TITHE God promises to rebuke the devourer for tithers. Devourer. That's an interesting word. A word that makes me think immediately of the Tasmanian Devil. Not Bugs Bunny's nemesis, but the animal that haunts the dark nights of the island. The devil is about the size of a cocker spaniel, but don't let…

PROVIDENCE Cooling down after practice, Daniel had taken one last dive and his neck struck the bottom of the concrete pool. Daniel sustained damage to C-3, C-4, and C-5 vertebrae of his spine. Two fusion operations followed and the surgeon was successful in preventing paralysis, but Daniel's parents…

CONTROL The motion picture Kung Fu Panda offers a unique snapshot of the one part of life that troubles most people, the illusion of control. A panda named Po comes from a family of noodle merchants. Though his family hopes that he will sell many noodles, Po dreams of becoming a Kung Fu Master. Through…

The motion picture “Faith Like Potatoes” tells the true story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who learns what true faith really is. Angus comes to South Africa in the middle of racial turmoil and economic disruption to begin a new life for himself and his family. The hard work of reclaiming an…

I saw one the other day who was about to suffer from the surgeon’s knife. It was a serious operation, about which all stood in doubt, but I was happy to see her as composed in the prospect of it as though it had been a pleasure rather than a pain. Thus calmly resigned should a Christian be. How many…

FAITH The world is looking for a safe place to put their faith. Greed, power, the love of money and doubt destroy lives. The resulting hurt keeps people from trusting each other, and more importantly from trusting in God. The motion picture, “Miracle on 34th Street is a call to come back to a simple…

A friend comes to you and he says, “Do you know such and such a person?” You say first, “I know there is such a person”—that is instruction. Being further asked, “But do you know him?” you answer, “Well, I know that he was a fine tall man, a soldier in the infantry, and that he went to the Crimea.” That…

Many Christians resemble the nautilus, which in fine smooth weather swims on the surface of the sea in a splendid little squadron, like the mighty ships. But the moment the first breath of wind ruffles the waves, they take in their sails and sink into the depths. Many Christians are the same. In good…

The Sonic restaurant in Raymore, Missouri hopes to give their customers a little something extra by including verses from the Bible with their food. The store used to print the verses on customer’s receipts, but a recent software upgrade eliminated that possibility. In order to continue the tradition,…

NFL Quarterback Tim Tebow got a lot of playing time during the 2015 pre-season, but in the end, he was cut from the Philadelphia Eagles rooster. Coach Chip Kelly said he did was not sure the quarterback was good enough to retain for the regular season. When a reporter caught up with Tebow later, he did…

In Crazy Love, Francis Chan writes, “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.”—Jim L. Wilson and Stephen Argilla Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By a Relentless God P. 42. Worry can disable or paralyze us…

Why would God single out the poor for special attention over any other group? I used to wonder. What makes the poor deserving of God's concern? I received help on this issue from a writer named Monika Hellwig, who lists the following "advantages" to being poor: The poor know they are in urgent need of…

Valor Robert Preston Taylor had reason to pray. During World War II, he served as a chaplain in battle, participated in the Bataan Death March and spent more than three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, they also dropped bombs on Manila, where…

In an interview with Time Pastor Rick Warren was asked, “If you could get people to change one thing, what would it be?” Warren’s answer may be the quote of the year. “I’d get them to stop believing everything they think. We lie to ourselves more than anybody else. Jesus said the truth will set you free—but…

Tourism officials in the city of Jericho hope a new museum will help attract more visitors to the area, because it highlights a tree that could date to the time of Jesus. The Bible records that a tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better of Jesus as he passed through the town. For…

When President Jimmy Carter announced on Meet the Press, January 20, 1980 that he intended to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games, it altered the lives of many American athletes, like Bob Bugg. He had qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials already, unlike many others, and could have earned a place on the…

What are we afraid of? According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll our two greatest fears are a major terrorist attack and someone in our family getting Ebola (71% & 43%). A Gallup poll thinks we are afraid of cybercriminals, 69% worry our credit card information will be stolen while 62% fear they…

MARRIAGE Captain Caleb Holt is a firefighter who loves his job, and thinks he knows what it means to love his wife, Kathryn. While he is valiantly fighting fires and saving lives in the community, a fire of another kind threatens to destroy his marriage. As a firefighter, Caleb knows it is important…

PROTECTION Mary Dhume of Ohio claims a mysterious phone call actually saved her life. The Summerford Ohio woman was watching television in her living room on a Monday night when the phone in the next room rang. She got up to answer it, but there was no one at the other end of the line. At that moment,…

The “Mythbusters” Television program, which airs on the Discovery Network examines urban legends, Internet myths, and other popular belief within the culture. Each week, the hosts of the program Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage test the myths using scientific methods and determine if they can be confirmed,…

HANDS! >> >> >> A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. >> A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. >> It depends on whose hands it's in. >> >> >> A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. >> A baseball in Johan Santana's hands is worth $4.75 million. >> It depends on whose…

RELATIONSHIPS Twenty-four year old Sky was a creative, artistic, intelligent thinker who majored in photography at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He had an introverted personality, and was wearing a polyester retro-artist suit, sporting extended sideburns when he was introduced at Graceland…

In Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash A Revolution In Your Life in Christ, Peter Scazzero writes, “We're afraid of God's will being done because we can't control what he will do, when he will do it, how he will do it, and what the outcome might be. God's will requires surrender and trust, and…

A California man, who was lost out of bounds at a ski area, says he credits the ski patrol and his faith in God for his rescue. Michael Nessi said that after he became lost, he had intermittent cell service and was finally able to text his wife, but no one knew exactly where he was. While waiting in…