L. Kathleen Cline

Did you ever wonder why this year there was controversy over Memorial day? Maybe you felt like people were lecturing as if you were in a history class. I don’t remember in the past, so many posts reminding people of the cost of war and the importance to remember. Yet, even with all the reminders, people watered down Memorial day weekend by calling out names of people who did not fight and die for this country. Yesterday, I asked God why this bothered me so much. I am not an adamant personality unless you are talking about God. In fact, I think differing opinions stimulate thoughts, or at least they used to. God answered me with the story of David in 1Chronicles 21. It is a somber story, and you should go read it for yourself. Basically, David called a census out of arrogance, as if the Israelites were his to number. As a result, God punished the nation by bringing a three-day pestilence that killed 70,000 men. David, in verse seventeen, questions why God is punishing the nation for his...

In Biblical terms, is division wrong? Most people use the word division meaning there is great dissension, hostility or factions developing. You can’t use the term without acknowledging that division can also mean a distinction or set apart. People are tired of the fighting. There is not a single topic that does not seem to bring controversy of some sort. As Christ-followers, that does not mean that we get an out from participating in the conversation. Peace at all costs allows evil to dominate. I believe that is what hate and fear do to people; they cause people to recoil and go silent. Let’s take a journey through the Bible and see what God has to say about division. My hope is at the end you will be able to make an informed decision on how you want to participate in your life. The first story I love is in Exodus 8:22-23, where God set apart His people with the swarms of flies. The plague of flies laid the land of Egypt and Pharaoh’s house to waste, but for God’s people, there were n...

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, did God tell Paul to give up when He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness?” Was that really the takeaway of this chapter that we as Christ-followers should just accept our lives’ poor conditions? So when I hear that deceiving spirit whisper, “Things will never change.” Am I supposed to listen? How many of us have stopped praying about significant matters in our lives and used 2 Corinthians as an excuse? Did God tell you personally that His grace was sufficient, or did you give up asking for the miracle because you lost faith in God’s abilities? Maybe you were tired of waiting on God and just moved on? God asked me all these questions the other day as I was driving to the Rescue Mission. I often talk to God about the spiritual condition of my ladies or ladies that have walked. I can’t say it was the question that was mulling around in my head that God was engaging as much as my heart that was slowly giving up. God was challengi...

  looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 Jesus endured our punishment with joy. May we finish this holy week remembering the cost and praising God for such love for us, - Sister-in-Christ, Kathleen Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

  Unity has become the new hot-potato word. As a Christ-follower, there will always be this intense desire to have harmony with the people around us. At what cost? Romans 12 is a chapter in my Bible that has many underlined and circled words. Verse 2 starts by reminding us, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable.” Believers can never come into agreement with any form of iniquity! I love the warning God gave to Cain in Genesis 4:7. “Sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” The temptation is never the sin, so we all must recognize evil in disguise and reject it to the very core. We are not allowed to skirt around and pretend to go-along-to-get-along because it is easy or popular. Sin destroys people’s lives, so why would any Christ-follower be tempted to appease society by partnering with it in any form. It is cruel an...

We all invest in something. Maybe it is your health, family, job, or hobby. Whatever it is, for you, it is worth your time, effort, energy, and money. Not only that, you expect a return, or you have an expectation that your devotion to the venture will be successful in whatever form. As a Christ-follower, are you invested? What do you expect as a return? Is your dedication only as long as “you” prosper? Are you the person in Matthew 13:44, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy, over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field?” These times are those times that God warned us about repeatedly. Americans, well, we got to read the hard words, say a few prayers for those being persecuted, and move on home for Sunday brunch. It has now hit our shores in a different form but effective all the same. Bullies are threatening the finances of many Christian organizations and people, and one-by-one they are apologi...

Author L. Kathleen Cline’s newly released “No Words to Speak” is a thought-provoking and moving children’s tale about dealing with grief.   “No Words to Speak” from Christian Faith Publishing author L. Kathleen Cline is that rare breed of children’s book that entertains young readers whilst also communicating a valuable, meaningful lesson about the preciousness of life and the importance of living without regret.  “No Words to Speak”: a heartwarming children’s tale about God’s guidance in times of grief and mourning. “No Words to Speak” is the creation of published author, L. Kathleen Cline, a teacher at Downtown Rescue Mission in Huntsville, Alabama, and a teacher and advisory council for Christian Women’s Job Corps in Harvest, Alabama. Cline is the author of ‘Finding the Way: Proclaiming Jesus As Truth’ (2017), ‘I Am More’ (2019), ‘It Is More Than Saying I’m Sorry’ (2020). Cline writes: “How do we prepare children for the inevitability of death? What do we even need to ...