“All” is Hard

Statue of Jesus Christ in Cusco, Peru with arms outstretched

Jesus was a fly in the religious ointment of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.  As hard as they tried, they could not trap Him or prove Him wrong in anything He said.  So, the week of His crucifixion when Jesus was in the temple being bombarded by these…

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Hedging a Bet

dice in hand

From late spring through early fall, our family farm is a popular place for gatherings, reunions, campouts, and weekend chillouts.  About 65 years ago, my father built a cabin on the creek running through the property that has served as the centerpiece of these events.  There’s just one problem: it…

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The Mystery of Wisdom

red-pill

In the 1999 movie, “The Matrix,” Morpheus speaks to Neo who is searching for answers.  “The Matrix is everywhere.  It is all around us. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth  —  that you were born into a prison for…

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Amazing Grace

letterpress letters spelling the word grace

Grace is defined as the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God; a virtue or excellence of divine origin.  Most older people are surprised by the practice of grace because we have been raised to believe we must earn what we receive.  Many of the younger generation are thought…

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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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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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The Lie of Social Justice

gavel

Mankind has a long history of seeking justice and righteousness: the first dealing with the practice of fairness, and the second dealing with moral truth.  It sounds like a very noble quest, except that a problem occurs when the definition of it changes according to who is defining it. Most…

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