Yours, Mine, Ours

In my experience, most people like to talk. Fewer listen. People are keenly interested in what they’re saying. Fewer ask questions or show as much interest when listening. It’s one of those little evidences of the fall. Conversation is more self-centered than other-centered. This also plays out spiritually. When I talk to God, I tend…

Crayola Jesus

My wife leads children’s church at our fellowship. Last Sunday, she did a craft with the kids that portrayed Jesus walking on water. My six year old son colored Jesus purple. A girl in the class scolded him and said God would be mad because he colored Jesus wrong. My wife gently suggested that God…

Fruitful Hostility

So Isaac left there, camped in the Valley of Gerar, and lived there. Isaac reopened the water wells that had been dug in the days of his father…. Then Isaac’s slaves dug in the valley and found a well of spring water there” (Gen. 26:17-19). Isaac lived in the realm of king Abimelech. But as…

Go Out…Come In

Something I hear periodically is that we need to go outside the church if we want to be where God is moving. Other permutations: We need to get out of our box (church building); God isn’t moving in the church, He’s moving outside. I don’t disagree with these sentiments. God is moving outside the church….

Naked and Exposed

“No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account” (Heb. 4:13). Verses like this have a way of striking fear into our hearts.  We feel strapped to the interrogation chair, the light of truth shining in our faces.  There…

A Definition of the Word “Godless”

it all makes perfect sense at least as much as reeking pots of boiling elf skin do or as much as     creeping mango flavored diaper rash does or as much as verifiable ecstasy stinking with the fetid iridescent           sweat of nuclear waste does it all makes perfect scents…

Struggle

But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her: ‘Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other,…

Seeing God through the Ashes

Months ago, my wife’s friend plugged a book on social media, The Book of Job: Seeing God through the Ashes, by Melissa Lees.  I felt curious for some reason (God?). Perhaps the topic piqued my interest.  (People aren’t exactly rushing to exposit Job).  Whatever it was, I downloaded a copy to my Kindle. I rarely read modern Christian…

Away

Photo by James Bellwood *** Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. And Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, but while he was sill alive he sent them eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the East” (Gen. 25:5-6). Isaac was the promised heir from Abraham’s own body (Gen….

Heart View

I have mentioned that I’m in a season of rest. The Lord has limited projects and study. Sometimes this has left me feeling bewildered and directionless. Now and then I ask the Lord if there’s something else He wants me to start doing since most of what I used to do has stopped. I haven’t…