The changing of a caterpillar into a magnificent butterfly is probably the most remarkable process in nature. Scientists still scratch their heads about many of the details. The transformation of a human body into a heavenly one is even more mysterious. Caterpillars are made to crawl along the spindly stalks of the plants they devour. […]
Punch and Judy are characters in an unlikely seaside puppet show featuring domestic violence and a scavenging crocodile. When Punch fails to care for the baby, his wife, Judy, beats him with a stick. Punch retaliates and gets arrested by a policeman, but steals his truncheon, then beats him with it while the crowd boo […]
Even if we are not married, we have all attended weddings. Most people love watching a freshly scrubbed groom and an attractive bride recite poetic vows like these: With this ring, I pledge my faith and trust. Receive it as a symbol of our endless union and our unbroken love. Those simple words draw from […]
Humans tend to coalesce into groups at every level of society. It feels good to be “in” with others. But do “in” groups have a place in the kingdom of God? I remember two “in” groups at the BritishGrammar School I attended. Those who played competitive sports were good blokes; but I was no sportsman, […]
All the best mystery stories reach their climax when a character exposes the real meaning of the mystery. After describing the mystery, most of the book involves the gathering and assembling of puzzle pieces. Engaged readers strain to discover a pattern in the clues and solve it early. Toward the end of the story, a […]
These days, important communications between embassy staff and government officials travel in diplomatic pouches or bags. The contents are legally immune from search and delay. They remain secret to foreign countries. Sometime around 33 AD, a long-awaited “diplomatic bag” arrived in a hostile kingdom. It contained the mystery of the gospel, and Paul became one […]
Free Brain Transplants! Well, not exactly, but an equally radical transformation happens when we make Jesus our Lord. We receive the Spirit and the mind of Christ.1 Paul lays it out at the beginning of a letter to Corinthian Christians. It might as well be a brain transplant; the change is so extensive. Paul contrasts human […]
“The man in the boat was such fun. I loved his stories! He told them so well. What did they say his name was?” “I forget his name, but he’s great. I especially liked the one about the seeds and the birds that gobbled most of them up. Let’s find out where he’s speaking next […]
I rarely lose things, except my memory. When I forget a person’s name or misplace my keys, I am grateful for the times when God answers my prayers and reminds me of a name or shows me the lost object. God longs to show us greater things. Like Daniel, we are in relationship with the […]