By all means, don't ignore this family. It's tragic when people from other countries come here to study or work, and end up feeling no one cares about them or wants to be their friend.

Instead, do all you can to reach out to them and let them know you care and want to help them. In other words, the most important thing you can do is to be friendly! After all, if you were in their situation, wouldn't you feel lonely and want someone to be your friend? Remember Jesus' words in what we often call 'the Golden Rule': "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12).

What can you do? Begin by calling on them (perhaps with a little gift of food, or small toys for their children. Avoid, however, anything that might be misunderstood, such as food they wouldn't eat in their culture or toy weapons.). Offer to help them with transportation, or babysitting, or make suggestions about places to shop. Don't overwhelm them, but do ask God to help you be their friend.

In addition, ask God to help you reach out to them the same way He has reached out to us -- in love and understanding and compassion. Seek to understand their needs, and learn more about their country and its customs. Most of all, ask God to give you opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them, both by your words and your example.

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Yes, it certainly is possible to become addicted to things other than drugs or alcohol. An addiction is something that almost consumes a person's time and energy, and that they can't break out of on their own.

Occasionally, I get letters from people who spend all their time on the Internet, or on constant exercise, gambling, pornography, or some other bad habit they don't seem to be able to break, although they usually know it's harmful and could even destroy them. Psychologists I've talked to say these activities can become just as addictive as a dangerous drug -- and as destructive. I'm not qualified to know when a bad habit crosses the line and becomes a true addiction, but I know it can happen.

I'm curious, however, why you've asked this question. Has some habit taken root in your life so deeply that you fear you can't break free? If so, face it honestly, and then ask God to help you overcome it. It won't be easy, and it may require the help of others, but don't let pride or anything else keep you from seeking help.

Whatever your situation, make it your goal to live for Christ and seek His will for your life. God loves you, and when we commit our lives to Christ, He comes to live within us and help us by His Holy Spirit. Make your commitment to Christ today. Then let the Psalmist's pledge become yours: "I will be careful to lead a blameless life.... I will walk in my house with blameless heart" (Psalm 101:2).

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I believe it is true, if we have committed our lives to Christ and have sought to walk with Him every day. And this certainly is God's plan for us, because (as the Bible says) He wants our spiritual lives to grow "in increasing measure" (2 Peter 1:8).

But this doesn't happen automatically, any more than a fruit tree will bear fruit if we never fertilize it or prune it or take care of it. Many Christians, I'm afraid, sincerely commit their lives to Jesus (perhaps when they are young) but then never grow in their faith, and they remain immature and ineffective. They seldom open their Bibles; they go to church only when it's convenient; they only pray if they get in a jam. But the Bible says, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

I often think of Peter, in the New Testament. He was one of Jesus' closest disciples -- and yet when Jesus was arrested Peter denied he even knew Him. His faith -- at best -- was unstable and weak. But look at him later! He was willing to die for Christ, and his letters as an old man reflect great spiritual maturity.

What made the difference? Simply this: Peter didn't stay still in his faith, but he deliberately grew in his faith as the years passed. Is this happening in your life, as you root your soul in the "soil" of God's Word, and prayer, and fellowship with other believers?

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Your neighbor may have convinced herself that she's making the right decisions regarding her actions, but someday those decisions will come back to haunt her, for they can only lead to regret and unhappiness and insecurity.

Bad decisions always lead to bad consequences, and right now she's making some very bad decisions, regardless of what she thinks. Not only will she wreck two families if she goes ahead with this, but she will also be sowing the seeds of her own sorrow -- or even destruction.

After all, how does she know this man won't betray her someday, the same way he's betraying his own family right now? And she could do the same to him. In other words, the stability and security that God wants for every marriage simply won't be there -- nor can it be. The writer of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes declared, "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains" (Ecclesiastes 7:26).

Ask God to give you wisdom, and also to have the courage to confront her with the wrongness of what she's doing -- not only in the eyes of her family but in the eyes of God. Then urge her to turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness and new start in life that she needs. Her marriage can be restored -- with God's help, and with the encouragement of friends like you.

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I'm sure your pastor would be happy to visit there, if the nursing home's management approves. God has compassion on those who are lonely and in need -- and so should we. The Bible commands us "to look after orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27).

I also hope you'll talk with your pastor about other ways your church could minister to those in nursing homes or other facilities in your area (such as detention centers and rehabilitation units). Many nursing homes, for example, are glad to schedule regular chapel services or church choir concerts for their residents. It's not necessarily easy to do things like this, but it can be very rewarding -- both for receipts and those who give of their time and talents.

In addition, ask God to help you be a friend to those you see when you visit your aunt. Whenever I visited my older sister in her nursing home, the staff always asked me to greet those who needed encouragement, which I was glad to do. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

All around us are people who are lonely or discouraged, not just in nursing homes, but everywhere. Ask God to help you see others through His eyes, and to point them to Jesus Christ and His unfailing love. He truly is "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

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The most important thing you can do to help your aunt is to turn her attention toward the future God has prepared for her in heaven. This, after all, is our true hope, and it would be tragic to ignore it or pretend it wasn't important.

Right now, your aunt is suffering -- and her suffering is very real and all-consuming. Instead of telling her something you both know isn't true, however, ask God to help you be a good listener, and to express your concern for her. Ask God also to help you point her to the hope we have because of Jesus Christ -- the hope of heaven. By His death on the cross He made our forgiveness possible, and gave us the privilege of being with Him forever. In heaven, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4).

In addition, let your aunt know you love her and are praying for her. Let her know, too, that you treasure every day you have with her on this earth, and you will miss her when she's gone. Ask if there's anything you can do to help her (such as letting her pastor know her situation).

Someday we all will die and go into eternity. Are you ready for that day? Make sure of your salvation -- as your aunt has -- by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

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We recently celebrated Mother's Day across our nation, a time when we should not only honor our mothers, but also thank God for all they've meant to us. Perhaps your mother wasn't perfect, but she still gave you life and took care of you when you could not take care of yourself. One of the Ten Commandments declares, "Honor your father and your mother, ... so that... it may go well with you" (Deuteronomy 5:16).

How can you be a better mother? First, love your children -- and let them know you love them. They are a responsibility God has entrusted to you and your husband, but they also are a God-given gift, to be loved, treasured and enjoyed. One of the ways you love them is by teaching them about life. The Bible says, "My son... do not forsake your mother's teaching" (Proverbs 6:20).

Then don't be afraid to say "No" when your children do wrong, and to back it up with appropriate discipline (but not in anger). Be sure you and your husband agree, however; children are very adept at playing off one parent against the other! Always letting a child have his or her own way may seem like the loving thing to do at the time, but in reality it's a sure recipe for problems later on.

Finally, put Christ at the center of your family -- and your life. Read the Bible and pray with your children; help them realize why church is important; let them see Christ in your relationship with each other. May God bless you -- and every mother -- on this special day.

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Your friend is partly right; Satan certainly does believe in God -- that is, he believes God exists, and he even knows that He is powerful. But the devil believes in God the way we might believe in one of our nation's enemies: we know he definitely exists, but he's still our enemy. The Bible says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder" (James 2:19).

Yes, everything the devil does is evil, but he also is a master of deception, and sometimes he's behind things that even appear to be good. Remember, Satan's one, all-consuming goal is to turn us away from God, and if he can do this by causing us to follow a false philosophy or mistaken religion or deceptive cult, he will gladly do it. The Bible warns that sometimes "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Satan is powerful, and he will do everything he can to exploit our weaknesses and blind us to God's truth. This is one reason why we need to know God's truth as He has revealed it to us in the Bible, and walk closely to Him every day in prayer and fellowship with other believers.

But listen: Satan is also a defeated foe! By His death and resurrection, Christ defeated the powers of death and Hell and Satan, and someday His victory will be complete, when He comes again. Is Christ the foundation of your life?

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Yes, the Old Testament is God's Word just as much as the New Testament is; in fact, it was the only Bible that Jesus knew (since the New Testament hadn't yet been written). The Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful" (2 Timothy 3:16, emphasis added).

I don't think it's accurate, however, to say that Christians ignore the Old Testament. The book of Psalms, for example, is a treasured part of every Christian's Bible. The same could be said of other parts of the Old Testament, such as Proverbs or some of the prophets. For many years I made it a practice to read five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs every day, enabling me to read through those two books each month.

Nevertheless, I suspect you're right, up to a point; much of the Old Testament probably does get ignored -- and that's unfortunate, for God has many riches to share with us in its pages. The early chapters of Genesis, for example, set the stage for everything that follows, including our need for redemption. The prophets and historical books demonstrate how God deals with the human race. The Bible says, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us" (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Never forget: Jesus Christ is the center of God's Word, for through faith in Him we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins. But God also wants to teach us how to walk with Him and serve Him, and He's given us the whole Bible to help us.

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No, Jesus wasn't searching for the truth -- and neither was Pilate, the Roman governor. In fact, Pilate apparently didn't even wait for an answer, but cynically turned his back on Jesus and went out to speak to the crowds (see John 18:38).

But Jesus didn't claim to have searched for the truth about God. Instead, He made a claim that was far more startling: He actually claimed to be the truth, sent from heaven to reveal God's truth to us. He boldly declared, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). And some turned against Him because of this, for only God could make such a statement -- and by making it, Jesus was claiming to be God. He proved it by His resurrection from the dead.

Are you searching for the truth about God? Or have you -- like Pilate -- decided the search is hopeless? But it isn't hopeless -- because God loves us and wants us to come to know Him. And we can, as we turn to Jesus Christ and open our hearts and lives to Him. God's promise is for you: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

Pilate is surely one of the most tragic figures in the Bible -- and in all history. He had the opportunity to discover the truth -- but he turned his back on it. Don't let this happen to you, but turn to Christ in repentance and faith today.

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