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In today’s political climate, people are constantly denigrating others, and putting the most favorable light on themselves. In a news report, you can often tell what channel is telling the story, because they put a positive spin on “their side.” How different is the Biblical... Read More →

Make a difference! Change the world! We have a longing to make a positive impact on the world around us. When we pursue that longing, we answer the call of Jesus, who summoned his followers to be “light” and “salt” for the world, and who said that we are here on earth to “bear... Read More →

Did you know there is wine tasting in the Bible? In the gospel of John, at a wedding feast, the chief steward tastes some wine which, unbeknownst to him, had come from water which Jesus had just turned into wine. He calls the bridegroom and says, “Everyone serves the good wine... Read More →

When I see small print, it is very blurry. But when I put on reading glasses, everything becomes clear! I find this to be a good image for what happens when we “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14). The picture becomes clear. Blurred spiritual vision is a problem in every age. People... Read More →

Sometimes people have thought that the way to come to know God is through intellectual inquiry—the philosophical path. Others have felt that the way to God is through a spiritual enlightenment—the mystical path. But while there is value both to intellectual inquiry and devotional... Read More →

One of the most prominent themes of the Bible is that God uses ordinary people with small resources to do great things. An inspiring example of this is in the story of the “feeding of the 5000,” when a boy offers his fives loaves of barley bread and two fish, and Jesus empowers... Read More →

One of the most beloved stories in the gospels is the story of the friends who were carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus and who, upon finding the way blocked, managed to get to Jesus by digging a hole in the roof and lowering the man on ropes! The story illustrates several key... Read More →

Religious hatred is repeatedly in the news; we constantly hear of acts of violence in the name of religion, occurring across the globe. Such behavior is nothing new—human beings have often directed prejudice and hate toward “the other”—but it is directly challenged by Jesus.... Read More →

Many people today would say that to be a Christian means that you believe in Jesus, or that it means you are nice to your neighbor. Yet when Jesus encountered a group of fishermen by the Sea of Galilee, he did not say to them “Believe in me,” or “Be nice.” He said, “Follow me.”... Read More →

Spiritual inertia is the dominant factor in the spiritual lives of many people today. In contrast, God in the Bible is continually calling people to get moving! This is quite evident in the Christmas stories, where no one stays in the same place. Mary and Joseph journey to... Read More →