When anyone calls on Jesus to be their Savior, He immediately sends the Holy Spirit to live in them and be their constant companion. In addition, the Spirit equips each Christ-follower with “gifts” to be useful in His Body, the church. Reading through the lists of spiritual gifts in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, […]
One nice feature about international flights is having the opportunity to watch movies to occupy your time. The last time I flew to India on a mission trip I began watching the movie, Jack the Giant Killer. The movie was based upon the fairytale, Jack and the Beanstalk, with giants living in the clouds. I […]
The Bible reveals in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We are supposed to be different. What has changed? I still have the same job and family. I still sleep and eat. Sometimes we don’t feel like that […]
Whether boys are standing beside a small creek or on a bridge above a river, they will find something to toss into the water. It’s fun to watch things bump along as they float downstream. It’s also fun to be the one drifting. When we were much younger, Karen and I enjoyed floating down the […]
How do you handle interruptions? I don’t handle them too well. I wish I dealt with them better, but I prefer it when life happens smoothly, according to (my) plan. A familiar story can teach us a lot about interruptions. The story takes place in the early morning, near the end of Peter’s workday. He […]
Do you sometimes feel alone and afraid? Do you enjoy meeting new and unexpected challenges? Or are you like me, preferring routine? Do you have a tendency to see life as “a cup half full” or do you find yourself seeing things more as “a cup half empty?” It’s easy to interpret circumstances and interruptions […]
Consider the Apostle Paul, King David, and the Prophet Elijah. You might think such godly men never faced discouragement, but each of them did. There was a time when Paul said he “despaired even of life.” One time David’s men talked of stoning him, and he had to “encourage himself in the Lord.” And there […]
Winetasting has become a popular pastime in Oregon, as wineries have sprouted up throughout the countryside. Apparently, our state’s climate is conducive to the growth of tasty grapes and wines. The landscape boasts so many wineries now, that you can spend an entire weekend sampling the fruit-of-the-vine at different ones. In the second chapter of […]
I hate roller coasters. I almost get seasick just watching television coverage of some theme park’s new “biggest roller coaster ever.” If they think that is going to inspire me to vacation at their park, they have another thing coming. I see absolutely no excitement to being pulled straight up several stories, only to freefall […]
Man’s inhumanity to man is most clearly seen in racism. It has led to Hitler’s extermination camps in WWII, the Rwandan genocide of 1994, Stalin’s “Great Purge” in the 1930’s. It has also shown its ugly face in the enslavement, mistreatment and murder of Blacks in our own country’s history. This level of bigotry and […]