Articles

The man given the position as head of the Catholic church is called Pope, meaning “father” and indeed almost all priests of the Catholic church are called “father”. Jesus, however, said to call no man father on the earth for only God in heaven is our Father (see Matthew 23:9).The pope is also called “Holy father”, a term used only once in scripture as Jesus addressed His Father, Alm...

Christians never quit God in a single day. Oh, some give up the faith suddenly at times because of a great tragedy in their lives but these are the exceptions. No, the way that most Christians lose their faith is through "drifting".Drifting is a slow removal of ourselves from the influence of God and His people. It is slow because drifting away from God does not usually set off...

I used to tell my children this, and now I am doing it again with my grandchildren. "You may have a ‘reason’…but it doesn’t give you a ‘right’." It is usually spoken when someone was "wronged". Then they felt the urge to come back with an appropriate action of, at the very least, equal pain. Whether it was a verbal onslaught or a physical attack, there was always a reason ...

On September 25, 1982, at a candle-light ceremony for prayer in public schools, President Ronald Reagan stated: “Now, no one is suggesting that others should be forced into any religious activity, but to prevent those who believe in God from expressing their faith is an outrage. And the relentless drive to eliminate God from our schools can and should be stopped.”¹ That statement is...

Of course He does!  The entire Bible is God’s message to us all that He loves us.  But in case you’re wondering what God teaches about the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism, read on.1. The practice of homosexuality and lesbianism is against God’s design from the creation.  God observed for us that it was not good for man to be alone, and so made a woman from the flesh of the man, to be man’...

God brought this universe into existence, sustains it all through the word of his power, and will eventually fold it and everything in it up like a garment, Hebrews 1:2-12.What dependence do God’s people have on this physical world?  None.  We simply use it as a wonderful “habitat” if you will, until the Lord’s return.The churches of Macedonia seemed to understand this all...

Be balanced in your appraisal of the opposite sex:  Don’t  totally discount physical attraction, but understand that any relationship based on looks alone will make both of you miserable and resentful.  Proverbs 11:22 says that a beautiful woman without discretion is like a ring of gold… in a pig’s snout.  Look deeper than that.Make deliberate decisions.  Don’t g...

I don’t know how many times someone has come to me after I’ve preached a sermon and said, “I thought you were talking directly to me, because that is exactly what I needed to hear”.  Hey, it isn’t me.  Sure, I’d like to take credit for such, but I just preach the word as best I can (well, I’m sure I often fail to even do that) and it hits home with power where it lands on ...

I hated the Toronto Maple Leafs. Back in the fifties and sixties they were the arch rivals of the Montreal Canadiens when hockey in Canada only had six teams. My dislike of the Leafs stemmed less from hometown prejudice than their style of play. You see, Toronto was notorious for “sitting on the puck.” In hockey language of the day, this term described a team that would immedia...

It occurred to me on my last road trip, how much I rely on my rearview mirrors.  If you count the little, round convex ones, I have 5 mirrors on my car to keep track of what’s behind me and where I’ve been.  I check them often trying to consciously keep aware of the possible hazards behind me.  At the same time, I have to remind myself that whatever is behind me is importa...

Matthew recorded in his gospel exactly what our Lord said should be our focus: “But seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”,  6:33. May I step out of my norm and offer a personal testimony?All of my growing-up years my mom went to church and took me with her.She never willingly missed a Sunday morning worship assembly.  But th...

Last minute Christmas sales and talk of the “fiscal cliff” were brutally replaced by headlines reporting that twenty children and six adults were murdered in a Connecticut elementary school last week. The President wept as he noted that, “We have been through this too many times…” and editorialists recharged their arguments for or against gun control.There was the anguished search for re...

The apostle Thomas is often remembered as a doubter because he refused to believe in the resurrection until he saw Jesus for himself, according to the gospel of John 20:19-29.Earlier, however, when Jesus had determined to return to Judea where his life was in danger it was Thomas who said to the rest of the apostles, "Let us go also, that we may die with him", John 11:16. Any way you cut it, that’...

Recently, on a cool fall morning, I awoke to the sound of my own breathing. Not snoring (although that has also happened before), this was the normal rhythmic sound of air entering and exiting my lungs. As I lay there wrapped cozily in my blanket and with my eyes closed, I couldn’t help but think of David’s words in Ps 139:14... “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelou...

When is the last time you made a proclamation?  Don’t be fooled by the official sound of the word.  It simply means to announce something publicly.Everything we do proclaims something about what we believe.  This fact makes it possible for every Christian to proclaim their faith in Jesus and their love for His bride, the church, to the whole world without saying a wor...

Moments of meditation on the Day of Thanksgiving, Echo Gratitude to be in the land of the living; A beautiful Sunrise or Sunset I was able to behold, Is more precious than a dapper-dressed body in a casket of Gold! If a hunger for riches should grow in You or Me,Would sparking diamonds satisfy before eyes that could not see? How wonderful that God created the gift of sight, Enabling us to read and...

I’m talking about the distance between sinners and God’s judgment. The phrase “stand in the gap” is taken from one of God’s messages to Ezekiel: I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 It is a use of military imagery. The idea is that the wall of a city is breached at ...

Paul wrote a clear and detailed denunciation of the practices of homo- sexuality and lesbianism in Romans 1:18-32. In verse 32 he also wrote: ...and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (emphasis mine) Paul, the author of the above through the inspiratio...

There’s a “For Rent” sign in front of a house near my home. It’s for rent because the young mother who lived there with her husband and two young children com- mitted suicide recently. Her family has moved out and put the house up for rent. I think of her every time I drive by on my way to and from work and see that sad little sign. Here I am not one hundred yards from her front door, a two minute...

Two of the definitions the Merriam-Webster dictionary offers for entropy are: The degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity A process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder Entropy is the second law in the science of thermodynamics. It is not the kind of law you can choose to disobey. You and I are completely and totally subject to...