I appreciate these challenging words from J. I. Packer about what it means to truly have a God-honoring “Christmas Spirit.” May God one day say of us what He said of King Josiah: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” (Jeremiah 22:16) We talk glibly of the “Christmas spirit,” rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But . .... Read more
While speaking about sexual purity at my church several years ago, I told parents that if they’re going to let their children have unrestricted Internet access in the privacy of their own rooms, through computers, tablets, phones, or any other device they might as well buy thousands of pornographic magazines and stack them in their children’s closets and say, “Don’t ever look at those.” It amounts to the same thing. After my message, a sincere Christian mother came up to... Read more
A few times I’ve shared Jeremiah 29:11 on my Facebook page. The verse says, “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope” (CEB). I always get some pushback on this. Recently a thoughtful reader asked, “But for whom and when does this apply? Is the context meant to include me/us?” The “you” in Jeremiah 29:11 is plural. It’s spoken not... Read more
All of us need to lock arms with a group of comrades who will inspire and encourage us and challenge us to greater accomplishments for God’s kingdom causes. That’s why we all desperately need to be part of a local church where God’s Word is taught and God’s Son is worshiped (Hebrews 10:25). Hebrews shows how today’s churches can trace their heritage back to the ancient body of Christ and heroes of the faith throughout the ages. Michael Griffiths... Read more
I think we can all agree that we are glad this election is behind us, regardless of how we feel about the outcome. Many of us may be discouraged. Some may be angry, not only at the candidates and political parties, but at their fellow believers who voted for or didn’t vote for those we personally felt strongly for or against. Before anything else, let me begin with a plea for unity in the body of Christ that comes from... Read more
God’s omnipotence, His power, is a subject well worth contemplating. I like what Puritan Stephen Charnock wrote: “As holiness is the beauty of all God’s attributes, so power is that which gives life and action to all the perfections of the Divine nature. How vain would be the eternal counsels, if power did not step in to execute them. Without power His mercy would be but feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His threatenings a mere scarecrow. God’s power... Read more
I’ve had many experiences of sharing Jesus with people at schools, on planes, and on tennis courts. Some friends think I’m a natural-born evangelist. But I’m not! I find the hardest thing is choosing to open my mouth. Once I do, the Lord graciously gives me the words. To me, there are not many joys comparable to that of leading someone to Christ. It’s thrilling and exhilarating. May we all continually ask the Lord to give us opportunities to share... Read more
Augustine said, “This is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee. . . . For they who think there is another, pursue some other and not the true joy.”[i] The happy life is to worship God as God—and not put anything or anyone else in His place. But in this fallen world, we can’t simply affirm God as the source of happiness without dealing with the competition. Take a look at this list of potential idols.... Read more
Laments make up more than one-third of the psalms. The contrast between Israel’s hymnbook and the church’s says a great deal about our failure to acknowledge suffering. If we don’t sing about suffering and struggle, why shouldn’t our people feel surprised when it comes? Read Psalm 88, arguably the most discouraging portion of the Bible: “My soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave…. You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.... Read more
It’s not always easy to witness the success of others without pangs of envy creeping in. I heard one story of a fortunate woman who won an extreme home makeover but whose neighbors were outraged at the invasion of their space by construction workers and film crews.They spoke critically of their neighbor, saying she probably didn’t know how to take care of a decent home.They called the police because of the disturbance, even though they knew it would be short... Read more
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