Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
The book, Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny, displays providence. Navalny’s writings were gathered by his lawyers and published posthumously. His Anti-Corruption Foundation was, and still is, exposing the corruption of Putin’s regime in Russia. It features bold activism in a very tough neighborhood—a primer for confronting broken leadership in a major nation. Navalny’s basic …
Read More God’s Providence IIThis is the first post in a series on God’s Providence A sore hard spot above my left eye bothered me for weeks. Eventually I pulled out a sharp-edged glass shard. It was an eighth of an inch wide and a little bit longer. I was fifteen years old at the time and the splinter …
Read More Eyes to SeeLife is real to anyone reading these lines. It’s the label for our physical animation. Yet Jesus pointed to two aspects of life—to an outer physical aspect and an inner soul. In Matthew 10:28, for instance: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” And, in John 3:6, “That …
Read More The LifeI learned orienteering in the Army. It takes a wilderness, a map, and a compass. My brother Dave gave me a superb compass after he picked up on my interest. So the compass and a Bible are both set out in my living room as directional treasures. The Bible gives spiritual direction. It’s the one …
Read More The WayWorld, we have a problem. More fake-news, false narratives, and lawless days are coming. Midway through the first century Paul warned of a dark future, led by Satan and his minions. “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked …
Read More The TruthLet’s reflect on Christian faith. On what Thomas displayed in his response to Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” [John 20:28]. Why ask about faith? Thomas only came to faith after three full years with Jesus, so faith may take time to awaken. It invites reflection. It’s a crucial theme because without faith it’s impossible …
Read More Awakened FaithThis is the title for an article I wrote in January 1987—a how-to for Bible reading and reading partnerships. It’s now a sidebar item on this site. So my question. Is an invitation to bold Bible reading still relevant? Recently two university students made me wonder. After church, I took them to lunch and asked, …
Read More “Make this the year!”Do you do self-endorsements? Or act happy when you’re not? Or try to be more profound than you are? Call it low-level posturing. Wanting weight while living like a pillow. It’s pretty common. How many online identities are efforts in wannabe? Yet as we’re with others the truth emerges. We’re mostly like everybody else. I …
Read More Ordinary yet UltimateTwo questions. First, what do we want from God? And second, what does God want from us? As a courtesy, let’s take the second question first. Because God, as Creator, has honor over his creation. This shows my bias as a Christian. What does God want? To start I’ll chase a variety of options. Each …
Read More What God wantsEarly this morning, at 6:30, I got a call from Rick in Africa. He knew I’d moved to Idaho earlier this year after a trip to the beach to pray about the prospect. So he asked how to encourage Nigerian pastors to go on prayer quests. It’s afternoon by now and he’s waiting for an …
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