The decision by Israel to change their government from a theocracy to a monarchy was a disastrous decision. It was surely not God’s will for them, because they had lived in freedom for so long. …
A Father in the House
Several years ago I knew a young woman who was frustrated in her marriage and wanted a divorce. Her family pleaded with her not to do it, to seek counseling, and to try to work …
The Book of Samuel #4
Freedom is a terrible burden to bear, and it is a sad fact of life that men are all too willing to lay down that burden in the name of security or some other combination …
The Book of Samuel #3
If you saw the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, you will have been introduced to the idea that the Ark of God is a source of great power. Power that could be used, theoretically, …
The Book of Samuel #2
There aren’t very many things you can do that are worse than making people dread the worship of God. I know, you can kill people, you can maim them, you can cut off their heads. …
The Book of Samuel #1
It has been said repeatedly that those who cannot learn the lesson of history are condemned to repeat it. I can only conclude that not many people believe that statement, because so few have any …
A Christian Pentecost
This weekend marks one of the most important occasions in the history of the Christian Church. It is the day of Pentecost, and you may not know that it is actually a lot older than …
Making Life Work #24
I’ve never known of a womanizer who really liked women. Women are useful to him, things to satisfy his ego—but not people he respects or cares about (or, more importantly, cares for). There may have …
Making Life Work #23
Only by pride comes contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. We all know that too much pride is a bad thing. And we all know that humility is a virtue. But what are …
Making Life Work #22
It seems that every age and every generation has it defining characteristic. It also seems to me that we are currently living in the generation of the lie. Just look at politics. If we find …
Making Life Work #21
Is it possible to give things away and yet become richer? Is it possible to hold on to everything you have and wind up poor anyhow? This is the paradox of generosity—and it has a …
The Grace to Win
Every Sunday school kid knows that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but not many adults know why that happened, and the incredible underlying story of Jonah. And very few recognize the connection to one …
Water Baptism #1
There is something truly satisfying about the Christian rite of baptism. I’ve baptized a lot of people in my time, and I never tire of seeing the joy on the faces of people who are …
Making Life Work #20
How many times have you gotten yourself into trouble by speaking up when you should have kept your mouth shut? If we’re talking about making life work, the mouth may be the biggest single problem …
Making Life Work #19
What father does not take pride in the accomplishments of his son? And what mother does not glow with pride when her daughter is honored for her talents? And what parent does not burn with …
Making Life Work #18
The Proverbs are essentially ideas that grow naturally out of the Law of God. Here we are dealing with one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. If you’ll bear with me, I believe …
Making Life Work #17
Of all the ways that a man can mess up his life, sex-related problems have to be some of the most likely. Even more so for a woman—in that the consequences for women seem more …
Fairness and the Christian #2
Doesn’t the government have an obligation to help the poor? More important to what I am driving at is whether helping the poor is a Christian value. Well, of course it is, but how does …
Making Life Work #16
There are a lot of ways to mess up your life. It’s frightening how easy it is to make one small mistake that carries consequences that last a lifetime. There’s no way to avoid every …
Making Life Work #15
Life is all about challenges, and character is all about meeting those challenges. But the unfortunate thing is that most of us don’t really get a lot of instruction about how to meet them. All …