Guidelines For Living Devotional

Jesus: Four Reasons To Believe

A sign carried by a demonstrating student on a university campus read, "JESUS, YES!  CHRISTIANITY, NO!"  Was the student rejecting the distorted picture of Christianity which is often projected--the image of someone who goes to church yet whose life has been unaffected by the message?  Does this mean that the demonstrator related to Jesus as a revolutionary, as someone who stood against the crowd and certainly against the established government and authority of His day?  Or does that mean He stood for the real, the authentic, the genuine Christ who spoke the truth and gave His life that those who believe in Him could have everlasting life?

What’s The Difference Between Discipline And Punishment?

How many children grew up with a real distaste for the word “discipline?”  Like 2-year-old James, who, when his father announced that he would have to be disciplined for misbehaving chirped, “Discipline—that’s bad stuff!”

Here’s What Really Determines The Quality Of Your Parenting

A husband picked up a call from his wife.  “Michael got his first tooth and took his first step!” she excitedly told him.  “That’s so great!” he answered. “No, there’s more,” continued the wife. "He also had his first fall and cut his lip, and when he did, he said his first bad word!"

What Does God’s Sovereignty Mean To Me?

Two brothers are scuffling in a disagreement.  Down on the floor they tumble, fists flailing.  Soon enough, the older brother manages to end up on top of the younger brother, who wails, “You’re not the boss of me!”    And, it’s true.  Mom or Dad is the real boss.  Hopefully we have long ago abandoned tussles with our siblings, but how often do we wrestle over the right of God to rule in our lives?

The Answer To The Deepest Need Of Your Heart

Some men find it difficult to say, "I love you," but in Bert Salva's case, what was tough was getting Mary Shiminsky‑‑the object of his affection‑‑to really believe him.  For almost four years Bert courted Mary but didn't get anywhere.  Actually, what he got was a clear message, "Get lost, Buddy, I never want to see you again."  To make the message more explicit, Mary changed her phone number, and moved in with her parents who live in an isolated area and left no forwarding address. 

7 Spiritual Secrets Of Suffering Followers Of Christ

In many places of the world, it’s not easy being a Christian.  A 2016 Pew Research Center study revealed that 83 percent of the world’s population lived in countries with high or very high religious restrictions, with Christians facing the most widespread religious restriction.  Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted Church, estimates that 260 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution.

Walk All the Way Home With a Friend

When Moses wrote the genealogies of our first fathers, he came to the sixth generation from Adam and recorded a curious and stunning entry. He says simply, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24). So what happened?  One old preacher explained it like this:  as Enoch and God walked together, along towards evening they were a long way from home and God said, “Enoch, it’s closer to my home than yours. Why don’t you just go home with me?”

Stop Long Enough To Ask God For Guidance

"Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask," said the venerable Billy Graham.  How often do we go plodding on, sometimes blundering, getting ourselves into situations which turn into nightmares because we never bother to stop long enough and say, "God, what do you want me to do? Is this your will, or does it simply look pretty good to me?"  Answers to prayers that were never prayed could have saved you all kinds of headaches.

Give the Gift Of Undeserved Kindness

Be kind and rewind.  Did you ever see that phrase on the label of an old VHS videotape cassette?  It was a request for a simple act, asking the viewer to show kindness by rewinding the tape at the end of watching a movie so that the next person wouldn’t have to.  Simply think of the next guy, was the idea.

This is How You Know You Love God

One of the weaknesses in popular Christianity today is the overemphasis on God’s love and an under emphasis on obedience to what He expects of those who follow Him.  "If you love me, you will obey what I command,” Jesus told His disciples (John 14:15).  Love and obedience are not antithetical to each other.  To the contrary, obedience—without hesitation—is the result of unconditional love.