reading Scripture, missing God
Some years ago, I had a sobering epiphany regarding my faith. After a decade of ministry, I realized that I didn’t really know God very well. Yes, I knew there was a God and that He was good and holy. I knew that Jesus had died for my sins. But did I really know God’s character well? His personality? Not very deeply.
God is powerless?
Rabbi Harold Kushner lost a son to a degenerative disease—premature aging syndrome. He later wrote the bestseller When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Trying to maintain his belief in God, he said that God is either not good enough, since he allowed the sickness, or not powerful enough to prevent it. He chose the latter. According to Kushner, God created the world but isn’t in complete control of it. In other words, God hopes for our good and sympathizes with us in our pain, but He’s powerless to do anything about it.
no fish story
Why is God so big on judgment? Perhaps a better question is: Why is God so patient with us?
bless the Lord
Have you sung Matt Redman’s inspiring song, “10,000 Reasons”? It begins, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy name.” Matt said he based the song on Psalm 103, which lists many and various reasons to bless the Lord. The New International Version and New Living Translation translate Psalm 103:1 as “praise the Lord,” but the Hebrew literally says, “O my soul, bless the Lord.” Do you wonder what that means?
trust & obedience
When I was in officer training school, I was taught that I could use artillery or air strikes to neutralize enemy forces before the actual engagement of a ground offensive. The objective was to damage the enemy’s fighting capabilities, create fear, and demoralize the enemy troops before ground combat began.
a sulking prophet
We might think of God’s prophets as holy and well-behaved, somewhat like that model student in school. But there was a prophet who had the audacity to yell, “God, if you won’t kill them, kill me! I’m better off dead!” Jonah was that man, and his words are written in the Bible for all to see.
the brilliant face of God
The Incan Empire had practices that make us recoil. One was child sacrifice. Each year, certain families would surrender their child. They would celebrate their child and then give her corn alcohol to dull her fear. Then they would carry her up a mountain and knock her unconscious so that she wouldn’t feel pain. The child was then left to die of exposure. It would be wrong to surmise that these families de-valued children. Quite the opposite, this was a grave decision for the parents. They simply felt that their gods demanded this action.
go, reveal Him
If you didn’t grow up in a Christian home, chances are that you didn’t come to faith through a message heard on radio or TV, read in a magazine article, or heard in a debate. No, it’s likely a believer in Jesus entered your life and provided spiritual illumination beyond this world.
flying
"Just at that moment the Lord of the Eagles swept down from above, seized him in his talons, and was gone.” —from The Hobbit
In his tale of an unlikely hero, J. R. R. Tolkien presents a vivid picture of unexpected and ordained rescue. Surrounded by wolves and goblins, Bilbo was certain that all was lost. He and his friends were…
finding beauty
As we walked through a small nature preserve near our house, my son surprised me when he said, “God was pretty amazing when He made swamps.” “Really?” I responded quizzically. I was a little incredulous as to the combination of the words swamp and amazing. Pointing to the vibrant red branches of a particular plant and the tangled arms of…
held
Our kids often come home excited to tell us the interesting things they’ve learned in school. So when our 9-year-old asked me if I knew how to balance a book at least an inch high off the counter on just a sheet of paper, I knew there had to be a logical explanation though I couldn’t envision it. Taking out…
April 4, 2011
Why is it vital that we acknowledge all of God's attributes—not simply pick and choose the one's we like?
January 10, 2011
Why does God allow evil to exist in the world?
God's perplexing answers
My best friend’s mother just passed away. In an attempt to cheer my friend up, I brought her to a scenic spot in Singapore where we could watch the sunset. But upon arriving at my chosen location, I saw that the sky was overcast. The weather, it seemed, was as gloomy as our feelings. I wondered: God, why didn’t You…
telling the truth
Professional integrity and a commitment to excellence are the working philosophies which guide us on a daily basis.” This is one of the introductory sentences from a Web site designed to provide fictional explanations, fake employment references, and verification for unexcused absences. A more accurate sentence would be “professional lying and commitment to providing false testimony are what guide us…
