When I was growing up, my family had at least two meals together every day. Unless Dad had yet another part-time job that meant he had to be away from the family at breakfast, generally speaking, we ate breakfast and dinner together every single day. There are happy memories of us eating dinner together. We […]
Author: bumchecks
The Lord, Compassionate and Gracious
God said of Himself, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Two of the greatest attributes of God are His “compassion” and “graciousness.” These two words convey the greatest message of God’s love, and they also ought to be the greatest motivation to […]
Precious “Things”
What do you have that is precious? It might be an heirloom which has been in the family for a long time. Others would say that items which have great monetary value are things which are precious. When the apostle Peter wrote his first letter, he talked about several things that are really precious! The […]
Three in One Matthew 28:18-20
Most of us are somewhat familiar with Greek mythology. Let me use Greek mythology as a contrast to the God of the Bible. The principal Greek gods were the Olympians, residing on Mount Olympus, under the eye of Zeus. Then, you have Pan, Nymphs, Naiads, Dryads, Nereids, Satyrs, and Erinyes. Greek gods had physical but […]
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) Airman Jones was assigned to the military induction center where he was responsible for advising new recruits about their GI insurance. His captain […]
Overrating Your Own Knowledge
In correspondence with a young man about a particular sin – a sin that was directly affecting his life – he wrote: “From extensive study that I’ve conducted over the course of several years, I do not believe ______ is a sin but rather a matter of judgment . . .” To which the following […]
Exalting Christ
How do we exalt Christ? We exalt Christ when we preach His word, when we follow His teaching, when we do only that which He authorizes, when we wear only His name, when we make Him the center of our affection and adoration, when we recognize Him as our only Head, Lord, and King. To […]
Toward Better Communication
“This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20) Can you imagine better advice for getting along with others? How often we hear it said that the problem in a […]
Improve Your Life
Turn off the TV and read your Bible. The Psalmist said of the blessed man, “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2). Put down the phone and pray. I never cease to be amazed at how much time some people spend on […]
Mothers – A Reflection of God’s Love
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” (Proverbs 31:28) A group of second grade school children was asked the following question — Why did God make mothers? Here are a few of the answers they gave: She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. Mostly […]