A Question About Reading
Why did Jesus ask, “Have you never read?” (See, for example, Matthew 12:3; 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31.) When He asked that question, typically He was speaking to someone raised in the Jewish community. Sometimes He was even addressing a Jewish leader. Every week,...
What The Angels Knew
Although they are not omniscient, they have been around for a long time. Since they were first created, the angels have watched God carry out His plans for the rest of creation. As the Spirit prompted and inspired prophets throughout the ages, the angels heard...
Disciples . . . and Citizens
The past months in the American political landscape have been stress-inducing, to say the least. News reports and social media posts have contributed to a tumultuous election season. Followers of Jesus are not immune from the pressure, the barrage of information,...
You Have a Part
I remember a stage show I was in with my wife and kids. It was quite a treat to perform together. One of the best memories of that experience was how the director helped us understand what it meant to be a cast--not just a gathering of individual actors. He helped...
Why Did He Want Them to Do That?
In the church calendar--the way that many churches reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus–this Sunday is Palm Sunday. That is the day that many Christians remember Jesus' "triumphal entry" into the city of Jerusalem shortly before His passion and death. His...
How Does Christmas Impact You?
Charlie Brown asked, “Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?” And Linus replied by rehearsing for Charlie Brown the account of the angels’ visit to the shepherds as found in Luke 2. It’s a sweet moment in a favorite holiday classic. And many people know that...
What Will You Store Away?
Although he was a fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes' observation about what one stores in one's "brain-attic" is quite insightful. "I consider that a man's brain originally is a like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you...
Don’t Give In To the Myth
There are a couple of prominent “myths” about reading the Bible that seem to get in the way of Christians becoming good readers of Scripture. The first myth: “The Bible is very difficult to understand.” This myth summarizes the idea that the Bible is so difficult...
They Were There and They . . .
It is so interesting to sit and read Scripture with others and discover, as we read, that we can easily import into the passage something the Biblical author wasn't communicating. It isn't that the thoughts we import are necessarily (or always) unbiblical or...
What Does This Mean for Israel?
It is impossible to ignore what is going on in the Middle East. Israel has (again) been attacked. Hamas has invaded the Jewish homeland, engaging in a horrible terrorist raid. Much is yet to be seen in how this will play out, what Israel will do, and what impact...
