A HEART FOOD

JEREMIAH 15:16 Do you share my passion of food? I would eat more frequently than I should if it were up to me, even though it would be detrimental to my health. So it is good that my wife lovingly reminds me to consume the proper kinds of foods in the right amounts. I wonder if I … [Read more…]

USING A SILENT PEN

JAMES 3:1-12, 18 Harry Truman, a former president of the United States, is known to have had a rule that any letters written in anger had to stay on his desk for 24 hours before they could be mailed. He would only send the letter if, after that “cooling off” period, he continued to feel the … [Read more…]

DELIGHTFUL AROMA

2 CORINTHIANS 2:15 Some scents leave a lasting impression. Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841–1935) once observed that remembrances, imagination, old sentiments, and connections are more quickly accessible through the sense of smell than through any other channel. So what if we were to be a fragrance that drew people to God through our lives? According to Second Corinthians 2:15, … [Read more…]

MISPLACED LOVE

PSALM 115 According to a speaker and author, many owners of cellphones now consider them to be their best friends. After conducting an MRI experiment, he found that when phones rang, people’s brains lit up with neurons in the region linked to feelings of love and compassion. It was as though they were with a lover, … [Read more…]

PERSONALISE IT

2 CHRONICLES 24:1-2,15-22 Mark appreciated working with teenagers when he was a teacher and coach at a Christian high school. He tried to help them live purposeful, Christlike lives that were shaped by love for God and love for others. His intention was to equip them for a lifetime of serving God. That could only occur … [Read more…]

STILL WORKING DILIGENTLY

MATTHEW 25:14-21 James and Joan have been married for more than 60 years, and they are both in their mid-nineties. The fact that they are no longer capable of participating actively in the life and activities of their church has caused sadness in both of them. Nevertheless, and they continue to labour diligently for the Lord by … [Read more…]

DRESSED FOR DECEPTION

2 PETER 2:1-3, 12-19 On a mountain, a hiker once noticed a goat that was different from the rest of the herd. It was discovered upon closer investigation that the strange creature was actually a man disguised as a goat. When police got in touch with him, he explained his disguise as a painter’s suit lined … [Read more…]

COMING SOON!

REVELATION 22:7-21 Future sporting and entertainment events, as well as the release of the newest gadget or book, are frequently preceded with a “coming soon” announcement. Though it can be months away, the objective is to arouse interest and excitement in what will happen. The book of Revelation has an immediacy permeating the entire book. In the … [Read more…]

FOSTERING UNITY

PROVERBS 6:16,19 Proverbs 6:16–19 contains strong words. Sowing discord among brethren is listed as one of the seven things the Lord detests. This act undermines the unity that Christ wishes for His followers. Those who sow discord may not have intended to do so originally. Instead, they might be focused on their own wants or the … [Read more…]

FEAR AND LOVE

DEUTERONOMY 10:12 Some of my secondary school teachers stand out in my memory. Some of them were loved by many of us (the students), but only because we were free to behave as we pleased. And because they rarely punish us, we never needed to pay attention to them. Others were quite frightful. They knew … [Read more…]