Quiet Time with the Father

In a world overflowing with information, we are constantly surrounded by voices
offering advice, encouragement, and direction. Friends lend an ear, family share
their experiences, books reveal human insight, and the internet offers endless
opinions on every imaginable topic. While many of these sources can be helpful
and even wise, they are still ultimately human and limited. They may speak from
love, knowledge, or good intentions, but they don’t have the eternal perspective,
or the flawless wisdom and love of God. For those who truly seek clarity and
purpose, there is no substitute for turning to…

If Only

If only I made just a little bit more.
If only it cost just a little bit less.
If only I had just a little more time.
If only my house wasn’t quite such a mess.
I’d share with the needy. I know I’d give more!
I’d open my home with more zeal than before.
“If only. If only! If only…” I say.
“If only my life had worked out in that way.”
If only I knew those I see every day.
If only my friendships had come with rapport.
If only I knew all the…

In 1631, English royal printers Robert Barker and Martin Lucas published an edition of the Bible that would come to be nicknamed “The Wicked Bible.” You see, after publication, a printing error was discovered in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: the word “not” had mistakenly been omitted from verse 14, so that it read, “Thou shalt commit adultery.” The authorities fined Barker and Lucas, revoked their licenses, and ordered that the entire edition be recalled and destroyed. Only a handful of copies are known to have survived.

We chuckle at the…

In the past couple of decades, hospital emergency rooms have seen a dramatic rise in the number of injuries caused by “distracted walking.” Pedestrians with their eyes fixed on the screens of their smart phones or tablets are falling down stairs, tripping over curbs, and stepping into the path of oncoming traffic. These mishaps have become frequent enough that the National Safety Council now includes a “distracted walking” category in its annual injury report. And sometimes more than injury results: the percentage of people killed in distracted walking accidents, while still relatively small, has been…

“‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23).

Can you think of anything better than that — to be called the friend of God? We understand that it’s one thing when we say, “I know that person.” But it’s quite another when we say, “That person is my friend.” It describes more than just recognition or acquaintance; it implies familiarity, shared interests, companionship, love. It’s marvelous, then, to think of being counted as a friend of God, and of…

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SHEEP THAT ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS
(Constant Coulibaly)

Years ago, when I was at the school of Journalism, we learned a writing technique that consists of grabbing the reader's attention when crafting an article. This practice is common to various areas in the field of mass communication (advertising, marketing, public relations, broadcasting, etc.).

Over the years that I have been a student of the Bible, I have learned that God employs similar techniques when speaking to His people. One way He does this is through the use of contrasts. Here is an…

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The Blind Hymn Writer
Most who read this will probably recognize these hymns:
Blessed Assurance : To God Be the Glory
He Hideth My Soul : I Am Thine, O Lord
Jesus Is Tenderly Calling : All the Way My Savior Leads Me
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour : Praise Him! Praise Him!
Rescue the Perishing : Safe in the Arms of Jesus
Savior, More Than Life to Me : Tell Me the Story of Jesus
All of these, plus over 8000 more, were written by one woman, Fanny J. Crosby!
It is even thought that she employed nearly…

We live in a marvelous technological age. Think about it:

At the touch of a button, I can cook a hot meal to eat … get an ice cold drink … adjust the firmness of the mattress on my bed.

At the touch of a button, I can pay a bill … see the weather forecast for any place in the world … order groceries for my family — or for someone else.

At the touch of a button, I can access thousands of brilliant works…