By Mary Carothers The whole world is under the control of the evil one (I John 5:19). A Christian friend quoted this to me in great disgust some time ago. Things were not going well for this young man, and he believed the reason was because the enemy controls the world. I was sorry that he felt this way, but …
How big do your problems seem? Problems you once had might have been overwhelming, but now have slipped into the no-problem category. Time, age, or various changes may have dissolved them. Right now your attention is on the present problems. Are you aware that God wants us to see all our problems from the “future perspective?” In 1, 10, or …
In looking through past Praise News I found this article that Merlin wrote and was blessed by it and hope it blesses you too. “When I wrote Prison to Praise my goal was to help people to learn to praise the Lord. But to my surprise, and great joy, God’s plan was to also use the book to lead many …
By Mary Carothers A friend of mine recently shared a learning experience in her life. After working very hard on a project, she waited expectantly for her employer’s praise for work well done. Instead, he began to point out areas that would need improvement next time. Well, she thought, constructive criticism is good; when he’s through, he’ll surely praise me …
Imagine a child playing with blocks. Picture this child placing one block on the floor and then another on top of it. He says, “See, I’m going to pile the blocks clear to the ceiling!” The child thinks he is putting each block exactly on top of the others, but actually each one is a little off center. Imperfection causes …
By Mary Carothers God is love, the Bible tells us so. I have experienced it in my own personal life, and Jesus proves it! Yet, have you ever felt that God was maybe a little bit hard on Adam and Eve when he drove them out of the Garden of Eden? After all, we might reason, eating a piece of …
Everything Jesus said is a divine command, but much of His teaching is also practical advice! He said, in John 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled. This is a command, but it is also a way for us to enjoy life and to avoid trouble. I confess that loud music has often “troubled” me. It hurts my ears and …
By Mary Carothers Ugh! Who wants to read about self-control! For that matter, who wants to write about it! My carnal nature (the sinful nature we all have inherited from Adam and Eve) immediately said, “No Way!” My carnal nature wants to do and to have whatever it wants, whenever it wants. But, to my surprise, I felt my spirit …
One of our worst problems before we become a Christian was not recognizing that sin stirs God’s anger. One of our worst problems after becoming a Christian, is not receiving God’s forgiveness. Are you often discouraged about your sins and failures? You may be suffering needlessly. Some of us are blessed to have had someone who prayed fervently that we …
By Mary Carothers If you visited a different prison every day you would see the utter sadness and loneliness that fills the lives of so many men and women. Even if you knew the crimes they had committed, you would still ache within to see how deeply they suffer. Seeing their suffering would make you want to do something to …
