America’s moral strength is waning fast, a point that disturbs our sensible citizens. However, the U.S. economy remains strong, and the military is the best in the world. As long as the sun is still rising and setting, as long as life goes on as usual, most people will eventually accept the morality meltdown and…
The apostle Paul was a prisoner on a large ship headed for Rome. But a violent storm had driven the vessel off course and was threatening the lives of the 276 persons on board. Luke, one of the travelers, recorded that “neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day” (Acts 27:20). A cold and…
At some point in his or her Christian experience, a tenderhearted disciple (especially a person battling anxiety) is apt to worry about the Lord’s denunciation of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Have I committed this grievous error? Am I guilty of an “eternal sin”? One day Jesus healed a blind and mute man possessed by…
Marital conflict is inevitable. Disagreements arise because spouses have differing perspectives, needs, preferences, desires. Even happily married couples rub each other the wrong way, but they try to avoid the blunders that make marital friction worse. One of these mistakes is “the silent treatment.” When hurt or angry, some spouses (usually husbands) withdraw. They may…
When I was living in Indiana, I often heard an advertisement for an area casino. The radio commercial promised the moon—good food, friendly service, luxury suites for customers wanting to spend the night, and the chance to win big. Gamble with us, the casino was suggesting, and we will take care of you. A more…
A couple of weeks ago, my family and I rented and watched the movie God’s Not Dead. The film is about Josh Wheaton, a college freshman challenged by Professor Jeffrey Radisson, a militant atheist. The teacher demands that all his students sign a statement affirming that God is dead. When Wheaton refuses to deny his…
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urges his readers to “rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4). Is he talking about happiness? Certainly, most people want to be happy. Happiness is the good feeling we have when everything goes our way. Happy is how we feel when our favorite basketball team wins a big game,…
Is someone pushing your buttons? Perhaps a relative, coworker, neighbor, or church member always seems to know just how to say the wrong thing and spike your blood pressure. How is a Christian to cope with such a person? The apostle Paul says: “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with…
Some religious people think that belief in one God is inconsistent with the concept of the Trinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for instance, maintain that the Holy Spirit is a force rather than a Person. But the New Testament plainly sets forth the doctrine of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 1:2),…
The Bible’s amazing consistency is strong evidence for its divine inspiration. The 66 biblical books were written on three continents by about 40 people over a period of approximately 1,600 years. These authors, writing in three different languages, had widely varying life experiences. Some were wealthy, influential, and scholarly; others were fishermen, shepherds, or farmers.…