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 dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers […]
Worldview
Your children know everything about you. They see when you are sleeping, they know when you have been good or bad, they know when you pout and when you shout. Your kids know all of this without your ever having to say a word. When you stumble and ask God for help — they learn. When you stumble and snap or make excuses — they learn from that, too. If you value your relationship with God above all else, your children will know that as well. What does this have to do with being Santa’s helper? Just this: in Psalm 72:18 we read that “God alone does marvelous things.” However, at Christmas time, for little children someone else is portrayed […]
On a beautiful Sunday morning there were signs. There were negotiations, there were warnings, there were plans, there was a grand scheme. There was deception. There was a belief things could be managed, that our country would be safe. There was also one missing component in the policy making of our country on that Sunday morning, December 7,1941. Like today, there was a refusal to believe what the Bible said about the human heart: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” —Jeremiah 17:9 I have no way of knowing what this December 7th will bring. But I do know that the reality of the deceptiveness of the […]
God ordered that Fall would arrive on schedule in late September. And, it did. But once the sun moved past the equator changes began to happen as the intensity of sunlight shifted southward. Each year the impact of Fall is realized, at least for me, sometime after the equator is crossed. So today, I sense the spirit of Fall has come. Today a damp, cold rain is preparing the leaves for their annual display of color signifying the beauty of death and renewal. The spirit of fall speaks of hope that can only come when we let go of what we hold dear and seek the renewing grace of Christ’s redemption. Fall’s colors are bold and stunning. Then the colors […]
Jesus was on a boat with his disciples. He decided to take a nap. While he was sleeping, a fierce storm came up. Waves were crashing over the top of the boat. The disciples feared for their lives so, in a panic, they woke Jesus shouting, “We are going to drown!” Let’s pause the story for a moment. Can you identify with the disciples? It appeared the boat was about to sink and there was Jesus, sleeping! The disciples acted as if they didn’t alert their master, he wouldn’t know that they were in danger. At that precise moment, they were acting very much like you and me. We somehow think it is our job to remind God that he […]
Today is the first full day of fall and spring. If you live in Australia, today means that warmer weather is on the way. If you live in North America, it is time to get ready for winter. The Lord announces the change of seasons with spectacular outbursts of color. Spring arrives with fresh greens and stunning pastels. Fall is announced by splashes of bold yellows, reds and golds. The Lord delights in color. He specifically designed your brain to recognize the visual beauty that accompanies the sun’s passage across the equator twice each year. Your eyes are portals which allow light to be transmitted to your brain so that you can be in awe of intricate colors that God […]
Florence is headed for the Carolina coast. The projections for the storm’s impact are increasingly dire. The track is not the “typical one” for hurricanes striking land. The storm is predicted so stall near the coast and then after a day or two slowly move across the state of South Carolina. The potential damage is catastrophic. Are the movements of Florence random? Is her track simply an unfortunate convergence of high and low pressure systems? Are the Carolina’s at the mercy of fate? The Bible says that nothing is random and that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the wind and the waves. Job proclaims that the pressure systems controlling Florence are following the direction of God. He loads […]
Safety is an illusive pursuit. It is possible to purchase elaborate safety features for a new car and still be involved in an accident due to poor driving. Or one could have an excellent plan for physical health with proper diet and exercise and then become sick contracting a contagious disease. Laws can be passed that attempt to make us safe. But these laws will not protect against the evil of the human heart. Tomorrow is the 17th anniversary of 9/11, a chilling reminder of darkness of the heart. The Bible teaches us that evil is the natural state of all humans. Evil, wicked actions are a part of life, whether we pass laws to the contrary or not. It […]
There is a popular TV show about walking dead people. These are not the kind of people that you want to hang out with. Yet, in real life, there are walking dead that we hang out with everyday. We trust them to tell us how to live, how to spend our money, how to have fun and even how to love. I know, you are thinking who would be that crazy. Why would any one trust walking dead people? Well, for one thing the real walking dead don’t appear dead. They aren’t necessarily scary in appearance. They may even be extremely attractive. They are often indistinguishable from those who are truly alive. Here the TV show has one distinct […]
Secular culture faces suffering with fear and dread. Affliction is something to be avoided. Suffering is regarded as an interruption to life. Suffering is not a meaningful part of life. In a biblical vision, suffering comes from the hand of a God who is good and working good in us through all that he brings. Our suffering may seem overwhelming. Afflictions are often unfair. We may see our adversity as random and meaningless. In reality our suffering is meaningful. God has a purpose in it. If we face it rightly, it can deepen and strengthen our love for God. These afflictions can produce more spiritual stability, deeper graces and greater spiritual growth than we could imagine. —Tedd Tripp [hr] [hr]