making Jesus angry
My wife rarely gets angry, and in that way she’s my complete opposite. But that also means that when she does get mad, I pay very close attention because only something significant gets her worked up.
not bored
The picture in my news magazine showed a Moscow circus bear that was shuffling across a tightrope in preparation for its next performance. More interesting was the woman sitting in the background, slumped over, with her head resting on one hand, as if she had seen this act before. She couldn’t have looked more bored.
faith at great risk
A group of friends and I are in the midst of attempting to read through the Bible in 90 days. Since beginning this endeavor, we’ve been surprised at the way God’s Word has become so alive for us.
July 7, 2014
Which Bible translation do you use the most? Why?
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.
war
Journalist Jeffrey Gettleman asserts, “There is a very simple reason why some of Africa’s bloodiest, most brutal wars never seem to end: They are not really wars. . . . The combatants don’t have much of an ideology; they don’t have clear goals. . . . I’ve witnessed up close—often way too close—how combat has morphed from soldier versus soldier (now a rarity in Africa) to soldier versus civilian.”
of hobbies and gossip
A woman became engrossed in a new hobby. The activity itself was a healthy one, but the devoted wife and mother soon began to neglect her family and friends—even her walk with God.
crooked house
Wobbly, woozy, unsteady. These words all describe the appearance of the Crooked House—the most photographed house in all of Poland. One observer commented that the structure looks as if it is “melting or sagging from exhaustion.” Designer Szotynscy Zaleski purposely created the exterior to feature few straight lines, and the result is an architectural ode to a funhouse mirror.
Bible cyst
An acquaintance of mine recently went to have his doctor examine a cyst on the top of his wrist. The doctor told the man that it was a “Bible cyst.”
it’s not about me
Tim Keller asks, “Is the Bible basically about me and what I must do? Or is it basically about Jesus and what He has done?” The pastor and author asks us to consider the familiar account of David and Goliath. We tend to view that story as an example of how God can help us slay the metaphorical giants in our lives. Keller suggests that’s a mistake. A story from the gospel of Luke reveals why.
a living picture
On a visit to the Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit, I was reminded of the beauty and scholarship of Scripture. Accustomed to the modern-day, gold-filigree edging, I was impressed with one particular exhibit that showcased fore-edged printing—beautiful pictures, some representing events from Scripture and others with countryside scenes—that graced the outer edges of the Bibles. Interestingly, the pictures become visible when the Bible cover is first opened and the pages softly rest against one another, as if in a state of readiness to be turned.
pandora?
Pandora is one of the musical marvels of the Internet age. It’s an algorithm-based website that allows you to listen to any musical artists, bands, and songs that you like. By each song, you can click a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” sign. When you click the “thumbs up” sign, it plays more music like what you just heard. If you click the “thumbs down” sign, Pandora will take that song out of rotation or skip that song and bring up a different song for you to judge.
why the Bible matters
In his article Does the Bible Matter in the 21st Century? author Vishal Mangalwadi lifts up the inestimable worth of God’s Word. He also notes that bad things happen when a country chooses to ignore the Bible’s wisdom. He writes, “[The US] was built by an ethic—a spirituality that taught citizens to work, earn, save, invest, and use their wealth to serve their neighbors. This biblical ethic has been replaced by secularism’s entitlement culture that teaches people that they have a right to this, that, and the other without corresponding obligations to work, save, and serve.”
March 11, 2013
What’s your life verse or a verse that means a great deal to you? Why?
