Grace Is Not License

police-stop of red sports car in desert

Moses, the leader of God’s people, was not a stranger to opposition, having faced off with Pharoah 10 times before being given permission to take the people out of Egypt.  Sadly, opposition continued in the desert with friendly fire from his own brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, who felt…

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Sleeping Through a Storm

birds in storm

Mark 4:35-41 describes Jesus asleep on a cushion in the stern of a fishing boat when gale winds hit the Sea of Galilee and churned up fearful waves nearly swamping the boat.  He was so exhausted from ministering to thousands that neither the violent pitching of the boat nor the…

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To Tell the Truth

Publicity photo from the 1962 daytime game show, "To Tell the Truth." The original daytime panel with Bud Collyer. From left: Sam Levenson, Mimi Benzell, and Barry Nelson. The fourth panel member was Sally Ann Howes.

From 1956 – 1977 there was a popular TV gameshow entitled “To Tell the Truth” that featured a little known individual who had done an interesting or outstanding thing, along with two people posing as that person.  A panel of Hollywood stars was tasked with determining which contestant was the…

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We Can’t Know What We Don’t Know

inquisitive woman

Just when we think we have God figured out, He does the unexpected.  This is what happened in the historical account of Abraham and Lot.  When Abraham was childless, God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be the father of many nations.  One year before Isaac was born,…

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One Way or the Other

whale

Most people know the story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish.  While many choose to look at it as an imaginative object lesson to teach obedience and the futility of running from God, in actuality, God has done stranger things than to allow a person to be swallowed…

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The God of Things That Are Not What They Seem

creche

The prophet Isaiah described the coming of the Messiah thusly in Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on His shoulders.And He will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of His government and peace    there will be no end.He will…

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Christmas Wish List

girl with christmas gift

When I was a child, the song, “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” was popular.  While that was me one year in particular, I thought it was hilarious that two front teeth would be the entire list for Santa.  My list always had a lot of…

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Time Out

Parental disciplinary tactics have changed somewhat through the years.  Spanking or paddling was most popular when I was a child.  Speaking to that is the comedic account of corporal punishment employed by one father that elicited fear and respect from all six of his children.  That is contrasted sharply by…

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