You know the song and will sing this in your head, “We represent the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild. And in the name of the Lollypop Guild, we wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land.” Who did these Munchkins represent? You know it! You know because they told you, but you also know because they looked, sounded and acted the part of the…

A favorite verse when it comes to the subject of “giving” is Luke 6:38, where Jesus makes a promise to those who “give.” “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.” But look at the context. What kind of giving is under discussion? Verses 29-30 had also talked about “giving,” but…

We get pretty enamored with ourselves sometimes and our ideas and our wishes, to the point that we often lose sight of others and even lose sight of our true focus on our Father in heaven. As you read through the life of Jesus, it’s interesting how often He diverted the focus from Himself to the Father in heaven. “Whoever receives Me, receives not…

Do you have a “pet issue”? Probably most folks do. It’s that thing that you feel particularly strong about and will mention in conversations with certain folks quite often. For example, if you talk to some church members about the worship service, it probably won’t be long before they talk about their “pet issue”—the choice of songs, the choice of men to lead in…

The man after God’s own heart was getting ready to die. The words in the first nine verses of 1 Kings 2 were his very last, and they were directed at his son, Solomon. If you were deeply in tune with the heart of God and had one last message to give your son, what would you say? Men, pay attention! David started off by saying,…

I admire those children who are being trained by their parents to speak multiple languages. What a great way to expand their minds and give them potential opportunities in their future. But some children are not being trained in the language they desperately need for their future! In the days of Nehemiah, there were Jews who intermarried with the pagans in their land. As a…

When Sarai “dealt harshly” with Hagar and ran her off into the wilderness, the Angel of the Lord came to Hagar to reassure her that “the Lord has heard your affliction” (Gen. 16:11) and would bless her child Ishmael. Hagar realized that “I have seen Him who sees me” (16:13). After the birth and weaning of Isaac (about 17 years later), Hagar and…

When the football team is on the field, who has it easier to make the plays just right? The quarterback on the field or the armchair quarterback at home? It’s a lot easier to sit at home and rail on the quarterback for missing the throw or misreading the defense than it is to actually be the quarterback on the field making the throws…