Christian Living
This area allows you to see all the articles in one place.
Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective
| November 1, 2019Homosexuality is the manifestation of sexual desire toward a member of one’s own sex or the erotic activity with a member of the same sex. (The Greek word homos means “the same.”) A lesbian is a female homosexual. More recently, the term “gay” has come into popular use to refer to both sexes who are homosexuals.
Should we Vote?
| November 1, 2019The Bible doesn’t directly command us to vote—because people who lived in Bible times couldn’t vote. They lived under kings and emperors who weren’t elected by popular vote.
Christmas Preparations
| November 1, 2019What if we had planned for a party and no one came? (That happened to me!) Well, the Lord is preparing a great feast for those who are ready to meet Him. Will we be ready?
Compassion or Bitterness
| September 1, 2019Why do we care when someone else is hurting, either physically or emotionally? Because there is this thing called Compassion, which simply means Passion for someone else. So what is passion? Passion is “a powerful emotion, usually as in love or hate.”
Life Matters
| September 1, 2019Following the recent decision of the lawmakers of New York to allow more abortions, God has laid a burden on my heart for us to consider. I am writing this as a challenge to think about what is happening in America.
Behold Israel
| September 1, 2019It is true that many people today consider God’s promises to the Jews to be obsolete and invalid. This seemingly is a deeply established thought among us Anabaptists of today—one that I personally believed in for many years. As the Lord began opening my eyes to the thought that He indeed had not yet forsaken Israel, His “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22), it caused a severe paradigm shift within my heart. I also discovered that there is a certain shame attached when one accepts the Jews as yet being God’s people.
Give Thanks
| September 1, 2019Another month has come. Have we thanked God for the little things in our life—things like bread to eat, a place to sleep, friends, and family? Have we thought of thanking Him for giving us life and breath? What about salvation? Do we think of the agony He went through, or do we groan within ourselves?
Reading and Understanding the Bible
| July 1, 2019I’m certain you’ll agree with me that there is no other book anywhere near as important as the Bible. For thousands of years this book instructed, comforted, and helped mankind. People in countries were Christians are persecuted risk their lives to get a copy of this Book, or even just a fragment of it; and most Christian households in America have at least one copy and read it more than any other book.
Fear of the Unknown
| July 1, 2019Fear is not fun to live with. It steals our sleep, our peace, our joy, and our courage from us. Fear is the opposite of faith and trust. It is a tormentor! People fear losing their jobs, dying early, the dark, illness, disease, not being able to pay their bills, and on and on. Sometimes fear is short lived; other times fear goes on for days, sometimes years.
The Inner Battle
| May 1, 2019This morning I was feeling challenged in the area of forgiving people who talked nicely to my face but threw me in the frying pan the minute I turned my back. The thoughts and feelings crept in slowly and unannounced. It was not until I was awake for an hour that I suddenly realized—this whole thing is mentally devouring me.
What is Love?
| May 1, 2019Love. What is love? When most of us think of love, we think of treating someone else kindly and not hurting them. This indeed is love, but is that all? Many confuse love with lust, as well, and think it means having sexual relations with someone. Let's look a little deeper into what all love includes. I will divide it in two, because there are two very different kinds of love.
What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Actually Believe? (Part 3)
| May 1, 2019This is part three of a three-part article on the beliefs of the religious group that refers to itself as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Believer's Benefits
| May 1, 2019Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Ps. 103:1–5)
What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Actually Believe? (Part 2)
| March 1, 2019This is part two of a three-part article on the beliefs of the religious group that refers to itself as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Why I Value Modesty
| March 1, 2019There was a day, nearly eight years ago, that I came to a startling realization: I no longer cared about being modest.
What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Actually Believe? (Part 1)
| January 1, 2019This is part one of a three-part article on the beliefs of the religious group that refers to itself as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Legalism - Worse than Adultery
| January 1, 2019The word “Legalism” is defined as, “Excessive adherence to a law or formula.”
My Safe Place
| January 1, 2019All I ever wanted . . . just four little words, but those words are packed to the gills with meaning. When they dare to be uttered, their source is daring to bare their heart and soul to give you insight into their deepest desires. And usually following those words comes a story—a story of crushed hopes and dreams.
Desperation Births the Beautiful
| November 1, 2018I read a well-known story to my children last night. It is my youngest son’s favorite Bible story: the story of baby Moses. I read a well-known story to my children last night. It is my youngest son’s favorite Bible story: the story of baby Moses. This little guy didn’t pick the best time to make an appearance into the world. He was conceived at a time when Hebrew parents didn’t exactly want to be having babies.
Original Mandate
| November 1, 2018Here is the original mandate for the human race: Genesis 1:27–28 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them:
God is Perfect, but He's not a Perfectionist
| November 1, 2018James 1:12: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Christmas: Joy or Pain
| November 1, 2018It’s Christmas Eve. Millions of people are doing the last-minute preparations for the big day—Christmas. The stores are closing early tonight. Thousands are traveling to be with family and friends.
The Sower and the Seed
| November 1, 2018One day when a lot of people were gathered around Jesus, He preached a sermon about the sower and the seed. He said a man went out to sow seeds. Some seeds fell by the wayside, some fell on rocks, some among thorns, and some on good ground. Then Jesus interpreted His parable. The seed is the Word of God. The wayside is people who hear the Word of God, but before it can take root in this type of person, the devil comes and takes the Word out of their hearts so they don't get saved (his motive is clear).
Love for the Lord Jesus
| September 8, 2018I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to love the Lord Jesus. Everyone wants to be loved, and Dwight L. Moody once said that if you can convince a man that you love him, you will win a friend for life. Think about it. If you can convince a man you care for his soul, he will be open and honest with you, but in no other way will he do so.
True Forgiveness
| September 8, 2018We hear a lot about forgiveness. There are many books, articles, and quotes about what forgiveness is or isn’t. I’m about to add my understanding of it to the big pile. Some of the ideas out there about it are completely false, and I’d like to address some of those.
Dreams, Visions, and God's Word
| September 8, 2018The article I am writing is in response to the eighth article in David Wickey’s eight-part series entitled “Buy of Me Gold Tried in the Fire."
Living in the Stronghold of Deception (Part 8 of 8)
| July 1, 2018In 1980, I had a dream. In the dream, I was fishing with some people I did not know. We were not catching anything. Finally, we went to a different place to fish. In this place, we caught one huge fish. It was enormous in size. This big fish had a wound that had been healed. After this, we began to catch many small fish. The small fish began to turn into people. There were all kinds of people. Many were of my own people, the Amish.
Knocking on the Wrong Door
| July 1, 2018There are many, many different beliefs in the world. There are even hundreds or thousands of different groups that all claim to be right, and they each say that they are following the Bible. How can this be? How do we know if what we believe is really right? Jesus said that many religious people will find out too late that they were not on the right path, but we never stop to consider if He might have been talking about us.
Grieving God's Heart
| July 1, 2018Psalm 78:40-42 tells us how often the Israelites provoked God in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power – the day He redeemed them from the enemy. Often when we are in a wilderness experience we doubt and limit God. We forget the things He has done for us and others in the past. We speak many negative things with our mouths.
Garment of Praise
| July 1, 2018This morning I felt as though I had a cloud of heaviness hanging over me. Everything looked dark and futile. My past sins and mistakes seemed to be all I could see, and I heard the enemy whisper, "This is who you will always be and know." I knew it wasn't true, but the heaviness was far too strong for me.
