Category: Devotionals

It was a hot day in Rome today! The tour guide said it was going to be 40^o degrees Celsius (104^o F). I refused to believe it. Had to keep a positive mental attitude about the heat. I won’t deny it was hot, but every now and then there was a little breeze, so that helped. Unfortunately, our tour was at noon and would last until 3:30 pm, the hottest part of the day! If you’ve ever wondered what a turkey feels like when it’s roasting, I can now tell you! Okay, enough about that. On to the adventures of the day!

Palatine Hill was our first stop. It is the central hill in Rome where legend says that Romulus founded the city. It was a place where the wealthiest of Romans lived, and eventually it became a place where emperors such as Augustus, Tiberius, and Domitian (who had the largest palace… over 1000 rooms) lived.

Clockwise from top-left: entrance to Palatine Hill, multi-levels of Domitian’s palace, marbled walkway, fountain ruins in Domitian’s palace, private garden in Domitian’s palace

The panoramic views from Palatine Hill are breathtaking, including the Circus Maximus on one side, the Colosseum on another, and the Roman Forum on still another. Here you can see the Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum was the city center. The structure with the three white columns in the foreground is the temple of Castor and Pollux. The smaller structure with four white columns on the right foreground is the temple of Vesta. The triumphal arch of Septimius Severus is seen just left of center. (There are only 3 surviving triumphal arches in Rome.) The beige building with the black windows near the center and to the right of the triumphal arch is the Curia Julia, the meeting house of the Roman Senate. It was later converted to a church in the 7th century AD.

On another spot, you can see Circus Maximus. This was a chariot-racing arena located in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine Hills. On the left, the view is from one end of the oval track. The top-left shows the enormity of the emperor’s palace on Palatine Hill as it overlooks Circus Maximus, and the bottom-left is a view of the track from the Aventine Hill.

Here is the view from Palatine Hill facing the Colosseum. If you look closely below at this panoramic view from Palatine Hill toward the Colosseum, you can see the Arch of Titus. Titus was the Roman general who destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The engravings inside the arch show the articles of the temple being carried away as well as the Jews taken as slaves by the Roman army.

The largest Roman amphitheater was the Colosseum. Construction began around 71 AD by Emperor Vespasian to appease the Romans after the horrible reign of Nero. It was completed by his successor, Titus in 80 AD using Jewish slaves. When it was finished, Titus celebrated with over 100 days of gladiator competitions and wild animal fights. It is said that more than 2,000 people died and over 9,000 wild animals, including lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, and other exotic creatures.

The third triumphal arch is the closest one to the Colosseum. It is the Arch of Constantine.

Our tour took us on to the arena floor. This would be where the gladiators fought, where exotic animals were paraded before the crowds, where public executions were held, and where enemies of the Roman Empire, including Christians, were killed. The central arena was covered with a great wooden floor. On top of it was a layer of sand to absorb blood. The arena was also surrounded by a 15 foot high wall to protect spectators from attacks by wild beasts in addition to archers standing by to shoot the animals should they advance toward the spectators. Today, the floor is now exposed down to its underground passages as archaeologists work on excavations below the surface.

Here you can see John standing in the passageway to the arena. On the bottom-left, an archaeologist is working, and on the bottom-right, is the metal cross erected in 2000 to remember the Christian martyrs who died in the Colosseum.

Underneath the Colosseum is a maze of tunnels, rooms, and elevators. The elevators were used bring the gladiators and animals to the arena floor.

Left: elevator for moving gladiators and wild animals  Top-right: passageway for gladiators Top-bottom: rooms for animals (top) and gladiators (bottom)

Next stop: Atlanta!

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Today, I was riding the Rome Metro, and I became the unwitting mark of a pickpocket. As soon as we boarded the Metro, two nicely dressed young teenage girls began asking me questions in Italian. One was pointing to the route sign and asking about the stops. Of course, I was trying to answer them, when another lady (this one was my guardian angel) cried out, “Lady, watch your purse!” I immediately looked down at my fanny pack, and it was unzipped! (I don’t like imagining what would have happened had I ignored my guardian angel’s warning!) I looked up at the main girl who was talking with me, and when her eyes met mine, I knew she was responsible. I was stunned. I quickly checked my pack. Everything was there. (Apparently, one girl is the distractor and the other is the doer of the deed.) Meanwhile, my guardian angel got into a heated discussion with the pickpocket. I don’t know what was said as the conversation was all in Italian. The pickpocket didn’t move away from me, so my husband pushed her back and said, “Get away from her.” The girl cast a dirty look his way, and my guardian angel began another barrage of heated words. It all happened so fast, and before I could say anything we were at our stop. The pickpockets got off, as did we. We noticed they turned around and got on the car ahead of the one from which we’d just gotten off. I turned to say thank you to my angel, but the doors shut and the train was gone.

Without a doubt, I know that God protected me. This was a situation I had read about, been warned about, and took precautions for, yet I came so close to being a victim of a pickpocket. But I wasn’t. God protected me when I couldn’t protect myself.

You know, God also protects me from the sin in this world. I have read about it, been warned about it, and taken precautions against sin in my life, but sometimes I fall victim to it. He has given me clear instructions on how to avoid it, but there are occasions when I let my guard down and sin manages to get quite close to me. Like the guardian angel that warned me about the pickpocket, God’s Holy Spirit shouts, “Watch yourself, lady!” more often than I realize, protecting me from sin. Sometimes I don’t heed the warning, and I get myself into trouble. The good news is that I listen to the warnings now much more than I used to, and when I hear the Holy Spirit’s voice calling “Watch out!” to me, I pay attention!

Thank You, Lord, for protecting me today from the pickpocket, and thank You for protecting me from sin and the evil in this world. Please keep me ever listening to Your Spirit’s voice, ready to act according to Your Word and Your will.

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” Psalm 91:14

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Has there been a time in your life when God has sent a guardian angel your way? I’d love to hear about it!

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

All the outward beauty of Switzerland cannot make up for the emptiness of the souls here. Today I found out that I couldn’t access the online KJV Bible or Old Suwanee websites when using public wifi. Why? These two sites were considered “religious” and “not appropriate” for the society! That was a very tragic commentary on the culture here. There are churches or cathedrals in every town we passed, but something was obviously lacking. The churches were merely shells of what used to be.

If we do not take a strong stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ in America, how long will it be until our churches are also empty? If we do not fight for our faith, for that which is precious and sacred to us, we are in jeopardy of losing it. If we don’t actively teach God’s Word to our children and grandchildren, who will carry the banner of our Lord and Saviour tomorrow? I am so thankful that my church takes a strong Biblical stand, preaches directly from God’s Word, and trains up children ‘in the way they should go’ (Proverbs 22:6). The Bible tells us that people without a vision perish (Proverbs 29:18). May our vision always be to go forward for the cause of Christ, and may churches that preach and teach God’s Word without compromise never be empty. To put a spin on old saying, “All that is needed for Satan’s plan to succeed is for Bible-believing Christians to do nothing.”

Stand up, stand up for Jesus
Ye soldiers of the cross
Lift high His royal banner
And never suffer loss
(From “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” by George Duffield, Jr.)

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

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Are you willing to take a stand?

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Yesterday, the weather forecast for Zermatt, Switzerland was rain. The skies were to be cloudy without any predicted clearing until a few days later. We had traveled a great distance and really wanted to see the Matterhorn, but as we had been told, it was shrouded in clouds when we checked into our hotel. We chose to pray anyway for God to allow us a glimpse of the Matterhorn regardless of the weather. The next day, He answered those prayers, and before noon we were able to see the entire mountain! But we didn’t realize God was not finished. This morning, we were amazed to see a new view of the Matterhorn. This time, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and it seemed like the mountain was basking in the glory of God! What a difference 24 hours made!

This was taken at 5:30 am. The rising sun was bathing the mountain in God’s glory!

This picture was taken about 90 minutes later. The “glow” was now gone, but the majesty of the mountain remained.

That reminds me of another day that made a difference in my life. It was the day I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and be my Saviour. What a difference that day made! To become a member of God’s family was a day of celebration for me. I realized that all my sins had been removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and that I was given the gift of eternal life (John 3:16) in heaven because I chose to believe that Jesus was God’s Son, who had died on the cross to pay the price for my sins, and then rose from the grave three days later to be my Saviour. When I asked Him to forgive me, it was instantaneous and permanent! What a day of rejoicing that was for me!

The next day that will make a difference in my life will be the day I enter heaven. It may be right after I draw my last breath on this earth, or it may be when I hear the shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and rise up to meet Jesus in the air! (1 Thessalonians 4:16) I will immediately be ushered into the presence of God! What a glorious day that will be!

Wow, what a difference a day can make, especially when you are part of the family of God!

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

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If you would like to know more about how you can be part of the family of God, let me know. I’d love to share with you how one day can make an eternal difference in your life!

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2

There are no specific words that I could write that could describe the beauty of God’s creation, so this blog is my first visual blog. These are just a few examples of the incredible display of my Lord’s handiwork that I was blessed to see on my travels from Rome, Italy to St. Moritz, Switzerland.

If God’s creative work on earth is so breathtakingly beautiful, can you imagine what heaven will be like?

“How beautiful heaven must be, Sweet home of the happy and free;
Fair haven of rest for the weary, How beautiful heaven must be.”

(from “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be” by Mrs. A.S. Bridgewater)

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If you’re not sure you’ll be in heaven one day, I’d be happy to explain to you how you can know without a doubt that you can have eternal life with Jesus. Just drop me a note, and I will share with you the greatest gift you could ever receive!

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14

I was watching a group of tightrope walkers this evening as they practiced their craft walking over the Limmat River in Zurich, Switzerland. Their levels of skills varied. Some could walk all the way from one end to the other without any mishaps, while others would fall off every now and then, dropping into the swift current below. Most would climb back up on the rope and try again, but there were some that gave up and allowed the river’s current to sweep them downstream.

The tightrope is a beautiful illustration of the life a Christian is called to live. Jesus said that the gate is “strait” and the way is “narrow” meaning that God’s way of living as described in the Bible is clear and concise, holy and righteous. The Lord has given us explicit instructions on how to live a godly life. Doing otherwise is contrary to the Scriptures and outside of God’s will. Sounds hard, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Just like walking a tightrope, to do it the right way, you must walk straight and narrow. If you don’t walk correctly, you will fall off. In our lives, if we don’t follow God’s ways, we also will fall… into sin.

Sadly, we live in a sinful world, and we tend to “fall off the rope” a lot when we allow sin to creep into our lives. Fortunately, we can get right back on the “strait and narrow way” by repenting and seeking God’s forgiveness. We can be just like those tightrope walkers who fall off, but get right back on the rope again.

Unfortunately, there are also tightrope walkers who fall off and give up. They are the same as those who fall off the godly path of living and are swept away by the allures of sinful pleasures. Choosing a sinful lifestyle over God’s ways will eventually lead to destruction.

Walking a tightrope is not easy, and neither is living a life for Christ, but just as the rewards of successfully navigating the rope are worth the struggle, so is the reward that awaits the Christian who follows in the footsteps of Jesus. Walking the strait and narrow way will eventually lead us to life everlasting with Him.

“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” Proverbs 4:26

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If you are struggling to walk the narrow path with Christ, you are not alone. We all have our moments of difficulty. Take it to the Lord in prayer. He’s waiting to hear from you!

“For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.” Amos 4:13

We’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling this past month or so, and we have seen some pretty amazing things. Some of the most interesting things we have seen so far have been the ruins of Ancient Greek and Roman empires. During the time these civilizations were on earth, they built huge temples and monuments to their gods, but nearly all of these structures have been destroyed at least in part if not completely, which has necessitated restorative procedures for these structures to remain standing.

Now we are traveling into Switzerland, and the grandeur of the Swiss Alps surround us. It occurs to me that these monuments exalt the Lord God Almighty, and they have stood since the third day of His creation without needing one bit of restorative work.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 2:2, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”

Nowhere is it written that the pagan gods will be exalted and established for all nations to worship. All of man’s efforts to exalt false gods have crumbled and faded into the past, but all that the Lord God has created has existed and will exist as long as He desires, giving Him the glory He alone deserves.

Acts 5:38-39 recounts the advice that Gamaliel gave to those who wanted to stop the apostles from preaching Christ. He said, “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” Take a look around and see who is left standing. No one worships the Greek gods anymore; no one worships the Roman gods anymore. However, the Lord Jesus Christ continues to be exalted and worshipped around the world. His gospel message continues to go forth offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe in His atoning work on the cross.

The Lord Jesus said that if we didn’t praise Him, the rocks themselves would do so! (Luke 19:40) Let us lift the name of Jesus high, so the mountains don’t have to do it for us!

Psalm 125:2 “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.”

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What can you praise the Lord for today? I’d love for you to write a comment and let me know!

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

The Rock of Gibraltar stands sentinel over the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. A huge limestone structure, it is laced with tunnels that were dug beginning in 1779 during the Great Siege, when Spain and France tried to take control of the Rock from Great Britain. We went on a guided tour of these tunnels, which was fascinating, but what struck me as I walked through these tunnels were the signs posted everywhere that said, “Watch your head!” We had no hard hats to protect us; we were expected to duck whenever the need arose because many of these subterranean passageways were quite low, and smashing one’s head upon the rocks could be quite devastating.

That reminded me of another warning to protect my head. In the first part of Ephesians 6:17, we are told to “take the helmet of salvation.” Just as a hard hat protects the head from physically damage, the helmet of salvation protects us spiritually. The latter part of the verse adds, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” As we read, study, and memorize Scripture, it becomes imbedded in our minds to help us “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). The protection our salvation through Christ offers us is strength and power in His might (Ephesians 6:10).

The “Great Siege” in which we are engaged is for the souls of men. With our helmet of salvation securely in place, guarding our minds in Christ Jesus, we can finish preparing ourselves to go forward into battle for our God. Not only must we protect our minds from the wiles of the devil, we must also continually refresh our supply of ammunition to be ready for any confrontation by the enemy. We must take up the Spirit’s sword, the Word of the Lord, and hide its words in our heart that we might not sin against God. Only then will we be clothed in the full armour of God, ready to do battle.

So, watch your head!

“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 62:7

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No warrior goes into battle unprepared. Make sure you are well equipped.

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” 1 Timothy 6:4

One of the adventures I particularly enjoy when traveling is the opportunity to try foods from different places. No matter if savory or sweet, it is such fun to challenge my taste buds with new sensations. On this trip, I have sampled Moroccan meatballs, Greek salads with plump olives and local olive oil, French coffee (very strong!), and Italian gelato, just to name a few! Every experience has been unique in its own way and deliciously rewarding.

That’s how it is with God’s Word. There are so many wonderful morsels of Scripture that I haven’t even tasted yet! I confess I do have my favorite passages, and I enjoy rereading them over and over, but if I do not expand my spiritual menu, I will be missing out on so much more! Can you imagine only eating a peanut butter sandwich at every meal because it was your favorite food? Take time to peruse God’s Word for something new and refreshing, and spice up your spiritual life!

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

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How has God’s Word nourished your soul today?

Psalm 107:9 “For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

Have you ever cracked open a peanut shell and found no nut? That is so disappointing! When I crack open the shell, I expect to find something in it, and when I don’t, I feel like I’ve somehow been cheated of a tasty treat. Sadly, these nutless shells have the form of a peanut, but not the substance that nourishes or satisfies.

The empty peanut shell reminds me of some of the churches we’ve visited on our trip. So many of them are amazing to behold. They have beautiful stained glass windows, altars of gold gleaming in the shafts of light that penetrate the darkness of the building. They have massive wooden doors intricately engraved and paintings that are breathtaking to behold, but something is missing. Our tour guide told us that many of the churches are no longer providing worship services. Instead, they have become tourist attractions. Quite lovely on the outside, but empty on the inside. The presence of God is missing.

There are, however, plenty of artifacts that exalt man. The garments of the priests are on full display, as are the different items used in services. Massive works of art are spread throughout the cathedrals. Gold and silver candlesticks stand on various ornate tables, but I never saw a Bible or a hymn book in any of them! In fact, on a couple of Sundays when we had excursions, we were invited to go into a cathedral to “quietly look around” since there were services being conducted. Upon entering, it was very quiet and others were milling around “quietly looking.” I can’t imagine a group of fifty to one hundred people walking into my church on a Sunday morning when my pastor was preaching just to “quietly look around.” Some of these places even required tickets to be purchased in order to go inside the church!

I write this to say how grateful I am that the Lord has put me in a church that is not missing the substance inside! Whenever I go to church, I am blessed beyond measure. There is sound Biblical doctrine being taught and preached. There is genuine Christian fellowship demonstrated by a familial love between the people gathered there. There are songs of praise being sung to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nourishment and satisfaction for my soul.

If you ever drop by my church, I invite you not to come in and “quietly look around,” but rather, I invite you to come in and sit with us! Open a hymn book and join us in worshipful singing. Listen as my pastor shares the saving grace of Jesus through the Scriptures and be nourished with God’s Word. I promise you that when you leave, your soul will have received a divine feast that will satisfy its spiritual hunger!

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

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“Feed me ‘til I want no more…”