When trouble comes, a Christian’s first instinct is to ask God to deliver them. Jesus modeled another response: “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason [to die for the sins of the world] I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27). Observations: 1. It’s not wrong to have a troubled heart in the face of suffering. Jesus did. 2. It is…..

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Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth (John 9). He employed a “down-to-earth” visual by mixing saliva with mud which he placed on the man’s eyes and sent him to wash in a nearby pool. Imagine the indescribable joy of the man and all who knew him when he suddenly saw everything perfectly! But Jesus’ enemies were incensed. Their excuse for attacking Jesus was that it was the Sabbath and they defined Jesus’ healing as forbidden “work”…..

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“I am the light of the world.”   If I made that audacious claim, even (or especially) those closest to me would assume I was joking or insane. But when Jesus said it, He spoke the truth.   Think of the symbolism of light versus darkness.   Jesus is the embodiment and provider of understanding, clarity, guidance, life, new life, growth, health, warmth, transparency, righteousness, beauty, optimism, and hopefulness.   He makes it personal and gives a promise: “I am…..

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In the original creation, why was their no need for either gender to have authority over the other? Here’s a brief paragraph from the chapter of my book entitled, What God Intended From the Beginning:   “Considering my assertion that there are no gender-based hierarchical distinctions in God’s creation design, it is helpful to remember that in that perfect, pre-sin world there was no selfishness, competition, conflict, pride, ambition, jealousy, manipulation, or desire for domination. There was no need for…..

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From a Sermon Central article: “Three Powerful Words We Rarely Hear from Preachers: I’m a student of preaching and a sort of morbid fan of politics. One of the frustrating observations I have across both of those mediums is the allergic reaction people have to the words ‘I don’t know.’There is something explicitly or implicitly understood that public personalities need to have an authoritative position on everything.” The truth is that only God/Jesus knows everything. Everyone else needs to be…..

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Pastor Harry Richard grieved as he watched flames consume Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Just two weeks earlier, his church in Louisiana was set ablaze. It was one of three predominantly black churches in his area that were intentionally burned down, according to police.   But the Baptist minister sensed the Lord at work: “I think that God is using these moments to bring us closer together as a world. This is God’s hand on our lives to make us…..

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If Jesus had not risen, millions would still follow His teachings (think of Buddha, Mohammed, and many others whom people follow though they never rose from the dead). His teachings, if followed, would still change lives and make the world a better place. But without the resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15), our sins would not be forgiven, loved ones who have died would be gone from us forever, much of the Bible would never have been written or would necessarily…..

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Dr:       Is there anything else? Me:      My wife said I had to talk to you about my memory loss. I forget names sometimes but I think over all I’m doing fine for my age. I’ll be 73 in a few weeks. Dr:       You have nothing to worry about. Remember we did a battery of memory tests on you? Me:      [long pause] We did? You mean a few questions like, “Can you count backwards from one hundred by threes?” Dr:       No……

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“Then God said, let us make man [אָדָם, Adam] in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over . . . all the earth” Genesis 1:26. “Adam” [אָדָם] here, in Genesis 5:2 (“And when they were created, He called them ‘man’ [אָדָם, Adam])” and in other passages, “man” [אָדָם] refers to both the man and the women — “humans.” Sometimes “man” [אָדָם, Adam] refers just to Adam as the husband of Eve as in Genesis 3:8. The context…..

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People look forward to lots of things: their next paycheck, a date, vacation, the weekend, the big game, going shopping, eating out, Christmas, the birth of a child, Spring, getting healthy, a great meal, getting married, a new job, retirement, sex, sleep, and lots more. What are you looking forward to? Sometimes we are very much aware of what we’re looking forward to. We think about it, talk about it, and prepare for it. Sometimes what we’re looking forward to…..

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