by Janina Marie Rivera | Jul 11, 2017 | Blog
“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6 If you’re having a bad day, imagine...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jul 3, 2017 | Blog
King Nebuchadnezzar walks into the room, his royal robes dragging on the floor. Dark circles are under his eyes. “Send me the magicians and astrologers!”” he thunders. The palace bustles as his command is carried out. Footsteps echo in the courtyard. Deep yells bounce...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jun 27, 2017 | Blog
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jun 19, 2017 | Blog
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” –Numbers 13:30 There were twelve men sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land. When they came back to the Israelites to report what...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jun 12, 2017 | Blog
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” James 1:2 Pure joy during trials? Trials have a way of twisting our intestines, making us weep, and provoking us to worry. It seems almost impossible to be joyful when we’d rather...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jun 5, 2017 | Blog
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 John 3:16 is a much-loved verse. It’s usually the first verse on our lips when asked about the verses we have memorized. It is...
by Janina Marie Rivera | May 31, 2017 | Blog
And He brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be. And he [Abram] believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.—Genesis 15:5-6 ...
by Janina Marie Rivera | May 22, 2017 | Blog
Often, we present our good behavior when we are being watched. Is it Sunday? Good. We give ourselves mental tally sheets, ticking boxes for what we did not do and what we did do. Stop my mouth from cursing? Check. Greet the usher? Check. Forgive that guy who took my...
by Janina Marie Rivera | May 15, 2017 | Blog
There is a lot of comfort in being at church on a Sunday, in singing songs, and in listening to a minister. But is this all there is to Christianity? Just a once-a-week or twice-a-week gathering of singing songs and listening to preaching? Whenever I read the Bible,...
by Janina Marie Rivera | May 8, 2017 | Blog
Many times, we are limited by our unbelief. “I can’t possibly finish this…” or “How in the world can I do this?” or “I can’t!” are words that have escaped our mouths one time or another. I love what the Bible says in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things...
