In Judges 10 and 11 we find one of the most shocking stories in all of Scripture. It is the account of Jephthah. Although often overlooked, it has an important message for us today.
Jephthah is a...
Thinking about the wisdom of experience and a long life of learning I sat down with my dad, Harold Johnson, who just turned 85. I wanted to pick his brain about the important things he's learned over...
I've just returned from Cuba where Insight for Living Canada sponsored four Church Leaders Conferences and I'm pleased to report everything went very well.
An old proverb says, “Promises are like babies: easy to make, hard to deliver.” That is so true! How easy for us to make a promise, say words of intention, yet which may only be of as...
Some movies make us stop and think. Take for example Bruce Almighty. Life just doesn't seem to go right for the main character Bruce Nolan. When he has his worst day ever he ridicules and blames God...
Participation and involvement in something helps to make it more real.
Believe it or not my first recollections of a Remembrance Day service come from when I was young. Very young. Probably three...
Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”
Words convey meaning. Using the...
Next to musical tastes among believers the use of humour has got to be one of the most controversial. As a pastor and as a Christian I have had almost as many discussions about what is acceptable and...
The smiling preacher with the perfect coiffure spouts lines interspersed with words about positivity, God, the Bible, and Jesus. It all sounds great. But do you know whether what he is saying is true...
Although the river was only thigh-deep, the speeding current threatened to upend me if I couldn't get good footing. Fortunately I was able to find rocks just below the surface to step on and traverse...
As a Christian, when I think of character qualities I would like to possess one that looms large is magnanimity.
In 1843 Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Most of us are familiar with...
As told by Mary, the mother of Jesus, about 33 AD
For so long He had been such a good son. Doing good work in the family carpentry business along side His father all these years. We built a solid...
Since the time Cain refused to give God the first fruits of his crops, humanity has had difficulty properly relating to material things, as they relate to idolatry, materialism, and stewardship.
In...
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
I think we have all been there at one time...
Throughout Jesus' earthly ministry He spoke of going away and then returning (Matthew 16:27, 28). As His ministry concluded and as He was ascending into heaven two angels also said He would return (...
“How can I know God's will for my life?” is a question many Christians ask.
It's a very important issue yet many Christians are unclear about it because, quite simply, we don't know our...
I remember as a boy one Christmas asking for a BB gun. I could relate to Ralphie from the hit movie, A Christmas Story. In fact we were so identical, we could have been twins! My mother was against...
My son was bullied when he was in first grade. The first clue was his proud declaration that he was a fast runner. “What makes you say that?” I asked.
“I can outrun this other kid...
One of my first after school jobs was working in a butcher shop.
I learned to trim fat and cut meat, how to wrap and freeze properly, sharpen knives, and, as a corollary, how to stop bleeding quickly...
WWJD—What Would Jesus Do? is a popular motto for many Christians who strive to live by Jesus' example in daily life. While a good guide for us, I would suggest something even more basic than...
Dave and Helen are committed Christians. When their three children were young they exposed them to the Christian faith through Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and Christian summer camp. They...
Imagine if you will, coming into this life and being given a backpack to carry. From the day we are born to the day we die, we'll lug it along.
Our backpack comes with some items prepacked. They are...
“He shoots, he scores!”
A few short months ago I, along with most Canadians, proudly watched as our men's and women's hockey teams won gold medals at the winter Olympics. Recently the...
Many churches and Christian homes have passive men, but we rarely address the issue directly. Why, instead of leading, are some men disengaged, uncommunicative, and withdrawn from their wives,...
We hear a lot these days about the active ingredients in our medicines. These are chemical substances that actually make the medicine do what it is supposed to. For example, the active ingredient in...
Here's a thought: this Easter, while commemorating Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, why not celebrate yours as well? Make it a part of every Easter. Even better still, make it a part of the...
As the Twig is bent,
so Grows the TREE.
Many Christian parents think that if they exercise due diligence in exposing their children to the Christian faith, following Christ will automatically...
The fire of the Protestant Reformation had been smouldering for some time, but it officially broke out on October 31, 1517 when a monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses protesting church...
Recently, I was in our local Canadian Tire. I picked up some items and was proceeding through the checkout. The clerk, a young lady, was polite, pleasant, smiled and laughed easily, and was generally...
I have a wonderful piece of furniture in my living room—a gramophone that once belonged to my grandparents. It's stately with its dark finish and curved legs. Occasionally, I insert a needle,...
Personal disaster strikes. The call for prayer goes out. Church prayer chains rattle with activity: a flurry of emails blitz the Internet, imploring everyone to pray, and phone lines buzz, requesting...
Recently, I communicated with a woman whose husband left her for another woman and subsequently filed for divorce.
When she confronted him with Scripture regarding his adultery and divorce he...
Ever heard of Murphy’s Law? It states, “If anything can go wrong, it will.” There are also corollaries to that law such as: “If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will...
In recent decades, opposition to Christian views and values have come from more sources and become increasingly accepted.
Differing non-Christian ideologies dressed up as truth are more prevalent in...
Singer Tom Cochrane sang, "Life is a Highway." M. Scott Peck wrote about The Road Less Travelled. And British essayist Oliver Goldsmith said, "Life is a journey that must be travelled no matter how...
One of the most underestimated theologians of our time is Theodor Geisel, whom you may know as Dr. Seuss. He wrote one of the best treatises on human dignity. It is called, Horton Hears a Who.
I was disturbed recently by a discussion about grace. The assertion was made that when unbelievers hear the term “evangelical Christian” the word gracious does not come to mind. Hypocrite...
One night a wife found her husband standing over their baby’s crib. Silently she watched him. As he stood looking down at the sleeping infant, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: disbelief,...
How important are you? Chuck answers that when he writes,
More important than you think.
A rooster minus a hen equals no baby chicks. Kellogg minus a farmer equals no corn flakes.
If the nail factory...
I checked the tread on my truck tires recently. They definitely need replacing so I’ve been checking out all the different tires available. Many are now “all-season” meaning they give traction all...
Epictetus, an ancient Greek philosopher, observed, “Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.” One could also think that since we have two ears listening...
Do you have an attic? I find attics and the stuff in them fascinating. One can discover things once useful to previous generations, items held in storage until they’re needed, and memorabilia you...
