For I am the LORD your God, Who churns up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD Almighty is his name. Isaiah 51:15 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 8:27 I heard a famous TV reporter this morning, standing by the sea wall in Galveston Bay, describe the scene of Hurricane Ike's approach. As he was pelted by the water crashing over the sea wall, he described the waters of the Gulf of Mexico as angry waters. He then said the waves were wicked waves. It is telling that weather systems are described with language that indicates purpose and intent, as if […]
Yearly Archives: 2008
136 posts
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15 One of our readers left the following as part of a comment to the post, How Sin Works – Application to Teenagers:“It is hard to dialogue and not monologue with a 13 year old who doesn’t respond. Any suggestion?” This mom is not alone. Parents are frustrated by contrasts. Contrasts, such as when you observe your teenager talking a mile-a-minute with friends and yet, when you talk with him, his exuberance collapses into strained monosyllables. Did you have a good day? Sort of. How was your test? Okay. Do you have homework? Maybe. Do you have plans this weekend? Not sure. […]
The political conventions are finished. Now begins the 60 day sprint towards election day. These next few weeks will have a significant impact on your family. Your ability to trust in God will be on display before your children and others who are close to you. I will have several posts on this topic. To get things started here is a previous post on this topic. Take some time to consider the legacy you leave to your children. 2008 is a leap year. The Summer Olympic Games will be held. Who knows what memorable events from 2008 will go down in history? In America there will be a presidential election. That election also marks the end of a president’s term […]
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 Sin’s deceitfulness targets teenagers particularly. As Timothy warns, youthful passions must be avoided and righteousness pursued with great energy. We have already addressed the youthful scheming of Jonadab and Amnon. Amnon’s desires made him an easy target. He craved his sister, Tamar, and was willing to take whatever shortcuts and schemes seemed viable in order to satisfy his sensual passions. His headlong pursuit of immediate gratification had a fatal outcome. That is where living for the moment can lead. In the 21st century, the entertainment media and advertising industry have assumed the role of […]
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. Psalm 135:6 An AP headline today read "Gustave Spares Worst for New Orleans." This headline credits the thing created with the actions of the Creator. It may seem a small thing. It is not. God and God alone is the one who determined the path of Gustav. It appears from the forecasters that the eastern U.S. will be in for a round of hurricanes this next week. Don't miss this opportunity to point your children to the one whom the wind and waves obey. This week could bring a series of near-misses or it could bring […]
I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Psalm 135:5-7 Hurricane season has arrived. This evening Gustav is headed toward the Louisiana coast. Hanna is lingering just east of the Bahamas and a strong tropical wave has formed just off the coast of Africa. As you view the progress of Gustav through the Gulf of Mexico you will hear […]
When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?" 2 Samuel 11:10 The second common form of deceit is that it offers a shortcut to what we want. The real truth behind this shortcut is that we assume we know better than God what is good for us. It is ironic that these shortcuts usually involve much more planning and scheming than simply doing what God requires. There is definitely an overlap between this form of deceit and the form we discussed in the last post—living for the moment. Living for the moment drives you and your children to look for shortcuts to avoid the […]
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Genesis 37:3&4 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. Hebrews 11:24&25 There was a popular song in the ‘80s which offered this line as part of its refrain: […]
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as […]
Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." The Olympics are winding down this weekend. There have been many successes and many disappointments. Michael Phelps grabbed the attention of the world by winning 8 gold medals and setting 7 world records. Usain Bolt was equally impressive, setting three world records by winning the […]