The world is looking for peace. Whether it is in the children’s playroom or at an international negotiating table, peace is described as the absence of conflict. Thus, terms are sought to minimize or eliminate conflict. But this is a futile pursuit. A mom knows that discord and self-service rules young hearts. The sad reality is that diplomats attempting to negotiate peace treaties ignore this most basic truth: people are born at war with God and with each other. The human heart will not naturally be drawn to peace. Conflict is the natural disposition of the heart. Conflict comes because we are born driven to gratify the cravings of our bodies. (Ephesians 2:1-3) This means that it is dangerous to […]
Faith
28 posts
In the twenty-third Psalm, the Holy Spirit provides what you need to make your life count for God in 2019. Whatever issues you may face this Psalm provides the biblical framework for you to make a difference for God. This wonderful psalm is for everyday life and the trials and pressures of each day. The psalm provides two great truths to give stability and comfort for your life: God is your shepherd (verses 1-2). The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. The first two verses of Psalm 23 make a beautiful, comforting statement: God is your shepherd! What kind of shepherd do you […]
Each day is another day for the history books. Some days are more spectacular than others. However, every day has its own special story. We ask ourselves, “What is that story about? What is my story about?” Life is a mixture of blessings and hardships. Sometimes these can appear to be radically out of balance. But there is balance. There is a unifying theme for all of human history! The story of human history is really the story of redemptive history. Either we are on a random journey, subject to the impersonal rule of random collisions of molecules or we are living out the great plan of the Great King to save a people for his honor and glory! Life […]
There are times when we think we have God figured out. Then he does the unexpected. God follows his own counsel, not our dreams or longings or expectations. There is a huge mercy to be found in trusting the God of perplexity. A person who has followed God faithfully becomes terminally ill. A teenager struggling with life and her faith, becomes chronically sick. You can faithfully know and embrace sound theology and wind up not being able to make any sense out of what God is doing. The bottom line is that the time will come when you and I will have problems with God’s ways. He will be the God of perplexity. For example, Abraham had taken God at […]
Jacob struggled with God and with people all of his life. He conspired with his mother to steal his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing. He was deceived by his father-in-law about whom he would marry. He in turn managed to turn the tables and deceived his father-in-law to get his best livestock. Finally it all caught up with Jacob. He fled from his father-in-law only to learn that Esau was coming to find him. One night when he was alone and worried he came across a man. But it was not just an ordinary man. Jacob wrestled with the man all through the night. Finally the man, an angel of God or a theophany, realized that Jacob would not let […]
The book of Judges tells the story of a very dark time in the history of Israel. Yet even in the darkness, God was at work. As He often does, He brought light and hope from the most unexpected place. Naomi accompanied her faithless husband, Elimelech, to Moab; he doubted that God could provide for him in the land of promise. So he turned his back on the provision of God for Israel. Years later, Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab. Her husband and her two sons had died. All she had to bring back with her was her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Yet, even in Naomi’s bitterness and sadness, she still retained her faith in the Lord of Hosts. This faith […]
Biblical parenting is an exercise in faith. This means parental instruction begins with the commands of God, not with the behavior of children. Think about that. Deuteronomy commands that children be taught about the things of God at all times, not just when discipline needs to be administered. Parents are to bring the wonder of God to every corner of life. Ephesians 6 echoes this thought when Paul commands that children obey their parents in the Lord. This means faith is the cornerstone of parenting, not performance. No one can obey “in the Lord” on the basis of performance. No one can obey God in his own strength. The gift of faith is needed. This makes biblical parenting distinct from […]
Life is full of struggles and irritations. Relationships are challenging. Temptations abound to doubt the goodness of God. When it appears that life has taken a bad turn, when things are overwhelming, a clear and present danger exists. Your response may become a source of temptation to those around you. Think with me about this. Jesus was walking along the road to Jerusalem to where he knew he would be crucified. This story is part of the ominous travel narrative in Luke’s gospel. The crucial moment in all of human history is about to unfold. Jesus will be tempted with the greatest of temptations. Yet, even in this heavy hour, he turns his focus to his disciples. In the first […]