Articles
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This Isn’t the Way It’s Supposed to Be
It breaks my heart to see and hear so many who don’t understand why the world is the way it is. Because God has set eternity on every human heart Ecclesiastes 3:11, every man, woman and child yearns for a place called Eden (by one name or another), and to live at peace in a restored and perfect world. Because this desire is so strong, those who don’t fully understand God’s nature either blame him for the way the world is (because he’s not a good god and he’s not fixing it), or feel that this imperfect world is simply evidence against his authorship. A most common complaint the world…
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An Anchor (It’s Not a Square Peg)
When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand any of the things shown to me in the Bible. I was too young, and I really just didn’t care to understand, to be honest. Let’s face it, I was a kid. Years later, however, after finally understanding and accepting Christ, I began to see Scripture for the truth it is, and time and again I could see God’s faithfulness shine through those powerful words, from beginning to end. Over time, I began to truly see Jesus in Scripture, learning the reality that Jesus is indeed the Word of God John 1:1-3, and statements such as “I am the way and…
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Show Me Your Glory
Have you ever asked God to prove himself to you? Have you ever demanded a sign that He might reveal Himself to you in a way that was tangible, not just invisible, so that you might have more—or any—faith? I have. Perhaps “demanded” is too strong a word, but I’ve definitely strongly suggested He do so. If you’re anything like me (or nothing like me, for that matter), you’ve likely prayed at one time or another for God to help you believe more, or at all.
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Mary, Did You Know?
Mary, did you know that the Three Wise Men never made it to Bethlehem that night? The Christmas Story, along with the Nativity scene (however ethnically incorrect those participants may be), always tells the story that includes the three wise men, or “magi” as the later translations of the Bible write it. So let’s take a look.
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Hope Is Peace
I was recently in Houston with my family, and on our last day of our trip, we were planning to visit the NASA Space Center there. Early that morning, I went out for a walk to engage God in conversation. During that time, I began considering and praying for all those involved in the Space Program, from the beginning until now, those who have lived and for those who have given their lives to the adventure of discovering the truth through space exploration. Like so many adventurers before them, in so many different ways and purposes, each individual on this earth who has pursued the unknown with the hope of…
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Who Moved My Fog?
There have been, are, or will come difficulties and hardships in our lives; this is sure. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 For those that choose to face their problems alone—whether that choice is motivated by fear, shame, or pride—they will fail to move past them once they’re over. If we do not walk with God through the course of a trial, and allow Him to share our heartache and pain—with prayers, tears (and sometimes some yelling)—our hearts will grow some callouses with the pride…
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The Science of Speaking Truth
Too often, our own pride and the desire to have a meaningful impact on the world around us affect our objectivity, and we find ourselves providing more opinion and subjective narrative than we do truthful insight and objective perspectives. So how can those to whom I speak know the difference? How do they know if what I speak is the truth or just my opinion? Every day they are bombarded with falsehoods and half-truths that they feel obliged to accept. How can I possibly influence them in the right way if I use only the same tools the rest of the world does? In order to ground our investigation in…
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No One Left Behind
It should be pretty clear by now that being a follower of Christ is an active process. You see, Jesus is never standing still; he is always in motion: healing, loving, turning over tables, sharing the Good News, walking on water, and performing miracles. And it was these actions, in concert, that demonstrated his love for others and for us, providing numerous examples of just how we might “love our neighbors as ourselves.” Jesus is (and has always been) God’s Word in action. That’s why his ministry kept him moving all the time. He rarely stayed in one place for very long; but when he did—and while he was traveling…
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Undermining Our Foundation
When we “mine under” something, we mine, drill or excavate, ultimately removing the material that supports the foundation something is built upon. As a result, the foundation itself loses the integrity it needs to support the structure on which it stands. Typically, we don’t pay much attention to the foundation once it’s been laid. Since the foundation is typically immovable, we usually don’t expect it to shift or change over time. Ironically, however, experience tells us that foundations do shift over time, because the earth beneath it is ever-changing. Since the planet we live upon was created from kinetic components (even the hardest rock is made up of moving particles),…
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Pick Up Your Cross
Jesus said that only when something dies can it create new life. I know that in this context he was talking about himself, alluding to his own necessary death on the cross so that New Life might be accessible to all. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” John 12:24 NLT But I see that we, too, can only create new disciples—bear new fruit—when we truly die to ourselves. Only if we can really let go of what this world has to offer, and…
