And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. Joseph Sold into Slavery (Genesis 45:4b-5 NLT) There is […]
Author Archives: kenbarnes
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Toxic Masculinity There is a narrative that prevails in this nation that is ready to light cultural wild-fires wherever it prevails. That storyline is toxic masculinity. Recently, the story about Catholic school teenagers dominated the news cycle for several days. Reports surfaced that portrayed a group of Catholic students as having taunted a Native American man. Upon […]
Then he (Jesus) said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.(John 21:6 NLT) The Disciples casting their nets. We often complain about the mundane circumstances of our lives. Jesus did his best […]
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. (Genesis 21:33 NLT) The Shade of a Tamarisk Tree Abraham planted a tree, but not just any tree. It was a tamarisk tree. Abraham was making a statement of faith. He would never sit under the shade of this tree, but future generations […]
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Genesis 21:33 NLT) Ten thousand […]
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [a]mammon. (Matthew 6:24 NKJV) The Bible does not say we “should not” or “must not” but we cannot serve God and mammon. […]
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 NLT) In the Year of our Lord As 2019 is upon us, what does it tell us at the end of the Book? It reveals to us that Jesus is coming soon and what our response should […]
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. (Psalms 37:6 NLT) We often worry about our reputation more than we should, rather than being concerned with a clean conscience that produces godly character. It is effortless in this sinful world to invert our […]
Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1: 27a CSB)Paul wrote these words from a Roman prison. He found a way of framing all his life experiences, good or bad, by his vision for heaven that furthered the Gospel of Christ. The Eternal Kingdom Life is all […]
You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. (Psalms 66:10 NLT) The Refiners Fire For every Christian, there is a testing process. Similar to the purification of silver the process involves fire, expressed in our lives as trials. Though the process is never pleasant, in the end, it produces the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews […]