Someone described the Bible using the acrostic: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I like that! A mother gave her son a Bible before he went to war. She wrote on the flyleaf, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.” That soldier became my Bible college Professor.

At a prison church service the men were given the opportunity to tell how they came to Christ. A young man shared with us that when he was in the county jail someone gave him a Bible. He intended to use it to roll some smokes when he ran out of cigarettes. He carried it around for days so no one else would take it. The thought came to him that he should at least read some of it before he made his smokes. He began reading the New Testament where he met Jesus the Son of God and committed his life to Christ. His life is being transformed as he devours the Word of God in prison.

The New Year will bring new victories. There is no doubt about it. But every victory has a battle. We have an adversary and a devourer of the souls of men. (I Peter 5:8) We are commanded to stand firm against the devil and stand strong in the faith.

Jehoshaphat was one of the godliest kings of Judah. A vast army of enemy nations was marching against him with one intent in mind – to destroy him and his witness of the One and Only God. When Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord and God sent His Word, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours but God’s . . . Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory” (II Chronicles 20:15-17 NLT).

This Christmas season, if at all possible, hold a baby in your arms. What do you feel, think, and wonder about that sweet, innocent baby? Perhaps you marvel at the new life in your arms and consider the potential of unique giftedness and blessings wrapped up in such a tiny bundle of life.

More that 2,000 years ago the birth of one baby born in the tiny, dusty village of Bethlehem changed the world and divided history into BC and AD. The Babe of Bethlehem became the hinge, the pivotal point on which the destiny of the world turns. As the small land of Israel became a crossroad of the world, so the Babe of Bethlehem became the crossroad that determines the direction your life will take. This Christmas it is imperative that you focus on the Babe of Bethlehem. Consider the true Christmas story. (Read Luke 2:1-40.)

Gene was the embodiment of the movie “A River Runs Through It”. He was an expert in the art of fly casting. He even tied his own flies. I longed to learn the art of fly casting from him. But, alas, we moved from North Dakota and I never did learn to fly cast.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “casting”? It has many interesting and varied uses.

The Word of God instructs us in the art of casting in many scriptures. Jesus even taught His disciples how to cast their nets for a great catch of fish. (Luke 5:5; John 21:6) How much time, work, and energy we would save if we would follow the Lord’s direction and in faith and obedience cast our net where He tells us.

The 101st Airborne Division has become renowned for its bravery, rapid deployment, and prowess against the enemy. I have friends who have served with distinction in that historic unit.

King David was a great and valiant military leader. Even more so, David was a passionate spiritual leader who went hard after God. He knew what it was to fall into sin, but he also knew that God is “rich in mercy”. I love the sweet sound of this scripture, “But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4 KFV). David learned not only how to fight the enemies of Israel but also the enemy of the soul – Satan.

Thank God it’s Friday! Perhaps you have made that remark after a tough, grueling week. Many people look forward to the weekend so they can unwind and rest up. Some consider themselves as inveterate party animals and look forward to the weekend to go bar hopping, drinking, and dancing.

While attending a seminar recently in the Chicago area, my son and daughter-in-law took me to a nearby restaurant called TGIF Fridays. As I waited for my meal, I thought about how many times I had heard someone say, “Thank God it’s Friday!” I recalled a few times when I had said the same thing. Unfortunately, the anticipated weekend becomes a let down for many people; a dismal disappointment. Some go back to work physically dragging or depressed. TGIF turns into TMIM – Tell me it’s not Monday!

As I was walking down the street the other day, I saw a figure coming toward me dressed in clothes reminiscent of those worn by the Pilgrims.

“Who are you?” I asked, thinking this was a leftover from Halloween, perhaps just now finding his way home. “I am Thanksgiving,” he replied, tipping his hat and allowing a bedraggled turkey feather to flutter to the ground. “What are you doing here?” I inquired.

“I’m trying to let people know that I still exist,” he said. “They seem to have forgotten about me over the last several years.”

Where were you that terrible Tuesday, September 11th? As I was getting ready to go to my church office, my wife called and told me to turn on the television. I could hardly believe the footage of the World Trade Center exploding before my eyes. At first, I thought a plane was off course and computer animation was showing what “could” happen. But then the reality of the horrendous trauma hit me. It was really happening!

What happens to our emotional and mental state when we witness trauma? How do we cope with tragic events that touch and change our very lives? We all respond differently. Some are in shock, dazed, some are angry, some are in denial, they can’t believe it happened, some are fearful, and some have disturbed sleep.

Charise went on a dare. At her friend’s urging she went to a “reading”. She thought it was all harmless fun. But when the fortune-teller began to reveal details about her life that she had never shared with anyone, she became alarmed. Cold chills went up and down her spine. Later, at her home, strange things began to happen. Knocking on her walls and shadowy figures seemed to be watching her when she was alone.

Mitch was stressed out and depressed since he had been laid off from his job. One night, as he was watching television, he saw a phone number for a psychic hot line. Before he knew it, he had hundreds of dollars charged to his credit card.

We can learn a lot from the animal kingdom. The Bible refers to seven animals that we can learn some valuable lessons from. (See Proverbs 30:24-31.) While living in South Dakota I found that many American Indian tribes would identify their various clans and each individual with a certain animal. They would seek to emulate the positive characteristics of their specific animal.

My grandchildren like to watch the Animal Planet channel on television. One day after watching an animal segment with them, I asked Kaitlyn what her favorite animal was. I expected to hear her name some cute animal like the Koala Bear or a cat. She surprised me by saying that her favorite animal was a turtle!

God loves the city. Not only does He love us, and not only does He love the church (Ephesians 5:25-27), God love cities. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not know “the time of God’s visitation” (Luke 19:41, 44). God loved the great and ancient city of Ninevah and sent the prophet Jonah to preach repentance so that He could bless it and not have to judge it (Jonah 4:11 TLT). There are over 500 references to the city in the Bible.

If God cares so much about the city, then we should love and take pride in our city. Pride can be negative or positive, destructive or healthy. “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2 TLT). We will use the word pride in the positive sense, such as having pleasure or satisfaction in something, as when one takes pride in keeping their house or yard clean.

Golf can be intriguing, fun, challenging, and, at times, frustrating. I don’t play much golf anymore. It’s become too expensive for one thing. It’s not the greens fees that bother me as much as the broken window fees.

Golf has been called the true gentleman’s sport. If you hit a bad shot off the tee, your partner can let you take a mulligan. A mulligan is a second chance. God is the God of the second chance. The Bible calls it grace. King David messed up big time. When he confessed his sins and repented, God forgave and restored him. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:8-12).

If you have missed the mark, take a mulligan. Jesus paid for it by dying on the cross for our sins. Peter denied his Lord three times.

In the 60’s and 70’s there emerged an American rock band referred to as CCR or Creedence Clearwater Revival. I enjoyed the sound of what some called swamp rock. But there also emerged at that time a revival movement called The Jesus Movement. That’s why I particularly like the name Clearwater Revival. If I were to have a Christian rock band, I think I would call it Sweetwater Revival. My voice is getting froggy and is far inferior to John Fogerty of CCR, so I promise not to sing, but maybe by grandson Taet will let me play his Taylor guitar in Sweetwater Revival.

I heard the shrill cry of freedom before I finally spotted one of the most majestic and awesome sights in all of God’s creation. Soaring on the wind currents high overhead, mounting higher and higher with joyous abandon the regal bald eagle gave a lingering eerie call of sweet liberty. I’ll never forget that first sighting of a bald eagle years ago in the wilds of Yosemite National Park.

In contrast to the elation of seeing an eagle in free flight there remains a sadness etched in my memory of seeing an eagle confined to a small cage, its leg strapped to a perch in a small zoo in North Dakota. I understood the injured eagle was being protected, but I felt so sorry for the depressed captive eagle.

He was a survivor! A bear and a lion attack was no match for this young man. He became a champion when he killed the giant of Gath. His courage in battle helped catapult him from obscurity to a great military leader. He survived numerous attempts on his life. Promoted to the head of state he survived petty politics, slander, and a coup led by his own son to usurp his throne. He even survived a sex scandal involving the Bathsheba affair. Yes, King David was a survivor who lived to a ripe old age. David would be the first to tell you that it was not his cunning, courage, charisma, or physical prowess that made him a survivor, rather it was his trust in God and a heart after God that enabled him to survive and thrive.

Most people in the world seek purpose, success, significance, and love. Each day millions of people hope, covet, and labor to obtain these profound yet elusive ideals. Those who pursue happiness and meaning in life by grasping for riches, fame, or power seldom if ever obtain true contentment and happiness.

Is it possible to have a sense of purpose? To feel special in this world of more than six billion people? To prosper spiritually and financially? God gives us His Word and says, “Yes!”

Let’s look at some principles of enjoying supernatural prosperity.

Graduation is a happy and hopeful occasion for graduates and parents alike. But perhaps you have noticed that a high school diploma or college degree does not guarantee success in life. Some people have a great education but lack good common sense or the needed character to succeed in life. One of the wisest and wealthiest men of all times – King Solomon – wrote Proverbs, the book of wisdom, that teaches God’s principles for success in life. If you truly want success in life, study and apply the principles found in God’s Word. Let’s briefly examine some of these characteristics of success in life with the hope that you will do a more in depth study on your own. God wants us to prosper. (II Timothy 3:15-17)

People in America spend millions of dollars annually for purified water. Would to God that purity of soul and mind would be more important to people. Purity of soul is a determining factor in our spiritual health, power, and place with God.

A few years ago I had a terrifying dream of black, filthy, and ferocious looking ducks climbing out of the sewer in the basement of homes. They ascended up a sliding-board into the rooms of the homes. I was busy swatting and chasing them out of the rooms, back down the sliding-board, and back into the sewer.

Families and marriages are in terrible turmoil. Is there hope for the institution of marriage? Yes, for the One who instituted marriage in the beginning not only gives hope, but also gives us the greatest marriage manual in the world – the Bible. Your marriage can make it. This article is for those who want their marriage to work and succeed. It is not for those who are unwilling to work at it or those who are unwilling to change and grow.

You can have a solid rock marriage. All marriages face various storms in life. Jesus told the parable of a wise man and a foolish man who both built a house. The storm came to both, but the man who built on the rock withstood the assault – so can you. (See Matthew 7:24.)

Think back to past 4th of July celebrations. Perhaps Independence Day evokes memories of parades, picnics, watermelon, or patriotic cantatas. I love to watch spectacular fireworks displays with John Phillips Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” playing in the back ground.

As we observe the 4th of July this year, as never before we need to remember the sacrifices made by our forefathers to win and secure the freedom we hold so dear. When General George Washington led his troops into battle from the harsh winter bivouacked at Valley Forge, historians tell us that one could trace their bloody footprints in the snow.

Some of my most vivid memories as a young boy have to do with water. I remember the year my grandpa Os planted two or three dozen trees around his homestead. That summer there was very little rain. To keep the young saplings alive they had to be watered. My grandparents didn’t have running water. They had a good well with cool refreshing water. I would pump five gallon buckets full of water and carry them to the thirsty trees. They survived and thrived on the cool life-giving water. Just as those saplings could not have survived the long dry summer without water, neither can our soul live and thrive without the water of life – the Word of God.

I love autumn. I enjoy the golden leaves, the bountiful harvests, and the mysterious wonder of migrating birds and butterflies. Just imagine the first frost, the smell and taste of ripe persimmons, apple cider, roasting wieners, and smores while sitting around a glowing campfire in God’s great outdoors.

What an awesome sight to see the flight of geese heading south for the winter. It’s so amazing to watch their perfect “V” formation and hear their incessant honking up high in the sky.

Perhaps you have heard the statement, “Silly as a goose”. Some have remarked that a certain person is “Silly as a goose that doesn’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain.”

What is the sense of suffering in the world? Young lives are snuffed out by a drunk driver, grieving family members stand by the grave of their loved one and ask the age old question – why? Crying children and a brokenhearted wife sit in the cold and confusion of the after math of a broken marriage and a shattered family.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden up to the present time through tears we still ask, “Why do bad things happen, even to good people?” Many have become estranged in their relationship with God because of this one issue. But instead of asking why bad things happen, we would do better to ask, “How should we respond to suffering?” How does God respond to tragedy and suffering?

One of the delights of spring is the colorful array of flowers. This Easter I observed busy florists surprising fortunate recipients with the delivery of dazzling floral arrangements.

During Easter families have various traditions. On Easter and Memorial Day my family visited the cemetery. For several years we put flowers on the graves of my two brothers and a cousin who were victims of a drunk driver when they were just teenagers. A few years later we added flowers to my dad’s grave who died at the age of 52 from cancer. Over the years the recipients of the graveside flowers has grown considerably.

I enjoy Daylight Savings Time. It makes life a little easier and more delightful. Little Johnny and Suzie don’t have to wait for the bus in the dark. More commuters can get home from work while it is still daylight and people generally function better with more sunlight. Time being outdoors is lengthened. Now congress has decided that people can save energy by moving Daylight Savings Time to an earlier date – March 11th. I don’t particularly like the overabundance of legislation in our personal lives but I do enjoy saving daylight.

Did you know that God is for saving daylight? Spiritually speaking, we are taught to live our lives on “Daylight Savings Time”. Consider some scriptural advice on saving daylight.