If we don’t read the Bible, we don’t know what it says. Many think they know what it says without ever reading it. They let their assumptions about God and the Christian life guide them instead of looking in the Book to see what God really says. As a result, many have horribly flawed views of God and what He requires of us.
One of the most challenging things God asks us to do is to forgive others. I don’t know about you, but there are certain people in my life who are hard to forgive, because their words and their actions were so hurtful. When people personally attack me or my loved ones, I find it difficult to forgive them. But that is exactly what God asks us to do.
The world we live in and the trends we’re experiencing in our country can be quite unsettling. Mass-shootings, wars in the Middle East, blatant sinful practices now being embraced and even thrust upon us, pandemics, and a host of other things. And the media seems to thrive on broadcasting only doom and gloom, which casts a social landscape filled with potholes and insecurity.
As I get older I realize more and more how quickly our days on this earth pass and how important it is that we pause and pray for a heart of wisdom — that we might live each day in a way that brings glory to God.
In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (vs. 3) Then, throughout the rest of the chapter, Jesus laid out for them what they (we) can expect.
I remember watching the longest game in NFL history on Christmas Day in 1991. It ran for 82 minutes and 40 seconds, finally ending with a field goal by Garo Yepremian that allowed the Dolphins to win 27-24. I couldn’t help but think about the pressure Garo must have felt in that final moment.
For thousands of years, farmers have created new fruit trees using grafting methods. The fact that a limb from another tree can be grafted into the host tree is an amazing process. Once the branch is properly grafted on the root stock or tree, it will begin to receive nourishment from the host, so that it becomes a permanent part of the host and can bear fruit.
Pilate spoke those words when Jesus stood trial before him. Jesus had just told Pilate that He had come to testify to the truth. That’s when Pilate responded, “What is truth?” From the context we know that he was skeptical that truth could even be known.
Last week, we talked about contentment as a godly response to life situations. But maybe you were wondering, “Does being content mean that I shouldn’t try to improve my situation?” No! Contentment is not an excuse for laziness or inactivity, nor does it fly in the face of creativity and industriousness.
Some years ago, a friend of mine was transferred by his company to Texas. He was married with three school-age children. Being a northern boy, neither he nor his family took well to Texas. He loved his job, but for a variety of reasons, they found it difficult to adapt to Texas.
Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Vietcong prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from his experience.
We don’t want to be quitters; we want perseverance in our lives. And we desire strong, godly character. We want to be positive men full of hope.
Ephesians urges us, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (6:4) That’s a short verse with a whole lot of life behind it.
The various names of God are designations for His attributes. It is significant that names given to God are most often related to His people’s needs.
We are directed by Scripture to continually look for ways to encourage, assist, inspire, and devote ourselves to others. If we truly love others the way we want to be loved, we are doing the will of our Lord. When we model a Christlike love to others, we testify to the character of God living within us.