filthy garments
Can God use someone like me—a person with a bad past? This question was burning in the hearts of the returnees. The Israelites had come back from captivity—a result of their gross, persistent, and unrepentant sins. The Promised Land laid in ruin, the temple destroyed. They realized, We’ve messed up big time. Can the holy God use us to reestablish the proper way to worship Him?
expecting fruit
My neighbor planted some apple tree seedlings. Several years later, the mature trees bore fruit. But there was a problem. The first bushel of apples my neighbor picked contained some unwanted guests . . . uh, pests. Worms were found, leading his wife to conclude that a few bad apples do indeed spoil the whole bunch! Since that fateful day, the only things that have munched on my neighbor’s apples are wild deer (and worms).
village superman
The residents of Calamba City, Philippines, have dubbed Herbert Chavez “the village superman.” Chavez earned this title by undergoing multiple surgeries to make his face and body resemble the famous superhero. He has even considered implanting metal in his legs to make him taller like Superman. While Chavez’s devotion to his hero seems extreme, many would agree, he did pick…
