The book of Esther is famous for being the only book of the Bible that does not mention God. Where is God in Esther? Is He just working "behind the scenes", inferred and "providential", rather than explicit? And is the God of Esther the God of the gospel that we believe in as Christians? I … Continue reading Where is God in Esther?
“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19 ESV) The difference between demons and the children of God is not in their "beliefs", but in their "lives". God demands PERFECT obedience. So does this mean that we are to always do right and never fail or fall … Continue reading When Obedience is Disobedience: A Gospel Primer
"What matters is that you are sincere" sounds like good advise, and it is, as we shall see in a moment. But it can also be the worst advise to give anyone. God does, indeed, want us to be sincere about what we do. A common dictionary definition of sincere is "free from pretense or … Continue reading When Being Honest and Sincere is a Bad Thing
Stories are powerful. Unfortunately, that is not a logical conclusion. That's just how stories are. Like music, we don't have to understand the physiology of stories on our brains to declare their power. Stories don't try to convince you, argue with you, reason with you. Good stories don't tell you, they simply show you. They … Continue reading The Powerful Weakness of Stories
"YOU CAN DO IT" is a new age, positive thinking bunch of baloney. The truth is that "you can do it through Christ who gives you strength". Your strength is really yours by proxy. Jesus is the difference. An important and necessary difference. We can do nothing without Him. In fact, we have never done … Continue reading You Can Do It… (a big fat lie)
Why do bad things happen to good people? I may attempt to understand Judas, that he was simply human, but can someone please explain to me Joseph? Or Job? Were these two men superhuman? Of course, in both of their stories, God gives us a glimpse behind the curtains of providence: The devil was trying … Continue reading The Hero in My Story
I am not a very good guy. Actually, I can't even say that I am good at all. No, don't judge me by what my friends say about me. I live with me, I am in my presence 24-7. I know my heart, and I know the evil that resides there here. It is hard … Continue reading Stuck With the Gospel
If you think bringing back to life a man who has been dead for four days is the greatest miracle Jesus ever performed, you need to read your Bible again. More specifically, you need the re-read that same passage in which Lazarus was raised. It's time to take another trip through John 11. Care to … Continue reading The Most Overlooked Miracle in the Bible
He looks at the confused faces around him. Shadows of despair cloud each face in the room. His own heart feels like lead. He doesn’t know what else to add, they don’t understand the words he speaks. Still, they fix their eyes on him; Questioning eyes, hungry gazes, expectant faces…. They understand that the worst … Continue reading When Jesus Said Goodbye
For a long time in my Christian walk, I honestly didn't get the resurrection of Christ. I confess that I am still not quite sure that I truly grasp it . What I mean is that I didn't get what the "big deal" was regarding the resurrection, and why it must be included in our … Continue reading Much Ado About Resurrection
I've been thinking about stories, and why they are such effective, timeless modes of communication. Children learn best through stories. So do adults. The best writers are storytellers. Stories just have a way of gripping our attention because they invade our imagination. Stories enter the minds of their hearers unannounced and take a seat on … Continue reading The Truth About The Truth
Jesus, the winemaker. I bet anyone who attended Sunday school knows what Jesus' first recorded miracle was. He turned water into wine. It is easy to miss the point in this passage. Many people have often used abused this account in Cana to make a case for drunkenness. Others have gone to great lengths to … Continue reading The Life of the Party
I doubt that you missed the story. It was all over international news about 2 months ago. A young woman was traveling back home from the cinema when she was attacked by five men on a bus. The five men beat up her male companion and proceeded to brutally rape the woman, leaving her for … Continue reading I Blame God For My Sins
When we look at other African countries plagued by wars similar to those in Kenya (such as tribal conflicts), those who have attained peace (albeit an imperfect peace) had to pay a great price for that peace. Come to think of it, the fight for peace is really a fight for freedom, and it is only … Continue reading The Violence of Peace
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - Jesus A brief review of the major world religions will show that they all had their respective founders. Judaism was founded by Abraham, Buddhism was founded by Buddha, Islam was founded by Muhammad, Mormonism was … Continue reading Jesus is Not the Christian Muhammad
Here are three links that will (hopefully) inform, inspire and encourage you today. Enjoy; In ABORTION AND THE GOSPEL, Russell Moore discusses how abortion is really a Gospel issue. He highlights the fact that most people who carry out abortions are actually Pro-Life. They are conservative, Christians who believe that abortion is murder. Still, they … Continue reading Blog Break (30 Jan 13)
He stumbles into my courtyard. His hands tightly bound at the wrists in leather straps. His hair is an entangled mess of blood and sweat, yet there seems to be no scratch or cut on his face. I wonder wonder whose blood that is, or where it came from. His knees are buckling with exhaustion. … Continue reading The Truth! Do You Know Him?
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." [Philippians 2:3-4] I've been thinking about Jesus as the embodiment, the example and the power behind true friendship. I've been thinking about the … Continue reading The Friend We Have in Jesus
Perhaps you have used the word before, and quite often for that matter. "That's not even biblical", "Give me a biblical basis for your argument", "Is the word biblical in the Bible?" I can't help but wonder, what do Christians mean when they use that word, biblical? I know the form of the word itself … Continue reading Is That Biblical? What Does “Biblical” Even Mean?
Alien Citizen 