From Infancy to Maturity in the Christian Life

Imagine a grown man intentionally acting like a baby, wearing diapers and crying like an infant. Some people actually do. In reading the news about a situation with this behavior, I learned a new term: paraphilic infantilism—acting like a baby as an adult. Now imagine a newborn Christian who does not grow but remains in…

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The Working Clothes of Love (2)

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul was constrained to speak on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they are to be ministered under the operation of love. That being so, it became necessary for him to spend some time showing what love looked like in its “working clothes.” He continued…

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“The Tour”

Hello. How good of You to come and see my humble dwelling. (Yes, I think You’ll find unique’s the word.) It suits me to a T. And it’s a source of pride (the humble kind). And did I say it looks brand new despite its age? I’ve lived here all my life, but I’ve been…

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What Are You Stirred Up About?

It’s easy to get whipped into anger and indignation these days. With social media, we hear people’s conflicting opinions more than we used to. News outlets keep the injustices of the world constantly before our eyes. Some time ago, I noticed the harmful effect of stirred-up women in Acts 13:50. In the KJV this passage…

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Grace in Afflictions

I have been meditating for several weeks on 2 Cor. 4:15-18. The expression “light affliction” has been returning to my mind as I deal with daily, nagging physical conditions that are burdensome and uncomfortable. I’m seeking relief, improvement, and help from any source available. Even though I’m plagued by real challenges and wearing out, I’m…

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Train Your Brain

There are lies we believe that derail us from who God wants us to be. Satan is the father of lies. He not only wants us to believe lies but wants to defeat our Christian lives with those lies so that we are of no good to anyone, including ourselves. What are some of these…

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Gambling and My Neighbor

Certainly, not every branch of Christianity takes a dim view of gambling, but some have. I belong to a segment of Christendom that has historically opposed gambling. Here, I simply want to offer a brief case, from a Christian perspective, against gambling. My hope is that professing believers will give this argument a fair hearing.…

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A Few Thoughts on Reading

In his classic work, “How to Read a Book,” Mortimer Adler writes, “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.” In order for good books “to get through to you,” consider some of the following……

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Criticism Can Be a Blessing

I didn’t hear about the first writing conference I attended until shortly before it began. As I scrambled to prepare for it, I emailed the director to ask if I could still send in a manuscript sample for critique, something most conferences offer for a fee. She graciously said yes. I’d been forewarned that I…

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What Is Sanctification?

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 The Bible tells us that sanctification is God’s will for our lives and soul (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification is the process of becoming more…

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