Category Archives: Devotionals

God’s Love Is As the Air We Breathe

Posted on February 21, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila While I was researching, pondering, and crafting my “grace versus works” essay, a scrap of advice I read on some online relationship recovery forum directed to a woman experiencing an uncustomary glitch in her relationship with her … Continue reading →

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HIS Utmost for MY Highest: Reflections on Grace versus Works and Oswald Chambers’ Holiness Devotionals

Posted on February 13, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila I have been reading through some of Oswald Chambers‘ devotionals in his famous work My Utmost for His Highest (you might have noticed that my title plays on his). But my title plays on Chambers’ for a significant … Continue reading →

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The Trouble with Trust: Three Narratives

Posted on February 10, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.  (Psalm 37:5, ESV) But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. (Psalm 13:5) The verses cited above read … Continue reading →

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Celebrating “Iron that Sharpens Iron” (Proverbs 27:17)

Posted on January 18, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila (Do) not (forsake) the assembling together of ourselves as is the custom with some…(Hebrews 10:25). Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). I’ve heard a lot of believers use the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Commentaries, Devotionals, most recent posts, spiritual survival, spiritual transformation, survival tools | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

When God Pleads With Us

Posted on January 15, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Oswald Chambers wrote,” Get out of your mind the idea of expecting God to come with compulsions and pleadings*.” It is in a devotional on the theme of hearing God’s call to ministry. We can best hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentaries, Devotionals, encouragement in hard times, free will, most recent posts, On Free Will, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On “GMBs” (Genetically Modified Bibles)

Posted on January 13, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Intro: Most people are aware of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), i.e., “any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.” (source) Modifying nature can make better “products”; however, GMOs may also be harmful. They might result … Continue reading →

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“But Why NOT A God?”

Posted on January 9, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila But Why NOT A God? I was lisening to a radio talk show interview of a guy who is brilliant by any calculation, a modern day Renaissance Man. He achieved a PhD in Philosophy and an MD … Continue reading →

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For 2020: “Sufficient unto the day is the good thereof”–?

Posted on January 1, 2020 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila  Wait! What? Anybody familiar with the REAL Scripture (Matthew 6:34, KJV) I used for the title, knows I worded it wrong! The real version reads, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (emphasis added) The rest of the … Continue reading →

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Best of Holiday Posts–“From Russia with Hope: Christmas in July” (2012) and a Verse (2019)

Posted on December 22, 2019 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila This post first appeared as a “Christmas in July” feature in 2012. The short story “Christmas” by Russian author Vladimir Nabokov is a little literary gem that for me addresses the temptation to despair when grief overshadows … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible/literary themes, elements, Christmas themed, Devotionals, most recent posts, poetry, spiritual survival, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“The Kraken 2.0” (On Evil’s Proper End)

Posted on October 31, 2019 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Kraken? These days when evil seems to be metastisizing like stage 4 cancer, fattening on power, insolence, and presumption, I am reminded of “The Kraken,” both the sea monster from Scandinavian folklore and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem … Continue reading →

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