To rally: “to muster for a common purpose . . . to arouse for action . . . to come together again to renew an effort.” That’s the way Webster defines the verb. He says the noun means: “a mustering of scattered forces to renew an effort; a summoning up of strength or courage.”
Read MoreCategory Archives: Christian Living
Self-Pity
A severe case of ingrown eyeballs strikes all of us every once in a while. In both dramatic and subtle ways, the stubborn enemy of our souls whispers sweet little nothings in our ears. He reminds us of how unappreciated and ill-treated we are . . . how important yet overlooked . . . how gifted yet ignored . . . how capable yet unrecognized . . . how bright yet eclipsed . . . how valuable yet unrewarded.
Read MoreHow to Be Salt and Light
God calls us to be salt-and-light Christians in a bland, dark society. We need to remember salt must not lose its taste and light must not be hidden. Let me suggest three statements that declare and describe how to fulfill this role . . .
Read MoreDon’t Take It Easy
Last fall one day at the church, I spotted a visiting gentleman who was shaking hands with a half-dozen folks he’d never met before. Then he looked at me, and with a grin and a twinkle, he whipped out his hand. It was a hand you could strike a match on, toughened by decades of rugged toil.
Read MoreStart Seeking God
“Lord, I’m back and I diligently seek you.” How many times have we said this? This time stop talking and sit silently. Wait patiently, seek diligently, sit silently. That means you need to pour out your heart and then deliberately be quiet. Spend a full day in quietness.
Read MoreProphet Sharing
“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exod. 1:8). Too bad. Tragic, in fact. Seems a shame Joseph had to die at the young age of 110(!), before he had a chance to impact the new king. What a difference that encounter might have made in the lives of the Hebrews, who were now reduced to the monotony of mixing mortar and making bricks.
Read MoreLiving Mercy
The apostle John asks: “If someone who is supposed to be a Christian . . . sees a brother in need, and won’t help him—how can God’s love be within him?” (1 John 3:17, TLB). True servants are merciful. They care. They get involved. They get dirty, if necessary. They offer more than pious words.
Read MoreAct Medium
The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Since a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three . . .
Read MoreComing Home
We must have resembled a scene from Grapes of Wrath as we rambled along the highway. Several layers of redwood forest dust mixed with pine tree sap covered our car. The cartop carrier was loaded with miscellaneous stuff, including a bike wrapped in a blanket flapping in the air, piled on top of several boxes of “family fun stuff.” We were homeward bound and glad of it.
Read MoreCordiality
The heart of the term “cordial” is the word “heart.” And the heart of “heart” is kardia, a Greek term that most often refers to the center of our inner life—the source or seat of all the forces and functions of our inner being. So when we are cordial, we are acting on something that comes from and affects the very center of life itself. Maybe that’s why Webster defines “cordial” as “of or relating to the heart; vital, tending to revive, cheer or invigorate, heartfelt, gracious.”
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