The Pain of Childbirth

After leaving Bethel, Rachel goes into labor.  It is hard labor.  She dies while birthing a son.  Scripture says, “With her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin” (Gen. 35:18).  Ben-oni means, “Son of my sorrow,” while Benjamin means, “Son of my right hand.” This turn of names…

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Learning Lessons or Letting It Be Christ

The following is by a friend who loves Jesus and wished to be anonymous. *** King Nebuchadnezzar had an amazing experience (Dan. 4). The Lord showed him his future. The Most High wanted to deal with the king’s pride, to show he was a tool to bring about what would please God’s heart. The vision came to pass…

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Kavan-augh!!

Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz Last week, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed and sworn in as America’s newest Supreme Court Justice.  If you followed this situation even remotely, you know it was grueling for all involved.  Allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Kavanaugh.  Politicians, pundits, and protesters hissed, slithered, and bared their fangs throughout the…

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He Is Risen in Us!

What does it mean to be a witness of Christ’s resurrection?  People often wish they could’ve been present when Jesus rose or could’ve seen Him bodily after rising.  But would either make us witnesses of Christ’s resurrection?  Matthew 28 helps us consider these things. Roman soldiers were at Jesus’s tomb when He rose.  They saw…

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Not What I Want

Picture from “The Passion of the Christ,” a film by Mel Gibson. “Not what I want but what You want” (Matt. 26:39). I have been meditating on these words of Jesus.  He said them to His Father just before being brutally executed. I see in these words the entirety of walking with God in this…

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Behind the Spotlight

The other day I was thinking about Jesus turning water to wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2).  This was Jesus’s first miracle and, as John tells us, “displayed His glory” (John 2:11).  When we hear of miracles and glory, our minds tend to think about the “wow” factor.  Turning water to wine is…

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The Beauty of Jesus—George Elliot

A few years ago, a family member gave me a book called, The Beauty of Jesus (published in 1904).  It is a compilation of sermons preached by Reverend George Elliott in the Central Methodist Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan.  Since receiving the book, it has sat on a bookshelf.  But I found that the title caught my…

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Settling at Bethel

After the incident with Shechem, the Lord tells Jacob to go to Bethel and settle there.  Jacob went to Bethel with all his family, servants, and livestock.  Then, “Jacob built an altar there and called the place God of Bethel because it was there that God had revealed Himself to him when he was fleeing…

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Once and for All—Lauren Daigle

A couple weeks ago, the song, “Once and for All” by Lauren Daigle shuffled onto my i-Tunes playlist.  I have been unable to get it out of my head since.  It is a vulnerable song about resigning to the Lord.  Songs like this are always meaningful but I find it particularly relevant at this season…

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#MeToo

Recently, I read about a sex scandal that detonated in a major evangelical church.  We are just beginning to feel the shockwaves.  Those closest to the blast were knocked flat.  But many who operated under this church’s umbrella or looked to it for inspiration will also be shaken. I have stopped counting sex scandals involving…

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