What is the toughest question you’ve ever been asked? What is the rhetorical question that everyone in the world nowadays is asking? Many millionaires and billionaires around the world are in a quest to find the answer for the rhetorical question, which the whole world is asking. Many great people, including philosophers, have sacrificed their lives to find the answer to this question. So, without further suspense, let me bring that question to you – “How can we be Happy?” Many people have family, love, money and everything they wish. Yet, sadly, the only things they can’t find are happiness and contentment. Many people, especially young people, have not found happiness. As a result, some of them resort to suicide, drug addiction, game addiction, etc. There are many reasons for depression. Rejection and stress are two main reasons for depression. These days, many people move away to the mountains or to the seashore in their quest to find peace in their lives. Let me elaborate with a real story of a man who lived in London between 1771-1837. He was depressed, and hence, he went to a doctor for advice. The doctor suggested that he go to a show by a very popular clown named Joseph Grimaldi. The doctor said that Mr. Grimaldi was capable of even making the stones laugh. Then the man said, “I am that Grimaldi!” Even the people who make others happy find themselves depressed, too. Some time ago, I read an article about the suicide …

God’s Word is not a menu. It’s not something from which we can pick and choose. We can’t decide what sounds good to us and what we’d rather ignore. If God said it, He meant it, and if He meant it, we’d better live it – not altering it or customizing it to fit our wishes. One of the hardest things God commanded has to be forgiveness. It’s needed when we’re hurt or when someone has wronged us. It’s a lot easier to hold the bitterness and keep the grudge, isn’t it? Today, is there a grudge you’re holding? If so, will you stop treating God’s Word like a pick-and-choose menu? Will you forgive the wrong? “And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:4 NKJV).

The apostle Paul, in stressing the motivational aspect of Christ’s resurrection from the dead and the dedication that it creates through unswerving faith, reflected upon the resultant threat from society by simply saying, “…I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31 NKJV). Unfortunately, this was the proper assessment of life for the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. Today, we are not often called upon to pass through the same kind of fearful persecutions. The tests of Christians at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are still more likely to overcome us than even those of a far more turbulent age. It is not so much the sneer of the world that does the damage, which is of little consequence. The real test comes as a result of the world’s false flattery, soft words, oily speeches and blatant hypocrisy. The danger is in our growing rich and proud, giving ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world and losing our faith. If wealth is not our trial, be assured that worldly care is just as mischievous. How many Christians will successfully escape the ravages of the roaring lion, only to be hugged to death by the cuddly bear? In reality, it makes little difference to the devil so long as he destroys our love and confidence in Christ. Is it possible that the church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than as in the rougher days gone …

We are not to live yielding and sowing to our fleshly desires; we are to live yielding and sowing to a spiritual attitude that minds spiritual things. Such a mindset will cause us to reap an eternal reward. We are either in the flesh or we are in the spirit. If we are in Christ, we should be in the spirit. Such individuals do not walk after the flesh, minding the things of the flesh. The “flesh” is a carnal mind that is at enmity against God, which not only reaps corruptible things but death itself. The fleshly mind will always be yielding and sowing according to its desires. Those who are in the spirit walk after the spirit, minding the things of the spirit, yielding and sowing according to the spiritual mind, which reaps life and peace – eternal things (Romans 8:4-9). Colossians 3:1-3 tells us that we are to seek those things above, having our mind on things above rather than on the things of the earth. Our decisions should be made minding spiritual things, with an eye on things above and how our decisions will affect one’s eternal pursuit. We should live and decide to bring increase to the spiritual and eternal rather than to the fleshly and temporal. Here is how the Father inspired Jesus to say it. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in …

I’ve been a Christian for 54 years. I met Alice when I was a university student, and I began going to daily campus devotionals with her and attended worship and Bible study classes with her, too. As a result, I was converted. I grew up in a very active religious family that was of the Pentecostal faith. My folks were good people and lived good, clean lives. They were hardworking dairy farmers who were the kind of neighbors we would all love to have. I loved them dearly, but they wouldn’t listen to what the Bible said! They could read and understand, but they just wouldn’t change and practice religion the way God said. Since I became a Christian, I’ve seen many types of religious materials on how to convert more folks to Christ, and some of these are good. I just always remember the saying my five uncles who served in WW2 said many times: “Never sign anything while the band is playing.” Perhaps they had learned that the enthusiasm of the moment might not be the time to make a decision. There is a lot to be said for not allowing ourselves as Christians to be overcome by emotionalism or enthusiasm that is sometimes conveyed by some of these written materials that are available. “Mission statements” come and go. There is only one mission statement for Christians, and it comes from God’s Word. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father …

A brief and obscure episode in Moses’ life is recounted in Exodus 4:24-26. After forty years in the land of Midian, the Lord sent Moses back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of bondage, initially taking his wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exodus 2:11-4:20; 18:2-6; Acts 7:22-36). And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!” – because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:24-26 NKJV) Commentary Zipporah was a Midianite of the lineage of Abraham through his second wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4; Exodus 2:15-21). Presumably, the Midianites were also amenable to the covenant of circumcision that God had instituted with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:1-14). Zipporah’s father was the “priest of Midian” (Exodus 2:16; 3:1; 18:1) who acknowledged and served the Lord (Exodus 18:10-12, 19-23). However, at some point the Midianites drifted away from the monotheistic faith of their ancestry and served other gods (Numbers 25:2). They became enemies of the people of Israel, luring them into sexual perversion and idolatry (Numbers 22:1-6; 25:1-18; 31:1-18; Judges 6:1-10, 14). The fact that Moses was in danger of being struck down by the Lord suggests he had been negligent in …

Jesus taught a short lesson on prayer in Matthew 7:7-11. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (NKJV) Not a day goes by without the need for help from our Heavenly Father. We struggle with difficulties everywhere we turn as we live in this world. We have health problems, money troubles, family difficulties, spiritual challenges, security issues, etc. We often do all we can do and see no way to resolve the problems. Jesus taught us that God will help His children. We can ask, seek and knock, and God will answer our requests. God will provide what is best for us every time. He knows what we need better than we ourselves know. What a blessing to know that we need only to ask to receive the impossible, to seek and find the unfindable or knock and the door of relief, rescue and safety opens. We cannot visualize the solution in any …

Imagine a world with absolute freedom. There would be no laws to protect us from each other’s excesses – no privacy or guaranteed ownership of property. Family units would consist of anything and everything you could possibly imagine. It does not take much imagination to see that a world of absolute freedom is a world that is a nightmare of chaos. In the United States, we have the Constitution, and within it, established rights are for all of its citizens. Among those rights are the right to life, the right to pursue happiness and the right to worship or not to worship as we so desire. The law of the land also gives us privileges that we can earn, such as driving – although some think that driving is a constitutional right, which it is not. This is not a contradiction to the freedoms that we have in the Constitution, the point being that freedom only has meaning and real value if it is the same for you as it is for me. The world’s idea of freedom is do as you want, and the consequences for others are of little importance, as long as you are happy. Please note “do as thou wilt” is also the supreme commandment of Satanism. In Proverbs 4:14, we are advised to, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men” (KJV). David wrote in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the …

The history of the holiday we know as Mother’s Day is interesting. Anna Jarvis originally pushed for the public recognition of mothers after the death of her mother in 1905. She received some financial backing and then celebrated the first Mother’s Day at her church in West Virginia in May 1908. She later wanted to see the holiday added to the national calendar, claiming that male achievements dominated the holiday calendar. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis originally thought of the day for personal celebration between mothers and families. She envisioned visiting the church with one’s mom and wearing a pink or red carnation flower if one’s mother were living and white if she were deceased. However, once the holiday became a national observance, the commercial market took over. The florist and card companies turned Mother’s Day into a new source of income. Jarvis was angry. She spent the rest of her life childless and never married. She was arrested once for attempting to disturb a Mother’s Day observance. It didn’t turn out as she hoped, and she used all her time and wealth for the remainder of her life trying to get the holiday removed from the American calendar. I’m not sure the way she behaved would have pleased the mother she sought to honor. The Bible introduces us to the role of the mother in the home and the honor the position deserves long …

On occasion, I can be an overthinker. Sometimes an issue can come up, and I spend a great deal of time thinking about various ways to approach it. I try to play out in my mind several scenarios and attempt to evaluate the best course of action. This isn’t always a bad thing, but sometimes, it can be. If we are not careful, we can waste a good deal of time worrying about simple things. One place where I have overthought is in preaching. Preaching and teaching should take time and thought, but they also should be very organic and simple. Consider the preaching in the book of Acts. The preaching of the apostles was not rehearsed and recited, and neither was it complex or fancy. The speakers preached what they knew and related to their audiences that Jesus is King, that He has been raised from the dead and that He offers freedom from and forgiveness for sins. Consider these points the next time you want to share the Gospel with someone, especially if you are an overthinker and get distracted or worry and wonder how it will be accepted. Jesus and the apostles preached to everyone but did not reach everyone. They just sowed, and that is all we can do. Plant, water and let God take care of the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). [Editor’s Note: For many years, I spent too much time trying to decide what to preach, which left less time to make the actual preparation …

For many in the world, the belief and teaching about the Lord’s resurrection is an irrational idea, hard to believe. If what the world believes about the Lord’s resurrection and ours in the future were true, then life would lose all its meaning. If this life is all that there is, just a few years of living, consider what Paul stated in his letter to the brethren in Corinth. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NKJV). As we all know, springtime is resurrection time. Naturally, resurrection is not an irrational idea. We can see illustrations of resurrection all around us in nature. For example, two boys gathered cocoons they found in a swamp. The boys hung the dry, unattractive and motionless objects in a cool place for the winter. The following spring, they moved the cocoons to a place in the warm sun. Soon, there emerged from the tomb of one cocoon a gorgeous creature – a Luna moth. Its colors were indescribable as it stretched its wings. What they saw was amazing! Why, then, should it be considered incredible that God’s Son would be raised from the dead and that His faithful will also be raised? Paul said to king Agrippa, “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8). If God could take some dust and breathe life into it to create a man (Genesis 2:7), why …

When I think back on my life, I have a lot of great memories with so many people. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, and I have been surrounded my entire life by more friends than I can count. With each one of these people, I could probably tell you numerous stories of all the great times we had, the things we did and the wonderful memories we shared. However, I could also tell you several stories that were not so great. I could tell you stories of disagreements, pain and loss. I could tell you stories of people doing what people do sometimes. We sin and we fall short; sometimes we let each other down. The saddest stories for me involve the things that I did or sometimes failed to do – times that I failed to do the right thing and times I definitely did the wrong thing. Of all the things I did or didn’t do, the one thing that haunts me more than all the rest is all of the people who have come in and out of my life who I never told about Jesus. As Christians, our lives have been transformed by Jesus and the good news of the Gospel. Why would we not want to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ? Are we ashamed? In Romans 1:16, we see that Paul was clearly not ashamed of the Gospel, for he boldly said, “For I am not ashamed of …

Many transitions are made in a lifetime. Leaving what was familiar and stepping into what may not be fully known can create some anxiety. However, life is filled with transitions. Not only are those transitions associated with movement from an old year to a new, but also with regard to day-to-day activities, school, jobs, relationships, economic status, etc. The thing that can make these transitions easier is through focusing on what does not change. In order to keep our bearings in life and to remain on the right path, we need to fix our eyes on what remains constant. We read in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” The nation of Israel needed change – to return to God – and the encouragement to do so was based on the consistency of God’s gracious and loving response when true penitence is present. God knows the heart and is eager to restore those willing to return. We know that we can expect good gifts from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Our Father never withholds from us what we need. Because of that, in the midst of a changing world, we are still trying to become what God wants us to be. Let us pray every day that we allow God to have His way with us, so that our lives (in spite …

Do you ever feel as though you are the only one who is making any mistakes? Or, perhaps you feel everybody else seems to have it all together, thus focusing more attention on what you perceive to be glaring blunders? Well, think again! Imagine if you had been the president of a Michigan bank who advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the new motor company, assuring him, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty.” Or, consider Gary Cooper’s comment about Clark Gable accepting the role of Rhett Butler, which he had turned down. “Gone With the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his face and not Gary Cooper.” There was even a Boston sportswriter who summed up young Ted Williams by saying, “I don’t believe this kid will ever hit half a singer midget’s weight in a bathing suit.” Well, whatever that meant, Williams resoundingly proved him wrong! The above miscalculations from the public record are mentioned to emphasize one important point: At some time in our lives, all of us are going to make mistakes. Unfortunately, the shame associated with some mistakes causes an inordinate amount of suffering due to our own refusal to forgive ourselves. However, this self-imposed burden can be overcome when we realize that obedience to Christ removes the source of our guilt. Christians can take great comfort in the fact that as …

There are few stories in the Bible more poignant and heartbreaking than the story of David, ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (Acts 13:22) whose sordid affair with Bathsheba still shocks and moves me even after having read it for 60 years. One reason it may be so touching to many of us is that we may be saying, “There but for the grace of God go I.” There may even be those who say, “There in spite of the grace of God went I.” In any case, it may be helpful to examine the story and to see some of the circumstances that may have led to this sad debacle in David’s life. These principles need to be taught to our young people from the earliest age. First, a contributing factor in his fall may have been the prosperity and indolence to which he had come. There are some expressions in 2 Samuel 11:1-2 that suggest it. “When kings go forth.” “David sent Joab.” “David remained in Jerusalem.” “One evening…David arose from his bed.” The usual place for David was leading his army, but this time he apparently had been lying in his bed while someone else was fighting his battles. I do not remember whether it was Ben Franklin who said, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” but he did say, “Troubles spring from idleness, and grievous toils from needless ease.” David had said in Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and …

“And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39 NKJV). This statement made by our Lord was a partial answer to the question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36). The Savior had first replied “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The thought of loving oneself might seem to be rather selfish and arrogant; however, Jesus teaches us to love others in the manner we love ourselves. The apostle Paul wrote, “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself” (Ephesians 5:28). Yet, the question might be raised as to why a person should love himself. We learn in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” While man’s physical body was formed from the dust of the earth, the part of man that pertains to his spirit, mind and soul was made in the likeness of his Creator. Man is not a product of a mere accident or by chance. The Great, August God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth was both the Designer and the Maker of man. Such knowledge caused the Psalmist to declare, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very …

“Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path” (NKJV) or “course” (NASU) (Proverbs 2:9). The Hebrew word for “course” refers to a track left by a wagon or cart from constant use. It has the idea of “entrenchment.” It reminds me of a sign I saw in Africa that said (loosely translated), “Choose your path carefully, because you’ll be in it for the next 25 miles.” The deep ruts created through years of use made it virtually impossible to get one’s wagon out. Once you got on that road, you were most likely going to have to stay on it. Solomon wanted his son to find a good rut, a course that is a wise, God-approved course. Of course, implied in this is that there is a bad course. Solomon talked about the “way of evil” (Proverbs 2:12; 4:14) and the “ways of darkness” (Proverbs 2:13). It was his son’s choice. He needed to choose well. We make choices every day. We make a choice to pray or not to pray, to read the Bible or to read everything but the Bible, to concentrate on being holy or casually going through our day without much resolve and to be active in the work of God or be a couch potato. Today we might say, “You’re in a rut.” Well, is it a good rut or a bad one? If good, well! If bad, then get out of it immediately!

Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26). The word “profit” means to help, aid, benefit, be of use to. Thus, Jesus was essentially asking, “What good will it do?” Although a person gains as much as can be imagined (i.e., the wealth and resources of the “whole world”), it pales in comparison to the value of his or her soul. Because mankind was created in the image and in the likeness of God and will live forever, the human soul is the most valuable thing God created! While material wealth can be used for good in this life, it will not make a bit of difference on Judgment Day (Matthew 7:21-23; 25:31-46). In fact, its allure will probably keep more people out of Heaven than assist them in finding God’s righteousness (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Let us put more value on knowing and living the “unsearchable riches of Christ” so that it consumes our desires and efforts! If we lose our souls, we lose everything!

Being successful in anything constructive does not just happen accidentally. Not only does being successful in a business or profession take hard work and sacrifice, other things also must fall into place, without which, success would be impossible. Being successful in the Lord is no different. Not only does it take deliberate effort and sacrifice, but success also involves the right things falling into place. Fortunately for the Christian, those necessary things falling into place are provided by the Lord. Let us consider three things that are needed in order to succeed in the sight of the Lord. The Lord’s Word The success of the Christian begins first with the Word of God. Without God’s Word, no one would ever know how to please Him. Thus, Paul requested, “Finally, brethren, pray for us…” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NKJV). Paul was not afraid to ask for the prayers of the church (Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25). The apostle requested that they pray for two things, each of which has to do with the Word of God. First, Paul wanted prayers so that “the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1b). The word translated “run swiftly” [“have free course,” KJV; “spread rapidly,” ESV] literally means to run, but when used metaphorically, as here, it means to “make rapid strides.” The same word is translated “run” in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26. The Word of God being able to “run swiftly” will …

“Follow the science!” is a phrase we have heard many times the last few years. It often is touted by not only scientists but by politicians, political parties, celebrities and almost anyone with an opinion about anything. It would seem that saying the phrase exhibits the expectation for those to whom it is said to believe whatever follows, irrespective of who, where or what the advocate wants everyone to believe. Perhaps it would be a good starting point when this phrase is used to ask just what is meant by science. While most would adhere to the concept that science is a particular area of scientific study (such as biology, physics or chemistry), the full definition of it would be most helpful. It comes from the Latin scientia and refers to the state of knowing, knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding. Recognizing this fundamental principle of science is critical. As Brian Keating, an astrophysicist at UC San Diego’s Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences, explains, “Science is not wisdom, not morality, not social policy but knowledge. What we do with that knowledge is where wisdom, morality and social policy enter the picture.” Today, what many should be saying instead of “Follow the science,” is “Follow my conclusions, beliefs and feelings. Keating reminds us, in the past, Nobel Prize winning scientists believed in eugenics (the idea that the human race could be improved by selective breeding), which was supported by the National Academy of Sciences. Now, no reputable scientist would have anything to …

Peter, James and John have sometimes been described as Jesus’ inner circle. That description arises from the number of times those three were with the Lord at very special times. For instance, Jesus took them up on a mountain to pray, which He often did at night. “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening” (Luke 9: 29 NKJV). Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah during the time He was transfigured. Moses was the one through whom God gave the Law to Israel. Elijah was one of the great prophets. They talked about Jesus’ “decease” (Luke 9:31), literally his “departure” (NKJV margin). Peter misunderstood the significance of the events on the mount, in part because he was very sleepy. “Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’ — not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:32-33). The Father responded, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Luke 9:35). Both Peter and John referred to this event in their letters to early Christians. They knew Jesus was real. They were not hallucinating but actually heard the Father declare Jesus is His spokesman for the Christian age (1 John 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:16-18). They knew but were instructed by the Lord to not tell the vision until after the resurrection (Matthew 17:9). The …