We’re all angry these days. Everything offends even the most godly of us, and we use our social media platforms to make sure the world knows how upset we feel. Some of our rants are legitimate, but even then we can go over the top in responding to whatever bee happens to buzz into our bonnet.
I’ve done it too. As I point with one finger, three of my own fingers point back at me reminding me of an outraged post I once Continue reading
Back in the 80s and early 90s, my reputation for practical jokes was such that I got blamed even for those I didn’t orchestrate. My personal favorite was in honor of my friend Bob’s birthday.
Bob shared my dislike for cats (which we both greatly exaggerated for the purpose of teasing each other). When his birthday rolled around, I gave his phone number to my friend Terry, whom Bob had never met. At my instruction, Terry told Bob that he was from the SPCA, and wanted to deliver a kitten to him that afternoon.
Bob declined the offer, and wandered out of his room in bewilderment telling his housemate, “I just got the strangest phone call.” Before he could recount what Terry had said, his housemate doubled over with laughter, causing Bob to remember that I’d spent time with that housemate a week earlier. “DebbieLynne!” he shouted knowingly.
I’m still proud of that one!
These days I have fewer opportunities to play practical jokes, largely because I don’t have an accomplice. Also, I have less energy than I did back then. Practical jokes take work!
But, as much as I miss that part of my life, I have changed into a more serious woman. Oh, I still laugh a lot — a robust sense of humor is downright necessary Continue reading
How many blog posts have I written piously declaring that life is about God’s glory rather than about what He can do on our behalf? How many times have I insisted He created us for His purposes, not so that we can treat Him like a cosmic Butler Who exists to attend our every want?
Most assuredly, Christian bloggers run the risk of being gigantic hypocrites. Apparently, this little blogger isn’t immune from that risk.
Life at the Kespert household has been inundated with serious trials and pesky frustrations over the past six months, with very few good days mixed in. Lately I’ve been praying for just one week without trials. But crossing that threshold from 64 to 65 has convinced me that Continue reading
Certainly, we should spend a lot of time adoring the Lord for graciously saving us. We lived as God’s enemies, rebelling against His standards and rebelling even more against His authority over us. Yet He loved us, through no merit of our own, and paid the complete price for our sin by shedding His blood on the cross.
Many beloved hymns rightly celebrate Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf, and I delight in featuring such hymns most Sundays. But once in a while, it’s good to shift our attention to His holiness and majestic nature — to set aside all He’s done for us in favor of worshiping Him for His own sake.
Today’s short hymn adores the Lord for His holiness and majesty. Maybe we need this sweet reminder.
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that I have trouble thinking of eternity in terms of how it will affect me. Every time I read Revelation, I’m riveted by John’s descriptions of multitudes (both angelic and human) surrounding the throne of the Lord to praise and worship Him!
The beloved hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” puts those scenes before us as a preview of that magnificent eternal worship. As we sing it, we anticipate the tremendous joy of praising God with every saint who ever lived as well as with the angels. How can that fail to fill you with abundant joy?
What causes so much compromise in the church? Mike Ratliff raises the possibility that much of it results from a disdain for God’s Word. His article, Bible Inspiration, appears in Possessing the Treasure as an encouragement to remember the very Source of Scripture.
Have you ever tried to understand God’s holiness? As Allen S. Nelson IV shows us in his post for Things Above Us, Comprehending Holiness is a daunting and wonderful duty for all believers.
Reformation 21 runs The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel Explained: Sexuality and Marriage by James White. In our social climate, his common sense is sadly lacking as well as necessary.
I’m not a parent, and I’m only an honorary grandmother, but I have definite beliefs about child rearing. So I appreciate Denny Burk for his Biblical response in his post, Pediatricians say spanking is bad. Are they right? Remember, the world opposes God on every level.
Sinclair Ferguson examines Apostasy and How it Happens on the Ligonier blog. Having watched many of my friends turn away from the Lord over the years, I find this article quite helpful in understanding their actions.
Do you know what I admire about Michelle Lesley? She bases her reasoning squarely on Scripture. Throwback Thursday: Can a False Teacher be Saved? is a splendid example of drawing conclusions through the study of God’s Word.
Who Is Jesus? Leslie A of Growing 4 Life distinguishes between the popular conception of Jesus and what the Bible actually teaches about Him.
Some missionaries I know often email me requesting that I pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to Muslims in their area through dreams. I absolutely refuse to do so, of course, but I couldn’t figure out why Muslims seem to have these dreams. Praise God for Elizabeth Prata’s essay Blasphemy: Jesus is not Isa, Isa is not Jesus in The End Time. Elizabeth explains this disturbing phenomenon well, showing why Christians should never celebrate it.
As a Charismatic, I attended my share of seminars on physical and emotional healing. I quite vividly remember a friend of mine, who had struggled with eating disorders and a divorce (among other traumas) expressing joy and relief when someone at a seminar prophesied that she was a “wounded healer.”
Even then, I wondered where the Bible supported that concept.
Sadly, now many non-Charismatic churches embrace similar ideas. And why not?
There’s something comforting in hearing someone confess their flaws and Continue reading
