living differently
Several years ago, my husband and I made the decision not to purchase cable TV. The benefits of our decision went far beyond saving money. In fact, having recently lived with a family while building our new home, we discovered what we hadn’t been missing. We knew the toxicity of television, but now with everyday access, we saw in high definition the brazen sexuality and carnal worldview that permeates many commercials.
peace work
As we bumped slowly down the rain-ravaged, two-track “road,” we inched past weathered dwellings where skittish chickens dodged barefoot children. Simple fences framed gardens that sprouted low-yield corn and tomatoes. Wiry farmers prodded lumbering carabao as they tilled larger fields.
prepare the way
In 2004, a massive tsunami created by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia destroyed entire towns and villages. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives simply because they didn’t know the wave was coming. Many countries have now put tsunami warning systems in place, allowing citizens to be alerted so they can move to higher ground.
not leaving
I am just 3 months into my elected role as youth deaconess in the local church that I attend, and I’ve already received three requests from people who want to step down from serving. A few have simply gone MIA (missing in action). So I feel like a general who’s trying to rally his army to fight a battle even as he’s losing his soldiers.
the promised Spirit
In a world where promises are easily made and broken, many people are skeptical about the value of them. We read quotes such as, “The problem with promises is that once you’ve made one, it’s bound to be broken. It’s like an unspoken cosmic rule.”
yet to come
My sister might take a year off from work to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I told her, “Well, be ready to check out the hills so that you know where to run to during the great tribulation.” Though spoken half in jest, both of us believe that Jesus is coming soon and we take to heart His prophetic words in Matthew 24.
bring it
In Isaiah 59 the prophet was bringing it! He was not holding back. All around him, he saw people who were not living in truth (Isaiah 59:15). There was a decided lack of justice and righteousness in his world.
Just like you and me, he longed for truth to save the day. Perhaps unlike us, however, he recognized that the way…
sequels
A sequel is typically a book or film that continues the story of some previous work. Last year was the year of movie sequels. According to Newsweek Magazine, in 2011, Hollywood released a record 27 sequels. The total encompasses the highest number of part 2 (or 3 or 4 or . . .) films ever, including new versions of Mission: Impossible and…
you choose Q: what does "the spirit of prophecy" mean?
Q: Please clarify the last sentence of the following verse: Revelation 19:10: “At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of…
why obey?
As I get older and gain seniority at work, the concept of obedience—following the rules—has become less of a priority for me. Obedience is no longer as simple as “just do what is asked”—I want to be convinced first. Hmmm. Does this sound familiar to the way we relate to God at times?
During Ahab’s reign, the city of Jericho…
A King on a donkey
It was Sunday—the day we now call Palm Sunday. Without a doubt, this was not Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem. As a devout Jew, Jesus would have gone to Jerusalem every year for the three great feasts (Luke 2:41-42; John 2:13, 5:1). In the past 3 years, Jesus had also ministered and taught in that great city. But His coming…
day of the Lord
In The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote: “There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and…
fear at Christmas
A glance through the headlines sets off a warning siren in our collective soul. One country, reeling from years of civil war, reports more than 2,000 civilians killed in 2 months. No tribe, no nation, no people-group is free from the threat of violence.
It’s a tired tune we’ve heard down through the ages. More than 700 years before Christ,…
a new thing
Michael strode out in lockstep with his fellow recruits, brimming with a confidence he had not possessed just a few days earlier. The shock of his new life in the United States Navy was giving way to a growing military bearing.
But then Michael did the unthinkable. He broke ranks and stood by the side of the road. “What are…
