roots that drink from heaven
A man knocked on my office door and asked me if I would officiate his marriage. I asked him to sit down so we could chat about his plans, timing, and spiritual life. “Oh, I’m not sure you understand,” he said, “I’d like you to marry me today, like in the next hour.” The story is complicated, but his fiancée was from a country in Asia and was living in the US with a short-term visa. For numerous reasons he wanted to marry right away, but he didn’t want a civil authority to perform the ceremony. He wanted a church and a pastor.
heart decisions
A young woman wrote: “I’ve fallen in love with an unbeliever, but I know it’s wrong. What should I do?” One of our authors posted her question and his answer on the ODJ website.
smartly, not seductively
I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently. “Much preaching about women dressing modestly has been destructive,” she said, “because it subtly places the blame for men’s lust on women. Men should take responsibility for their lust, and women should be free to wear what they want.” My friend’s words got me thinking.
you choose Q: what can i do about my sin?
Q: I always try to run away from sin, and when I think I've gotten away, it comes back. After I commit the sin, I feel as if I should be punished for my sin. Other times, I feel so bad that I think that God is disappointed, and I'm too embarrassed to tell anyone of my sin, what do…
idols of affection
In the final scene of the movie, the leading man—eyes brimming with tears—summarized his life to his girlfriend: no friends, no job, and a shady past. He had no family ties, no apparent faith in God. He really had only one thing—the love of his favorite girl, and he vowed lifelong devotion to her. To make her happy, he had refrained from violence, remained monogamous, and had stopped using certain unsavory words. Everything he did and planned to do revolved around the beautiful starlet he’d fallen for.
don’t be dumb
There’s nothing new under the sun.
truly human (again)
Last year at an international summit of world powers in Doha, the capital of Qatar, global leaders launched the Educate A Child project. The project seeks to build bridges between nations, calling us to recognize our shared humanity and to intervene on behalf of those at risk. Further, the project believes that funding children’s development will ultimately yield to a more peaceful world.
made new
She embodies beauty, both inside and out. But she also carries the burden of deep shame due to the actions of a selfish man. Far from harmless, his hands not only touched her, but they robbed her of security and honor. Perhaps he saw it as a game—simply sacrificing her innocence on the altar of a sex-saturated culture. But, to her, it resulted in a painful, lifelong wound of the heart and mind.
true fulfillment
How many times have you, as I have, delved into sin—addiction, sexual impropriety, gossip, pride, unbridled anger, slothfulness, and more—in an attempt to mask the pain of life? It’s so easy to respond to emptiness, disappointment, or hurt by turning away from God’s commands.
cover-up
Historians weren’t sure if Reformer Huldrych Zwingli had been sexually promiscuous with the daughter of a prominent citizen. Misbehaving priests weren’t uncommon in the 16th century, yet such gossip seemed like something his Roman Catholic enemies might spread to discredit Zwingli.
true love
When I stopped by a nearby restaurant to pick up some food, a guy and a girl standing in the parking lot caught my attention. Their arms linked together, the guy craftily reached to place his hand between her legs. My heart sank, and I began to pray that they know the beauty of glorifying God with their bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).
if My people
I was speaking with three friends about the lamentable condition of our country. They mentioned the continued practice of abortion, the rise of homosexual marriage, and the debt crisis. One friend cited 2 Chronicles 7:14, and said that our nation’s problems will only be solved when our country turns to God. I said that would be difficult to pull off, as our nation believes in the separation of church and state. We cannot compel Muslims, Buddhists, or atheists to worship Yahweh. Nor would we want to. Life goes badly—both for those inside and outside the church—whenever Christianity becomes the religion of the state.
saving little ones
Jenny” grew up in a home where both parents engaged in extramarital affairs and were prone to violence. In this setting, Jenny soon became emotionally and physically neglected—and vulnerable to others.
you choose Q: I've fallen in love with an unbeliever . . . what should I do?
Q: I've fallen in love with an unbeliever, but I know it's wrong. What should I do? —Keliya
A: Keliya, your heart is obviously torn in two over this relationship. On one hand, you're strongly drawn to a young man. This is understandable, for—as a human being—he bears the image of our Creator God. Apparently, your boyfriend also possesses some qualities that…
