Category Archives: Devotionals

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 →

Posted in Commentaries, Devotionals, end times spiritual survival, most recent posts, spiritual survival | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

“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 →

Posted in Bible/literary themes, Bible/literary themes, elements, Christian poetry, Devotionals, most recent posts | Tagged , | 2 Comments

(Don’t) Wait for It… On Time, Free Will, and Patience

Posted on October 27, 2019 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Time One day each of us will dwell in a kingdom where terms like “past,”present,” “future”–even “one day”–will be moot; where the exoskeleton of time will have fallen away; existence will be the realm of “now” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotionals, encouragement in hard times, free will, most recent posts, On Free Will, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

On Discerning Changes in the Weather and Understanding the Importance of Prophecy

Posted on October 26, 2019 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Signs of Changing Weather On days like today when wine-red and rust-colored leaves wink and flutter down shafts of late October light my thoughts turn to the transitioning of the seasons discerned by changes in the weather, … Continue reading →

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On Who Fills the Void/the Rainbow Maker

Posted on October 24, 2019 by

Phyllis Beveridge Nissila Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. (Proverbs 27:20, ESV) I was thinking about a conversation in the movie based on the book Girl with a Pearl Earring about the life … Continue reading →

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