4th Day Letters

Civility is certainly missing in the contentious accusations going back and forth between the two political parties in Washington, DC. Civility is also absent in the aggressive Brexit debates in the UK. This lack of civility is not reserved for politicians. It is on full display all over Facebook, Twitter and other social media. It…

Jesus used stories and parables to paint lasting mental images.  Today, images are frequently photoshopped. Things are not always what they seem to be. Photoshopping refers to altering a digital image in a way that distorts reality often for deliberately deceptive purposes. Has the true meaning of one of the most beloved stories in the…

Eight years ago, on September 22, 2011, I felt a nudge from God to write an inspirational email to 15 of my friends. Little did I know then, that it was the beginning of what would become 4th Day Letters. After eight years, these weekly messages are being read around the world. Today, I want…

In 1968 Mary Hopkin sang, THOSE WERE THE DAYS. Included in the song were these lyrics, “Those were the days my friend. We thought they’d never end. We’d sing and dance forever and a day.” People tend to romanticize the past, choosing to only remember the good.  Christians can get caught up in this too.…

Greek Mythology had a god or goddess for just about everything. The Romans also had many gods and although their names were different, their deities had much in common with the Greek gods. The early Jews frequently fell into the practice of worshiping false gods too. The sad reality is that most Christians also worship…

There is a vast difference between self-identification and self-discovery. In today’s culture there is a growing belief that everyone has a fundamental right to self-identify who they are. Some people believe they have a right to self-determine their race, gender, ancestral heritage, and strangely enough, even their age, height and weight. We are called to…

Life’s one constant is change. People and organizations change. People experience change from birth until death. Change means we have lost something. The more emotionally attached we are to something, the more that loss leads to grief. Changes happen at our churches too. When people experience change at their church, their sentimental, emotional and historical…

There are too many diets to keep track of. Most become passing fads. Some are supported by medical data. Others are not. Each unique diet puts forth its own unique claim. One promises to reduce cholesterol levels. Another says it lowers blood pressure. Yet another one purports to reduce the chance of Alzheimer’s disease. Only…

A young Christian grew tired and weary of his struggle. Despite his desire to be born again and to be a new creation in Christ, he continually fell back into old sinful patterns. He feverishly begged God to change him. He even sought professional counseling. Sure, he would break free for a while, but soon…

When two people are mad and arguing with each other, one or both may spew the hateful words “GO TO HELL”.  There really is no greater curse to wish upon someone. Today, these words appear to only be hateful rhetoric. More and more people are rejecting the existence of hell. Modern, moral relativism tries to…