Topic > Christian Beliefs
Hidden in My Heart
I’m getting used to reading digital magazines, and I feel good that I’m saving trees. Plus, I don’t have to wait for the magazines to come in the mail. I do, however, miss the print editions because I like to run my fingers through the glossy pages and cut out my favorite recipes.
I also have a digital edition of the Bible on my reading device. But I still have my favorite printed Bible—the one I have underlined and read many times. We don’t know the future of the printed page, but one thing we do know: The best place for…
Poem: After You Have Sinned
What did you do?
You know you cannot undo.
What can you do?
You know you cannot run.
Becoming Invisible
Where I live, this is the time of year when plants defy death by remaining underground until it is safe to come out again. Before the snow comes and the ground freezes, they let go of their beautiful blooms and retreat to a place where they can rest and save energy for the next growing season. Contrary to the way it looks, they are not dead; they are dormant. When the snow melts and the ground thaws, they will again lift their heads toward heaven, greeting their Creator with brilliant colors and sweet fragrances.
The seasons of life require that we…
A Message of Victory
Today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss the last verse of Psalm 22, where David ends his agonizing song about the suffering Messiah with a message of victory. The psalm concludes on a high note, “Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn, for He has done it!” The amazing way Psalm 22 describes a “suffering Savior”—listen today on “Discover the Word”!
Why Do We Crave and Struggle to Achieve Success?
Recently, I came across this lament by a very talented young person on his blog: “The reason why I hate attending lessons and going to school is that you are inherently born with lower IQ, so no matter how much you work, people with higher IQ will still win you.”
For This I Have Jesus
There is rarely a problem-free season in our lives, but sometimes the onslaught is terrifying.
Rose saw her entire family, except for her two little daughters, slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Now she is a widow among many widows with little money. But she refuses to be defeated. She has adopted two orphans and simply trusts God to provide for the food and school fees for her family of five. She translates Christian literature into the local language and organizes an annual conference for other widows. Rose wept as she told me her story. But for every problem in…
How Jesus Endured the Cross
Today on “Discover the Word,” we will talk about the intense physical violence Jesus endured on the cross, described in Psalm 22, 2,000 years before the actual event. This was long before crucifixion was even invented. While the film “The Passion of the Christ” gave us a graphic taste of that horrific event, it was still a tame depiction of what actually transpired. Join us right here on “Discover the Word”!
Do We Enjoy God?
For the past few days, I have been ploughing through the book of Isaiah trying my best to understand what the prophet means. But I have been growing increasingly anxious, because I don’t seem to be learning much; nothing applicable has really struck me.
The Joy of Your Presence
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” says the Westminster Catechism. Much of Scripture calls for joyful gratitude and adoration of the living God. When we honor God, we celebrate Him as the Source from which all goodness flows.
When we praise God from our heart we find ourselves in that joyful state for which we were created. Just as a beautiful sunset or a peaceful pastoral scene points to the majesty of the Creator, so worship draws us into a close spiritual union with Him. The psalmist says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of…
Jesus, Fully Divine and Fully Human
Jesus was both fully divine and fully human. Which means He wasn’t immune to experiencing human emotions. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss the intensity of these emotions as David foretold in Psalm 22. Phrases like “I’m a worm . . . scorned by men . . . despised by people,” give us graphic word pictures of Christ’s very real distress on the cross.
When Jesus Felt Utterly Alone
We all need solitude sometimes. But we wouldn’t like it 24/7, especially if that solitude was a form of punishment. Yet even a prisoner in solitary confinement for a lifetime would not suffer as Jesus did. On the cross, God the Father turned His face from His only Son, leaving Jesus utterly alone. On “Discover the Word,” we will talk about when Jesus was “deserted,” as foreshadowed in Psalm 22. Listen today to “Discover the Word”!
My Encounter with A Bigwig
The Oxford dictionary defines “privilege” as “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.” That we can bring everything to God in prayer is a privilege indeed, one that should not be taken for granted.
The Cross from Jesus’ Perspective
What’s in a song? A lot when that song is Psalm 22. This Old Testament song of lament points us to a future event on the cross. Just as we can see in Isaiah 53 Jesus’ suffering from the Father’s perspective in Psalm 22, we get a glimpse of the agony of the cross from Jesus’ point of view. Today on “Discover the Word”!
Waiting for an Answer
When our daughter was 15, she ran away. She was gone more than 3 weeks. Those were the longest 3 weeks of our lives. We looked everywhere for her and sought help from law enforcement and friends. During those desperate days, my wife and I learned the importance of waiting on God in prayer. We had come to the end of our strength and resources. We had to rely on God.
It was on a Father’s Day that we found her. We were in a restaurant parking lot, on our way to dinner, when the phone rang. A waitress at another…
The Cross and the Crown
Westminster Abbey in London has a rich historical background. In the 10th century, Benedictine monks began a tradition of daily worship there that still continues today. The Abbey is also the burial place of many famous people, and every English monarch since ad 1066 has been crowned at the Abbey. In fact, 17 of those monarchs are also buried there—their rule ending where it began.
No matter how grandiose their burial, world rulers rise and fall; they live and die. But another king, Jesus, though once dead, is no longer buried. In His first coming, Jesus was crowned with thorns and…
