Charles Tindley, an African American pastor in Philadelphia, wrote the hymn “We’ll understand it better by and by.” One stanza says, “Temptations, hidden snares often take us unawares, And our hearts are made to bleed for many a thoughtless word or deed. And we wonder why the test when we try to do our best,…
Someone said, “Good deeds should be done with intention—not for attention.” The quote reminds us of an important truth Jesus taught about our attitudes in doing good deeds. We find it in Matthew chapter 6: Jesus said, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the…
Certain people measure their success by the number of followers they have on social media. Some celebrities have more than 100 million followers. While notoriety can be deserved, Jesus alerts to the danger of seeking and measuring our significance by the applause of others, especially if we use hypocritical tactics to gain recognition from others.…
Forgiving a person does not mean you condone what they did to you, nor does it cancel the consequences of their actions; but it releases you from the pain; helps you move on with your life; gets rid of the anger and malice in your heart that can drag you down; it rids you of…
God spoke to Moses at the burning bush and revealed his name as Yahweh, telling him, “I AM who I AM.” God’s people accept the Almighty God as the Supreme Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe. Our view of God determines our attitude toward Him—whether we believe He is worthy of our worship and…
On September 15, 1963, four African American girls died by a bomb blast set off by racist white men in Birmingham, Alabama. The girls were killed during Sunday school in the 16th Street Baptist Church. Some violent people will use religion, even Christianity, to cloak their evil deeds. They may go to church on Sunday…
