Twelve men had returned from an inspection of their new home in the hill country of Canaan. It was time to present their report to the extended family and sell the idea of possessing Canaan quickly. However, the men were divided. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go […]
Magic is the use of special words or ceremonies in the belief that they produce results. Sadly, magic thinking1 creeps into Christian life sometimes. Jesus rejected it. The crafty suggestion came from Satan. Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said […]
Jesus was still dripping wet from baptism when the Spirit alighted and the Father spoke (Luke 4:1 says He filled Him). Behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the […]
I often experience a deep weariness at doing things that seem fruitless or mundane. I fear new paths will turn into impassable rabbit trails. There seems no point in getting exhausted if there will be no return on my investment. Simon and his partners felt something like that one morning after catching nothing all night. […]
Jesus’ behavior at His betrayal in Gethsemane shows us the power of peace. His responses defused the tension and He miraculously healed an ear. Peter, on the other hand, panicked and fled with the other disciples. Jesus’ peace came from knowing that the Father was in control and things were going according to His plan. […]
“If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38) Where do we go to satisfy our thirst? To be honest, I find that I have several favorite watering holes. The company […]
Who in the Gospel stories had the greatest faith? The disciples were late starters. Jesus commended several people for their faith. But one man, a non-Jewish centurion, was singled out with this remarkable observation: “Not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” (Luke 7:9) Was Jesus on a faith hunt? Perhaps not, but […]
When another driver does something stupid or dangerous my expressions, though mild, come quickly. Injustice or abuse produces a stronger reaction in most of us. So, have you ever wondered why Jesus said so little at His trials? Faced with false accusers at the high priest’s house Jesus kept silent.1 His answers to Pilate were […]
My senior years at high school were spent writing essays. Teachers believed that the best preparation for university was learning to research a subject and condense the findings into carefully structured arguments. It worked well, except when students missed the point. Then the red ink appeared: “Answer the question!” If the disciples had been more […]
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 […]