Recent Entries

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 20, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 20, 2017 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 A Time to ThinkIf you can't be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape. –Anon...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 19, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 19, 2017 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 A Time to ThinkWhen God is involved, anything can happen. Be open. Stay that way. God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken chords. –Charles Swin...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 19, 2017
  The Anointing Of Your Tears Wednesday, April 19, 2017 A woman weeps at Messiah’s feet and wipes them with her hair. Where did those tears come from? She was a sinner - rejected and condemned by people all around who looked down upon her. She probably looked down upon herself, until all her w...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 18, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 18, 2017 I stretch out my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee like a parched land. Psalm 143:6 A Time to ThinkWe're concerned with how things turn out; God seems more concerned with how we turn out. –Philip Yancey, author A Time to ActTrust that there i...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 18, 2017
  I Shall Not Want Tuesday, April 18, 2017 Psalm 23 says, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." The blessing of God's children is to live a life of 'I shall not want.' There are two ways to applying this: 1) you try to get everything you want so that you don't want anything else, or 2) you le...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 17, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 17, 2017 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 A Time to ThinkGod has not changed; and His ear is just as quick to hear the voice of real prayer, and His hand is just as long and strong to save; as it ever was. —R.A. Torrey ...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 17, 2017
  Friday Through Sunday's Eyes Monday, April 17, 2017 Why is Good Friday called Good Friday? It's the day of Messiah's death. It is good because He was dying for our sins. But it didn't seem good at the time. It seemed to be a horrible Friday. The disciples were crushed, broken, confused, in mournin...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 16, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 16, 2017 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 A Time to ThinkOn Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. –Douglas Horton, religious leader A Time to ActToday, carve out some add...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 14, 2017
  The Radical Anti-Tree Friday, April 14, 2017 In the Garden of Eden there was a living tree- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And from this tree came death. On the mountain of Jerusalem, there stood another tree with no roots, branches, leaves, or fruit - The Cross. It was a dead tree, y...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 14, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 14, 2017 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 A Time to ThinkOur old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 13, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 13, 2017 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 A Time to ThinkDon't pray to escape trouble. Don't pray to be comfortable in your emotions. Pray to do the will of God in every situation. Nothing else is ...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 13, 2017
  The Centurion Of Israel Thursday, April 13, 2017 Messiah blessed and brought a miracle into the life of a centurion. Out of the many centurions stationed in Israel, this one loved the Jewish people, not just with his heart but with his deeds. He blessed Israel and built them a synagogue. God promi...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 12, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 12, 2017 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11 A Time to ThinkThe best result of prayer is awareness of the presence of God, which allows us to face life with fortitude and dignity. –Sheba Ross Delaney,...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 12, 2017
  The Miraculous Death Of Memory Wednesday, April 12, 2017 In Exodus 12, there's a command to sacrifice a male lamb. In following the commandment, the Hebrews were spared during the final plague of Egypt. We know that the lamb is a symbol for Messiah, but it's more complex than the fact that He was ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 10, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 10, 2017 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 A Time to ThinkIf you have been grasping onto something, try to let it go. Your empty ...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 10, 2017
  The Yeshua Entrance Monday, April 10, 2017 Jerusalem has seen many armies and generals enter through its gates - Nebuchadnezzar, Titus with the Romans, the Muslims and Crusaders in the Middle Ages, General Allenby in WWI, Moshe Dayan in the Six Day War - but the most famous entrance of all wasn't ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 9, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 9, 2017 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 A Time to ThinkWorry often gives a small thing a great shadow. –Swedish proverb A Time to ActFocus not on your fears but your strengths. A Time to PrayLor...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 7, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 7, 2017 Seek the Lord when he can still be found; call him while he is yet near. Isaiah 55:6 A Time to ThinkPrayer is a choice. For us to pray to give thanks, or to voice our questions and doubts shows that we are choosing to leave an opening in our spirits. Witho...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 7, 2017
  Letting Go Of The Donkey Friday, April 7, 2017 Imagine: You're sitting in your house and you hear your car start. Looking outside, you see a bunch of men. They shout to you, "The Lord needs your car!" A similar thing happened two thousand years ago, but with a donkey, not a car. What if you were t...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 5, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 5, 2017 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. James 5:13 A Time to ThinkIf we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. &ndash...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 5, 2017
  Your Pain, His Pain Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Scripture says you are Messiah’s body. When your body hurts, you feel it; when it’s sad, you have tears. If you’re His body, then when you’re wounded or rejected, He is too. When you’re alone, He’s alone along with yo...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 4, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 4, 2017 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty. Psalm 104:1 A Time to ThinkAn optimist is the human personification of spring. –Susan J. Bissonette, author A Time to ActLook for an opportunity ...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 4, 2017
  Dealing With Your Mother-In-Law Tuesday, April 4, 2017 You never hear about Peter's home life until Messiah comes to his house— then you hear about his sick mother-in-law. Maybe Peter didn't know how to deal with the situation. But Messiah's coming caused it to be dealt with. Is there someth...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 2, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 2, 2017 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 A Time to ThinkGod has enough grace to solve every dilemma you face, wipe every tear you cry, and answer every question you ask. –M...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM April 1, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionApril 1, 2017 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:27 A Time to ThinkWe're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. —Japanese Proverb A Time to ActNever outgrow fun. A Time to PrayOn this April Fool’s Day, Lord,...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 31, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 31, 2017 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 A Time to ThinkFaith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.—Helen Keller A Time to ActThink of your day as...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 31, 2017
  The Exposition Of Him Friday, March 31, 2017 Synagogue centers on the reading of the Torah. The rabbi reads from the appointed section of the Torah - called the Parashah. Then he expounds on it. We have Yeshua; Jesus. He's the Grand Rabbi of the universe. He expounds on the Torah, God's word, bett...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 30, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 30, 2017 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart.... Luke 6:45 A Time to ThinkTo be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us–and He has given us everything. –Thomas Merton, writer and poet A...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 30, 2017
  Paul With No Training Thursday, March 30, 2017 Soon after Saul, or Paul, comes to the Lord, we find him already teaching and preaching with no real training. He didn't wait to know everything before preaching, he just started. How do you learn to encourage someone, to lead someone to the Lord, to ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 29, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 29, 2017 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11 A Time to ThinkKind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. –Mother Teresa A Time to ActMake someone's day. Tell them how much you ap...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 29, 2017
  The Leper's Solitude Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Leviticus 13 says, "The one with leprosy shall wear torn clothes, uncover his head, cover his upper lip, and cry unclean…. He's to dwell alone." The leper in the bible is a picture of how we are spiritually, dwelling in this world as spiritual ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 28, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 28, 2017 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:2 A Time to ThinkPrayer helps us to respond to misfortune with courage, to react with confidence and to rebound with enthusiasm. –William Arthur Ward, author A Tim...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 28, 2017
  Beit Ha Knesset Tuesday, March 28, 2017 The house of parliament in Israel is called the Knesset, which means the meeting place or the gathering. It's also translated as the word synagogue. Messiah's ministry is also connected to the word synagogue. It was there that Messiah's ministry began, where...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 27, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 27, 2017 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Mark 9:9 ESV A Time to ThinkNow Jesus Christ says that there is nothing in this world—sin, hate, frustration,...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 27, 2017
  Preparing For Your Marriage Monday, March 27, 2017 Most congregations have premarital counseling. Marriage is sacred, thus, ministers counsel the couple on how to prepare for married life. Preparation makes a big difference. Premarital preparation has been shown to greatly increase the chances of ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 25, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 25, 2017 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 A Time to ThinkFaith is realizi...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 24, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 24, 2017 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. Matthew 26:35 A Time to ThinkSomewhere in every crown of suffering, God has implanted a bud of strength that can burst open, releasing extra ...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 24, 2017
  The Charootz Factor Friday, March 24, 2017 You need hedges in your life. They're meant to protect you. The word in Hebrew is charootz - which means a hedge or a trench, but it also means a decision or determination, as in digging in. It's a decision, as if you're digging a trench, of what will be ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 23, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 23, 2017 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18 A Time to ThinkSome people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at al...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 22, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 22, 2017 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues from generation to generation. Psalm 100:5 A Time to ThinkNo pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the hu...
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• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 22, 2017
  The Waters Of Bitterness Wednesday, March 22, 2017 In the beginning, darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. But after the fall of man, there's darkness, confusion, void, fear, bitterness...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 20, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 20, 2017 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. Psalm 30:2 A Time to ThinkIt is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. –Anonymous A Time to ActConfidently trust God to handle things beyond your efforts. A Time to Pra...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 20, 2017
  The Kaddish Revelation Monday, March 20, 2017 When a Jewish person dies, we recite the Kaddish. It's known as the prayer for the dead, or the mourner's prayer. It says this: Magnify and sanctify His great name. Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, honored, magnified, extolled and lauded be the Ho...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 19, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 19, 2017 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 36:5 A Time to ThinkPray, hope, don’t worry. –Saint Padre Pio A Time to ActHold onto God's promises–they will protect you from fear and lead you to jo...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 18, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 18, 2017 But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Psalm 22:19 A Time to ThinkOnly God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony. –Joyce Meyer, author A Time to ActPlace your hope and purpose completely in God's ...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 17, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 17, 2017 May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him. Romans 15:13 A Time to ThinkHence I cannot be silent - and indeed, I ought not to be - about the many blessings and the great grace which the Lord has designed to bestow upon me. —...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 17, 2017
  Masklessness Friday, March 17, 2017 We often speak of people wearing masks, putting on a mask of smiles. When I was growing up, in our house was a box of masks of monsters and ghosts for Halloween. The truth is, in life, people wear masks that are nicer than the way they are inside - it's a facade...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 16, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 16, 2017 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 A Time to ThinkI bind to myself today God's Power to guide me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me... –from St. Patrick's Breastplate A Time...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 16, 2017
  The Salmon People Thursday, March 16, 2017 The ways of salmon amazes me. They swim upstream against the current, choosing to go against the flow and take on the adversity. They don't just persevere through the adversity; they embrace it. As believers, we're to be like the salmon of this world. The...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 15, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 15, 2017 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:5 A Time to ThinkGo out on a limb when you pray for others. Take a risk. Be outrageous. Be passionate. Take a leap. Love a lot, not just a little. –Rick Hamlin, author A Time to...

• Sapphries

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 15, 2017
  Heaven Above The Ceiling Wednesday, March 15, 2017 On the Feast of Tabernacles, God commanded His people to dwell in a sukkah, a temporary hut. The sukkah roof had gaps in it, so when you looked up, you would see right through it to the stars. Believers meet in houses of worship and over every hou...

• Daily Scripture & Reflection

  by Pastor Charles Stilwell ULCM March 14, 2017
  Daily Scripture & ReflectionMarch 14, 2017 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 A Time to ThinkEverything God does is purposeful. And since God is in each of us, each of us has a purpose. –Iyanla Vanzant, life coach and relation...