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Evil at Work

Why do men continually do wrong when they could do right? We are hard put for an explanation unless we accept that of the Bible. The Bible is very clear that there is an evil force at work in our world and it is headed up by Satan. Satan is a real person and his existence is sustained by scripture. To deny his personality is to deny scripture. It is his work and missi...

The Church in Your House

2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: 3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Introduction In an episode of All in the Family, Archie and Edith were having a recommitment ceremony to celebrate their wedding anniversary. In the service Edith said, “I, Edith, take you Arch...

Triumph Out of Tragedy

God’s purpose for our lives involves more than our physical ease. It also involves our spiritual development. His aim is not primarily that we be comfortable on earth but that we be conformed to the image of his dear Son in heaven (Romans 8:29). To this end God uses even the troubles of life for our good. What are some of the good things that can come out of th...

An Example to Follow

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day...

Helping the Terminally Il...

Learning that one has a terminal illness is about the most shocking experience a person can have. Former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey said, “The worst and most shattering day of my life was the day I learned I had cancer.” Life was never intended to be lived as a solo but as a chorus. We must therefore stand ready to help one another through these di...

How to Survive a Storm

There are storms in life that come in the form of trials and tragedy, suffering and sorrow. When these storms strike, the first question we want to ask is, "Why, Lord?" Some storms are the result of human evil or human error. Others are sent or allowed from God and are intended to teach us things we would never learn otherwise. Still others come from Satan and are des...

Feeding the Inner Person

Two friends chanced to meet on the street one day. One said to the other, “Friend, how is it with your soul?” His friend replied, “You know, I’ve been so busy lately I had almost forgotten that I had a soul.” In the early 18th century, the Church of England was spiritually dead. Thomas Carlyle described the period as “soul extinct,...

The Life Beyond

“One of these days you will read in the newspaper that D. L. Moody is dead. Don’t you believe it. I will be more alive then than I have ever been before.” - D.L. Moody It is the conviction of every Christian that life does not end at the cemetery. There is an eternal spirit in us that cannot be destroyed by the death of the body. Death is not t...

Spiritual Burnout — Illus...

I read a sermon by a fellow pastor some time ago. He was announcing to his congregation that he was resigning his pastorate. He said, “I’m just burned out. I have been burning the candle at both ends. I am exhausted, so I am going to take a leave of absence for a year from the ministry. I’m going down to a hospital as an assistant chaplain, and after...

Today's Devotional

The Cement of Civilization

George E. Jones, former deputy editor of U.S. News, once raised the question, “Whatever became of belief in America?” He went on to point out that belief in America is being replaced by pessimism, distrust of leaders, and laxity in standards. The old certainties are passing away and skepticism and cynicism abound everywhere. Then he called belief “the energizer of progress” and the “cement of civilization.” Jones is right. People who believe nothing do nothing. Without belief people won’t take a stand for righteousness. They just don’t care enough. When a lack of belief is widespread enough, a nation can’t even muster up enough people to defend itself against the enemy. Belief is the cement of society. It holds the home, the school, the community, and the nation as well as the individual together. Without belief, convictions, and values they all fall apart.

The falling apart of society we are experiencing is in reality a crisis in belief. Easy divorce, crime, suicide, alcoholism, youth runaways, abortion, drugs, and the like are all expressions of the emptiness of our lives. We don’t believe anything and so nothing matters.

Carl Henry said we are approaching what he calls “the absolute autonomy of man.” Man thinks he does “not need God either to know the truth or to do good ... whether he wishes to walk on the moon, cure cancer, or bring peace on the earth.” That’s a joke. We might be able to walk safely on the moon without God—but we sure can’t walk safely on our own streets. We might eventually be able to cure cancer without God, but we can’t cure crime, depression, rebellion, or alcoholism.

Friends, let’s face it—we are as helpless to deal with our real problems as our forefathers were. That’s why we must get back to the faith of our forefathers. We must get back to the Bible.

Why not get yours out and dust it off today. If you don’t have one, buy one. Begin to read it, study it, and live it. Go to church and take your family with you. Humble yourselves before God. Believe him.

That’s our only hope.

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