"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? ...

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalms 127:1 NIV).

The Scriptures remind us that we must be both disciplined and dependent in God's work. The psalmist envisions God's people at work building His house and the watchmen actively watching over His concerns. He is also seeing that it is ultima ...

The Discipline of Grace sounds like an oxymoron- the linking together of contradicting terms (e.g.., deafening silence, solemn celebration, jumbo shrimp). We associate 'grace' with the free gift of God's love, the full pardon and acceptance we find when we bow in recognition of Christ's sacrifice for us. The word 'discipline' reminds us of demands that stretch us, rules that constrain us and rigorous regimens that challenge us out of our comfort zone. We tend to equate 'grace' with a 'freedom of al ...

(Look and Live)

For five years, I lived a block away from a little chapel tucked away on a side street in Colchester, England, that has its special claim to fame. On a snowy day in 1850, a young teen named Charles Spurgeon walked up Hythe Hill alone and came out of the wintry cold and sat in a back pew. The worship service was late getting started. Because of the adverse weather conditions, the scheduled itinerant Methodist preache ...

Through the centuries, believers have questioned: "Which is the way that leads to holiness?" Is holiness obtained through rigorous routines of self-discipline or is it automatically ours if we passively 'let go and let God'? Is the truth found somewhere in-between? What is our response to Jesus' command to "Be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect?" Is not such perfectionism cruel when we know that "all have sinned and are all presently fal ...

The Mystery of a Well Tuned Biosphere

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalms 19:1 NIV).

According to writer Paul Johnson "The most extraordinary thing about the 20th century was the failure of God to die. The collapse of mass religious belief, especially among the educated and prosperous, had been widely and confidently predicte ...

"With great ('mega' in the Greek) power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much ('mega') grace was upon them all." (Acts 4:33 NIV)
"It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." (Hebrews 13:9 KJV)

To be 'disgraced' is to experience the loss of affirmation, acceptance, honor, favor, and respect. It i ...

After World War II, Robert Woodruff declared his vision: "In my generation it is my desire that everyone in the world have a taste of Coca Cola!" An outrageous goal for an enterprising soft drink enthusiast? Today Coca Cola is known from the deserts of Africa to the interior of China, in every major country of the world. Woodruff was able to motivate his colleagues to reach their generation for Coke.

Nearly two thousand years ago Jesus of Nazareth left his small band o ...

Wholesome Thoughts About Your Life

The Scriptures give us reminders that stimulate us to wholesome thinking (2Peter 3:1). The apostle Peter reminds us that all the pressures and problems of life should not alter our life-focus. We who are born of the Spirit have a capacity to recognize and participate in what God is doing. When facing life's many demands and uncertainties, it is important that we see the big picture. History does n ...

"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden." (Proverbs 30:18-19 NIV)

All four are distinctively marvelous as they take their natural courses: The eagle in relationship to the sky, the snake in relationship to the rock, the ...

#5 - How Not to Sabotage a Relationship (Part 4)

(continued from last week)

9. PRACTICE RECONCILIATION AND FORGIVENESS.

In His original plan God never intended for anyone to have a broken heart. But we live in a fallen world where relationships are frail and vulnerable. Relationships are easily put out of joint.

There is a way to heal fracture ...

#4 - How Not to Sabotage a Relationship (Part 3)

(continued from last week)

7. BECOME A GOOD LISTENER.

The ability to listen well can be an invitation to enter the inner world of another person. Those who listen well elicit intimacy. They are able to journey with another person and discover the secret riches of their inner life. "The purposes of a ma ...

#3 - How Not to Sabotage a Relationship (Part 2)

(continued from last week)

HOW NOT TO SABOTAGE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS

Good inter-personal relationships are fundamental for successful living, yet we assume that they will automatically come our way. Little do we realize how our own human depravity and poor social programming have jeopardized our potential to establish ...

#2 - How Not to Sabotage a Relationship

The Book of Proverbs contains numerous practical nuggets of wisdom. A proverb a day can keep many troubles away. Within this collection of short rhyming couplets (distichs) and quatrains, we have a treasury of insights on what is true, right and lasting. Each proverb is an encapsulation of the mind of God on how we are to conduct ourselves in life. Together they unveil some vital principles a ...

#1 - "A righteous man is cautious in friendship." (Proverbs 12:26 NIV).

Relationships require care and nurture. They also require wisdom. Every one of our relationships will reflect our character. Our words and deeds either build or erode the loyalty and trust people voluntarily put in us. We must be careful as we choose and cultivate our friendships.

Within each of our hearts there is a desire for 'u ...

True leadership inspires 'followship'. We follow leaders who demonstrate qualities we admire. True Leaders lead by example rather than the persuasive powers of personality and promises. Character and competence are more important than charisma.

When Daniel was in his eighties and in line to be the prime minister of the Median-Persian Empire under King Darius, he was heavily scrutinized by his opponents. The result of the commission was that they could find no corruption in him. ...

"For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

Why is it that the human heart so easily utters contempt for the holy? Why is it that even the atheist, who professes not to believe in God, continually insists that "God damn it"? Why is it that people's reflex reactions to surprising situations are to vocalize their lack of submission to the Divine by saying ...

(Joy of Living)

While in France, some Christian friends who were accompanying my wife and me on a preaching tour on the European Continent, joined us at a New Year's Eve party at the home of an agnostic banker just outside of Paris. Although we were among the minority that did not drink alcohol that night, it was clear to many of the party-goers that we all seemed to be having the best time. Animated conversation, loving exchanges, ...

Once during our time of ministry in England, I received a telephone call from a remarkable actor who was appearing in a production in which he played seven different roles on stage. He asked me if I could meet with him after an evening performance. He had received a tape of one of the messages I had preached in London and wanted to know more about spiritual matters. I agreed to meet with him one night at a restaurant near the theater. There he asked me how he could know God in a personal and real w ...

In the second century BC, humankind first catalogued and packaged its grandest ancient self-made marvels as "the seven wonders of the world": the pyramids of Egypt; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; Phidias's statue of Zeus at Olympia; the temple of Artemis at Ephesus; the tomb, or mausoleum, of King Mausolus at Halicarnassus; the Colossus of Rhodes; and either the Pharos, or lighthouse, at Alexandria or the walls of Babylon.

The apostles saw that the greatest wonder of ...

The prophets, apostles, preachers and teachers of the early church did not see their job as making up sermons. They did not sit down on a weeknight to ponder what would be an interesting subject to speak on next Sunday. They proclaimed what they had realized in their experience of the person of Christ. This is the substance of the church's ministry: to hold and manifest the testimony of Jesus (See 1John 1:1-3). For as the apostle John said, "The testimony of Jesus IS the spirit of pro ...

Recently I was speaking with a man whose cartoons are published daily in our city's newspapers. He was recounting his first days in art school. For the initial term he enrolled in a class taught by an artist whose work he had greatly admired. He was anticipating his first day under this great man's tutelage.

On the first day of classes the professor asked his students, "How many of you have your own personal style?" Eager to have the maturity of his craftsmanship recog ...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

All living organisms experience some degree of stress upon their systems. We are made to be able to manage applied pressures or force systems, physically, mentally and emotionally. Stress is necessary in healthy growth and productivity. But when exce ...

"Without a vision the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

One translation reads: "Without a vision, people go to pieces."

The Apostle Paul confessed to King Agrippa that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision (Acts 26:19). Once he understood who Christ was and who he was in Christ, he was never the same. Pau ...

Two large plate glass windows and a glass door expose our otherwise dark wood paneled living room to the sunlight of the great outdoors. Forty years after the windows were installed as part of the original construction, the seals of one window deteriorated to the degree that condensation between the panes of glass caused it to fog. Because of the major expense of replacing the glass, we decided to live with it, delaying the repairs until the window was thoroughly tinted with condensation. Because t ...

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness (having God's life consistently manifested in your spirit) has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." (1Timothy 4:8 NIV , parenthetical explanation, mine)

Today many workplaces are furnished with physical exercise equipment. Personnel managers recognize the effect of enhanced employee perform ...

Frustration is the experience of having your dreams thwarted. That which you have been longing for is now out of reach. Someone pulls the plug on the vision. Something prevents you from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire. Hope is shattered. The result may be that you are left baffled and discouraged.

Frustration is a form of anger. Anger is an emotional response to a perceived injustice. It is not sin in itself but can easily lead to sin if it is not handled in the r ...

The world's most eminent astronomers and physicists gathered in Poland in the fall of 1973 to commemorate the 500th birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy. Present were notables such as Stephen W. Hawking, Roger Penrose, Joseph Silk and John Wheeler. Decades later, one scientific lecture is remembered as being revolutionary in significance. Brandon Carter, astrophysicist and cosmologist from Cambridge University delivered a lecture titled, "The Large Number of Coincide ...

In the popular TV series, "Touched by An Angel" we see three generations of angels working as a team on special God-given assignments. They are confronted with human beings in difficult but common life situations that beg for someone to communicate the love of God to them. The angels are sent in to roll up their sleeves rather than show off their wings. They risk getting involved with people. As a result we not only see human lives change, but the angels growing in their understanding.< ...

The story is told of a man who went to visit an old friend who had recently moved to a farm. When he reached the farm he turned onto the long driveway which led to the farmhouse. On the way up the drive he passed by the barn. What he saw there so amazed him that he stopped the car and examined the barn closely. Painted on the side of the barn were twenty shooting targets. Each target had a bullet hole right in the center of the bull's-eye. No other bullet holes could be found on the barn wall. Whoe ...

More heart attacks occur on Monday mornings between 8 and 9 AM than at any other time during the week. This strongly suggests that, for many, a return to the workplace is perceived as stressful.

Stress can also be habit forming and condition our bodies to react in certain ways. A study reported in the New York Times, Sept. 18, 1996 looked at abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias. A group of patients, mostly males over 50 were planted with defibrillators, miniature electro ...

Intimacy is a word that evokes mixed reactions. It is something we both long for and fear. On one hand, we want to experience closeness in relationships, to be appreciated, cherished and accepted for who we are in our deepest nature. On the other hand, we recognize that true intimacy involves becoming vulnerable, disclosing imperfections and weakness. We want others to feel free to open up to us without fear of judgment. This ongoing mutual self disclosure opens the door for potential hurt, misunde ...

The convenience of speedy electronic mail delivery has put new strains on personal communication. Words quickly typed on a keyboard and fired off into cyberspace can be easily misunderstood. The reader will more than likely be in a different setting, experiencing an entirely different set of circumstances. He or she may be from a different national or business culture. They will read that E-Mail message without any clues of the sender's tone of voice or facial expressions. There are no signals such ...

A whiskey bottle can be emptied of its contents but still smell like whiskey. So a Christian can be emptied of the old sin nature, but still bear the residue of sin in their life. Rather than being a pure new vessel releasing the fragrance of Christ, they bear the stench of the sin that once fully controlled them.

From God's point of view, our old nature of sin has been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20. 5:24; Colossians 2:20; 3:3). We are no longer alive to sin. ...

Anyone who has tended a 'bittersweet' plant knows that, in spite of its attractive red and orange berries, it is a killer that easily takes over its surroundings. Its underground root system strategically emerges to choke and strangle neighboring trees and bushes. The birds of the air are fond of its seasonal berries and carry them to distant locations where fresh 'roots of bitterness' can be planted in unsuspecting territory. One cannot control where they will land.

When we fir ...

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24).

As Christians, we are called upon to be enthusiastic about what we do. The word 'enthusiasm' is derived from the Greek words 'en' and 'theos', meaning 'in God'. When w ...

No one doubted the ability of Jean Francois Gravelot, better known as the Great Blondin, to walk a 1300 foot tightrope across the gorge just below the Niagara Falls. Since announcing his planned attempt in June of 1859, he had not only successfully walked across the steep cliffs above the thundering river but continually added a host of entertaining stunts to his routine. Before 10,000 spellbound spectators he walked mid-way across the gorge where he lowered a rope to a waiting steamboat, 'The Maid ...

This week, millions of believers observe historical events that have dramatically impacted their lives - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The events that took place during the brief 33 years of Jesus' life on earth fulfill over 300 written prophecies in the Bible that anticipated the Messiah. They fit this unique TEST OF PROPHECY. Jesus lived a life that fully satisfied the objective moral base codified in the law of Moses. His life fits the unique TEST OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. He pu ...

Open your eyes today and you will discover that you are a part of a magnificent work of creation. Whether you study astronomy, biology, physics, or chemistry, the evidence of observable phenomena infers by logical necessity the existence of an intelligent Designer behind the intelligible design in the natural world.

The scientist JOHANNES KEPLER described science as "thinking God's thoughts after Him."

ALBERT EINSTEIN said, "Everyone who is ser ...

The longest running play in London's theater history is "The Mousetrap". In true Agatha Christie style, the audience is kept in suspense until the last scene when the detective puts all of the clues together and solves the mystery. Then what actually happened at the time of the crime, previously unseen and unsuspected by the theater-goer, is made known. They are told to keep the conclusion a secret lest they spoil the surprise of future audiences. They exit the theater with that special l ...

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." (Proverbs 6:6-8 NIV).

The Bible tells us to "Go to the ant," to "consider its ways and be wise." What observations can be made as you observe an ant colony? An inner-wisdom appears to guide the ant t ...

The artist creates a painting with a forward look. The artist sees the possibilities of an idea being expressed through color and brushstroke on the canvas. While others see a rough piece of marble or alabaster, a sculptor sees a finished figure. The architect sees an elegant building while others see piles of dirt and steel on a construction site. The scientist sees the possibilities of a cure to a disease as he labors on endless experiments in the laboratory. The athlete sees the possibility of w ...

We all need regular opportunities to recharge mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. There is wisdom in having a Sabbath rest built into the seven day cycle of our workweek. The principle of Sabbath is more than ancient 'hand-me-down' wisdom.

Archers called bows that did not send arrows toward designated targets "deceitful," "treacherous" and "unreliable" (Psalm 78:57; Hosea 7:16). A bow would become deceitful if it went for too long a p ...

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who  correctly handles the word of truth." (2Timothy 2:15).

There have been far too many spiritual casualties of 'religious wars'. Many people have come under false guilt and condemnation, needlessly slain by carelessly fired 'Bible bullets'. Others have been taken captive by legali ...

(In memory of Dexter Scantlebury, who played the role of Evangelist in New Life Drama Company's 1996 musical adaptation of 'Pilgrim's Progress' titled "Celestial City". He who pointed the way to freedom's narrow gate entered the Celestial City where there is no curse on Feb. 15, 1998)

Michael Bell wrote a poem one Good Friday morning, titled "The Cross". The last lines read:

And I sa ...

An Appeal to Wisdom

We tend to overestimate human wisdom. Some denounce Christianity as being a 'simplistic solution' or as the evolution of 'primitive myth'. They turn a blind eye to historical testimony and the coherence of the Christian's world view with reality. Preferring to perceive life as a game in which they perform the winning move, they turn away from any notion that they need to be rescued by someone outside of themselv ...

The following is a thought-provoking illustration that has been passed down through the centuries: The time of the Last Judgment has arrived. God sits upon the Great White Throne. Behind Him is a curtain. Before Him are lined up those who are to be judged. Each one is called to give an account. As they do, God gives a signal and a stunningly radiant person of unspeakable beauty emerges from behind the curtain and stands opposite the one whose life is being scrutinized. When asked the identity of th ...

Our personal life journeys have their unique twists and turns. Each new day faces us with unique challenges. We have the power to choose how we will respond to them.

When the children of Israel were grumbling about their limited resources and the restricted life-style imposed on them by their deliverance from their Egyptian bondage, God gave them bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). He also said that He would test them in doing this.

The reaction of the community ...

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Joseph

Bible scholars have listed up to 100 details in the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 that parallel the life and personal character of Jesus Christ. This makes him one of the greatest 'types' of Christ in the Bible.

Certainly Joseph demonstrated one of the most godly attitudes towards life's circumstances. Like Jesus, Joseph was the beloved son of his father, a good shep ...

7 Encounters of the Faith-Building Kind

In the Bible, Abram, later called Abraham, is recognized as 'friend of God' and 'father of our faith'. Both of these titles are remarkable considering the condition he was in when God first began to deal with him. Originally Abraham was a stranger to God and had no demonstrable faith when he was living in his hometown of Ur of the Chaldeans. God brought him out of his comfort zone by stirring ...

"It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end." (Deuteronomy 11:12 NIV).

Moses reminds the people of Israel that the promised land they were to possess in the new year would be one that the Lord cares for and continually watches over. His eyes are on it "from the beginning of the year to it ...

"The shepherds went back to work, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, which had happened just as they had been told." (Luke 2:20 J.B. Phillips).

It's especially challenging to get back to work after the Christmas holidays. The festivities of the season break up our calendars with enough change of setting and schedule to help us detach from the daily grind and fo ...

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" (Luke 2:10 NIV)

"Remain in me...remain in my love...obey my commands...that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:9-13 NIV)

Jesus said that he ...

It is easy for a Scrooge to react with a scowling grunt of 'humbug!' to the people and situations around him he considers bothersome. We are more ready to blame the rest of the world for going sour than admit our own cantankerousness. We are mentally self-programmed to justify our words and actions so much that we believe they emerge out of our own sweet and unsullied sincerity. How can there be any 'sin' in sincere? We excuse our self-indulgence by saying "After all, I'm just being real. I'm ...

The following is an anonymous nineteenth century composition that you might want to pass along during this holiday season:

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

"He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a f ...