Hate is a powerful word. We are taught from childhood to avoid hatred at all costs and to obey the command of Christ to love everyone, including our enemies. So it’s shocking to read the words that Paul quoted from Malachi, who declared that God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Malachi 1:2–3). How can a […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Deuteronomy
Ya Gotta Have Heart!
Getting a big job done calls for heart. Having a high IQ is not essential. Neither is being a certain age. Or possessing a particular temperament. You don’t even need the backing of the majority. History books are full of incredible stories of men and women who accomplished remarkable feats in the face of unbelievable […]
Read MoreOf Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax
As the Walrus and the Carpenter set out along the shore, they invited with them a little host of curious oysters. This naïve (and tasty) entourage was drawn in by the promise of a wide-ranging and mentally-stimulating conversation about the nature of the universe. The “big conversation” took place over dinner, and the curious little […]
Read MoreSoul Work
There is much talk these days about the soul. We hear of soul formation, soul care, soul healing, soul longings, and soul connection, to name a few. The emphasis on the soul is great because it is the eternal part of every human life. The soul is the birthing place of our desires, passions, longings, […]
Read MoreThe Shocking Truth: Dealing with the Emotional Impact of Your Husband’s Internet Sex Habits
You wanted to live out your own fairytale—marry your Prince Charming and live happily ever after. It was a beautiful tale, filled with ringing church bells and romantic love songs. Then you discovered your husband’s problem with pornography and your dreams shattered. It was like finding out your prince had fallen in love with the […]
Read MoreIt Brought Down a King, It’ll Do the Same to You
Sometimes I learn things in strange ways. And I annoy the people around me because I get so excited about the things I learn and the weird ways I learn them that I just have to tell all about it. For example, I had a couple of thoughts the other day while watching an episode […]
Read MoreProphetic Momentum
I remember the time I spoke to American football’s Los Angeles Rams at their pregame chapel service, and later that night, they destroyed the Dallas Cowboys. The evening before Super Bowl XIV, I spoke to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they ripped the Rams apart the next day. Then I spoke to baseball’s L.A. Dodgers before […]
Read MoreA Good Man or the God-Man? The Case for the Deity of Jesus
“Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27) Jesus asked this question two thousand years ago, and the answers are still coming in: a rabbi who preached compassion, a brilliant leader who touched the hearts of thousands, a misunderstood innovator who died as a martyr. His enemies said He was a devil, a rabble-rouser […]
Read MoreJust Wondering
Have you ever wondered what the disciples thought the day Christ died—were they profoundly bewildered? What were Mary’s feelings just before she told Joseph of her pregnancy, or as she watched her baby boy, now a man, hang on a cross? Has it ever crossed your mind to wonder what Daniel’s thoughts were on the […]
Read MoreHow We Got the Old Testament
The Content and Extent of the Old Testament Canon Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. —The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 10:11) The use of the Old Testament Scriptures by the church has been the subject of […]
Read More