When we see God at work, we can be encouraged in our own faith.  Stories of transformation can be inspiring and help to motivate us to pray and seek Him as to how He would use us for His glory.  Surveys, like I feature on "Survey Thursday," help us to put our finger on the pulse of how God is moving.  In Isaiah 43 (ESV), we find a sweeping description of how God desires to bring people into a savi...  Read More

We can recognize that God's purposes will be expressed through persecution.  In our trials, we can see the mighty hand of God doing amazing things, if we are willing to surrender to Him.  Our faith grows not as we run from Him in times of trouble, but as we run toward Him to experience His grace and mercy.  The Bible says in 1st Peter 1 (ESV):12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when...  Read More

When we reflect on ways that we can serve God, there are multiple opportunities that He may afford us within the course of our lifetimes.  Certainly, we seek to live a life of obedience, and that involves our personal daily walk, the witness we have in our homes, our workplaces, and our churches.  And, there may be an occasion to serve our communities in other ways.  We can be sensitive to the lea...  Read More

The fact that you and I are breathing today exemplifies God's purpose for our lives - we are here on this earth in order that God may be glorified.  Each day is a gift, and we should seek to honor God with this gift every day until He calls us home.  That is the simple purpose to which each of us is called.   Ecclesiastes 12 (ESV) provides commentary on life's purpose:13 The end of the matter; all...  Read More

January is observed as Sanctity of Human Life Month, and the annual March for Life in Washington, DC occurs during that month, around the time of the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that was overturned 3-1/2 years ago, Roe vs. Wade, which is January 22, 1973.  This year, the March was held on Friday, January 23 and featured a live message from Vice-President Vance and a video message ...  Read More

The death of a long-time comic strip author can challenge us to consider what it truly means to follow Jesus.  Days before his death, he wrote a short statement in which he announced that he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior.  Those words spell out a change of heart, but other words in the statement seemed to contradict that.  In dealing with salvation, we can be confident in the two principle...  Read More

At every opportunity, as God opens doors for us, we can express our faith in Jesus Christ. And, we can do so boldly and confidently, realizing that He empowers us and gives us the words to speak.  We can be motivated by His love to speak and act according to His will.  In Romans 1 (ESV), we can read:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who bel...  Read More

Jesus desires to be our companion; actually, much more than that, because He lives inside of us.  And, children can and should be taught that He loves them, He is someone who can be trusted, and He is a friend who is closer than a brother.  But in a technological age, through artificial intelligence, children are being conditioned to seek companionship through toys that can present a danger to the...  Read More

The death of a lady in Minneapolis recently who was apparently a key part of a protest against a federal law enforcement agency tasked with enforcing immigration law has brought strong emotions from various people - after all, a lady did lose her life.  Lawmakers who do not wish for the law to be enforced have decried the incident, denigrated the ICE officer who shot her, and set the lady up as a ...  Read More

Today the nation celebrates the birthday of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As a guest said to me years ago, it's important to note that he was a preacher of the gospel.  The concept of civil rights for all people is certainly a Biblically-driven ideal, and it's no wonder that it grew out of the Church.  But, today, the Church seems to be confused about words such as equality, diversity, in...  Read More

Union Gospel Mission in Washington state offers shelter to the homeless, but there was a threat to its mission when the state Supreme Court issued a ruling a law that required non-profit ministries, such as Union, to not consider sexual orientation when hiring for “non-ministerial” roles.  That’s according to Liberty Counsel, which reports on its website: “…the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ...  Read More

Believers in Christ acknowledge that our time on earth is not all there is - there is life beyond the grave, and we are alive in Christ now and will be alive with Him in eternity.  When we think deeply about eternity, one should ideally reckon how that will be spent. We have been saved from the power of sin and death through Jesus, and that is borne out with the promise of eternity with Him.  The ...  Read More