you choose Q: how does a person handle death?
Q: I’m so sad. My friend Karen's dad died today, what happens after people die? Do they go right to heaven? What happens to the body after they die? My Mom just turned 96. I'm scared of what will happen when she dies. I know I'll fall apart. I'm not a strong Christian. How does a person handle death? —Patricia
It’s normal to be fearful regarding the process…
God’s name
A colleague discovered that her name was used on a website to attract people to attend a Bible seminar. But she hadn’t actually been invited to be the speaker. Immediately, she took action to investigate the matter. Could this be a case of identity theft?
the Rock
The Christian faith is a singing faith. Knowing that I love to sing hymns, a friend gave me the devotional book 101 Hymn Stories: The Inspiring True Stories Behind 101 Favorite Hymns so I could learn the history of great songs like “Amazing Grace,” “A Mighty Fortress,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” and “It Is Well with My Soul.” Already rich in biblical truth, these hymns have stories behind them that have caused me to appreciate their message even more.
March 17, 2014
How has your time in prayer changed over the years?
saying goodbye
Today I told my friend Jen goodbye. Having met her a year ago, I liked her from the first time I interviewed her for a teaching position in our department. I soon realized we were twins born 8 years apart—she too keeps bananas in her freezer forever and has a sensitive heart. Witty, bright, strong—and unafraid to cry—Jen embraces life with passion. I’ll miss her dearly as she begins a new life with her husband in a different city and state. As unexpectedly as our paths crossed, they now divide.
the main event
In John Irving’s Prayer for Owen Meany, Owen announced the distinct importance of Jesus’ resurrection: “Anyone can be sentimental about the nativity; any fool can feel like a Christian at Christmas. But Easter is the main event.”
x prize
The X Prize Foundation attempts to solve the world’s problems by offering large cash prizes to whatever team can fix them first. Winning teams have built a spacecraft that can fly beyond the earth’s atmosphere twice in 2 weeks and cars that achieve 100 miles per gallon. Other teams are trying to land a robot on the moon, build a machine that can quickly sequence each person’s genome, and create a portable device that can diagnose a patient’s condition. These goals will most likely be met, for people will work hard for $10 million.
you choose Q: are demons united in their evil efforts?
Q: I have have this impression/thought that demons are not united even among themselves. It seems like a logical deduction but I would like more certainty if its possible to know what is the stance of the Bible. In Mark 3:23-26, Jesus spoke about a house divided cannot stand. Does that imply in anyway that the demons are united? —Wee…
abundance
The other day I took my son to a baseball-batting cage and paid for eight sets of 25 pitches. To our pleasant surprise, when the round finished, the balls kept coming—and coming. The machine had malfunctioned, and as a result it kept delivering an abundance of pitches. This reminded me of the time a friend’s 5-year-old daughter woke up and said, “Last night I had the best dream. I was at the beach and more toys than I could ever hope for washed up on the shore for me to have!”
follow Jesus
Grandpa was a gentle but firm primary school principal in Pretoria, South Africa. In my final year as a student teacher, he shared a few trade secrets with me. His advice on how to get a disruptive pupil out of the classroom and into isolation was most helpful: “Look the child in the eye and say with authority, ‘Follow me,’ then turn and walk confidently out of the classroom while not looking back.” I tested his advice when dealing with an unruly adolescent and, though I doubted it would work, I soon heard him reluctantly following me.
you choose Q: what about divorce and remarriage?
Q: I’m married to a divorced man. He and his ex wife divorced because she did not beleive that there is a hell. They basically were not of the same accord spiritually. I'm just finding out I may be living in adultery. What do I do now? If I divorce him I'm sinning, and if I stay am I in…
