William E. Gladstone, the great statesman of England, once said to E. DeWitt Talmage, “Talmage, you talk about the questions of the day. There is only one question, and that’s the question of religion in the home. Settle that and you will settle all questions.” There have been many changes in our world since those words were spoken but they are still true. Since the home produces and develops c...
Nothing in our lives is more important than our thoughts. Writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once explained, “Sow a thought and you reap an act, sow an act and you reap a habit, sow a habit and you reap a character.” Every person’s character is ultimately shaped by his thoughts. The Bible says the same thing in another way: “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
We hav...
Someone said: “God made the country, man made the city, and the devil made the small town.” He could have had in mind your town. Most people at one time or another contribute to the spread of idle gossip and groundless rumors. Rare indeed is the person who will let such information end with his hearing.
While most people participate in rumors about others, few people appreciate being th...
What should be the Christian attitude toward war? Is the taking of human life ever justified?
The Bible clearly teaches that the biblical ideal is for peace. Unfortunately, our world is not ideal. It is a world filled with greed, lust, hatred, jealousy, and self-interest. Where such sins abound, there will be war. Where there is world sin, there will be world war. This does not make war...
Advice columnist Ann Landers once wrote, “More marriages are wrecked on the rocks of religious difference than most people can imagine.” It is a fact that religious differences are one of the principal causes of problems in marriages. How could it be otherwise? It could not be, unless our faith were unimportant to us. The only way religious differences can keep from being a problem is if we lea...
Why do people suffer, especially good people? Why do evil people prosper? These questions are as old as humankind but as current as today. Is there any answer to them?
The explanation of the prosperity of the wicked is easy. It is due to the indiscriminate love of God. He loves all people, even those who hate him and he bestows his blessings on all people alike. (Matthew 5:44-45). But w...
Death is a fact of life. As soon as we begin to live we are old enough to die. We are all engaged to marry death, so as we grow older and the ceremony approaches we need to become better prepared for it. So what’s it like to die? We all want to know. There are four words used in the Bible to describe death: sleep, depart, dissolve, and decease.
1. Slee...
Philosopher Sidney Harris said, “It is easier to be a ‘humanitarian’ than to render your own country its proper dues; it is easier to be a ‘patriot’ than to make your community a better place to live in; it is easier to be a ‘civic leader’ than to treat your own family with love and understanding: for the smaller the focus of attention, the harder the task.”
Christianity is the same way...
The diplomacy of the White House in the days of Theodore Roosevelt was “Talk softly but carry a big stick.” In life there are times when it is necessary to carry a big stick—but there are also times when it is good to talk softly.
The Bible says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous [harsh] words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). All of us need to give attention to our speech,...