Experienced athletes prepare themselves for an event by various warm-ups including stretch exercises. Stretching helps avoid injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also prepares the body to go to the next level of performance. A series of interactions in Luke 7:17-35 seem to have a similar spiritual function—preparing for the kingdom of God. […]
The newspaper article said that the two mountain bikers had done everything right. That was not true. When a mountain lion attacks, one should never run. When the two men noticed the cougar stalking them, they made lots of noise. Correct. When it rushed them, one of them drove it off by ramming it with […]
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20) Embassies, ambassadors, and their staff need the permission of their host country to work there. Any diplomatic mission depends on the understanding of mutual benefits. Every individual and every human […]
“God is a gentleman.” I was taught that years ago, and it is so true. In this life, God never forces anyone to bow and worship Him. He put pressure on Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and others to serve His purposes, but if they ever worshiped, it was their choice. We are all monarchs of our own […]
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a formula for answered prayer? The custom for approaching the kings of Babylon and Persia provides us with that formula. It is not limited to their ancient kingdoms; it is a rule in human relationships and reflects the etiquette of heaven. Queen Esther knew how it worked. She approached […]
Okay, I admit it. Today I am angry with God. I was so excited at all the things He had been doing, but now it seems that everything is blocked or diverted. All my prayer and faithfulness might go to waste. Why doesn’t God intervene to keep the vision on course? We could be half […]
In 1820 Thomas Jefferson produced his own harmony of the Gospels. Using a razor and glue he cut and pasted passages from the four Gospels, in chronological order. However, he excluded any mention of miracles and ended with the sealing of Jesus’ tomb. Jefferson did not believe in God’s supernatural involvement in this world. His […]
I taught in rural Kenya for several months and learned the art of waiting. When I made a trip to a city to buy supplies I could never be sure when the mawingo or matatu would conquer the mud-clogged roads and arrive.1 I quickly learned to take a book to read. After Jesus ascended to […]
It was one of those weeks. First a customer decided to be awkward about paying his overdue bill. Then something appropriate that I had said in private was repeated to a third party. By the time I heard about it, it was completely distorted and made me sound bad—like the product of a game of […]
He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. (John 3:34) Jesus spoke truth, so why do I experience a limited measure of the Holy Spirit? Here are some reasons which seem true in my life at different times: Distractions by circumstances, wrong thoughts, or attacks from the enemy. But […]