God’s garden
Last spring I planted an herb garden, even though I don’t have a “green thumb.” In fact, I only sporadically watered the plants when their environment reached desertlike conditions. But, fortunately, I was able to enjoy cooking with the fresh fruits of my labor throughout the summer. A year later, though, I looked out at my garden and realized that my garden—like my life—was in a different phase. The mint had taken over, some herbs were completely wiped out, and others were barren stalks. I decided it was a good season to pull them up.
April 15, 2013
How has God helped you overcome legalism in your life?
needing God
When Palestinian Tass Saada was just 17 years old, he joined the Fatah movement in the West Bank. Tass hated Jews and engaged in guerilla warfare against them. He became known as “Butcher” due to the many Israeli soldiers he killed as a sniper. But later, Tass surrendered His life to Jesus and now loves God and the Jews. His ministry in the Middle East is called Seeds of Hope. Tass works to provide modern necessities for Palestinians who live in the West Bank, while he also builds relational bridges between them and their Jewish neighbors.
no tampering
Kim Peek, the megasavant who inspired the film Rain Man, once went to a performance of a Shakespearean play. As the performance was ending, Peek stood up and shouted, “You’ve got to stop it, stop it, stop it.” Why? An actor had skipped the second to last verse of the play. The actor apologized and said, “The verses are so much alike, I didn’t think it would matter.” Peek is quoted as saying, “It mattered to Shakespeare, and it should matter to you.”
must-see destinations
The title of a 2010 LIFE special edition magazine reads: “Heaven on Earth: The World’s Must-See Destinations.” It contains stunning photography of places such as the Grand Canyon, Alaska’s Denali, Petra in Jordan, and Rio de Janeiro. I’ve actually been fortunate enough to visit a few of them. But I have yet to see most of those scenic wonders.
magical green stick
When the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy was a child, he believed in a magical green stick that could destroy all evil. His lifelong yearning for moral perfection in himself may have grown out of that childish belief. He never found it, yet his writings reveal his acute understanding of human depravity and God’s holiness.
tell it to move!
Everywhere I look, there are people facing mountains. High, powerful mountains. Mountains that seem utterly impossible to move.
These immovable mountains are hurting the hearts of many. These mountains come in the form of financial problems for many. Debt so big with no way to overcome it. We do our best to work hard, pay our tithe and offering, pay our debt,…
driving God out?
Is it possible to drive God away? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Ezekiel gives us one sure way— idolatry. In a fascinating account, the prophet recorded what made God leave the room. In Ezekiel 8:1, we read that the leaders of Judah were gathered at Ezekiel’s home. They were probably seeking a word of encouragement and comfort from the Lord (Ezekiel 14:1, Ezekiel 20:1). God, in reply, gave Ezekiel four scenes in a vision:
carried
When my boys were smaller and it was time for bed, they would often ask if they could “be a sack of potatoes.” I would pick them up by their legs, sling them over my shoulder and climb the stairs to their room. I’d fling them into their bed the way a farmer tosses a 50-pound bag of spuds onto the back of a truck. They loved it.
springtime in asia
Isn't God's creation beautiful? Here is where picture speaks a thousand words. :)
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Japanese teenagers enjoying the spring weather under a Sakura tree. (Picture taken by Talan Sadudeewong in Osaka, Japan)[/caption]
Oswald Chamber exhorts, "Nature to a saint is sacramental. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in Nature. In every wind that…
why baptism?
The announcement couldn’t have been clearer: “Water baptism is not an option for the believer in Jesus. Please sign up for baptism. Baptismal classes begin in 2 weeks time.” After the service, a young man confronted the pastor. “Pastor, I am saved by grace and not through baptism. I don’t see the need for baptism.”
April 8, 2013
Although we serve a good God, sometimes bad things happen to us. How do you view the hard things in life?
new name, new life?
Each year, thousands of people change their names. Some of these changes reflect a deep desire for a new life. “I changed my name and it changed me,” wrote singer Alina Simone in The New York Times. “When I think back to my old self, I think of an entirely different person, not altogether likable,” she reflects. That old person, Alina Vilenkin, was put aside. Alina Simone formed a band, tried new things, and poured her “best self” into her new name.
cynical
I leafed through the book, Can’t Be Bought (not the real title). The book told the challenging story of a megachurch pastor who realized he had built his ministry on marketing strategies rather than on Christ’s call. He decided he would no longer cater to the crowd but instead preach the cost of discipleship and let the chips fall where they may. Sadly, the book isn’t good. And on the last page, the publisher—apparently hoping to cash-in on the success of the book—offered T-shirts emblazoned with that catch phrase, Can’t Be Bought.
content with contention?
With its uncomfortable booths and tiled floors, the restaurant reflected the chill of the winter air. Having recently made the decision to take in foster children, my family sat waiting to meet a 7-year-old girl who needed a home.She was accustomed to transient relationships and began calling my parents “Mom” and “Dad” at that first trial meeting. Filled with great optimism, we believed we could make her world different—that she might be grateful and understand the nuances of healthy family relationships. We quickly learned her sense of normal was our definition of chaos.
