The Comfort of Slavery
We’ve seen it too many times. A girl escapes an abusive relationship only to return to her abuser. An alcoholic remains sober for months, maybe years, then a personal crisis triggers a drunken binge. A person loses a significant amount of weight, then makes small compromises and slowly regains the weight, along with its emotional heaviness. Why do we so easily return to that which once enslaved us? It’s one thing to be physically set free; but unless that freedom is realized in our spirits and also our souls (mind, emotions), we… Read More
Daybreak Awaits
Perhaps this has been a year of struggle. If so, daybreak awaits. The biblical account of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of God is intriguing. Jacob’s father (Isaac) and grandfather (Abraham) had both encountered God on an epic, yet very personal level. Jacob, on the other hand, knew about God, but had not yet encountered Him. (Many people today find themselves in a similar place.) Being a “take-matters-into-your-own-hands” kind of person, Jacob had learned and mastered the art of manipulation. He knew what he wanted and did whatever it took to get… Read More
Imagine Your Life Without Jesus
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; (Psalm 124:2-3 ESV) There are some phrases in the Bible that seem to always stop me in my tracks. This is one of them – “If it had not been for the Lord who was in my side…” I remember driving on the interstate in Virginia, coming around a curve and losing control of my vehicle. Apparently there had… Read More
No Longer Bound by Sin and Shame
Filled with shame, he regretted his decision to eat of the forbidden fruit. Then he heard the footsteps of God. Embarrassed and humiliated, she hung her head as her accusers publicly exposed her adulterous relationship. Then she heard the footsteps of Jesus. Our sins leave the residue of shame, humiliation, and regret. That’s what sin does – it lures us into momentary pleasure, but leaves us with a lifetime of pain. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In the Old Testament, God had Moses build a tabernacle, which served to… Read More
Give People Hope
Everybody needs hope. Nearly every person we encounter today is facing a difficult, if not desperate situation. Jesus was a new voice, a relatively unknown man, until the miracles began. Once people began to be healed and delivered, word spread and the crowds multiplied. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. (Mark 1:32-33 ESV) As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I have been entrusted the power and privilege to carry on… Read More
Pastor Dale Jenkins 