Blue Ridge Christian News | Christian News in Western NC (original) (raw)
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- Burke County, NC June is one of the most popular months for weddings. Couples stand before a minister and a group of witnesses, pledging their lifelong love and commitment to one another. The bride and groom are radiant with love, and the atmosphere is permeated with joy. Yet, almost half of those marriages will tragically…
- Avery County I have had the privilege of ministering in the Avery Mitchell Correctional Institution every month for more than 10 years. When COVID hit in March 2020, the prison had no option but to cut off all outside contact with volunteers. It remained that way until recently, but I was delighted to learn that…
- Watauga County, NC God has a Name (it is The Name), but no one knows how to pronounce it. It was revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures, most notably to Moses at the burning bush as YHWH, though it appeared before that. Ancient Hebrew only recorded the consonant sounds, not the vowels, so one would have…
- Burke County Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” We need a heart TRANSplant: He uses the term “I will” four times…
- Moses Lake, Washington Headlines from a local newspaper reveal the dark world in which we live. Take a quick glance at these: “Golden State killer returns to valley,” “Riverbank homeless population a rising concern for city,” and “Residents want gym to pump down the volume.” Two weeks later, these appeared in the same newspaper: “Freight…
- Mitchell County, NC This June Life Lesson, I want to talk about Father’s Day, which falls on June 21 this year. Father’s Day is not nearly as celebrated as Mother’s Day and is a much newer holiday. Mother’s Day was established in 1914, while Father’s Day was not officially recognized until 1972. Even today, Mother’s…
- Mitchell County, NC This month we celebrate Father’s Day, and I love my father. But I got to thinking about my father-in-law and how much I appreciated him. I am a father-in-law now, and I hope I am as good to my sons-in-law as my father-in-law was to me. I have learned a few things…
- Mitchell County “And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” — Luke 11:1 This chapter starts with two important things. “As He was praying” gives us the knowledge…
- Burke County, NC “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 Years ago, I experienced a desperate need to unlock my late aunt’s home. From her panicked voice…
- In Memory of Joel Craig Dodson Avery County As Father’s Day approaches, I find myself reflecting not only on the father I was blessed to call my own but on the legacy he left behind. To many, he was known as JC Dodson, Mr. Craig, Pastor Craig, Grandpa, and a friend. But to me, he…
- Chicago, Illinois A while ago, I was attending an Episcopal church in my neighborhood. The Episcopalian Church is pretty much the American version of the Church of England. They consider themselves Anglo-Catholic and share many of the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, including a recognition of their own religious orders, such as those of…
- Norman, Oklahoma A fellow church member recently asked, “I want to finish life well; what does that look like?” I understand that desire. So many men of God did not “finish well”: Moses and his drunken episode, King Solomon and his heart turned from God. What does it look like to “finish well”? Psalm 92:12-15…
- Mitchell County “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:…
- Mitchell County, NC My family’s roots run deep in these mountains, specifically in Mitchell and Yancey counties. Apart from visiting other places, my entire life has been spent in Mitchell, Yancey, and Avery counties. I often tell folks that unless the Lord shows me something equivalent to a burning bush, I plan to live out…
- By Blue Ridge Christian News Staff In communities across rural America, something is deeply wrong. The signs are everywhere, though many people have become so accustomed to them that they hardly notice anymore. Young people are dying from overdoses at alarming rates. Grandparents are raising grandchildren because addiction has destroyed another generation of parents. Families…