It's Not too Late - You Still Have Time

"I thought I blew it but then I realized - it's not all over. It's not too late to change because I still have TIME.  Yes, I have wasted time. I have made mistakes in the past. I even have regrets about yesterday. But this morning, God's Word reminded me that regardless of what's lost, what's behind me, what's been wasted, I do still have TIME."

[Read the rest of this article...]

Simplicity and Modesty

Occasionally you hear debates about what Christians should or should not wear. When the pendulum swings too far one way you see extreme plainness - everything is baggy and navy or sacks in black with no differentiation - the seamstress' version of the baker's cookie-cutter approach. In fact, what was intended to be simple and modest and, I suppose, 'spiritual' becomes eye-catching for its blahness and sameness. It becomes a costume that attracts attention to the outward appearance rather than the inner adornment of the person's heart.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Jesus Notices it when You Don't

With 6,692,030,277 alive on the planet, do you think the Lord Jesus would notice or even care if you (little old you, insignificant and unnoticed) missed thanking Him today for your blessings? If you missed thanking Him today for saving you from your sins and from a life of darkness and emptiness - do you think He would notice?

[Read the rest of this article...]

Join: Friends of God

Perhaps you belong to a group called the "Friends of..."  You get their monthly e-updates and they ask you for financial support. If you do a search on 'friends of' you will see there are as few as 39,000,000 results or as many as 1,650,000,000 results. If you want to join a group of friends who share a common goal, it seems you have an almost infinite number of choices.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Not Easy, but It's Right!

 "We grew up with these people. I love them. Our lives are so intertwined. Our families have known each other for generations. We have, or should I say, had so much in common. We live beside them; we share important occasions with them and we have devoutly followed the same religious beliefs. But increasingly, I'm feeling torn. I feel a division occurring. I don't seem to be on their spiritual wave-length anymore. Should I give up what I have found in Christ?"

[Read the rest of this article...]

Who Did You Really Hurt?

"I'm so sorry. I wish I had never done that. It was wrong. I hurt you. I hurt your family. I disappointed my friends. I actually disappointed my own family. I let down other Christians. And I am sure non-Christians were surprised as well. No matter what way I look at it - it was wrong from every angle."

[Read the rest of this article...]

God's Impossibility

 "I can't believe it. I heard her with my own two ears. I'm not dreaming. She looked me straight in the eyes and told me she never, not even once, went out with him. I figured I was her best friend and that she would always tell me the truth - no matter what. But I guess she let me down."

[Read the rest of this article...]

Fan the Flame

What flame are you fanning these days? Is it a flame that will burn for eternal profit or is the potential flame you are trying to ignite and fan something that will burn out relatively quickly? How have you been spending your energies lately? What has been consuming your thought life? What gets you out of bed each morning? Where does your mind go when you have a few minutes to think? Do any of your daytime mind-dreams include an eternal dimension or a Christ-honoring motive?

[Read the rest of this article...]

Saved! Now What? Keep Sinning?

Someone says to you: "Really? You are saved and all your sins are forgiven and there's not the slightest chance that you could lose your salvation? If that's the case then, you can go out and do whatever you want. You can commit as many sins as you like and still, at the end of the day, you're saved. That's quite a deal!"

[Read the rest of this article...]

Insiders and Outsiders: ESMs

So you say you are a Christian. How different is your behaviour from those with whom you work? Are your colorful words of expression different? Are your priorities different? Are the jokes you tell different? Are your 'free' hours used differently? Is the music you enjoy different? Are your investment strategies different? Are your bookcases and DVD shelves different?

[Read the rest of this article...]

What's the Bottom Line?

Have you ever thought about doing something and then you wondered - but what's the bottom line? If I proceed what possible consequences could there be? What will the fall-out be? Should I go for it or not?

[Read the rest of this article...]

Bitter Waters

Was it spontaneously and simultaneously composed and sung? Did the lyrics and vivid imagery just flow out of the song leader? Have you ever heard 1,000,000+ people singing in unison? Did the people in the local villages step outside their homes and lift their heads, with straining ears, to catch more of the singing as it echoed across the land? You wouldn't have to be a musicologist to quickly understand there was the excitement and energy of triumph in their voices.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Performance on the Hot Seat

The last place most people choose to be is on the hot seat. Open mike segments in any meeting are nerve racking. The handlers of politicians try to screen the questions or discreetly control the mike. Business leaders, in an effort to run a transparent workplace, convene their bull pit sessions.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Connection between Lingering and Love

Sometimes our lives are busier than they need to be.  We aren't always good at sorting out the valuables from the clutter.  In the hodge-podge of daily life it seems that everything on our plate is of equal importance. But everything on my daily 'to do' list is NOT of equal importance.  If bad news struck your life later this week, it wouldn't take too long to discover what's truly important.

[Read the rest of this article...]

The Kiss of the Ages

There's a lot of kissing going on. Some kisses are genuine displays of affection while other kisses are merely a part of the process to satisfy sensual lusts. Not all kisses are with the lips.

[Read the rest of this article...]

How Much Can You Be Bought For?

Sooner or later you'll be tested on what you believe to be right. It's one thing to say you believe something but when you are blindsided by an attack on what you believe, then you discover how deep your conviction is. The attack may not be a hostile threat or prolonged humiliating ridicule.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Displeasing the Lord

It is one of those chapters in the Bible that's hard to read. You have been following the life story of the young shepherd boy who, with a sling and stone, silenced the threats of the towering giant. You have admired him in his respect for the king who repeatedly tried to kill him.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Wearing Bible Clothes

Finding clothes in a magazine or a catalogue is one thing, but have you ever found clothes in the Bible that God expects you to wear? Have you paused at your closet door to scan your clothing options for the day, breathing out a bit of a sigh: "What will I wear today?" or "What will I put on?"

[Read the rest of this article...]

Waves of Anxiety

When your mind is racing with fear and every possible doomsday scenario is flashing before you, the last thing you want to hear is: 'Be calm. Don't worry. Don't be anxious. Just pray.' Sadly there are days in our lives when verses from the Bible almost seem to mock us. When we are in the thick of it we can have flashes of angry unbelief. We can read the most beautiful verses that should reassure us and provide comfort, but right now, those verses are just too much to take.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Skip the Irrelevant?

It's great you're reading your Bible. The entire Word of God, from cover to cover, provides every thing God wants you to know. In your readings, have you ever arrived at the third book of the Pentateuch and decided not to read it?

"The what," someone asks?

[Read the rest of this article...]