What We Are
With apologies to Charles Dickens, the Christian ministry could be described as the best of jobs and the worst of jobs. It is indeed a high calling to be a minister of the Word of God. Ministers are subjected to criticism and scorn; they are belittled, viewed as oddballs, sometimes overworked, often under-appreciated. “We are the scum of the earth,” says Paul.
Men Who Speak for God
The whole message of the Bible can be summed up in three basic words: God has spoken. From the first chapters of Genesis to the close of Revelation God continually speaks to His people. The writer of Hebrews testifies to “those who spoke for God” people we usually call prophets: “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
How to Live Happily
Ours is an age which insists on knowing “how.” We are impatient with theories we can’t practice and instructions we can’t follow. If we’re to do something, we want someone to show us a workable plan, to lead us, as we say, down a “plain path.”
When it comes to knowing how to live, all of us share some of that ineptness. We greatly need both direction and inner strength. In Jesus Christ we can learn how to live – and live happily.
My Grace is Sufficient
Steve Laman, a man in his late thirties, has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. He depends upon a motorized wheelchair for mobility and a computerized voice device for communication. Through his ministry of writing Steve has encouraged thousands of people to grow in their faith and trust in God’s unfailing grace. My Grace is Sufficient is his second book of devotionals published by Words of Hope.
How it All Began: Studies in Genesis
Someone once said that if we are to understand ourselves, “we need to know where we’ve been.” Surely that is a critical issue in our time. Many struggle with understanding themselves, their relationship with the world and their relationship with God. Where can we look for answers?
Living Generously
Is giving easy for you? The Bible teaches us that giving generously is an important part of Christian life. If we study the Bible carefully we will see that Jesus’ entire life was an exercise in self-giving. Anyone who wants to imitate Christ must learn how to give. This two week meditation, originally featured in […]
My Journey, God’s Grace
Come here and listen, let me tell you what God did for me. Born without enough oxygen, Steven Laman has lived with cerebral palsy his whole life. Steven and his family had to learn and adjust to his disability, and a different life than the one they had planned. But Steven’s story is not a […]
An Advent Prayer
Read: Psalm 33 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. (v. 5) I remember the moment when an older, wiser Christian asked which psalm was my favorite to pray. I had no answer. Praying the psalms was an entirely new idea to me, but I decided […]
Waiting for Jesus
Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 . . . to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (v. 10) “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” One of my professors drilled this into me when I was in […]