Toddlers are people. They may be small. They may have a limited vocabulary. They may be immature. But the bottom line is – they are people. This means they make decisions about what is important to them, just like you do. And just like you, their interpretation of their circumstances determines how they respond to problems they face. Let’s put this in perspective. Your toddler thinks he has lost his prized possession. This may be likened to the concern you have when you can’t find your debit card. Was it lost or stolen? Is your bank balance secure? Whatever the case may be, getting that card back is now the highest priority. But, suppose your helpful neighbor is visiting and […]
Monthly Archives: August 2015
25 posts
Much of life is hard. But as you think about the wonder of the Lord’s salvation there are times when pure joy should erupt in your soul. Psalm 126, one of the psalms that records the journey of Israel going up to Jerusalem to worship, captures this joy. Laughter and praise flow freely in the psalm. This psalm is one that brings perspective. God has indeed rescued you from the pit. You are not treated as your sins deserve. You will know the joy of eternity with your Savior. Your tears of sorrow will turn into tears of joy. As son or daughter of the King of Kings you do have reason to laugh and know joy, even in life’s […]
Even teens who appear to be mild and compliant to others can engage in hard-fought battles at home. At the root of many of these battles is a deep-seated perception that they, the teens, are being treated unfairly. When a teenager, or anyone else, focuses only on the injustice that has been done (either real or perceived), his ability to trust God is blocked. Struggling with unjust treatment leaves anyone weary and burdened. The weight of injustice is more than we can bear in our own strength. For example, Absalom bore this weight alone and it eventually destroyed him. Teenagers who bear this burden by themselves may appear intimidating, even menacing. Or, they may be sullen and withdrawn. Christ appeals […]
Suppose you stood face-to-face before God and in his hand he held a record of every sin you that you committed? Not a pleasant thought! If this did happen, you would be immediately condemned by the holiness of God. All of your sinful thoughts, actions, and intentions would scream your guilt across the universe. This is something so awful that no one would survive the encounter. We cannot truly contemplate what it means to worship God unless we can first grasp what it means to be guilty before him. The Psalmist had exactly these feelings as he approached Jerusalem for worship. Here are his thoughts from one of the Psalms of Ascent. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O […]
Two thousand years ago Jesus had important counsel about your savings. He challenged a rich, successful farmer not to think that earthly savings provided security. He went on to say that there is treasure that will never fail, that cannot be stolen or destroyed. Jesus did not condemn the acquiring of physical wealth, but he did say that there is treasure that is superior to what can gained by earthly means. He urged his followers to have purses that will never wear out. The Apostle Paul echoed Christ’s words when he warned in I Timothy 6 that wealth is uncertain, so don’t place your hopes on earthly treasure. Global markets are losing billions of dollars in value. Perhaps the markets […]
There plenty of things in life that are scary. For a moment, imagine that you traveling on foot at twilight on your way to Jerusalem almost 3,000 year ago. The last part of your journey is a climb through steep hills. There are long, dark shadows as sunset approaches. On each side of you there are countless places where robbers and wild animals may be waiting to attack. This is the scene Israelites faced as they went up to Jerusalem to worship on one of the appointed feast days. The Psalmist, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote the 121st Psalm to address this very situation! Actually, there are 15 Psalms that are called Psalms of Ascent which were […]
It is impossible to separate the acceptable worship of God from a deep love of the wisdom of God. Biblical wisdom is more precious than anything, anything that you can desire. If you do not desire God’s wisdom above all else, your worship will be an exercise in self-service. One of the reasons that Christ died is so that his people will walk in newness of life, to walk in the wisdom and commands of God. Thus true worship will lead to a life of loving God’s wisdom.. Failure to love wisdom, is a failure to love God. Proverbs 3:13-15 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better […]
l Longing for Home is featured this week on our Current Sales page. There are several outstanding values in this special. Among them is our new book, Longing for Home, by Stephen Yuille. This book is an intimate journey through the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 120-134. The book speaks of worship, emotions and the uniqueness of your relationship with God. Check out all of this week’s specials at our Current Sales page by clicking on the image below:
ISIS and Planned Parenthood demonstrate the darkness of the human heart. These two examples of evil have become familiar headlines. The problem with headlines is that they become political issues to be solved by elections. The truth is that laws, social norms, military force, education, elections, and 24/7 news coverage will not rid the earth of deeply entrenched evil. This kind of evil cannot be talked out of existence. There is only one way to defeat evil. Jesus said that the gates, or strongholds of Hell, cannot stand against his church. That’s right, the church that is so easily dismissed is the only force capable of defeating evil. Only a praying church, committed to being salt and light can throw […]