Topic > Christian Beliefs
We Can Know
As I sat on a train headed for an important appointment, I began to wonder if I was on the right train. I had never traveled that route before and had failed to ask for help. Finally, overcome by uncertainty and doubt, I exited at the next station—only to be told I had indeed been on the right train!
That incident reminded me how doubt can rob us of peace and confidence. At one time I had struggled with the assurance of my salvation, but God helped me deal with my doubt. Later, after sharing the story of my conversion and…
Even in our doubts, we have Jesus’ full acceptance
Belief is a mysterious commodity. A baby is born and we believe, someone dies and we lose our faith. Nicodemus had both doubts about Jesus and faith in Him and yet Jesus fully embraced him.
3 Things I’ve Learned about Seeking True Fulfilment
In this materialistic age, we often equate success with attaining status, wealth, and power. For some, material success is the means to attaining self-actualization. According to Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”, self-actualization is about realizing one’s full potential
The Valley of Vision
The Puritan prayer “The Valley of Vision” speaks of the distance between a sinful man and his holy God. The man says to God, “Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision . . . ; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.” Aware of his wrongs, the man still has hope. He continues, “Stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine.” Finally, the poem ends with a request: “Let me find Thy light in my darkness, . . . Thy glory in my valley.”
Jonah found God’s glory during his time in…
We can have the right theology, but the wrong belief
We all have a deep need to be accepted, but because we know ourselves too well, we have a tough time believing why anyone would. They might say they know God loves them, but how could He, really?
Piercing the Darkness
I caught my first glimpse of them as a college student. On a frosty, fall night, far from the lights of the city, I was riding on a hay wagon loaded with noisy friends when the sky lit up and colors flashed across the horizon. I was mesmerized. Ever since that night I have been fascinated with the phenomenon called aurora borealis, also known as northern lights. Mostly they are seen far north of where I live, but occasionally they appear in lower latitudes. Having seen them once, I long to see more. Whenever the conditions are favorable, I say…
Discover why we are Beauty Full Beings
Statistics show that ninety-one percent of women don’t see themselves as beautiful. Yet when God created Adam and Eve, He said they were “very good.” Join us as we explore why, since the Fall, it’s so easy to believe the lie whispered to Eve, “If God loved you . . .”
How do we know for sure that Christianity is the Truth?
I recently attended a religious ceremony at a Siamese Buddhist temple as part of an official visit by my MP. Several Muslims and Christians were also at the ceremony, as they had been invited after having helped the temple to solve some issues.
First Steps
A friend stopped me the other day with some exciting news and then spent 10 minutes describing for me the first steps of her 1-year-old nephew. He could walk! Later I realized how bizarre we might have sounded to an eavesdropper. Most people can walk. What was the big deal?
It struck me that childhood provides a quality of specialness that nearly vanishes for the rest of life. Thinking about our treatment of children gave me further appreciation for the fact that God chooses the word picture of “children” to describe our relationship with Him. The New Testament announces that we are God’s…
The wisdom of impartiality
Each person is valued by God and should be made to feel that way. It’s not manipulative or artificial to make someone feel important, it’s wise. You’re meeting that person’s heart hunger to be loved. God is no respecter of persons and neither should we be.
5 Commonly Misquoted Verses
When Jesus was tested in the desert, it was the Word of God that He employed to counter the evil one’s various temptations. When faced with ups and downs in life, we too often recall verses to remind us of truths to hold on to.
The Upside of Setbacks
American swimmer Dara Torres had a remarkable career, appearing in five different Olympics from 1984 to 2008. Late in her career, Torres broke the US record for the 50-meter freestyle—25 years after she herself set that record. But it wasn’t always medals and records. Torres also encountered obstacles in her athletic career: injuries, surgery, as well as being almost twice the age of most other competitors. She said, “I’ve wanted to win at everything, every day, since I was a kid. . . . I’m also aware that setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.”
“Setbacks have an upside” is…
The wisdom of mercy
Greek thought viewed mercy as pity for those who were suffering unjustly. But Jesus introduced a new concept, mercy for those who are in trouble, even if that trouble is their own fault. We’ll see how the combined “good fruits” of wisdom ultimately reach their maturity in a harvest of mercy.
Born This Way: A Cause to Celebrate?
A few years ago, Lady Gaga came out with her hit song “Born This Way”—which I still hear over the radio often. It’s catchy, and I’m sure many of us could easily sing along to the chorus. But I recently took a closer look at the lyrics, and became rather concerned.
