What do you call those little wooden figures with movable arms and legs that are controlled by strings from above (like Pinocchio)? It’s a puppet, right? Actually, no, that’s a marionette. I learned that from …
The Words of Jesus #16
When reading the Bible, especially the words of Jesus, have you ever wondered why Jesus did not speak more plainly? He was a man of few words, and I often find myself wishing for more …
The Words of Jesus #15
There is such a thing as an unpardonable sin. I hesitate to bring it up, because some poor soul out there who is guilty of serious sin is likely to have a few bad nights …
The Words of Jesus #14
How do you look at religion? Is religion a burden you have to bear, or is it more of a release from burdens? I don’t mean theoretically, I mean by your own observation of the …
The Words of Jesus #13
Man is a territorial creature. I don’t mean that purely in a geographical sense, either. Man is socially territorial—we expect people to stay in their class or in their race. Man is even territorial in …
The Ever-Present Danger
View PostThe Book of Ezekiel #5
And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man’s hand under their wings. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by …
Practicing Your Faith
Do you take your faith for granted? Or is it like a lot of married couples: We have been together for so long, we can complete sentences for each other. We can take one another …
The Words of Jesus #12
Would you consider yourself a fair-minded person? I mean a person who believes in equity—who holds yourself to the same standards to which you hold others; a person who really believes we shouldn’t have double …
The Words of Jesus #11
All of us grow up familiar with rules. Our parents had rules for us. Schools had rules. The community had rules. If you are the parent of a teenager, I’ll bet you have heard at …
The Words of Jesus #10
Was Jesus a pacifist? It hasn’t been much of a question in this country since the end of the draft, but it still resonates with a number of people. Did Jesus say we could not …
The Words of Jesus #9
When the history of our generation is finally written, I think historians will see the single greatest tragedy of our generation is the disintegration of the family. Some experts are now saying that half of …
Strength in Weakness
View PostThe Book of Ezekiel #4
Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, And say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus said the Lord God to the …
If You Call Yourself a Christian…
If you call yourself a Christian, what can I assume that you believe? If you call yourself a Christian, what can I depend on you to do? One fellow recently wrote to me and commented …
The Words of Jesus #8
I known I’ve been complaining about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John not giving us more of what Jesus actually said. They’ll tell us that Jesus went into a synagogue and taught, that people were astonished …
The Words of Jesus #7
Jesus was a man of few words, so we want to pay close attention to the words he did say. When he spoke, he was often enigmatic in what he said–sometimes it was hard to …
The Words of Jesus #6
How was it possible that otherwise sane men would want to kill Jesus? Think about it. He was a quiet man. He was plainly a kind man. He was an engaging teacher and faithful to …
The Words of Jesus #5
Over the years, a common objection people raised to religion is that, well, it’s pie in the sky. Religion, they think, has some vague promises of benefits in the next life, but it doesn’t do …