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Love is Not a Feeling

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If you asked someone what love was, what kind of a response would you get? Answers would probably vary widely, but many people would say that love is somehow related to a feeling. When you fell in love with your spouse you likely felt a strong emotional attachment to him. You thought about him constantly or felt a surge of excitement when you were about to see him after a long separation. Are these wonderful feelings that our culture is so infatuated with the same thing as love? Undoubtedly, love can be related to feelings of emotional connection or need. … Continue reading →

Should You Let Your Teenager Attend High School Dances?

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What is a high school dance? To a teenager, a high school dance is an opportunity for he or she to get together with their friends, listen to music, dance and have a good time. Dances are a time when relationships are formed between guys and girls. I still remember the high school dances I went to. I remember dancing with that certain guy who made my stomach jittery and my palms sweat. Conversely, I remember the pain of rejection when a guy I really liked never asked me to dance. In a way, high school dances are a way … Continue reading →

Why Should I Read the Pentateuch? Part 2

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Part 1 of this series discussed the reasons why many people dread reading the first five books of the Bible, and why others do not attempt it at all. The following are a few suggestions for how to read the Pentateuch and enjoy it: 1. Read larger portions (four chapters or more) in one sitting. A mistake many people make when they sit down to read Leviticus, for example, is that they read only several verses to one chapter at a time. It is no wonder that when a month later, they are still reading the same book, they feel … Continue reading →

Why Should I Read the Pentateuch? Part 1

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Most of the people I know approach reading the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, Genesis-Deuteronomy) with one of two feelings. Either they dread reading it, but do so out of a sense of obligation, or they start off determined to “just get through it”, and end up quitting somewhere in the middle of Leviticus. Genesis is usually pretty good reading, it is filled with many famous stories such as the Creation, Cain and Abel, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau and of course, Joseph and his coat of many colors. Even Exodus is pretty interesting with God … Continue reading →

Weaning: When Illness Interrupts the Process

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When my daughter was fourteen months old I reluctantly decided it was time to wean. It was a difficult choice for me because it was something that she still enjoyed and took comfort in, but I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable doing it. I won’t go into all of the psychology behind my reasons for calling in quits, but one thing is for sure: It did not go as planned. Up until she turned fourteen months old, she was nursing about 6 or 7 times during a 24-hour period. I decided to slowly back off of the day-time feedings and try … Continue reading →

It is Well With My Soul

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I love hymns. I find the message and scripture incorporated into them strengthens my faith, convicts me of sin, and encourages my spirit. Many of the greatest hymns of all time were born out of very difficult circumstances in the lives of the authors. The song “It is Well With My Soul” has a story behind it that touches my heart. Horatio Spafford was a well-known Christian lawyer in Chicago in the mid to late 1800s. He owned much real estate in the city and had dedicated his wealth and heart completely to the Lord. In the great fire that … Continue reading →

Who Was the Good Samaritan?

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Many people have heard the story of the Good Samaritan. From the story, we can tell that there is a significance to the fact that it was the Samaritan, not the priest or the Levite who stopped to help the wounded man. Knowing a little bit about who the Samaritans were and what their relationship was to the Jews adds a new dimension to the story. Samaritans viewed themselves as Israelites, and as true remnants of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. They believed that they had held to the monotheistic faith of their fathers and upheld the Torah (the … Continue reading →

Parables: The New Cloth/Old Garment, New Wine/Old Bottles

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I have never really understood what Jesus was talking about when he gave the parable about not putting a piece of new cloth on an old garment. All four of the gospels record this parable, so the meaning must be important for us to understand. The text of Matthew 9:16-17 says, “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth … Continue reading →

What Did the Members of the Early Church Do?

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In the book of Acts, Luke gives us wonderful insight into what life was like for the early church. It is fascinating to study what these first Christians did when they came together to fellowship. We can learn much and evaluate our own worship by considering their example. 1. Teaching– The apostles had a large role in the beginnings of the church. As new believers were added to the church, they took the responsibility of telling everyone about Jesus’ life. They undoubtedly passed on everything they had heard Christ say and saw Him do. They likely took the Old Testament … Continue reading →

A Believing Wife With An Unbelieving Husband Part 2

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Part 1 of this series discussed the many difficulties a Christian woman faces when she has a non-Christian husband. This article will focus on two Scripture passages dedicated to giving guidance to this woman. “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband…” I Corinthians 7:13-14a “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without … Continue reading →