Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (parakletos) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7 KJV) I shed secret tears when I say goodbye to close friends. It’s hard. We mourn […]
Consider two scenarios involving a person addicted to, say, smoking. In the first, a friend who wants to help the smoker break the addiction gets the person to agree to an unpleasant consequence if they continue to smoke. The consequence is painful and immediate, but lasting, so it outweighs any short term pleasure gained from […]
Spirit of God you are welcome. Thank you that I don’t have to beg for you as though you are reluctant to come. You were promised and sent. Father readily gives you to those who ask (Luke 11:13). And He gives without measure (John 3:34). I receive you. And thank you that I never have […]
“He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being (koilias) shall flow rivers of living water.’” But this [Jesus] spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. (John 7:38-39) Humans are like earthenware urns. The outside is dull, rough pottery with obvious imperfections—nothing special to look […]
Thunderstorms form under special conditions. High convectional clouds with swirling updrafts and downdrafts cause water and ice droplets to collide. The collisions dislodge electrons and generate super-charged areas within the cloud. The energy is discharged in a flash of lightening followed by a crash of thunder. Circumstances sometimes do something analogous inside us. Faced with […]
Occasionally someone asks, “What is your favorite Christian festival day?” I struggle to answer. Other followers of Jesus would probably say Easter or Christmas; a few might say Good Friday. But I doubt if more than a tiny percentage would think of Ascension Day or Pentecost. Each special day has a meaning of its own. […]
FRAGILE—HANDLE WITH CARE Assuming that the item you ordered from Amazon arrives unbroken in its box, you will be able to unpack it, assemble it if necessary, and enjoy all its benefits. But some of the things we buy come with instructions for proper use and maintenance. The story of Saul is rarely used in […]
I use glasses to read because I am long-sighted. I also have an astigmatism in one eye, which means that the image in my eye is distorted horizontally more than it is vertically. To correct that imbalance, one corrective lens is slightly thicker on one plane than it is on the other. I started using […]
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 […]