Of all the letters Paul wrote, 2 Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In it the great apostle lifts the veil of his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his human frailties and needs. You need to read that letter in one sitting to capture the moving emotion that surged through his soul. It is in this letter alone that he records the specifics of his anguish, tears, affliction, and satanic opposition.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Encouragement & Healing
Walking on Waves: Experiencing Joy in Difficult Times
Is it possible to experience joy even when your world is crumbling? When the doctor diagnoses you with a serious disease? When someone you love dies? When you lose a job, hit the wall financially, endure mistreatment? Some people try hiding their heartache behind a mask of happiness. When a friend asks, “How are you […]
Read MoreAccept God’s Forgiveness
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 Today I want to write to you who have had an abortion. I hope my words will help you. I also write to you who have aided in an abortion medically . . . or have encouraged someone you love […]
Read MoreAt Work in the Womb
Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. Psalm 22:9–10 The psalmist writes that the Lord has been his God forever, even from his […]
Read MoreIn the Image of God
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own […]
Read MoreA Biblical Basis for Issues at Hand
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 Timothy 3:1 Much has already been written on sanctity and morality. The logic and the conclusions make good sense. What concerns me, however, is not what is stated but what is left unsaid. There is technical data from […]
Read MoreBe Armed with Facts and Courage
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 An enormous amount of emotion swirls in the abortion arena, as it has for decades. In light of conflicting voices on the horizon and the undeniable reality that the issue isn’t going away and […]
Read MoreFrom My Heart to Yours
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 During my decades as a pastor, I have been directly in touch with the needs of people. Refusing to remain […]
Read MoreThe Hammer, the File, and the Furnace
It was the enraptured Rutherford who said in the midst of very painful trials and heartaches: Praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace! Let’s think about that. The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds.
Read MorePain
They called him Old Hickory because of his tenacity and grit. His mother chose Andrew on March 15, 1767, when she gave birth to that independent-minded South Carolina rebel. Wild, quick-tempered, and disinterested in school, Andrew answered the call for soldiers to resist the British invasion at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter, he was taken prisoner. Refusing to black an enemy officer’s boots, he was struck with a saber—Andrew’s introduction to pain.
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