"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I …
Jesus and the Taliban
Shortly after the 2004 elections, I spoke with a despondent elderly gentleman who didn’t know me as well as he thought he did. “This isn’t the same country I grew up in,” he said. He …
There Is No Water to Drink
Imagine the angst you would feel if you were caught in a desert place with your children in tow, but no water and no visible means of attaining any. Imagine if you were there at …
The Art of Not Knowing a Lot
When I moved first to Missouri, I encountered a different personality type. For lack of a suitable term, I have come to call it "self-effacing wisdom." A person with self-effacing wisdom would say something like …
The God of Second Chances
There is a chapter in the Book of Revelation that contains a curious passage with some rarely heard phraseology. Verses 4 – 6 of Revelation 20 read: "I saw thrones on which were seated those …
God Is Not Willing That Any Should Perish
It seems to be an anomaly that a loving God as depicted in the Scriptures would condemn the majority of people who have ever lived to an eternity apart from him. That at least is …
Got You Covered!
When Eve offered Adam that infamous piece of fruit, what should he have done? The obvious answer, of course, would be to refuse it. But what else? What Adam should have done is found in …
Meet Them Where They Are
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has …
Putting People First
Having recently moved from an employer of a dozen people to one of 55,000, I had the normal reservations associated with changes in the corporate culture. One never knows certain things about a new job …
The No-Stress Zone
Another harrowing week on the job leaves me drained, and I know that I am not unique. The strain of our on-the-run culture is robbing us of our freedom and the quality in our lives. …
Brother Nelson
Let me tell you about Brother Nelson. When I first met him, my family and I were "between churches". We had wrangled an invitation to a church’s potluck, and were enjoying the good food and …
Coming Alongside
"The Message" is a modern semi-translation, semi-paraphrase of the Bible. I neither endorse it nor condemn it because it is like most Bible versions – a sincere attempt by fallible human beings to present the …
A Great But Misunderstood American
Americans have a penchant for not appreciating their heroes and giants until they are no longer with us. Abraham Lincoln (various called a buffoon and a baboon), Harry Truman ("to err is Truman"), Ronald Reagan …
Invest According to the Scriptures
I used to believe that following the Bible would lead to investment success. In spite of the fact that I failed miserably, I still believe the Bible holds the key to financial success. The problem …
Between the Devil and the Accuser
“Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70 NKJV) Truthfully, I liked Scott until he got involved in politics. That’s when something about him changed. Maybe the …
Be Strong and of Good Courage
One day last winter my wife Diane was reading the first chapter of Joshua, and she asked a question I couldn’t answer. “Why is it that the phrase ‘Be strong and of good courage’ appears …
The Apocalypse Exposed
If ever a word was found that denoted the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm, it is the word: apocalypse. It has been used as the title for books and movies, articles and sermons, always …
The Division of Abijah
Amazingly, the New Testament does not start with the birth of Jesus; it starts with the birth of John the Baptist. That may be surprising; however, it is significant to us in understanding the birth …
What Kind of Example Are You Setting?
What kind of example are you setting? Has anyone ever asked you this? We often resent this question when we hear it. Why? One reason: because we feel the person asking is accusing us. Another …
Let’s Do God’s Work Together
Good Christian writing is not the writer talking about himself. Good Christian writing is talking about subjects that will encourage the reader to look to Christ. So please forgive me because I am going to …