On a blog I follow there was a drawing for a free book. I’m all about books and it’s even better when they’re free. To enter, I needed to share “what the theological vision for your church is in two sentences or less.” Now the word “theological” repels me, even though theology is simply “the […]
Jesus taught his disciples to ask God for their daily bread, that is, the food they needed for the day. Just as God provided manna for the Israelites in the desert, the implication is God will meet our needs each day. We are not to ask for enough for the week, the month, or the […]
Enjoying God’s Creation In the pre-dawn haze, I perched at the edge of a meadow. From a distance I watched three whitetail deer arise from their slumber, moving with deliberate slowness as though waiting for their circulation to return and their muscles to wake up. I don’t know if they saw me, smelled me, or […]
By James Rutz (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)In The Meaning of Life, author James Rutz takes a new look at some of the standard thinking about God. He examines anew God’s creation, corrects common misconceptions about what heaven and hell are really like, revisits history to address its central theme and approaching conclusion, addresses the problem […]
The phrase “the finger of God” occurs four times in the Bible. The first is when the Egyptian magicians cannot duplicate the feats God is doing through Moses and they say, “This is the finger of God.” The second and third times are when God gives Moses the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets. What […]
The Great Three in One The prophet Isaiah gives four descriptive names for Jesus. They are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. However, I tend to think of Jesus as Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and so forth, but not so much the names Isaiah gives. In fact, to me, Wonderful Counselor seems […]
One of the central characters in the book of Genesis is Father Abraham. God calls Abraham to move to a different place, a location that God would reveal to him as the journey progressed. Because of Abraham’s obedience and faith. God promised to make him into a great nation. But the story doesn’t end there. […]
I have heard some claim that if you follow Jesus, all your problems will be solved and life will become an idyllic and blissful existence. While I suppose that could be the case, I don’t reach that conclusion when I read my Bible. In one of the more obscure passages, this is shown figuratively in […]
The Twelve Step program, developed by Alcoholics Anonymous to help people struggling with alcohol addiction, has been extended to address a wide range of destructive, compulsive behaviors. Key applications include drugs, food, sex, gambling, and smoking. The Steps aptly apply to spiritual issues, too. Whatever the situation, be it a compulsion, a habit, a temptation, […]
There are several places in the Bible that talk about seeking God’s favor. In reading these sections it becomes clear that when people seek God’s favor, good things result; when they don’t, bad things result. For example, Hezekiah sought God’s favor and disaster was averted, whereas the Jewish people did not seek God’s favor and […]