Forgiveness Archives | Council Fire

September 17, 2026

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September 17, 2026

Love Sent Jesus to the Cross

“‘Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ [Jesus] said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” John 12:31-33 (NIV) Many years ago, in a certain church, it was customary for new members to be called to the front at the close of the worship service. The first to be called one morning was a Chinese laundryman who had just moved to the area. He stood to one […]

September 16, 2026

September 16, 2026

Continuing By Faith

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25 (NLT) In my third year of Bible school, depression hit me. It seemed like I was not getting any encouragement from God’s Word, and I even questioned if I was truly saved. Deep down I knew that God had saved me—but I didn’t feel it. As students, we used to play a lot of volleyball and floor hockey after study hours. During the week, we were fed good teaching from God’s Word and good food from the kitchen! Those were great years. Little […]

September 13, 2026

September 13, 2026

Walking with God

“And what does the Lord require of you, But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8b (NKJV) Walking. A natural, everyday practice. Simple. Uncomplicated. Generally speaking, everyone does it, or at least tries to. But what does it mean to walk with God? My second oldest son was born profoundly deaf. His story is one of miracles, as he does life with special needs and God’s amazing help. He now has a cochlear implant that helps him hear, but there are times when his little brothers can actually get too loud for […]

September 7, 2026

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September 7, 2026

Don’t Run Away Like Jonah

“I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” Jonah 4:2b (NLT) The story of Jonah tells of God’s judgement, and of His mercy. Nineveh was a very violent and wicked place. God is holy and can’t stand sin, so He planned to destroy it. He commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them, and to preach repentance. But Jonah had no love for those people. He knew about God’s forgiving heart, so he went in the opposite direction! You […]

September 3, 2026

September 3, 2026

Truth and Lies

“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b (NIV) Have you ever thought about how much damage a lie can do? According to the above scripture, the father of lies is a murderer. Murder brings a lot of damage and pain! Wes and I got married at age 19 in the mid-1960s. Back then, a lie was a great offense, even in secular society. I don’t have room to […]

August 27, 2026

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August 27, 2026

What Does Scripture Say About False Witnesses?

“Among the seven things the Lord hates and calls abominations is . . . a false witness who speaks lies.” Proverbs 6:19 (NKJV) Most people agree that there are few things more despicable than a false witness — one who lies and says that a person is guilty when he knows he is not. Pete had hired Ray, a friend, at his store selling business machines, furniture, and other items. “We’re finding it hard to keep laptops in stock,” Pete says to Ray one day. “Folks must be shoplifting ours, because the sales aren’t showing in our records.” “Just the […]

August 22, 2026

August 22, 2026

The Patience of Job

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” Job 13:15a (NKJV) Job was a good man. Even God thought he was a good man. The Bible says Job was blameless and upright. Satan said Job was only faithful because God had blessed him, then God allowed Satan to curse Job. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” Job’s 10 children were killed and all his animals died or were stolen. He was covered with sores, his wife nagged him without mercy and told him to curse God and die. His friends turned against him. […]

August 16, 2026

August 16, 2026

Seek the True King

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore, I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28 (ESV) Hannah, in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, was a woman who endured hardship. She was ridiculed in her home, but she also carried the burden of barrenness. She didn’t have peace or security. In the Ancient Near East, it was seen as a shameful thing if a woman couldn’t bear children. Some would have seen Hannah’s condition […]

August 12, 2026

August 12, 2026

Why Seeds?

“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it.’” Genesis 1:11 (NIV, bold emphasis mine) Seeds are another miracle that we have seen since childhood, so we tend to take them for granted. But what if we had never seen a seed? Let’s pretend that we are visiting earth for the first time. We have come from another star system. We find Earthlings friendly, but they have the oddest thing to show us. One gave us a tiny brown oval and tried to convince us that […]