It’s called the City that never sleeps—New York! My son recently survived his first month living there. And while he initially enjoyed the excitement and ease of stepping out of his apartment to explore coffee shops, delis, even the public library—after a few weeks he realized there was no quiet—ever! Any hour of the day or night the endless drone of traffic, trucks rumbling, barrels crashing, sirens blaring, people talking . . . goes on . . . and on . . . and on . . . The world teaches us to live like the city, doesn’t it? Always…
When circumstances threaten to swallow us up with despair, will we be pulled under, or rise above? The answer lies largely in how we’ve been training. It’s the training in peacetime that prepares a soldier for when the battle rages. Does he stand in the front lines of combat without knowing how to use his weapons? Of course not! Why should we expect to be strong and prepared spiritually, if we haven’t been devoting time to “training”? Ephesians 6:12 gives us the crucial reminder that the “fight” we’re in is not person against person, but spiritual. Life is a spiritual…
Perhaps you’ve seen the stickers, the magnets, the greeting cards: Life is good. Ever notice how easy it is to coast along—and even forget God—when things are going well . . . . . . when life is good ? Jesus came that we might have a more abundant life, yet He also warns us that in this world there will be trials. Unfortunately, it’s often when something big rocks our world—the unexpected crisis, the cancer diagnosis—that many people quickly cry out to God for help. Yet in the same verse, Jesus also tells us that in Him we can…
Last summer I had the joy of sitting in a class at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference taught by James Watkins. I immediately sensed him as a man who deeply loves the Lord and desires to live for Him. This month I’ve been enjoying a new book compiled and edited by Watkins called The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today’s Language by Thomas à Kempis. For five hundred years à Kempis’ devotional classic has brought wisdom and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages—second only to the Bible in sales! Watkins’ new paraphrased version has “modern and inclusive language…
With holiday time in full swing, it’s interesting to consider the traditions associated with Christmas. What do decorated trees and wreaths, yule logs, Santa Claus, Christmas cookies, and jingle bells have to do with the birth of Christ? Answer: Nothing! What does December 25 have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? Answer: Nothing! Research reveals that Jesus was actually born in the fall of the year. Almost all the customs of Christmas stem from ancient pagan festivals honoring other gods, and didn’t begin until some 300 years after Christ’s death. And although the Bible records details about the…