20 years had passed since Jacob left home, on the run for lying his way into more than his share of the family inheritance. Now he was coming back, with 2 wives, 12, children and large herds of animals. As the sun set, Jacob would once again try to fall asleep with his head full [...]
Honor to whom honor is due… When we consider any soldier who has died or been wounded in the service of others, and when we consider how many have paid that ultimate price, we have only begun to consider the inequalities of life… Jesus knew we’d consider him and his Father unfair. He told a [...]
Genesis tells about a God who spoke into existence insects and everything else that we see and sense (Gen 1:24). This God says the word. Something comes out of nothing. Light pushes back the darkness. Order emerges out of chaos (Gen 1:1-3). In the resulting paradise God begins sharing his life with children bearing a [...]
Somewhere in the Bible it implies that Jesus would be treated like a snake, for us. It’s a stunning thought, especially when we think about the fact that Satan is pictured in Genesis and Revelation as the great serpent and deceiver of the world. Yet Jesus, himself, makes the connection between himself and the snake. [...]
Recurring tensions in this blog reflect the history of our faith. In every century followers of Christ have had a running disagreement about how much emphasis to give to law and/or grace. One side thinks the other tends to emphasize grace to the point of moral license. The other side thinks their counterparts are morally [...]
The report of three women found alive in Cleveland, Ohio after they went missing about a decade ago is the kind of news we could live for. While much information isn’t yet available, it appears that all three were abducted in separate incidents and held captive, for 10 years, in a normal looking home with [...]
Why were “sinners” so drawn to Jesus even before learning that he had come to suffer and die for their rescue? Can we put ourselves in their place, and his? (Matt 9:9-13) Is it possible that the most righteous person who ever lived can identify with “the worst” among us better than we can? Seems [...]
The Bible uses the word picture of hedges in some provocative ways. Satan complains, for instance, that God has bought Job’s loyalty by building hedges of protection around him (Job 1:10). Later after the Lord has taken some of the fences down to give the Devil access, Job wonders why the Almighty has shut him [...]
As the FBI leads the investigation into yesterdays Boston Marathon tragedy, many will be tempted to try to pin the blame on one or more individuals responsible for such loss and suffering. But even when the investigations of Federal, State, and Local agencies are done, we won’t be at the bottom of this or any [...]
Isn’t it ironic that what so many call The Good Book doesn’t put a high value on moral pride and seems to go out of its way to honor those who have made a mess of their lives? What’s even more amazing is that the people of the Book haven’t found a way to clean [...]