God’s Job, and Ours
When I was first called to pastor a church, my family and I were, frankly, broke! I had just finished Bible college and my wife had been homeschooling our young daughters. The church was in a popular area, and house prices were at a premium. We needed a home, but they were all so very expensive. We really liked one place, but had no money for a deposit or to offer for rent. The real estate agent asked us if we wanted it.
Wexting?
A pedestrian is startled as a car screeches to an abrupt halt—just inches from his body. He lifts his head and thumbs from his glowing smartphone screen, scowls at the driver, and keeps walking. This scene plays out every day somewhere in the world. Texting walkers are the latest concern—doing something called wexting.
A Better Question
When he was a child, Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel’s mother would greet him the same way each day after school. She never asked, “What did you learn today?” Rather, she always asked: “Did you have a good question today?”
break camp and move on
In his book Seize the Day, Danny Cox, a former jet pilot turned business leader, explained why pilots needed a new ejection system. In the former system, when pilots initiated ejection, all they needed to do was clear the plane and roll forward out of the seat. During testing, however, the pilots wouldn’t let go of the seat during the process. The engineers came up with a solution. Two seconds after ejection commenced, an electronic take-up reel would immediately take up the slack and force the pilot forward out of his seat—freeing the parachute.
on solid ground
In the film High Fidelity, a character named Rob Gordon lamented his history of passivity. “I guess it made more sense to commit to nothing, keep my options open” he said. “And that’s suicide by tiny, tiny increments.”
compassionate warnings
I said, “I’m here for you when you really want to seek God. Although I’ve tried to help you to follow Jesus, our times together have simply become you recounting your continued sins and lack of spiritual interest.” Then, after praying for him, I set him free from my attempts to disciple him. Sadly, he’s never been willing to humble himself, repent of his sins, and follow God.
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.
narrow road, eternal life
One of the most prevalent of modern myths is the idea that boundary-less living leads to freedom. A permissive lifestyle may feel free for a time, but it will soon trap us. In ludicrous manner we shout, “I’m free! I’m free!” as we back into a cage and lock the door.
young widow's rant
I’ve never met Stephanie Olson, but through social media I came across her blog The Young Widow’s Rant. The website reveals that her husband recently died at age 33, leaving Stephanie a young widow (age 30) with two young children. I learned that their son Isaac was about to have a party to celebrate his first birthday and that Stephanie…
crackpots
I opened up the e-mail and there it was. An invitation to step out of another comfort zone. An invitation to come speak at a church about the blanket ministry for the homeless I had started several years ago. I actually had spoken at this church last year and they wanted me to come back to give an update and…
the choice is yours
A missionary friend who has lived in Uganda for nearly 20 years recently told me that his wife doesn’t enjoy their family’s annual trip to the United States. The reason? “There are too many choices there!” she says.
It’s true that—with fewer consumer products at our disposal—life in Uganda can seem less complicated than in the Western world. I’ve found,…
follow Jesus . . . on twitter
Jesus has His own Twitter account. Well, actually, hundreds of them. Search for “Jesus Christ” on the social networking site, and you’ll find a plethora of twitterers all tweeting in His name—some well-meaning and many blasphemous. The most popular “Jesus” on Twitter has over 34,000 followers!
Hmmm. Would the real Jesus use Twitter? I wonder.
“Follow me,” Jesus said to…
honey dripping
In Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book, he tells the story of his 7-year-old grandson Hans who appeared to be devoutly reading his New Testament as he sat on a park bench. The boy’s eyes moved back and forth across the pages of the Bible, denying the fact that he had not yet learned how to read.
Similarly, we can consistently…
dying wish
Last year, Amilcar Hill and Rahwa Ghirmatizion were married at their child’s funeral. Now before you start to cast stones (instead of rice) at them, realize that they were simply striving to honor their son Asa. Prior to the 7-year-old’s tragic death in an automobile accident, he had been repeatedly asking his mom and dad—who had never legally wed—to tie…
