I am slowly (but steadily!) making my way through the collected sermons of De Witt Talmage. Though he is little-known and little-remembered today, he was considered one of the great preachers of his time. In one of his sermons I found this sweet tribute to his parents and the joy of a long marriage. MyContinue reading “If We Could But Go Together”
Category Archives: grace
Who Are the Elect?
Much of Romans 9 is about God’s election of people to salvation. This chapter, and this topic, is a challenge to many of us. The apostle Paul addresses God’s sovereign choice in salvation here because many of his kinsmen, the Jews, did not come to Christ. God had made promises of salvation to his peopleContinue reading “Who Are the Elect?”
Be Not Far From Me
“Forsake me not, O Lord.”—Psalm 38:21. FREQUENTLY we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without His constantContinue reading “Be Not Far From Me”
God Speaks in the Most Unusual Ways
As the young boy nervously tiptoed to the bedside, his dying grandfather motioned for him to hold his hand. In his final moments, this family elder wanted to make sure the next generation understood a most important lesson. He pointed to the cross-stitch sign above his head and asked the lad to read it. TheContinue reading “God Speaks in the Most Unusual Ways”
Cynicism Isn’t a Spiritual Gift
One of my favorite verses in the New Testament is a bit of an odd one. James, writing about prayer and dependence on God, makes this statement: Elijah was a man like us (James 5:17). Now, I’ve gone to church my whole life and have learned a lot about Elijah. He’s the wild wilderness dudeContinue reading “Cynicism Isn’t a Spiritual Gift”
When Your Child Commits Suicide
Please help me understand if my young adult daughter is with God. She ended her life earlier this year, and I am struggling. She was 10 when we talked about Jesus, and she felt she wanted to know Him. But after that she didn’t choose God, and I feel responsible because I didn’t really leadContinue reading “When Your Child Commits Suicide”
Undeserved
1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. (1 Corinthians 15:10) Whatever he became,Continue reading “Undeserved”
God’s Poem
Writing in the magazine Challenge, Tibor Scitovsky, professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, suggests that high school and youth gang shootings may be caused, in part, by boredom. “What makes those teenagers become so violent in the first place?” he asks. “I suspect that their motivation could well be boredom.” He thinks the affluenceContinue reading “God’s Poem”
Soul Smog
One day, as I was caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, my mind inhaled a dense cloud of “spiritual smog.” Feelings of guilt filtered through my heart like toxic fumes, choking it with regret and raw memories. I was en route to an early morning breakfast, and I hadn’t slept well. Too much on my mind. TooContinue reading “Soul Smog”
How Can I Know That I Am Redeemed?
It is certainly possible for a person to know that he is saved and is ready to meet God. In fact, God intends and desires us to have this assurance.First, however, we should realize that trying to live a Christian life is not sufficient. As the Apostle Paul says, “For I know that in meContinue reading “How Can I Know That I Am Redeemed?”
Intentional Faith 