In Philippi, Paul and Silas suffered accusations, injustice, a bloody throttling, imprisonment, and had their feet put in stocks. How did they respond? Acts 16:25 tells us: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...” Wow! Tertullian said: “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.”* … Continue reading Music amplifies the goodness of God
goodness of God
Kindness, kindness, kindness, kindness
In Acts 14:17 Paul was telling the people of Lystra about God: “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” He was highlighting how God was personally involved in their lives and actively providing for … Continue reading Kindness, kindness, kindness, kindness
With a fire hydrant, not an eye dropper
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is one of those words we use so much we can forget what it means. A well-known definition of grace is that it is God’s unmerited favour. In other words, … Continue reading With a fire hydrant, not an eye dropper
Why it matters that God is good
Right now I’m in the midst of a jam-packed, high-energy Vacation Bible Camp. Our key verse is Psalm 106:1: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” The main idea of the Camp is that God is good! Day 1: When life is unfair… God is good. Day 2: When … Continue reading Why it matters that God is good
Even when we don’t understand
Marshall Shelley tells the story of the birth of his son. When the child was in the womb, he and his wife Susan learned that he had an abnormal heart. This was obviously difficult for them. They were told their baby would probably not survive birth. The child might not even make it to full … Continue reading Even when we don’t understand
For a healthier and better grounded you
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health. According to the Canadian Association of Mental Health, mental illness affects people of all ages and backgrounds. Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths for 15-24 year olds. And by age 40, about fifty percent of people in my country will have or have had a … Continue reading For a healthier and better grounded you
Butter tarts on a tombstone
Recently I visited my dad’s tombstone with my son Ben. The last dessert I had with my dad before he died was butter tarts. So we brought one for Ben, one for me, and one for my dad. As we sat there snacking (we placed the one for him on the top of his tombstone), … Continue reading Butter tarts on a tombstone
The Up Devotional 