not fooled
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” —Mark Twain
life . . . with God
Every month, more than 500,000 people Google “meaning of life.” Why am I here? They find answers ranging from “Life has no meaning” to “The meaning of life is whatever you make it.”
what do you worship?
"Whether it’s a supernatural being . . . science, money, wisdom, information, ritual, power or love,” says social commentator Hugh Mackay, “most of us assign the status of god to something in our lives.” The truth is: Modern, secular people still worship something even if they’ve abandoned belief in God.
The first chapter of Romans describes this human religious impulse…
learn from history
According to federal education officials, US students are less proficient in their nation’s history than in any other subject. The test revealed that most fourth-graders were unable to say why well-known president Abraham Lincoln was an important figure, and few high school seniors were able to identify China as the North Korean ally that fought US troops in the Korean…
bring it
In Isaiah 59 the prophet was bringing it! He was not holding back. All around him, he saw people who were not living in truth (Isaiah 59:15). There was a decided lack of justice and righteousness in his world.
Just like you and me, he longed for truth to save the day. Perhaps unlike us, however, he recognized that the way…
roaches are forever
For a $10 donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society, you can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after someone you love. This fund-raising event for a New York City zoo targets sweethearts who want to pay tribute to the long-standing nature of their love. The zoo claims that the cockroach symbolizes resourcefulness and resiliency, and says, “Flowers wilt. Chocolates melt. Roaches…
when God speaks
I’m no gardener. The surest way to kill your flowers or vegetable plants is to ask me to care for them. So I marvel at those who are gifted at working with all things green and growing. Some gardeners have a practice (whether it is superstition or has merit, I can’t say) of talking to their plants. They’ll lean over…
temper, temper!
It was the first month of the 40th year of wandering in the wilderness. Still grieving over the death of his beloved sister Miriam (Numbers 20:1), Moses had to cope with the rebellion of his people. The second generation of Israelites who had been freed from captivity was about to enter the Promised Land.
But they were committing the same…
near
Invictus, a film starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon and set in South Africa at apartheid’s end, tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s inaugural years as South Africa’s first black president. The opening scenes are grim, showing blacks playing soccer in a dumpy, dusty field, while whites, clad in crisp, clean uniforms, are playing rugby on a plush field directly…
painful truth
My 4-year-old son and I were watching television when we saw a commercial for skin cream. A woman’s face appeared and then the camera zoomed in, revealing a rather serious set of crow’s feet. But it didn’t stop there. Computer animation gave us a peek beneath the surface of her skin—into her very pores. Finally, they showed the wrinkle cream…
getting your way
Proverbs 16:25: There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
When children become rebellious, they sincerely believe in their hearts that getting "their own way" will lead to their freedom. Are you currently in a situation where you feel pressed into "getting your own way?" First of all, if you're feeling pressured into making…
proof of faith
The renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens was dying. By his own admission, decades of heavy drinking and smoking had given him cancer of the esophagus, and now he was facing a brutal regimen of chemotherapy and a bleak prognosis. His thinning hair, weary eyes, and parched, halting voice were signs of a beaten man—yet he softly reaffirmed his unbelief in God.…
shredding spaghetti
In a recent debate, Christian mathematician John Lennox argued for the reality of God with atheist scientist Richard Dawkins. In his writing and speaking, Dawkins will often talk about the “Flying Spaghetti Monster” as an analogy for belief in God. His point is that since God’s existence cannot be proven, it’s as ridiculous to believe in Him as in a…
u-turn
When my daughter was learning to drive, one of the maneuvers she had to master was the U-turn—a 180-degree rotation to reverse her direction. In some places, U-turns are permitted anywhere along a road as long as it’s safe to do so. In Singapore, U-turns are permitted only at specifically designated junctions, clearly marked by a sign. Regardless of your…
