The Christian faith has existed for 2,000 years. Nations, kingdoms, and empires have risen and fallen, but the kingdom of Jesus still stands. Not only does it stand, but it covers the earth—and this despite the fact that numerous attempts have been made down through the centuries to exterminate it. How is this so? IContinue reading “Rooted”
Category Archives: Coming to God
Food Insecurity
I heard a news report about food insecurity making the point that FI is not merely about having enough food, it is about having a sufficient amount of the right kind of food. Filling yourself up with high-calorie items might satisfy your hunger pangs, but it wouldn’t do much for your body’s nutritional needs. ChristContinue reading “Food Insecurity”
Too Big for the Birdhouse
Birdhouses for the eastern bluebird (indigenous to our area), have a circular entrance hole 1½” in diameter. Any smaller, and an adult bluebird cannot get in. Any larger, and things other than the bluebird will find their way in (not good). The story doesn’t end here. It seems some non-bluebird animals, despite their restrictive size,Continue reading “Too Big for the Birdhouse”
Out of this World!
The word inheritance is rich, deep, and expansive—like the word faith or family. It’s used in a legal sense to speak of what takes place when a person dies and their land and possessions are passed on to another (see Numbers 27:8-11). Although the specifics of Israel’s inheritance law might give us cause to pause (think of Israel’s levirate lawContinue reading “Out of this World!”
Lord of the Manger
While we were enjoying Christmas with our loved ones on December 25th of 2021, the James Webb telescope was being launched into space. It is effectively a second-generation space telescope (it was initially referred to as the Next Generation Telescope) and “replaces” the Hubble telescope which was launched in 1990. Unlike the Hubble which orbits theContinue reading “Lord of the Manger”
Thinking About The Atonement (1)
The challenge of communication is not simply knowing what someone said—it’s understanding what they meant by their words. That’s why we tend to listen more carefully or speak more precisely with people we don’t know well. We want to make sure we hear their words or they hear ours in the proper context. With those we know well,Continue reading “Thinking About The Atonement (1)”
Death and Taxes
I think I speak for most of us (tax accountants and H & R Block employees excluded), when I say that April 15th is not a date that we look forward to. It is more than just the day when our taxes are due, it is a day of reckoning. It is the adult versionContinue reading “Death and Taxes”
Clutter, clutter everywhere . . .
If you dump a box of toys in front of a toddler, many of them will just give you a quizzical look. But if you give them just a toy or two they are able to focus on it, engage their imagination, and in no time they’re having a great time. That’s because sometimes less isContinue reading “Clutter, clutter everywhere . . .”
Hello August
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to BethlehemContinue reading “Hello August”
A Picture Of Prayer
The story of Hezekiah can be found in 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. Hezekiah was a good man who lived during a bad time. Nonetheless, he stood for God and made sweeping religious reforms in Israel’s worship. He went after the high places (often neglected by other “good” kings), sacred stones, and Asherah poles. He evenContinue reading “A Picture Of Prayer”
