“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Mt 6:13). Whatever does this mean? Is God in the habit of leading us into temptation? Doesn’t Scripture say, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does […]
Sir Robert Anderson, head of Scotland Yard from 1888-1901, was one of England’s premiere legal minds. He tells of his encounter with God after hearing a sermon by a preacher named John Hall. Anderson wrote of being captivated by his message of “forgiveness of sins, and eternal life as God’s gift of grace, unreserved and […]
What can keep the new year from becoming the “same old same old”? How about a handful (that’s 5) new things to unwrap and enjoy for the next 365–or at least until the Shout. […]
“Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Lk 11:3-4). Hmmm…Give us and forgive us. Here are two daily requirements, neither to be taken for granted. One is the recognition that, no matter how well-educated or well-employed we are, not […]
Bertrand Russell, philosopher and mathematician, was the author of Why I am Not a Christian. Katherine Tait, Russell’s daughter, wrote: “I would have liked to convince my father that I had found what he had been looking for, the ineffable something he had longed for all his life. I would have liked to persuade him […]
I often recall my father warning me in my teens, “Without the Lord, you’re no match for the devil.” Unless you know everything, one sure path to failure is listening only to advisors who agree with you. An echo chamber is “an environment where a person only encounters opinions that reflect and reinforce his or […]
Charles Stanley (1821-1890), when given the opportunity to speak to a large crowd of Roman Catholics, said: “I want to prove that the doctrine of the Church of Rome, in the year 60, is the only true doctrine.” He showed them “that we are not in any uncertainty as to which was the true church […]
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:9-10). With such economy of words, our Lord gives an inspired checklist of elements to include in our petitions. Immediately He states that we are to address “our Father” from whom comes […]
The man whose name means “the strength of God” goes it alone and arranges his own demolition. Amaziah seems to be writing us a manual on The Top Ten Blunders of Unsuccessful People. It was a bad idea to seek the help of men rather than God by hiring the Israelites. Now “Amaziah discharged the troops […]