Home
Messages: These powerful short messages encourage, inspire, and convict “People of the Way” to enter into the presence of the Living God and to mirror the image of the precious Lord Jesus, bringing his life to this hurt and broken world. The messages were written by Richard E. Bieber (REB) 1927-2021. A pastor whose prolific writings spanned six decades.
Artwork: The beautiful art featured here enhances the power, depth and visual appeal of the messages. It is by the gracious permission of the artists. We are grateful for their kindness and generosity and blessed and amazed by their talent. Please respect their hard work and time by not using without their permission. The art is linked to their websites where you can learn about them and view more of their moving art.
Recently Formatted Shorts
SEARCH ME AND KNOW MY HEART
Search me, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts.
When prayed from the heart, this prayer is always answered.
And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139)
When I ask God to search my heart,
When I ask the spirit to put his finger on my sin,
When I beseech the Lord to show me the way out,
My prayer is answered.
The walk of faith is a joyful thing….
But it is taken with fear and trembling before a holy God.
The greatest danger to me, as I follow the Master, is not the Evil one, lurking in the bushes,
But my glibness before the Holy.
Search me, O God and know my heart, Try me and know my thoughts,
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting..
Prayer: Lord give us the courage and the vision to pray this prayer and mean it to our cores. And when you show us our weaknesses, our sins, and all our ways that separate us from you … .help us to truly grieve that separation and rise up and follow your perfect, heavenly leading. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber April 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Alfred Plauzeau French, (1875-1918)
Website: NA
BAREFOOT AT THE BURNING BUSH
It’s easy to miss our encounter with God, if we fail to take our shoes off.
When we fail to hallow God’s name, the Burning Bush ceases to burn.
The Prince of Darkness knows that the easiest way to corrupt our faith is to make us glib.
Hallowed be thy Name.
If we miss that part of the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer dries up.
Hallowed be thy Name
When we come before God in prayer …. we are in the presence of the Holy.
Hallowed be thy name
When we walk the walk of faith each day…. we are in the presence of the Holy.
The Burning Bush hovers above us as we follow the Shepherd.
…..as long as we remain spiritually barefoot.
“How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
John 5:44
Prayer: Lord, what a waste of all you offer us when we fail to seek your glory, when we fail to take our shoes off, when our minds are focused on how we see others and how others see us… instead of on your eternal presence, your holiness, your perfect goodness. Lord, help us to stop taking your presence casually. May we take our eyes off others and ourselves, may we come barefoot to your burning bush, focused on your holy presence alone… So we may hallow you in every way. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Patrick Marrin from the series Pencil Preaching found in the National Catholic Reporter (NCR)
Website: NA
LITTLE MISS HOPE
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13
Faith, Hope and Love.
The poet Charles Peguy portrays them as three sisters who are always together.
Love is the oldest. She has been around since time began, watching over Faith and Hope since they came on the scene.
Faith is always there to help her sisters as problems come up and needs arise.
Hope is a little child who tags along behind.
But don’t be fooled.
Little Miss Hope is the one who keeps her sisters going.
She sustains them with her joyful smile and her cheerful voice.
She greets each new day with joy.
Without Hope… Faith and Love would wither away.
Yes, the Spirit inspires us with faith.
Yes, the Spirit causes God’s love to be shed abroad in our hearts.
But without the Spirit’s gift of hope, where would we be?
Little Miss Hope keeps us on our toes.
Little Miss Hope is the one who sustains our faith and our love.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15)
Hope sees beyond this darkness to the coming glory.
The present hour is uncertain.
Nature is staggering.
Nations are in turmoil.
Our Lord tells us to look beyond this darkness to the coming Kingdom. He gives us the Spirit as a foretaste of the coming glory and commands us to keep walking in the Spirit’s light.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8)
Hope anchors its heart in each promise of the Lord Jesus.
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26)
Every time we drink of this cup we remember the Lord’s promise to drink it with us in the Father’s Kingdom.
Every time we drink this cup we proclaim his death until he comes.
Our hearts are anchored in the glory to come, sustained by a hope which is new every morning.
“I will not leave you desolate. I will come to you. A little while, and the world will see me no more. But you will see me. And because I live, you will live also.” (John 14)
Hope puts its hand to the plow and never looks back.
After many years as an apostle, Paul keeps pressing on in hope.
He knows that there is more ahead that he cannot see. And he goes for it!
…..That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3)
Never underestimate the power of Hope!
Let little Miss Hope show you the way, as she follows her Lord without fear.
Prayer: Lord, may your Spirit fill us with hope and lead us out of despair and fear. May hope cause us to see beyond the darkness. May hope fill us with a sense of joy and peace, no matter what is happening in the world, no matter what we personally face. May we keep our eyes on you and trust and hope in your promises to us. And yes, Lord, may we be courageous, may we take heart and be so hopeful in you that we continue to press towards the prize you call us to. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber February 2021 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Jen Norton
Website: Jennortonartstudio.com
UNDER ATTACK OR UNDER JUDGMENT? 
The Chaldean army surrounded Jerusalem and was tightening its grip.
In the palace there was still plenty of food. But all across the city people were starving.
The prophets kept bringing good news to the nobles of the land.
“God will deliver us from this siege! The enemy who is attacking us will soon be turned back!”
But there was one prophet who struck a sour note.
“Jerusalem is under the judgment of God! The Chaldeans will not be turned back. This city is about to be destroyed! Turn your hearts to the Lord! Repent of your vanity and hardness of heart!”
The nobles and religious leaders of Jerusalem were so angered by Jeremiah’s prophecy that they had him sent to the dungeon.
Jeremiah’s prophecy was the only true word from heaven.
Jerusalem was under the judgment of God.
The people refused to repent, and the city fell.
_______________________
“Christianity is under attack!” is the message we hear today.
“Our Christian way of life is threatened by a hostile world.”
But another voice can be heard amid the shouting.
“We are not under attack. We are under the judgment of God!”
While we are busy seeking to preserve our traditions the Lord is calling us to…
…. search our hearts and repent of our vanity and hardness of heart, our lack of mercy!
And if we refuse to listen and repent?
If we refuse to repent, we may find God dealing with us as he dealt with Jerusalem of old.
For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? …..
….Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator. (I Peter 4)
Prayer: Holy Lord, help us to differentiate attacks against us from judgment for our hardness of heart. Forgive us for being more committed to promoting our way of life, our favorite politicians, our security, our values, our us vs. them attitude, over being your disciples and obeying your gospel. Help us to see that our vanity, our nationalist pride, our combativeness, our coldness of heart will not draw your favor upon us, but rather your judgment. Lord help us to weep for the suffering our hardness of heart is unleashing on this world, and to turn to you and do what you ask us to, even if it means the wrath of the religious. Better their judgment than yours. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2020 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Marc Chagall
Website: NA
THE BIG PICTURE
Only God can see the big picture.
But each of us desperately needs a glimpse.
Where is it all going, Lord?
How do I fit into this 7 billion soul confusion?
Show me the path you want me to travel.
What do I take with me into the next world?
Is there a “next world?”
The foolish man builds his house on sand and opens another can of Budlight.
But the wise soul cries out, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom!”
The Big Picture:
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Where we fit in:
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Revelation 1:12-18
Prayer: Yes Lord, teach us to number our days and not forget about the big picture in the midst of our distracted lives. Give us a glimpse of your eternal kingdom so that we can apply our hearts to true wisdom, keeping our eyes on your shining face, on you… the living one … who holds our eternal destiny in your hands. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2004 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kate Austin
Website: christart.co.uk
THANKSGIVING
Two men are walking identical roads. The same blessings and the same problems meet them along the way.
One man is forever giving thanks.
The other is forever complaining.
The man with the thankful heart…. turns his circumstances into joy.
He is given eyes to see beyond the visible to the invisible God who is renewing all things through the death and resurrection of his Son.
The man with the complaining heart …. sees only trouble wherever he turns.
His life is desolate and he brings the chill of despair to everything he touches.
The complaining heart will always have much to complain about.
The thankful heart will increasingly have things to give thanks for.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble…. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Psalm 107: 1-2, 4-9
Prayer: Father, Lord, help us to be like the man with the thankful heart. Giving thanks in all that lies before us. Help us to see joy in our troubles because we trust in your steadfast love. Because you satisfy our longing and hungry souls with good things, with your very presence and goodness. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2014 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Suzy Schultz
Website: Suzyschultz.net
PREPARING THE HEART
When we wish to commune with God, we often find that our heart is not “up to it.”
God seems distant.
We feel like we’re “acting a part.”
Our faith is shaky.
So how can I commune with the living God when my heart feels empty?
Start giving thanks.
Regardless of your circumstances….
Regardless of how you feel, just start thanking God….
For your life.
For a body and mind that can function.
For food and water.
For air to breathe.
For Jesus, crucified and risen.
For the promise of the Holy Spirit.
For God himself.
Thanksgiving opens the heart to the Spirit of God.
Thanksgiving brings you into the Presence.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100
Just keep thanking God until you find yourself in his presence.
Prayer: Lord, we admit that we are stumbling through this troubled life. Our hearts are troubled, disappointed, afraid, and we can’t sense your presence with us. Despite our faults and weaknesses, may we be like the prophets and saints who said “yet will I praise you.” Bring to our hearts and minds your perfect goodness, your omnipotence, and all the reasons you are worthy of our praise and adoration. We think of all you have done for us. We think of life itself. We think of creation. We think of all you offer us, and especially that you, Father, are with us even now. What gifts, what goodness. How amazing you are. We are filled with awe and gratefulness that you love us and desire us. May our hearts open to your Spirit and bring us into your Holy presence. Amen. .
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2005 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Signe Flink
Website: deviantart.com/signeflinkart
JESUS’ VOCABULARY
Philosophers pass him by with their eyes glazed over.
Jesus’ vocabulary is so limited.
So elementary.
How does Jesus expect to reach the thinkers of this world if he uses so few words?
Life in this world is complex.
The war between good and evil is a tangled web.
The nature and destiny of mankind can’t be summed up in a paragraph.
But Jesus keeps it simple.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.”
No wonder Nietzsche and all those great philosophers scoff!
Truth is not hidden beneath lofty concepts.
Truth does not need to be propped up with mountains of words.
Truth can take care of itself.
Truth will still be here when all fancy words have blown away in the wind.
Ultimate truth…. is God himself.
Truth that we can grasp is found in Jesus, the Incarnate Word.
His words are few.
But those words are all we need …..
…..to escape this world of empty talk….and enter God’s World.
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth. And the truth will make you free.”
Prayer: Yes, Lord may we continue in your words, your simple vocabulary that draws us into profound truth. Thank you that you speak such deep truths to us in ways that we can grasp, without special training, without education, without expert interpretation. As we hear the truth that is alive in your simple words, may it resound with power in our lives, drawing us to your very heart, where we are set free by your wonderful truth. Amen.
Message: Richard E. Bieber March 2021 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Debbie Chavers Turner
Website: debbiechaversblogspot
Recently formatted Short Postings by month
December 2025
Rather than posting mostly shorts this December, we focused on sharing Christmas sermons from over the years, preparing for an Advent booklet called His Birth in Us.
A GOOD WORD (CHRISTMAS 1980) Audio Version
HE SHALL STAND AND FEED HIS FLOCK (December 2009)
HIS BIRTH IN US (Christmas Eve 1983) Audio Version
FINDING OUR IDENITY BY LOSING IT (Advent 1980) Audio Version
THE HOPES AND FEARS OF ALL THE YEARS (Christmas 2009)
THE WAY IN (Christmas 1973) Audio Version
WHEN VISION COMES aka JACOB’S STAIRWAY (Christmas 1983) Audio Version
November 2025
HOLY IMPATIENCE AND THE CYNICAL HEART
SEARCHING THE WORLD FOR WHAT LIES AT YOUR FEET
October 2025
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE….CONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP
September 2025
AWAKE, O SLEEPER AND RISE FROM THE DEAD
SATAN’S DELIGHT….A WANDERING MIND
SOUR ATTITUDE IN A SWEET VINEYARD
WILL YOUR HOUSE STILL BE STANDING?
August 2025
July 2025
SWAGGERING TO THE THRONE OF FIRE
THE SELF DECEPTION OF A LAZY MIND
WHY WAS GOD SO HARD ON ANANAIS AND SAPHIRA?
June 2025
May 2025
IN THE DEPTHS OF OUR HEARTS aka GOD DOESN’T NEED OUR HELP
MAYBE IT’S TIME aka CAN GOD GET ALONG WITHOUT MY HELP
April 2025
March 2025
HOW ABOUT A LITTLE SYMPATHY aka TIME TO GET OVER YOURSELF
IF YOU WANT ME TO FLY GIVE ME WINGS
WHOEVER IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE (2020)
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
AM I A DISCIPLE OR A HYPOCRITE?
TECHNOLOGY OR THE WAY OF LOVE?
Follow us on Facebook. Or click on envelope to subscribe to email postings of messages with art. If using random letters instead of a name or initials when signing up, we assume it’s a scam. We never market to or solicit our subscribers for funds. Link to Contact Us.
