One of my favorite singing groups was The Carpenters, whose easy listening style filled the air waves at a time when heavy rock ‘n roll was taking over the world of music. Their signature song sat atop the charts for seven straight weeks in 1970. Karen and Richard Carpenter are still singing it in my…
Charles Fuller was born to a furniture merchant in 1888. Until the age of 35, he was a fruit packer. That all changed in 1917, when he stepped into the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles to hear the preaching of Paul Rader. That night, Fuller committed his life to Christ. He and…
For those living in America, today is Independence Day, which marks the birth of the nation. When I celebrate today, two thoughts come to mind. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). “What the people want is very simple – they want an America as good as its promise” (Barbara Jordan). We have daily readers…
A man loved to play golf. But one Saturday, he returned home from a game with a friend much earlier than expected. His wife asked him why his game ended so soon. The man answered, “Would you want to play with someone who whines about every shot, complains constantly about the course, and makes obnoxious…
“Be instant in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Those were Paul’s words to his closest disciple, in the final chapter of his final letter. He was telling young Timothy to do the right thing, whether he felt like it or not. Oswald Chambers wrote, “If we do only what we feel inclined…
Are you living in God’s sweet spot? Are you walking in the will of God? The answer may not be as clear as you think. Francis Chan said, “It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you…
A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagon load of corn. His neighbor heard him scream in frustration, and invited him over for lunch. The farm boy said, “That’s mighty nice of you to invite me over, but Pa won’t like it.” After a delicious lunch, the man said to the farm boy, “Before lunch, you…
A couple of Arkansas hunters were deep into the woods when one of the men suddenly collapsed. His friend immediately called 911. “I think my friend is dead! What do I do?” The operator tried to calm the man down. “Stay calm. The first thing you need to do is make sure your friend is…
Jesus offered the key to supernatural power. “Abide in me and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). Until you abide in Christ, Jesus has this to say about your expectations for…
“Joab defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom” (I Kings 2:28). Joab had withstood his greatest test, remaining faithful to King David by not following after the fascinating leadership of upstart Absalom. Yet, toward the end of his life, Joab turned away to follow the less attractive leader, Adonijah. He overcame to…