Council Fire

Council Fire

Tough Like a Tree

3 min · 20 de may de 2026
portada del episodio Tough Like a Tree

Descripción

“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8 (NKJV) Near my house stand very tall spruce trees. These trees have many branches, and the sum of their weight must be incredibly heavy. One evening, as I observed the trees, I marveled. I thought, “To hold all those heavy branches, those tree trunks must be very strong.” On another evening, it was storming very hard. I again thought, “Those tree trunks must be very strong to withstand the wind.” A couple of seasons later, there was a bad blizzard. Still, the trees overcame. I thought again, “Those tree trunks must be very strong!” Jeremiah writes — in the Scripture above — about believers being like trees that spread out their roots and do not fear, are not anxious, nor cease from yielding fruit. When we are pressed every day, are we strong? Do we remain standing if we are pressed by many issues? Do we remain standing? Jeremiah tells us the secret of a tree’s strength: “. . . planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river.” Jesus said to a Samaritan woman, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14b, NKJV). The Apostle Paul said, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7, NKJV). Remember, we know we need God every day, but when those additional challenges come into our lives — sometimes more than one at a time — they can be overwhelming. Let’s remain rooted in Christ. — Ernie McDougall   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

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148 episodios

episode When Stuck in a Muddy Pit artwork

When Stuck in a Muddy Pit

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1–3 (NKJV) Do you remember a time when you or someone you knew got stuck in the mud? I remember one time, when I was a kid, I was in a mud puddle, and my gum boot was stuck good. The more I tried to get it out, the “stucker” I got! I struggled in my own strength, but nope, I needed help. When I finally realized I couldn’t do it on my own, that is when I called “Heelllppp!” Then I got the help I needed. Well, as I grew older, I found myself stuck in different “muddy pits” of things that God didn’t want me to do, such as cigarettes and alcohol. I tried to quit on my own strength, and it was just like when I was a kid stuck in the mud. I remember always crying out to God for help, even in the pits of desperation, “Please, God, help me! I don’t want this in my life anymore.” I kept on asking for His help and — in the way only God can do — those muddy pits are no longer keeping me stuck! He got me out. I am thankful for His mighty ways. You may be thinking, “I’m so ashamed of my muddy pits, and I don’t want anyone to know how stuck I am.” God knows, and He wants to help. He went to the cross to pay for my muddy pit sins. He put a new song in my heart. He is trustworthy. We just need to ask for His help every second of every day. — Shannon Menelaws-Laier   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

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episode And God Said ... artwork

And God Said ...

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20,21 (NIV) I was with some First Nations young people who believed that the white man wrote the Bible. So, in a gentle manner, I asked, “What is written on the cover of this Bible?” They replied, “The Holy Bible.” I said, “So, the one who wrote it is ‘holy.’ If you say that white men wrote it, then you are calling them holy. You have placed yourself beneath them. You are calling them gods. Why would you do that? God wrote the Holy Bible.” They thought about it for a moment, then replied, “We didn’t think of it that way before! Thank you.” God “writing” the Bible . . . the first idea that comes to mind is of God using His hand to write the Bible. So it must be explained that, when God “wrote” the Bible, He used prophets and apostles to write it down. These men were inspired by God what to write. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed . . .” Back in Genesis 1:3, we read: “And God said.” Verse 6 begins, “And God said.” Verse 9 and verse 11 read, “And God said.” I think you get the picture. God spoke and creation began. New life began. What do you suppose is happening to us when we read His Word? Jesus said, in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Reading the Bible is vital to those who have a personal relationship with God. So whether it is “God wrote,” or “God said,” be fi lled with His Word. Hear His voice. Read His Word! — Peter Constant   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

26 de may de 20262 min
episode Put Your Feet in the Water artwork

Put Your Feet in the Water

“But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away . . . And the water below that point flowed into the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.” Joshua 3:15b-16 (NLT) In 2015, I started attending a missionary training school in Missouri. The thought of going to another country intrigued me, and I wanted to learn in another setting. Things were going well, but I began to struggle with the linguistics courses, which I found out were not my strong point. The last semester was around the corner and I did not want to return for it. Yet I did not want to quit. I thought that if I returned home to Canada early, God is not going to love me any less. Yet I still wasn’t at peace. I continued to pray and wrestle with it. One day, while doing housework, this thought came so clear to me: “Just put your feet in the water and I will take care of the rest.” The story of Joshua leading the Israelites through the Jordan River came to mind, and I made the decision to return for the final semester. In that instant of saying “yes,” there was peace inside me! The final semester came and God sure “took care of the rest.” He is so faithful. Upon finishing, I received a Bachelor of Intercultural Studies degree. I learned a lot that semester, but one thing I will not forget is that when God calls you to a task, He will take care of it all — when we put our “feet in the water” — just like He took care of it for Joshua and the rest of the Israelites. — Myrna Kopf   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

25 de may de 20262 min
episode Even Your Father’s Friend artwork

Even Your Father’s Friend

“Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend.” Proverbs 27:10 (NKJV) “Are you two old guys done with your coffee and ready to call it a morning?” Smiling, Ronald approaches a table in the Sippin’ Good Coffee Shop. Bob, his father, glances up at him with fondness. “Nothing better to do, son. Me and Greg here go all the way back to kindergarten!” Ronald scoots a chair forward and sits next to his father. “And I’m sure you two recap every adventure from then till now.” “Yep,” Greg, his father’s friend, replies. “And we enjoy reliving each one of ’em! Like the time your dad and I decided to skip school and ...” Ronald holds up a hand. “I know, the truant officer spotted you, drove you to the school and marched you straight to the principal’s office.” The two elders’ bellowing laughs fi ll the small coffee shop. A waitress comes to their table. “More coffee?” she asks. Bob holds up a hand. “No, thank you, Miss. Just the tab.” “I got that,” Ronald says as he grabs his wallet. “One thing, though, Pop. You still planning to take the train to Sanford to see your Aunt Lucille? How old is she now . . . 90-something?” “Yep, the only elder I got left.” “I have one younger brother, but he’s up in New York,” Greg says. After seeing his father off, Ronald returns home. The news warns that a freak storm is headed their way! He rushes outside and pulls down his shutters. Then he remembers Greg. He hops into his truck and finds his father’s old friend trying to hammer plywood over his windows. “Hey, I got that!” Ronald calls out. Greg smiles and wipes his brow. “Whew! Thank you! You’re a godsend, son. Right on time!” “Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away” Proverbs 27:10 (NKJV). Our Father in heaven, help us each to always have the heart of a servant. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. — Kiki BelMonte-Schaller   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

24 de may de 20262 min
episode A New Creation artwork

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 I was born as a Cree person, and I am very proud of who I am. I was raised by my mom and dad with values and virtues. There has been a lot of talk lately about “finding yourself” in order to be healed. I was never healed because of who I was, but by the saving grace of God, the Creator, who through His Son Jesus Christ, saved me from eternal separation from God. God gave me a new living hope and transformed me from within. I let go of the old nature, but I didn’t lose my identity as a Native person when I came to Christ. In the Word of God, I am called a new creation. This verse does not say I am no longer a Cree person who must give up his language and identity. God starts dealing with the sin in my life and helps me live according to His design and purpose. This will never stop until the day the Lord returns, or I am called home to be with the Lord forever. 2 Corinthians 5:17 above talks about God giving me a new life because I have put my faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” God changed my life, internally and externally, and set me apart for His glory. In becoming a new creation, the Holy Spirit leads, guides and teaches us through the Word of God. We learn to live our lives holy unto the Lord and He sets us apart for His glory to represent Him, and to honor Him with our lives. — Ken Mitsuing   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries [https://intertriballife.org/] and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [https://nefc.ca/] The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org [https://councilfire365.org/]

23 de may de 20262 min