Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 2:1-2) If you grew up in church, you know the story of Jonah. God asked him to go to Nineveh, a city of 120,000, to help him save them from their own wickedness. Like most of us, when we run from what we think is trouble, we often go somewhere we think we […]

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) Consumer analysts who track the whims of shoppers report that gift cards are being purchased this Christmas season in record numbers. It is one more indication of the quality of life that we enjoy. In other words, we are hard to shop for because we have just about everything we need. Be careful if you were on the receiving end of a […]

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) I lost my brother, Carlton, a few weeks ago. He was the finest man I ever knew, and that puts him the company of a lot of other good men, like my dad. At his funeral, I shared a story that I had never told anyone. It was a very special memory for me and speaks to the man he was. My childhood years were very tough for me. […]

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) My wife told me a story the other day about a young woman who was in need of serious surgery only to see it delayed due to circumstances beyond her control. When I saw her, I was astonished. You would never know that she was facing a life-threatening illness. She had such a peaceful look on her face. I have read about that look. It’s referred to in the Bible as the […]