by Janina Marie Rivera | Mar 27, 2018 | Blog
Moods. Aren’t we guilty of allowing our circumstances to dictate our mood? A morning of accidentally burning our toast or of being cut-off while driving means a response of lightning, thunder, and hail. We start scowling, snapping at everyone, paying attention to...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Feb 21, 2018 | Blog
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. –John 11:38-39a Lazarus had already been dead for four days. By all accounts, he was not only dead but VERY DEAD. Therefore, it was...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Feb 21, 2018 | Blog
As Nehemiah and his fellow Israelites started to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, intimidation arose. Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite released words that were like arrows: “What are those feeble Jews doing?” “What they are building—if even a fox climbed...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Feb 5, 2018 | Blog
I can imagine how Heaven must have sung with joy the day Ezra read the Book of the Law to the Israelites. At last, here was a generation assembling as one man, hungry for the words of their God. Who was this God? This was the God who made the heavens and who breathed...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jan 17, 2018 | Blog
“…In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.” 2 Chronicles 33:7b “When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men who dreamed.” Psalm 126:1 I will establish my covenant as an...
by Janina Marie Rivera | Jan 9, 2018 | Blog
I remember a preacher saying this one time: “Do you read the newspaper? The newspaper is the Church’s report card for the nation.” Those words certainly make sense. The Church is called to make an impact on the world, and not leave her message hidden inside the four...
