I have a friend who loves puns and word plays (you know who you are!) Sometimes his humor makes you groan, but sometimes he hits it right on the mark. And sometimes, his remarks are as insightful as they are humorous. One of his favorite phrases is “a Gumby God.” Do you remember Gumby? I may be showing my age, but Gumby was popular when I was young. Gumby is a simple cartoon-like character that [...]
There is an old-fashioned word we don’t hear very often in everyday speech. But it is a word that I like. I like it because it describes something I can hold onto, something I can depend on. That word is steadfast. According to Noah Webster, the word steadfast describes something or someone that is “Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.” (Webster, 1828) Having something like that in my life helps me. It helps me [...]
The Bible tells us that in the beginning, in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God. Can you imagine it? You wake up in the morning. Have some fresh fruit. Inhale the crisp, clean, fresh morning air. You watch the animals grazing nearby, and then you hear a footstep and the sound of His voice! It’s the Lord God, your Creator! So, you run to Him and walk with Him and talk [...]
For those of you who follow, you will have noticed it has been a while since I have posted. Although the timing of my online absence coincided with the social upheaval due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not the pandemic that precipitated my withdrawal from active blogging. Rather it has been what I can only describe as a spiritual lull. Some of you may have experienced what I mean. Or perhaps [...]
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs is one of the great classics of the Christian faith. Originally compiled by John Foxe in the 16th century, it has greatly influenced English Protestant thinking. For many English-speaking Protestant Christians of the past five centuries, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress have been considered second only to the Holy Bible as essential reading for the Christian. England was a hotbed of political and religious conflict in the [...]
Is anything too hard for God? Nothing. Nothing is impossible with God (Matt. 19:26). In all of Eternity, He does as He pleases and accomplishes with perfection every task He sets out to do (Ps. 135:6, Isa. 55:10-11). No purpose of His can be thwarted (Job 42:1-2). His power and authority are infinite. The entire universe burst into existence, not by the labor of His hands and the sweat of His brow, but by the [...]
First published in 1978, Celebration of Discipline has helped many readers find a deeper, more meaningful spiritual life through practicing time honored spiritual disciplines of Christianity. For Christians living in our fast-paced Western culture, experiencing traditional spiritual practices such as simplicity, solitude, fasting and Christian meditation can come as a breath of fresh air. Foster describes the role of the disciplines in spiritual transformation: While it is true that “human striving is insufficient and righteousness [...]
The Truth Project from Focus on the Family provides a Christian worldview via a 13-week small group study. Each one-hour video lesson, taught by Dr. Del Tackett, discusses the relevance and importance of living daily life from a biblical viewpoint. The Truth Project is an excellent study that explores in detail many of the underlying fallacies that prevent believers from experiencing the fullness of the abundant Christian life. For many, this may be a life [...]
In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul strongly urges the Christians to be more than just believers in Christ. He encourages them to become true followers who imitate Christ in their daily routine. He writes, Eph. 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 [...]
The Kingdom of Heaven is that nation of beings, both angelic and human, who hold Almighty God as Sovereign and who hold His laws and promises above those of any other nation or people, earthly or otherwise. The citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven claim God as their God, and He, in turn, claims them as His people. This citizenship is a matter of fealty over geography. Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven recognize and [...]
