Giving gifts can be a dangerous activity. Gifts given for the wrong reasons can bring misery instead of joy and happiness. How can this happen? How can giving someone a gift be a bad thing? It is easier than you think. Here are three examples of gift-giving that can result in a miserable Christmas.  1. Giving gifts to receive. This type of gift giving is actually giving a gift to yourself.  No, I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from you to you.  I.. read more

What makes a Christmas a good Christmas? Think about that for a  moment. There is danger that lurks for Christians when we evaluate the quality of life with the standards of our culture. Using the world’s standards to be the measure of what is good in your life will bring dissatisfaction. This is exactly what happened to the psalmist in Psalm 73. His overwhelming discouragement came directly from evaluating life the way God’s enemies do.  Parents, this applies to you, as well. If you work hard at your parenting, but use the.. read more

Everyday world leaders make decisions thinking that they answer to no one but themselves. Legislatures pass legislation believing they have served their constituents, their party or even themselves.  Generals direct their armies where they believe they should be deployed. But behind all of these decisions is the unseen hand of God directing the affairs of people to bring about his sovereign decrees. Men seldom recognize or acknowledge this rule of God but his control is there. King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon said this about God’s control over the nations: His.. read more