“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). One of Satan’s more destructive weapons of temptation against the people of God is to cause us to be afraid. We are tempted to view the continuing spiral into darkness of our modern society with fear…
We live in a time when the LORD’s name is taken more in profanity than in praise. Most reading this article will think that we seldom, if ever, use the Lord’s name in profanity or swearing. But what about using it with little thought for its deep meaning (taking it in vain via casual or…
We know it by the chorus of a hymn when we sing, “For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day.” What does it mean to believe? The Bible indicates that the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and…
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” ~ Romans 13:7 In the Ten Commandments that God gave to Israel, the fifth commandment was “honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy…
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. We think of a peacemaker as one who stands in the divide between two opposing parties, one who mediates and brings about reconciliation. This is a major function and a needed one between man and man, and between God and man. Christ Jesus…
Recently a friend of mine was challenged with a question from a foreign exchange student. The student asked, “What does the word redemption mean?” As she began struggling with the best way to explain such a spiritually meaningful concept, she thought to ask why the student wanted to know. The girl replied, “Someone told me…
On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that laws prohibiting the union of same-sex couples were un-Constitutional. Justice Anthony Kennedy, the author of the majority opinion in the case of Obergerfell v. Hodges, tucked this caveat into the ruling, “Many who deem same-sex marriage to be wrong reach that conclusion based on…
Trauma is part of the human experience. We all endure some degree of unpleasantness, and we may even live through some of the same bad experiences. Interestingly, a shared event might destroy one person and leave another completely unmoved…while maybe strengthening someone else beyond imagination. Sometimes, how a thing affects you depends on your outlook. …
There is no one that lives very long that is not touched by, if not immersed in, grief. Grief is a visitor to our lives that wants to pull up a seat and stay for an extended period of time, and if we are not careful, it will move in to stay permanently. I cannot…
It’s no secret we live in a time where the name, person and authority of Jesus Christ is often defamed, dishonored and disrespected. In the world, He is the punch line of jokes. His name is frequently muttered in vain. The thought of His divinity is scoffed at and mocked. He’s commonly portrayed in mainstream…