Guidelines For Living Devotional

The Culture of Lies

Check the dictionary and you will find this listing: “mis*in’for*ma”tion,n. Untrue or incorrect information – Bacon” (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, 1998 MICRA Inc.) Formerly the practice was known as lying. But today the term misinformation is politically correct and less offensive than the cutting term which has been used for centuries. There are some who contend that there is no more lying today than ever; however, it is more sophisticated, more acceptable, and less offensive. I disagree.

Tell Me the Truth, Jack, in the Presence of Jesus

David Lieberman has written a book entitled Never Be Lied To Again: How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less in Any Conversation or Situation. Jack Hayford’s mother, Delores, never read Lieberman’s book, and it never took her five minutes to get the truth out of her son who today is a leading evangelical leader and the author of the song, “Majesty.” And how did she get the truth so quickly? She would simply confront him with these words: “Tell me the truth, Jack, in the presence of Jesus!” Whoa!

God As Father?

“It is a sad fact but it is true,” writes John Nagle, “when people today hear of God being referred to as ‘father’ it often creates more mental barriers than open hearts. Unfortunately for more and more in our culture, the term ‘Father’ causes individuals to think of someone who was absent, abusive, addicted, or all of the above.”

Sure Signs You're a Christian

Should Christians identify themselves by wearing gold crosses, or putting a fish on the bumper of their car? Are there some identifying marks by which you can be quite sure who is and who isn’t? In this series, I've mentioned four intangibles of the heart which indicate quite clearly that you have become a follower of Jesus Christ. Those marks are commitment, conversion, confession and change.

The Marks of a True Christian

Jesus laid it on the line with His followers. Unlike a lot of religious leaders today who temper their messages, thinking of their retirement benefits and the fact that their popularity with people who contribute to the church is very important, He never sugar-coated the Gospel.

I Joined the Club. Isn't That Enough?

Is it possible that an individual could go to church, put some money in the collection plate occasionally, even belong to a church, and yet be lost spiritually?
            Jesus, Himself, raised the grave issue as to whether a person can attend church, sing the songs, and can even be involved in areas of Christian service such as teaching Sunday school, and yet not genuinely be headed for heaven at the end of life's road. Jesus opened His heart and taught the people, and part of what He said relating to this important issue is found in Matthew 7.         

A Post-Christian Culture

If society says, “It’s OK,” does that really make it OK? What may be lawful isn’t necessary moral or right in the sight of God, who is the final judge of what is what is right and wrong. Neither does license nullify the wisdom of centuries that accepts the reality that no relationship is life is more intimate and personal than the marriage relationship.

Communication in Our Times

In spite of how many words are written and how much verbiage fills the air, communicating accurately and clearly is one of our biggest needs today. At times It's tough to say what you really mean. That fact was illustrated by some of the comments an insurance adjuster collected from his accident reports. For example, one person wrote, "The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times in order to hit him." Another letter, one addressed to a government official, read, "I am sending you my marriage certificate and six children."

Quieting the Troubled Conscience, God's Way

A couple who used counterfeit student bus passes in college, has sent the bus company a check for $428.50 (USD) saying that they no longer wanted to live with the guilt of what they had done. Richard and Susan Thompson, the couple involved, also added ten percent interest. In his letter of apology, Richard told how he had been a graphic art student and subsequently produced the fake bus passes that his girlfriend—now his wife—and he had used.

The Power of a Wounded Conscience

William Shakespeare spoke of conscience as a “dangerous thing.” In his play “Richard III,” two murderers discussed the relationship of a troubled conscience as they contemplated lifting a few pieces of gold from the Duke of Gloucester’s purse. Speaking of the power of a wounded conscience one of them says, “I’ll not meddle with it. It is a dangerous thing—it makes a man a coward. A man cannot steal but it accuses him; he cannot swear but it checks him; he cannot lie with his neighbor’s wife but it detects him. It is a blushing shamefast spirit that mutinies in a man’s bosom; it fills one full of obstacles.”