Tag: love

In the Garden of Eden

And God Blessed Them

“Why Did This Happen To me?”

Its a question that gets asked far too often. And unfortunately, it is often coupled with a belief that tragedy, sickness, or death was sent by God. It is like a no-fault religion. A belief system that takes absolutely no responsibility for what happens in life. But as in the natural world, you have cause and effect. In the spiritual world, its called sowing and reaping.

This topic sometimes makes people uncomfortable. The opposite should be the case, especially for Believers. If you are prone to ask these types of questions, or question God, remind yourself of God’s ultimate will for mankind. This can be found throughout the Bible. But let’s look at Genesis 1 to get started – underlining added for emphasis.

read more

Do You Believe In Love?

There is nothing wrong with romance and attraction. But that type of love, and those types of feelings, will not be the firm foundation you need to build a committed relationship. You need a love that is spiritual, eternal, and cannot fail. This is not a feeling, but a supernatural force that can change you into a reflection of Love Himself, who is Truth.

read more

Spiritual, But Not Religious

I am fascinated by people who proclaim themselves spiritual, but not religious. I first started seeing this in the dating/singles world and then later with celebrities as a technique to distance themselves from the sometimes awkward subject of religion. Much like the independent or moderate tags come up when it comes to politics, the term spiritual sounds to some as more worldly, or dare I say transcendent.

The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. — Psalm 10:4 <NLT>

read more

Christmas Is Just Presents?

The decline and dismissal of Christmas. Why the Christmas holiday is still one of greatest celebrations in the history of mankind.

read more

Thou Shalt Not Wear Short Skirts

When Religion Goes Bad

I was doing some research for a writing project based on Psalm 22. This is the Psalm quoted by Jesus on the cross. In it, David, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, vividly reveals in precise detail some of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. This is centuries before the actual event and hundreds of years before crucifixion was even widely practiced.  It is an amazing Psalm, but I digress a bit.

I came across a sermon that was quite good. But then, a third of the way through, the preacher goes off on a tangent on girls wearing short skirts, revealing attire, makeup, dancing etc. I stopped at that point.

read more

God’s Little Message

God’s Little Message

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t send miraculous signs and messages to remind us of his love? I wondered that myself in the past. I rationalized the apparent silence to mean that there were more important things to attend to, or that maybe I wasn’t good enough.

Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. God is always there in the good times and the bad, waiting to provide comfort in the way you need it most. I know from firsthand experience. Let me explain.

A few years ago I was at a low point in my life. I was suffering from the big “Ds”: Depression, Debt, and Divorce.

My world, that had seemed so perfect, had turned upside down. Probably out of habit, I continued attending Church. Although, I often asked myself why.
One particular Sunday morning, I was on my way home from church. The events of the last several years bombarded my thoughts. One phrase stood out from the rest, “You are a failure!”

I may have muttered a prayer, I don’t know for sure. My emotions had taken over and I was not thinking clearly. I was fighting back tears as the negative thoughts continued their rampage.

I came to an intersection and waited for the light to change. It was a large intersection over a freeway. Normally, I would go straight to get home. For some strange reason, I decided to take the service road. I turned and found myself stopped behind an old pickup truck at the next light. In the back window was a homemade sign that read,

“No Man Is A Failure Who Loves Jesus!”

I couldn’t stop staring at that sign. And then, I just started laughing and thanking God for His little message.

When I got home, my mind tried to rationalize it, “A human painted the sign, it was just a coincidence that you saw it.” But I wasn’t buying that nonsense. God had inspired that person to create that sign. He had this person arrive at the exact intersection and at the exact moment that I needed to see this particular message. With God, there are no coincidences.

I doubt that person ever knew what impact his sign had on my life. And I wonder if it was created exclusively for my benefit. I’ll probably never know in this life. But what I do know is this, at the moment I needed God’s loving attention, I received it. And I thank Him for it!

The next time things aren’t going so well, don’t be surprised if God gives you a little “sign”. He loves and cares for everyone, even you.

Originally published October 2000. read more