clean was to spray them down with a hose and get them into the bathtub for a good soak.

How Do You Know When God is Speaking to You?

By Allen White 

Photo courtesy of melter.

“I believe that God is directing me to __________________.” How do you handle that in a small group? Whether the group member feels led to quit his job, move to another state, or end a relationship, how do you help your group member discern the truth?

From the very beginning, God has been in relationship with people. Today, we’re not walking in the garden with God in the cool of the day or getting inspiration to write new books of the Bible, but God does speak to us. The question is how do we know that it’s actually God and not wishful thinking or indigestion? Here are some tests for what you might be hearing:

1. What does the Bible say?

Biblical Christianity Is Not a One-Night Stand

By Dan Delzell , Special to CP

The life of a Jesus follower is very similar to a successful marriage. 

It begins with the joining together of two who desire to live together forever. It continues to persevere through both the easy times and the rough times. It is a relationship based on love, trust, commitment and friendship. 

It is far more than a one-time decision. That will only get a man and woman through the honeymoon or a "new Christian" through a few Sunday services. When the rubber hits the road and the challenges come into the relationship, it will either grow stronger and last or grow weaker and break up.

Have you experienced a marriage relationship that continues to go forward after many years together? Have you experienced a personal relationship with Jesus that is rock solid and presses on in spite of disappointments and trials? Don't let anyone sell you a bill of goods about marriage or about Christianity. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who quit important relationships when things get tough.

Leftover Parts

Written by John Grant

 
How can we hear God’s voice speaking into our lives? Take this lesson.

“But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.” 1 Chronicles 29:24

When my bride looked at me and said, “The toilet is broken,” I turned to her and said, “Do I look like Joe the Plumber?” Then she reminded me how much plumbers charge on weekends so I thought I should at least take a look. After all, it might just be a broken flap and I have replaced those before.

No, it wasn’t that. The whole flush valve was broken. I have never fixed one of those before. But, I thought, why not give it a try. So, I went to the local “fix it depot” and after staring at the different choices picked the one that most looked like the one in my tank.

HOLINESS IS A FRUIT

"But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone."  Luke 11:42 

LUKE 11:42-44

When Jesus said, "and not to leave the other undone," it is clear that He is not arguing against doing what is right. God's Word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisees' error that caused Jesus' rebuke was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God. But a proper relationship with God can only come by humbling ourselves and putting faith in a Savior, who is Jesus. God cleanses our hearts by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and then we have our fruit unto holiness (Rom. 6:22). Holiness is a fruit, not a root, of salvation.

In a similar instance found in Matthew 23:26, Jesus told the Pharisees, "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." True Christianity comes from the inside out. A good heart will change a man's actions, but a man's actions cannot change his heart.

The Key to a Lasting Marriage

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:32

Do you remember the Energizer Bunny?  He was the mascot and marketing icon for Energizer Batteries.  That little rabbit beat a bass drum … and he never stopped.  He just kept going and going and going.

Wouldn’t it be nice if marriages were like that? Wouldn’t it be nice if, when you tied the knot, it wasn’t a slipknot?  The sad truth is that tons of marriages don’t seem to last as long as an Energizer Battery.  

I performed a wedding one time for a marriage that ended up lasting only four months. Four Months!  I was shocked and dismayed.  The couple went through nine weeks of premarital counseling and still trashed their wedding vows after four short months.  Now, whenever I do a wedding, I have the couple repeat after me, “Divorce is not an option.”  As Ruth Graham once said, “I never considered divorcing Billy, but I did think of murdering him.”  She was obviously kidding about the latter.  

WHAT IS THE KEY?

What to do when God doesn't answer...

Today, I just want to share to you Pastor Bill Hybels' interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. 

He writes: "I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right. 

She said, 'No, I'm struggling.' 

She said, 'My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I'm crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. 

At the 5-year mark I said, "Who needs this? God isn't listening." 

At the 10-year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?" 

At the 15-year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19-year mark 

G o d C a r e s

By Kenneth E. Hagin

Many people have a difficult time comprehending God as a Father Who loves and cares for them. They have the idea that God is like a judge who sits up in Heaven and looks for a chance to punish them the moment they make a mistake.
But no, God is a loving Heavenly Father! The Bible says that He is love (1 John 4:8, 16).

In the Gospels Jesus always portrayed God as a loving Father.

JOHN 3:16 (NKJV)
16 “GOD SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Wonderfully Made

by Albert Lee

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Psalm 139:1-16

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:14

Bible in a Year:
Psalms 67-69

When I was a child, someone close to me thought they could motivate me to do better by frequently asking me, “Why are you so stupid?” I didn’t know how much this had affected me until I was a teenager and heard someone behind me say, “Stupid!” At the word, I quickly turned around, thinking he was talking to me.

Knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord helped me to realize that because God created me in His image (Gen. 1:27), I’m not stupid but am “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). God declares that all He has made is “very good” (Gen. 1:31), and the Psalms remind us that we are “skillfully wrought” (Ps. 139:15).