families
We thank and praise God for our families,
on whom, we know His blessings are released;
whether with many or without children,
all families are interdependent.
Men of their own homes. husbands and fathers are,
doing much more than just providing three meals each day;
wherever they go and whoever they are,
they are accountable for all they do and say.
Usually physically stronger,…
communing with God
Matthew 18:11: I, the Son of Man, have come to save the lost.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a "that"? Christians tend to think that Christ was sent to earth by His Father for the sole purpose of saving souls. However, according to this passage of Scripture, Jesus was sent to fulfill more than just salvation. He literally paved…
free solo
A recent article in National Geographic Magazine published remarkable images of climbers as they scaled the sheer rock face of Yosemite’s 2,916- ft. (889 meters) El Capitan. Astonishingly, some of the climbers make portions of the ascent without safety ropes in a death-taunting exercise known as “free solo.” These guys literally live on the edge.
Some of the most hard-core climbers…
you choose Q: How can I love a close relative who is wicked and sees me as an instrument to obtain money?
Q: How can I love a very close relative of mine who is very wicked and sees me as an instrument for obtaining money? He is very cruel to me and I'm afraid of him because money is his only concern. —Grace
A: Hi, Grace. Thank you for writing! We are very glad to hear from you.
Many people mistake love…
Jesus formed in you
Galatians 4:19: My dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.
There's much more to being a Christian than just saying, "I'm saved." All who confess faith in Christ must also undergo the conversion process. Our transformation is manifest when Christ is formed…
working hard
My dad is a hard-working man. He works 6 days a week. During his off-days, he’s always tinkering with something in the house—fixing the fan or cleaning something. Colleagues of mine who also know my dad have remarked that being industrious is a trait that runs in my family. Is diligence an inborn trait— are some people born lazy while…
you choose Q: what about those giants in the O.T.?
Q: Are the giants in the Old Testament God's creation or humanity's children? —Merilyn
A: “Giants” (the Nephilites) were first mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Various groups of giants were also mentioned as inhabiting the land of Canaan: the Anakites (Numbers 13:28, Deuteronomy 2:10, 9:2), the Emites (Deuteronomy 2:10), and the Rephaites or the Zamzummites (Deuteronomy 2:20)—their last king has a bed…
developing godly character
Romans 5:1-4: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We…
February 27, 2012
What does Lent mean to you? In what ways do you acknowledge it?
disobedient doubt
What do these famous men have in common: Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell, Karl Marx, Pablo Picasso, and Aldous Huxley? They all declared that they did not believe in God, and all were sexually promiscuous. Coincidence?
In The Making of an Atheist, James Spiegel explains that many modern thinkers expressed doubts about God, at least in part, because it made…
love and hate
There’s definitely a fine line between love and hate. I read of a wife who was so fed up with her husband’s cheating that she said, “I didn’t want to divorce [him], but I wanted him to die.” The adulterous husband said of his bride: “I didn’t love her. I wanted a divorce.”
A disturbing account in the Bible reveals…
deliberate
Due to my love for music, I want my kids to know its inherent beauty beyond their ability simply to hear notes. So with no hidden dreams of creating prodigies, my husband and I have invested our finances, time, and oversight into making music a priority. We’ve given our kids certain choices along the way, but we understand that we…
two temptations
For 25 years, Irmela Mensah-Schramm has walked the streets of Berlin, Germany, cleaning away the racist propaganda of neo-Nazi groups. Since 1986, Irmela has painted over graffiti and scratched away stickers (36,000 in the past 4 years). She believes she can overcome neo-Nazi ideology one street at a time.
When God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, all was theirs…
two places
I asked myself two questions recently as I examined what guides me as I navigate life. What goes on within me? What goes on around me? I decided to break it down and take a closer look.
What goes on within me?
Faith
God
What goes on around me?
The world
Circumstances
I asked myself again, what truly guides me in this…
flourishing
Psalms 92:12-15: The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock!…
