Oh, how the deceiver has a heyday stirring things up between Christian brothers and sisters. How the deceiver glories when a minister falls from grace. How the demons of hell celebrate when their trickery and deception convinces a soul that God does not exist. James tells us, “Don’t be deceived.”…
Isn’t it the pits to be born with a sin nature? As the Apostle Paul put it in Romans 7, “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil…
HYMN DAY! When we sang “Yield Not to Temptation” by Horatio Richmond Palmer in the Mennonite church of my childhood, I don’t recall ever singing the refrain. But I’ve included it here since the author must have intended it to be sung. The lyrics are so powerful! They could be…
I don’t know of any loving parents who set their children up for failure, but I do know many loving parents who allow their children to suffer the consequences of their actions. Facing the consequences of choices helps us make better choices in the future. God, as the most perfect…
In my family, we have several marathon runners—my brother, my daughter, my nephews, my grandson… I’m not at all athletic, so I really admire their stamina to stay the course, to keep putting one foot in front of the other despite the rough terrain, the unpleasant weather conditions, or the…
Doubt is one of the devil’s favorite tools. If he can make us question our faith, he can insert a wedge between us and the Father. Don’t let him do it! We know know know God loves us, yes? We know He makes good plans for us, yes? We know…
A student once asked me, “What’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom?” My response: “Knowledge is knowing something; wisdom is knowing how to use it.” In other words, we not only know, we act on what we know. We all need wisdom for decision making and to navigate life in…
HYMN DAY! “Jesus is All the World to Me” by Will Lamartine Thompson (who penned both words and music) could be my mother’s mantra hymn. How she loved and trusted her Jesus! 1. Jesus is all the world to me: My life, my joy, my all. He is my strength…
“Lacking nothing…” The world looks at that two-word phrase differently than the writer did. We aren’t talking about not lacking any tangibles; this is speaking of an intangible: faith. Until our faith has been tested, we can’t know for sure whether we truly believe. Some people, when facing testing, choose…
Seven years ago today we gathered to honor my mom, who’d stepped over heaven’s threshold a few days before and met face to face the Savior she loved and served from childhood. Mom didn’t have an easy childhood. She lost her mother at a young age and, shortly after, her…
