Worthy Words

When you watch TV these days — especially when you watch a game — you see more and more commercials for High Definition TV. I saw one last night several times that included a simulated picture showing how clear, how crisp, how amazing is this new technology by using people to represent the individual color pixels that are vividly displayed. The problem is that the simulated picture is still being broadcast through my old 36 inch TV in my bedroom. There's no way I'll ever have a clear idea of what HDTV is if my only point of reference is this old box. But if I go into my living room where my 35 inch HDTV sits I see how real and vivid the picture is, why you can see the skin pores on the athlete’s face. The same can be said for salvation. Those who have never experienced a personal relationship with Christ have a hard time understanding us sometimes. We talk of experiencing God's peace, having assurance of his love, feeling his presence, knowing his will — this is new techno...

Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in silver baskets.” The following came to me by email. I’m not aware of its original author. They are truisms that might serve to encourage you today. Read them and try to understand their deeper meaning. They serve as reminders that living life is seeing the glass half full. 1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a "steering wheel" that directs us in the right path throughout life. 2] Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on. 3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write. 4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either. 5] Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you...

Children aren’t afraid to talk with God, about God, or tell you stories that include God. There is an instinctive place in their heart that is open to godly things. I have experienced this in my own family and in the little ones at church. Author, Robert Benson in his book, Between the Dreaming and Coming True gives and example of this instinctive notion, “A four-year-old girl was overheard whispering into her baby brother’s ear, “‘Baby,” she whispers, “tell me what God sounds like. I am starting to forget.” Have you become like the little girl? Have you forgotten what God sounds like? The noise of our world is drowning out the voice of God. Consider your day. Is it full of noise? Does the radio, TV, Internet, iPods, iPhones, iPads or other communication devices clutter your mind with excess noise? Even good things can become clutter if they distract us from times of quiet. Quiet time with God requires listening, and listening is hard work. It takes energy, patience, time, effort, ...

When you buy your child a Happy Meal, you're not just buying fries, McNuggets, and a toy; you're buying happiness. Their advertisements and packaging have convinced children they can’t live without those Golden Arches. The problem with the Happy Meal is that the happy wears off, and they need a new fix. No child discovers lasting happiness in just one. Happy Meals bring happiness only to McDonalds. You ever wonder why Ronald McDonald wears that grin? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that's why. Some of us adults once were those kids seeking our Happy Meal fix. It is amazing that when you get older, you don't get any smarter; your happy meals just get more expensive. What's the last Happy Meal you bought for yourself? A car? Some clothes? A house? A spouse? How long did it last? No matter how hard we try, or how much we spend, as long as we live with a happy meal mentality, happiness will elude us. I think it was St. Augustine who said: "Our hearts are rest...

January 1 is the signal of a new year… a new beginning. The book of Genesis is a book about beginnings. It tells of how our world came into being and why it is the way it is. Genesis 1-3 is a masterpiece, a painting, an epic story, a beautifully crafted piece of poetry. And like all good poetry, its use of words and phrases are important to the overall message.   If you read Genesis 1-2, there’s this phrase that is repeated over and over again in the creation story. God speaks something into existence, and it appears. God surveys His work of creation, while the following phrase is repeated over and over again: “And God saw that it was good.”   This is the image that we are given of creation at the very beginning. Whatever God created, He saw as good. Everything was good. Everything was right. Everything was as it should be. Except one thing.   Genesis 2:18 captures an astounding statement. In a world where everything God has created is “good,” one thing in the garde...