For God Alone

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (Galatians 5:22-23) Recently, our son and I were driving and saw a sticker attached to the gas cover of the car next to us at a stop light. The sticker read: KINDNESS MATTERS. Years ago, we sang a song based on Proverbs 17:17 to children in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, A Friend Loveth at All Times. A friend loveth at all times, when things are good or bad; A friend loveth at all times, rejoiceth when we’re glad. A friend helpeth in trouble, a friend is always true; A friend loveth at all times, a friend I’ll be to you! Margaret Hammon Songs for Children, Broadman Press, 1950 The Scriptures are chock full of verses regarding kindness: Love is patient and kind … (1 Corinthians 13:4a) A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.  (Proverbs 11:17) N...

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Come home, come home, ye who are weary come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home! Oh! for the wonderful love He has promised, promised for you and for me; Tho’ we have sinned He has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me. Come home, come home, ye who are weary come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home! Will L. Thompson, 1847-1909 Evangelicals teach, preach, and sing about heaven with determined frequency, because we place our hope in the One who offers eternal life with Him in his Home. There is a longing for every believer to be with our loved ones who have departed before us, but, most especially, to see the face of Jesus and fall at His feet and declare as Thomas did: My Lord, and my God! Face to face with Christ, my Savior, face to ...

We are one in the bond of love; we are one in the bond of love. We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God; we are one in the bond of love. Otis Skillings penned these words in 1971, and his simple yet profound poem has been sung thousands of times in Christian communities since, frequently following a service that includes the Lord’s Supper. Some three thousand years earlier, King David penned these words: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalm 133) King David was well acquainted with the divisions that can and often do exist within families and tribes. Therefore, he begins this Song of Ascents with: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unit...