“Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” (Jeremiah 3:22) If you attend church on a regular basis, then you’ve heard your pastor or Sunday School teacher mention backsliding. But what does it mean? Moreover, what are the common symptoms associated with backsliding? There are some who would tell you that backsliding means to go back to your old ways. I don’t agree. Someone who goes back to his old ways is what I call a “Counterfeit Christian.” In other words, his salvation may not have […]

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” (Romans 6:17) I understand exactly what the Apostle Paul means when he says, “You used to be slaves to sin.” But I didn’t understand it until I was born again. Salvation gave me a whole different perspective about the life I used to live. The truth is I can’t believe some of the things I did, not to mention some of the […]

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1) How do we know if we’re spiritually drifting? The Bible certainly acknowledges that it can happen, but what are the early warning signs that we are moving away from God? Maybe today’s column doesn’t apply to you. How about your spouse, your friend, your child? Were they once closer the Lord than they now appear? Before you turn the page, see if you recognize warnings in the […]

“He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31) Psychologists have known for years that many of the personality traits we manifest in our everyday lives as adults are often shaped from childhood experiences. I realized recently that one of my most deep-seeded fears has its origins in my childhood. Within a year of my mother’s death in 1961, my dad lost his job and literally had to work several part-time jobs to make ends meet. Unfortunately, his work schedule forced him to […]