For me, to live is Christ, (Phil. 1:21). Consider this another part of my “How to increase your happiness” thoughts. I have started teaching through Paul’s letter to the Philippians at our church. This week I am going to focus on this little verse in chapter one that summarizes Paul’s philosophy of life. Another way… Continue reading The Blank and the Box

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”…(Ps. 14:1). What would a world without faith in God look like? It could look a lot like the world of “The Giver”. The movie, based on the award-winning book by Lois Lowry, and championed for some fifteen years by Jeff Bridges (he originally optioned the… Continue reading Why you should see “The Giver”

I am making everything new, (Rev. 21:5). Did you know you live in an old order? That is what the Book of Revelation calls the present fallen world we live in. The old order is a place where suffering, evil, pain, mourning, and death surround us on a daily basis. The problems of the world,… Continue reading New Things in a New Order

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, (Rev. 20:10). If you believe in God, and have confidence in the inspiration of the Bible, you probably also believe in the Devil. In the same way that God loves you and Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life, the… Continue reading The Day the Dragon Dies

The LORD is my shepherd… (Psalm 23:1). It is the 23rd of July (in case you didn’t know). I have started a new cycle of reading the Psalms which means today I read the classic 23rd Psalm. As I read, I began to personalize the psalm and respond to God using it. I acknowledged that,… Continue reading Need a shepherd?

Happy are the poor in spirit…(Matthew 5:3). In my last rambling I introduced the question about whether Jesus wants us to be happy. Part of what triggered my thinking about this subject was a new book on the science of happiness called The How of Happiness. Unlike other self-help or positive attitude books, this one… Continue reading Jesus wants you happy, pt.2

Rejoice in the Lord always…I will say it again, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). Do you think God wants you happy? I’ve been rethinking this question lately. Just this morning I was reading a quote where C.S. Lewis remarked, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do… Continue reading Jesus wants you happy

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free, (John 8:32). As we prepare to celebrate the signing of Declaration of Independence, and the heritage of freedom it represents, I am reminded of these iconic words of Jesus. I’m also reminded of the words of the old spiritual quoted by Martin Luther… Continue reading Free at Last!

I saw a beast coming up out of the sea…(Rev. 13:1). Is President Obama the Antichrist? It has been suggested. How about the Pope? There are those who are convinced he is. How about the 12th Imam? The identity of the “man of lawlessness” is always a hot topic among prophecy buffs. Who did the… Continue reading Antichrist is on the way

Behold, I stand at the door and knock…(Rev. 3:20). I memorized today’s text before I had any clue where it came from or what the original intention of the passage was. I memorized it because it was shared with me as an image of how to become a Christian in the biblical sense of what… Continue reading Open the door…repeatedly