(…continued) God would much rather deal with us by speaking softly than with a stick, and how could this be made more clear than in the Christmas story? Nowhere else in the Bible does God speak more directly or more clearly than when he comes to earth himself in the person of Jesus. Imagine […]
966) Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Stick (c) Read More »
Above images: Isaiah 11:6; 65:25 —————————- (…continued) God’s intention was to do without the big stick. The Bible makes it clear that God would much rather deal with us by love and mercy and soft words. That is God’s preferred way of working with us, and that is probably the way all people
965) Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Stick (b) Read More »
Theodore Roosevelt at the Minnesota State Fair, 1901 ————————– Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a brilliant and courageous man, eager to change this nation and the entire world. As president from 1901-1909, he was a major player on the international scene. On Sept. 2, 1901, while still Vice-President, Roosevelt gave a speech at the
964) Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Stick (a) Read More »
Matthew 24:42-44 — (Jesus said), ““Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So
962) Surprises; Pleasant and Unpleasant (b) Read More »
Tedashii Lavoy Anderson (above) is a Christian hip-hop artist living in Atlanta. His newest album, Below Paradise, reached No. 17 on the Billboard Top 200. This testimony appeared in the November 2015 issue of Christianity Today, pages 103-4 (www.christianity.com) ———————– I grew up thinking I was the good kid. I believed that most of
From The Hand that Holds Me, 1984, by Michael Rogness, pages 47-49. Salvation, or being saved, are terms often used to describe God’s purpose for mankind. It is interesting to ask a group of people, “What is salvation?” What does it mean “to be saved?” We talk about it, but do we ever
898) Salvation for You Read More »
(…continued) One of the keys to this is in our understanding of faith. Here too there is a tension in how the Bible defines and presents faith. Is faith itself something we do, or, is it a gift of God? We can find Bible passages that seem to describe it both ways. Ephesians 2:8 says
866) The Problem of James (b) Read More »
At the very center of the Christian faith is God’s love. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Later, the apostle John
543) What If I Had Been Loved? Read More »
(…continued) Michael Barone was a writer for US News and World Report for eighteen years and is now the senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner. He has written numerous articles and a book about what he calls ‘Hard America and Soft America.’ He says ‘Hard America’ is the dog-eat-dog real
406) Soft or Hard Words? (part two of two) Read More »
Painting above: The Peasant Wedding Feast, 1567, Peiter Bruegel (1525?-1569) ************************** Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom… Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that
405) Soft or Hard Words? (part one of two) Read More »
