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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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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Ranger Up!

best ranger competion

In the American military, the Rangers are to the Army what the Seals are to the Navy, both of them elite, specially trained fighting forces.  Most serious soldiers covet wearing the Ranger patch, but the fact is that two-thirds who undertake the training do not make it to the end. …

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Dangerous Alliances

handshake

We have all heard the saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” While it carries a lot of truth, those relationships rarely outlast the momentary need.  In biblical times those alliances were often strengthened through arranged or negotiated marriages.  Such was the case between Jehoshaphat, King of Judah,…

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God Knows Best

Abraham Casting out Hagar and Ishmael by Guercino

The Bible is chock-full of amazing promises that God has made to His people.  There is no way in this short space to do justice to them all, and certainly each of us has our favorites.  I seem to gravitate to those that defy natural conditions and circumstances.  They elevate…

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Today’s Contrarian

rock concert

Several weeks ago, our son attended a heavy metal concert with some friends.  As adults with respectable careers, they decided to relive their wild days by dressing like the band in Goth clothing and make-up.  Their preconcert photo featured two friends as Goths, flanking our son in the middle, who…

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The Way of Forgiveness

burlap bag filled with money

As the authority on forgiveness, Jesus had a lot to say about it at a time when people had very little understanding and almost no experience in the subject.  The 613 laws of the Jews did an effective job highlighting sin. But as the people understood it, only God could…

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