Recent content by RiverOL

Moral Compass "Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you."1 Not so long ago a local leader in our area who was on the board of a Christian retirement home resigned his position. Why? Because he was the only one out...

Wisdom personified For reading & meditation: Proverbs 1:20-33 "But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (v.33) Before settling down to focus on our theme, which is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, it will be helpful if we acquaint ourselves with some of...

Half Truthers - Masters of Deception The Temptation and Fall of Mankind: "Now the serpent [Satan, the devil, disguised] was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"' And...

Wise up and live For reading & meditation: Proverbs 1:1-19 "For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight" (v.2) We set out to explore some of the great and thrilling themes of the book of Proverbs. I have no hesitation in saying that, as far as practical matters are...

Child-Like Faith "In God I trust; I will not be afraid."1 Cindy traveled across America and in Australia with the Youth Aflame Singers. In one home where she stayed there was a boy of about seven or eight. When Cindy saw him reading a Bible with large print and holding it close to his eyes...

The last word is life For reading & meditation: John 10:7-18 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (v.10) At the close of our meditations we look at the results of the momentous choice Jesus made when the Greeks said: "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." Our Lord saw...

Gearing Up for Work . . . you have put off the old self . . . and have put on the new self—Colossians 3:9-10 At work, we serve. We serve the users of products and services that we and our companies produce and sell. But what about the people working alongside us? What about the people with whom...

It thundered For reading & meditation: 1 Corinthians 2 "The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." (v.15, RSV) The final words of our Lord in the incident we are considering are these: "Father, glorify thy name" (John 12:28, RSV). What a decision! What a...

Gentle Strength "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."1 "In her memoirs, an anonymous woman writes of her experiences as a field nurse in the Civil War. She worked for the Confederate forces...

The hour of decision For reading & meditation: 2 Corinthians 6 "I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation." (v.2) Listen to Jesus as He receives the news that the Greeks have come to interview Him: "Now is my heart troubled '" (John 12:27). The Greek word used...

Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Courtesy? "Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord...

Living by the heartbeat For reading & meditation: John 5:16-30 "' the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing '" (v.19) Although we do not know exactly why the Greeks came to Jesus, it is clear that their arrival aroused powerful emotions. He soliloquises...

It Matters . . . work with a smile on your face . . . you’re really serving God—Ephesians 6:5-8 How do you think about work, about your work? Is it awesome? Drudgery? A calling? A means to an end? Separate from your faith? An expression of your faith? God designed us, built us, for work...

A second look For reading & meditation: John 12:20-36 "Jesus replied, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.' " (v.23) Having experienced the principle that life is always preceded by death, we return now to focus again on the incident which launched us into this study the coming...

The divine end For reading & meditation: Philippians 3:1-14 "' that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings '" (v.10, RSV) If the first temptation contained elements designed to prevent Christ from returning to humanity as the Son of Man, then the second...