Revelations From The Road - Insight into God's word, delivered from behind the wheel and from God's Word.

Harmony

March 29, 2025 by Bill Leave a Comment

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1)

We know what happened in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost. All those chosen people were together in agreement and the Holy Spirit fell on them and the Church was born! There was harmony in the room. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

When I was thinking of this, I was reminded of something I love to hear, the harmony of a song. I sang in a gospel quartet years ago and remember the sweet four-part harmony that came from us singing together. Each one had a part and the result was wonderful. One person singing alone would not be as good as all four joining together. Oh, what harmony there was in the Upper Room! And what about a choir or symphony? Each member having their part to sing or play resulting in an amazing performance. Compare that with one singer or one instrument.

But let’s take this a little further. Think of a family, an organization, a sports team, a business…the Church. Can you imagine a baseball team with only one player against the opposition with nine players? Defeat! It’s the same for a family joined together for a single purpose, an organization or business which has one goal that all members are striving for. Now think of our Church, the Church. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27). We at Zion Family Ministries are called to be one body joining together to advance the Kingdom of God as are all Church bodies. Think about the part that you play. Do you have a part? Are you a member of the team? The Bible says we are all gifted with certain talents and abilities, (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). If you feel you’re not a part, consider joining the Prayer Team or online Prayer Chain, volunteering, helping in the classrooms, be a greeter or helping with food distribution. There is a place for you. Think of how the harmony of God’s people, working together, can make a difference in our Church and our community.

Replace and Reset

March 8, 2025 by Bill Leave a Comment

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

Have you ever got what’s called an “ear worm”? That’s a song or phrase that gets stuck in your mind and keeps “playing” over and over. It can be very annoying. Sometimes, the last song I hear on the radio becomes my ear worm. Now, if it’s a Christian song, that’s OK but a song from the past, even though it’s a good song, can get on my nerves. When that happens, I start singing one of my favorite Christian songs or hymns and it replaces the ear worm and resets my attitude. What we hear makes a difference in our lives. “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

What about thoughts? The enemy will always bring thoughts into our minds to distract us; Sinful things, past mistakes, a wrong direction to go, angry thoughts, etc. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire, (thoughts). Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15). What are we to do when this happens? We should have scripture memorized that we can use to confront the enemy. Submit to God, put on His Full Armor and resist the devil. Say NO, I’m not going there! Then refer back to the scripture in Philippians and “think about such things.

Then, there are our eyes, what we look at. Someone might say, “Oh, that caught my eye.” But, before it can “catch your eye’, you have to cast your eyes on it! Don’t look! “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,” (Matthew 6:22). But, if your eye is not healthy…do you get the understanding? We all have things in our lives, “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), that we need to replace with Godly things and reset our lives. Let’s make it a point to identify those things in our lives and work, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to Replace and Reset.

Light

February 8, 2025 by Bill 5 Comments

“Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

I have been reminded a few times lately about light. And, as usual, God has a message for me and us about light. I was at a basketball game recently and they were preparing to introduce the players. The visiting starters were introduced first and then it was time for the home team starters. I had just gotten back from the concession stand, going up the bleacher steps, when, suddenly, the gym lights went completely out! They do this to introduce the home team players, shining a spotlight on them. It was totally dark in the gym and I had to stop until I had some light to see where I was going. Then, after the players were introduced, the lights quickly came back on and the gym was filled with wonderful light. I really appreciated the light and thought of Jesus, the light of the world!

That night, I was listening to some old Christian songs and came upon Don Francisco’s song, “He’s Alive”, which has this lyric, “Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room.” That happened when the resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter in the dimly lit room. Jesus brought light to dispel the darkness in Peter who had denied Him. He restored Peter and He’s still alive and will come to dispel the darkness of our past.

Another idea of light is how powerful it is when small lights come together. Think of a darkened auditorium and one person turns on their phone light. Hardly anyone would notice. But what happens when hundreds of people there shine their phone lights too. Big difference! We are the light of the world. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14). However, one person shining their “light of the Spirit” in public or online can make a big difference too. So, our challenge today is for us to be sure our light is powered up by the Word and shining so those in darkness will be drawn to it. SHINE!

He Is With Us

February 1, 2025 by Bill 2 Comments

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).

God is with us in the good times and in the bad. We need to remember this no matter where we are. A lot of times, we think of God being with us in the bad times, and He is, but what about the good times? Do this, picture yourself with Jesus at these times: You’re sitting doing your devotions, look over and “see” Jesus sitting next to you. You’re driving and Jesus is there with you. You’re seated at your dinner table with family or in a restaurant and He’s there too. You’re at work or school and Jesus is in your office or classroom. You’re at a ballgame and He’s in the bleachers sitting next to you. You’re taking a walk in nature and Jesus is there by your side. Can you imagine, “see”, Jesus with you in these places? He’s smiling at you and maybe patting you on the back. Oh, this makes us joyful.

Now, what about the bad times: When you’re tempted to sin, when you lose your temper and say something you shouldn’t, when you get bad news from a medical test, at the funeral home when a loved one has died or when you’re in trouble? Where is Jesus then? He’s right there. You need to ask for His help, ask for forgiveness and draw near to Him, (James 4:8). Don’t worry, be afraid or discouraged. The devil wants this. “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 32:8), Bad things are going to happen to us but God is with us! “In this world you will have trouble but, take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). The creator of everything is personally with you, be joyful and at peace. Now, look over to your right or left and also “see” Jesus sitting with you! He’s here in church with us for sure. “He inhabits the praises of His people”. (Psalm 22:3).

Blessings

January 15, 2025 by Bill Leave a Comment

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

As we’ve entered into the New Year, there are some things, I think, that we would like to change. But, I’m sure there are things that we could say were blessings from God. It’s a good idea to not dwell on the bad things that happened but to focus on God’s blessings. So I’m challenging each of us to make a list of the ways God has blessed us. Think deeply. Start your list today and keep it handy to add things as they come to your mind. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). How have you been blessed?