pictures of Jesus
The story of Jesus is presented in four different Gospels, each capturing His life from an individual writer’s unique perspective. It’s been said that Matthew presents Jesus as the King who comes to reign and rule; Mark portrays the Servant who comes to serve and suffer; Luke describes the Son of Man who comes to share and sympathize; and John…
temple of tolerance
A news story presented the plight of a Christian school that was forced to move because a group of local citizens felt it was “proselytizing.” How were the students and staff forcing their faith on others? They were singing hymns and praying out loud within the walls of the school. The people who caused the school to take a hike sound…
religious heels
The language student impressed the instructor with her academic diligence. But when the class went on a field trip for some cultural training, he didn’t even recognize her. The reason? In class, she concealed 6-inch heels beneath her pants. In her comfortable walking boots, she didn’t even reach 5 feet tall. “My heels are how I want to be,” she…
loved enough
"The truest friend does not doubt but hope.”
While many movies based on books leave much to be desired, Douglas McGrath’s 1996 production of Emma vividly portrays Jane Austen’s endearing characters, Emma and her beloved Mr. Knightly. The strength of the relationship, though, comes from Austen’s pen as she reveals the longing of every heart—not only to be loved, but to be…
Jesus raises a ruckus
The thud of bull hooves rumbles across the square. Swirls of dust rise into the air. Sheep bleat, doves flap their wings, and traders yell. “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” He screams. The Prince of Peace is raising a ruckus.
He wields the cords and flips the tables (Matthew 21:12); the crowds part like the Red Sea.…
subversive Christians
The ancient Romans were really nice people. Sure, their responsibilities demanded a certain demonstration of power, but given the large territory they governed, it was in their best interest to keep everyone happy.
One way they did this was to honor the gods of everyone in their kingdom. Rome built the Pantheon, which literally means “all the gods,” so that…
January 25, 2010
What's one question you would like to ask God? Why?
too hot to handle
It’s hard to imagine that a guy would choose to blow his apartment to smithereens. Still, it happened in Lisbon, Portugal, as a man did just that—collapsing part of the 5-story building where he lived.
The mad-bomber had recently been evicted, and according to a fireman who responded to the subsequent blaze, “He had threatened neighbors that he would blow…
turning toward the healer
Open, Lord, my eyes that I may see.
Open, Lord, my ears that I may hear.
Open, Lord, my heart and my mind
that I may understand.
So shall I turn to you and be healed.
—traditional prayer
Each year around Easter, my wife and I choose something for the other to give up. Last year, Miska surrendered chocolate, but for me she…
family tree
My daughter was assigned a class project to trace her family tree. She came to me for help in tracing our ancestry. Sadly, I was only able to identify family members who belonged to the previous three generations!
Our Lord Jesus had his family tree preserved by the Holy Spirit, tracing his ancestry to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) and to Adam…
cinderella man
As the United States slipped into the Great Depression of the 1930s, a broken right hand forced James Braddock out of professional boxing. Money was hard to come by, so Braddock worked menial jobs to make ends meet.
Thanks to a boxer withdrawing from a bout at the last moment, Braddock eventually got another shot to box the No. 2…
persistent prayer
An anonymous person wrote: “I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees. My Christian duty was now done; my soul could rest at ease.”
Let’s contrast that view of prayer with the actions of the persistent widow in Luke 18.…
too proud to receive
Shaina attends a service for 20-somethings at her church. The group is small but growing, and they’re starting to reach out in innovative ways to their community.
In the past year, nearly 30 people in the church have lost their jobs. So her group decided to get donations of food from individuals and businesses. They were amazed at the generosity.…
god spot
Recently, scientists announced that they had identified at least three “god spots” in the human brain. They believe that the same portions of our lobes that allow us to interpret people’s moods and intentions also help us manage our “religiosity.” Hmmm. That sounds a lot like scientists once again trying to explain away spiritual life as a biological phenomenon (atheist scientist…
January 18, 2010
How have you been moved to respond to the crisis in Haiti?
