This Thanksgiving—Give Thanks!
We want the holidays to be happy and merry, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic cited some of the below as factors that tend to make the holidays not very glad: • Connecting the holidays with family problems or painful memories • Expecting that you should feel happy • Dealing with the loss of a loved one, or spending the holidays away from friends and family • Developing unrealistic expectations, or thinking about negatives that have occurred during the
Despair: Bleached Bones in the Desert
O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long? 4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my
Pornography in the Church
Pornography isn't just something unpleasant going on in the world; it's right at the heart of our churches. -Martin Saunders _________________ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. -Genesis 2:24 Sexuality is one of the best and most powerful things God ever gifted humans. He created it to glorify his name and to illustrate how human life was to be lived—a beautiful expression of love and intimacy, male and
Bad Religion Leads to Bad Times
Toxic religion (or bad theology) leads to bad times! We need to get our theology back on track. In ministry, besides all the wonderful positive loving persons I've been privileged to call friends, I also have encountered about every form of negative emotions and habits, unhappiness, and utter joyless people present in the church and the world. Since the culture has a way of thoroughly penetrating the life of the church, the two are often too similar to each other even
The Importance of Obedience, Prayer, & Reading Your Bible Daily
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.-Hebrews 4:12 Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment Movement, wrote, "I must confess to you that the majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me, the holiness of the Evangelists speaks to my heart and has such striking characters of truth and is moreover, so perfectly
Never Forget: God Is Trustworthy and Sovereign
We were running late that September day, so my wife Shirin and daughter Sarah missed their regular train at the Babylon station of the Long Island Rail Road. Just as I saw them disappear into the crowd rushing to get into Manhattan that bright, sunny morning, my daughter Stephanie and I heard on the car radio that a small plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. I thought little about it, assuming some minimal damage had been done
A Revolution of the Mind: Finding God’s Plan for Your Life
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. -Psalm 119:103–106 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual
Sin: Discontinued
Sin is outdated, unloving, and irrelevant. Sin is what puritanical preachers use to control their lemming congregations. We no longer “sin” because there are no moral absolutes. We have preferences and need to be tolerant of each other’s choices. But here’s the challenge—For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If we need God’s help and rescue from impossible situations, we must face our chief problem—sin. Sin is anything against God’s commands. Isn’t it interesting that God’s
How Do We Face Normal Life Decisions with Faith?
As we go through life, we need to be sure faith touches us where and when it’s most needed—in our grief, battles, and disappointments. If it’s not proved steadfast there, it’s of no value to us. Faith must apply in any circumstances, both big and small. Not just when we’re facing gigantic mountains but also the tiny mounds—the very mundane, disturbing, and frustrating irritations or needs. You know, those things that seem inconsequential or frivolous to others but are seemingly insurmountable
Storm Rider: Drawing Closer to God
Are you going through a storm right now? Something so difficult or traumatic that you aren't sure you'll make it to tomorrow? Don't give up hope. It often takes a storm to get our minds off our own plans and ways and onto God's greater plan—to realize there's a purpose for our life that is far better than our own. Our storms help draw us closer to God than anything else. So when we're facing a storm, let's remember three things as we
