What We Were Created For

At the 1853 world’s fair in New York City, a man named Elisha Otis pulled off a remark­able stunt. Otis was the inventor of the safety elevator, but he had a hard time selling his idea to skeptics. So, in the exhibition hall, he stood on an elevator platform suspended by a single rope. Then he had an axman cut the rope! The elevator fell—a few feet. The crowd let out a collective gasp. And Elisha Otis pronounced, “All safe, ladies and gentlemen. All safe.;…

Has your life turned out as you expected? We would probably all have to answer no to that question. Only God knows the future and the plans He has for us. But even though we face unexpected disappointments and hardships, there is one thing we can know for certain—God’s plans for us are always good (Rom. 8:28). Since the exiled people of Judah wanted to return to Israel as quickly as possible, they started listening to the bad counsel of false prophets. To…

Who are you? It’s a complicated question, isn’t it? On one hand, your self-concept is rooted in your family background, your personality, the belief systems you’ve been taught, and the key people in your life. On the other hand, you may not be who you think you are. God is the author of your true identity. He knows exactly how He designed you. He knows the gifts He’s given you to fulfill the purposes He’s called you to. That’s why Paul…

Following Jesus put the disciples under great pressure. Leaders measure their true followers by how they handle the places of pressure. Anyone can follow through exaltation; it takes a special person to follow during aggravation. When things intensified with Jesus, great contention, wrestling, and turmoil followed. Jesus died in such a humiliating way that it left doubt, fear, and disarray. Now that Jesus was dead, the heat was on those who followed him. The pressure was so…

If for all practical purposes we believe that this life is our best shot at happiness, if this is as good as it gets, we will live as desperate, demanding, and eventually despairing men and women. We will place on this world a burden it was never intended to bear. We will try to find a way to sneak back into the Garden and when that fails, as it always does, our heart fails as well. If truth be told, most of us live as though this life is our only hope. In his wonderful…

I get the local newspaper in an email from my inbox every morning. Not because I necessarily like reading the news, but my Mother still gets the paper delivered to her residence and I get the online version as a benefit. Many years ago I stopped reading the paper regularly due to the bias evident in almost every so-called news story - depending on the author or the delivery method. If I want news I’ll usually look at my BBC app or phone a friend. It must have been a…

His name is Spencer. But everybody calls him “Spence.” He was a state track champion in high school; then he went on to attend a prestigious university on a full academic scholarship. He lives now in one of America’s largest cities and is highly respected in the field of chemical engineering. But if you were to ask Spence his greatest achievements to date, he wouldn’t mention any of those things. He would excitedly tell you about the trips he makes…

King Hezekiah of Judah faithfully served the Lord with his whole heart (2 Chronicles 29:2). After the nation had fallen into idolatry, he reestablished proper worship of God. But his devotion to the Lord also extended into his personal life, and that’s exactly how we should live as well.  Our seeking after God should be characterized by: Wholeheartedness. A united heart has one preeminent desire—to please the Lord. But a divided heart tries to live both for…

The Lord makes known His love for mankind in so many ways. Consider, for example, His providential care and kindness to all humanity, our beautiful planet filled with creation’s wonders, and the gift of eternal life to all who trust Christ as Savior. But have you ever recognized that God also shows love by transforming believers into the image of His Son? Genesis 1:26 tells us that in the beginning, God created mankind in His likeness. Though that image was marred…