A man who had lost his wife said to me, “Merlin, I’m trying, but I don’t believe I can thank God that my wife has died.” Should he? If not, why? If so, why? Since Ephesians 5:20 directs us to thank God for everything, does that mean He will punish us if we don’t? Does it mean He is displeased …
By Mary Carothers The book of Galatians in the Living Translation is one of my very favorite books of the Bible. Nowhere else does God so clearly show us His Grace versus our desire to “earn” His blessings. Some years ago, I sat in a prayer group and listened as a man expounded on the merit of keeping one of …
Unbelievable! How could anyone believe that God would lie? It is impossible for God to tell a lie (Hebrews 6:18 TLB). Why would we even think that it could happen? Perhaps because we are human. God promises us that He will take everything that happens to us and make it work for our good (see Romans 8:28). That infuriates Satan …
Being a Christian is like receiving a priceless jewel as a Christmas present. Even as a diamond has many facets, each enhancing the other, belonging to Jesus is also many- faceted. Centermost, of course, is our salvation: a free gift. We can never earn it since Jesus has already paid for it with His precious blood. One of the facets …
What will Christmas mean to us this year? Probably many different things. But what does Jesus’ Father want Christmas to mean? In our lifetime there have been many changes in what business and public schools want Christmas to mean. Notice what you see this time of year. Most stores will celebrate “Xmas”. Many schools will sing “Jingle Bells” but nothing …
But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy … (Matthew 6:20 NIV). What is the greatest treasure we can hope to find in Heaven? What will affect us eternally? At the top of God’s priorities will be what we have done to help another person believe in Jesus as Savior. They will be …
By Mary Carothers God sent Elijah to the brook called Cherith. He did this because there was a drought coming on the land. Elijah was to drink from the brook and the birds would bring him food each day. Although many others in the land were suffering from the result of the drought, God had made provision for Elijah. As …
No matter how spiritual we are, we all have “buttons” that can be pushed. They are like a silent switch – turned on and off – sometimes without a sound. We often are not aware of just how they are pushed, but we are aware of the results. Some people learn what buttons they can push to make us angry, …
By Mary Carothers Last week I listened as some folks talked about how hard it was to forgive a person who had done something bad to them. It’s not too likely that anyone reaches adulthood without having experienced situations where they felt betrayed. Because of this, whether we decide to forgive someone or not, it’s important to know what God …
As I get older, I no longer have the same temptations that I once had. Now I have the “older folks” ones. Young people are sometimes tempted to think I can’t do it. No matter how qualified they may be they will never do their best if they accept the “I can’t do it” attitude. Each one of us can …
