Dating: Are we getting it right?
We’ve all heard about the “right” way in which we should go about dating, and have been taught what is right and wrong. And we teach the same lessons to others, or judge others by the same standards.
Always Pray and Don’t Give Up
Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains.
During an experience like that, I was reading the gospel of Luke and was astounded by the opening words of chapter 18: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). I had read the story of the persistent widow many…
Wait for Him
Typically, I merely skim my Facebook feed. But today I found myself taking time to reflect on a friend’s post that read: “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” I know what it means to wait for a phone call, to wait in line, to wait for an answer from a friend or colleague. But it’s been a long time since I’ve grappled with what it means for my soul to wait for the Lord.
He Came for You
In his novels The Trial and The Castle, Franz Kafka (1883–1924) portrays life as a dehumanizing existence that turns people into a sea of empty faces without identity or worth. Kafka said, “The conveyer belt of life carries you on, no one knows where. One is more of an object, a thing, than a living creature.”
Early in His ministry, Jesus went to a synagogue in Nazareth, stood up in front of the crowd, and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to…
A New Identity: The Gospel of Matthew, Part I
“Listening to the voice of Matthew” (Chapters 1-4). Bringing to life the pages of the gospel of Matthew, host Michael Card guides us through the city of Capernaum and northern region of Israel, along the shorelines of the Sea of Galilee, and finally to Jerusalem. Other parts of the series: A New Identity: The […]
I was driving in my car and listening to the radio when an unfamiliar song started to play. In my head I thought the next words I would hear were going to be ‘Finder’s Keeper’s’. They weren’t but the phrase stuck in my head. I started thinking about how they apply to our relationship with God. It raised the question, do we find God or does God find us and keep us? I know it is not a new theme but I felt that God’s Holy Spirit wanted me to investigate it.
When I have something important to think about I pray for God to lead me through His word. I always search for a reference in the Old and New Testaments. I say a little prayer and let my fingers do the walking by opening up the page my hand touches, trusting God to lead me where He wants me to go. On this day I was lead to Deuteronomy 22:1-4 in the Old Testament and Acts 9: 3-18 in the New Testament.
The first passage speaks of if we find an animal or anything that does not belong to us, return it, or keep it safe until it can be returned to the rightful owner. As Christians it is important to follow God’s Laws and set a good example. This is important but is this all God wanted me to know?
Then I read in the New Testament, the Book of Acts 9: 3- 18 about Jesus finding Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul was as unlikely a candidate to become a Christian as anyone. He felt his mission in life was to find any followers of Jesus and arrest them or murder them.
But God had another plan. He chose Saul, who after his conversion, also became known as Paul. This speaks to me of the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Do you know people whom you pray for but who keep rejecting God and his love? Don’t give up! If God was able to find a hater like Saul and make him one of His most powerful Apostles , God’s promise holds true when you pray for someone.
I have hope for my many family members or acquaintances that I pray will find God; that once God finds us, He keeps us.
Ears to Hear
Joanne Milne experienced the world as a soundless place. Deaf for the first 39 years of her life, everything changed after she had cochlear implant surgery. The procedure enabled sound vibrations to rouse her auditory nerves. A nurse’s voice was the first noise she heard, and the experience brought her to tears. She said, “Hearing things for the first time is so, so emotional, from the ping of a light switch to running water. . . . I can already foresee how it’s going to be life-changing.”
The Mention of His Name
When the soloist began to sing during our Sunday service, the congregation gave him full, hushed attention. His mellow bass-baritone voice brought them the soul-touching words of an old song by Gordon Jensen. The song’s title expresses a truth that grows more precious the older we become: “He’s as Close as the Mention of His Name.”
We’ve all experienced times of separation from our loved ones. A child marries and moves far away. Parents are separated from us because of career or health. A child goes off to school in another state or country. True, we have texting and Skype. But…
