Last month, while Jana and I were with our missionaries in Rwanda, East Africa, I received this alarming text.
Two of our long-time missionaries in the jungles of Guatemala, Jim and Bonnie DeHart and Bonnie’s sister, Ellen Coon, were killed in the crash of Jim’s small plane. The shock wave it sent through our staff and missionary family reminded us again of the dangers missionaries, in fact, all of us, face every day.
A few days later, I received this text from another CTEN missionary, Continue reading →
The wind was roaring. The rain was pounding. It looked like our home would flood. My family lived on the Texas coast and a hurricane was raging around us. Then, suddenly, things went deathly silent. We were in the eye of the storm.
The media warned us to stay inside but there was no way I was going to miss this. It was absolutely amazing. There were downed limbs, power lines and debris everywhere but the air was perfectly still. An eerie enveloping silence replaced the angry roar of wind and rain. Continue reading →
Let’s face it. Christmas can be stressful. It’s easy to get wrapped up trying to create the ideal Christmas – that Hallmark Channel one.
Joel and I recently talked about one of the most meaningful Christmases we had as a family and what made it stand out. Here are some highlights from that conversation:
Two of my kids have been going through the arduous process of selling a house that needs some major repairs and buying a new one. There were several disappointments and dead-ends but today it looks like it is all going to turn out better than they ever expected.
In discussing – via text – the journey of trusting God through the process, Charis wrote, “I trusted him. I just didn’t trust my own decisions because He didn’t say ANYTHING!”
As I shared with her why that probably was, I thought, “I’ll bet there are others who could benefit from this, too” as I’m sure many of you, like me, have faced God’s silence in the midst of times when you desperately wanted direction.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Continue reading →
Today we live in a very polarized world. You are liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, pro-abortion or anti-abortion, pro-same sex marriage or anti-same sex marriage, for “a pathway to amnesty for undocumented workers” or pro-secure borders and “get in line with the others”.
We choose our news source by our position on the issues and they spoon feed us what we are to believe about every issue and why that is the only reasonable stance.
But one of the things that confounded His followers was that Jesus seemed to always be touting a third option – a higher perspective of the issue. Continue reading →
When Jesus came to be baptized John naturally resisted. John was baptizing people for repentance. John knew Jesus was sinless and did not need to repent of anything. John also acknowledged that he was a sinner like us, “I need to be baptized by you.” But Jesus insisted that john baptize Him. Why?
The 100% right answer is exactly what Jesus told John, “Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” (Matthew 3:15)
But what does “to fulfill all righteousness” mean? How did Jesus being baptized “fulfill all righteousness”? Here are at least a few reasons. Continue reading →
While living under the blessing of the Lord and in God’s favor Solomon made shields for the temple guards out of solid gold. He made 200 large shields and 300 smaller ones. (1 Kings 10:16) Why does Scripture bother to tell us this? Continue reading →
Isaiah 49:23
… those who hope in me will not be disappointed.
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I’ll bet you have been disappointed by God. I know I have been. So how can this passage be true? While I was trying to figure that out I realized I was focusing on only one side of the passage – the”will not be disappointed” side. Maybe the answer lies in the other half of the passage.
To never be disappointed everything that comes my way will have to be wonderful, at least as good and perhaps better than I was expecting. Of course, that is not the way life is. Everyone, believers and the lost, suffer hardship, grief, loss, shattered dreams. So how can this promise, from the very lips of God, be true? When I focused on the other end of the passage – “those who hope in me” – I made an amazing discovery. Continue reading →
Reading Acts 13 this morning I was impressed again with the phrase “they were ministering to the Lord.”
As a young believer I was reading Psalms and came across the phrase “Bless the Lord”. I stopped. What? Me, bless Him? I knew He could bless me. But me bless Him? Acts 13 is even more unbelievable – they were “ministering” to Him? How do you minister to the all-powerful, transcendent God?
Then I discovered the problem. I was reading one of those new versions. So I got out the trusty old King James to see what those verses really meant. Guess what. They said the same thing – bless the Lord, minister to the Lord. I sat back in my chair astounded. I don’t want to lose that sense of wonder that we, mere specks of dust in the cosmos, can minister to the Creator of it all. What an unbelievable concept. We can please Him. We can “grieve” Him. What we do impacts Him emotionally. Think about that. What you do today makes a difference in the heart of God. Isn’t that unbelievable?!!
(Zeph 3:17, Eph 4:30, Gen 6:6, Is 62:5)
We couldn’t know that if He hadn’t told us in His Word. Obviously He wants us to know that we matter to Him. We matter so much that what we do touches His heart. We can make His day – or grieve Him. So, I have a choice today – and every day. Will I bring a smile to the heart of God today or be a source of sorrow for Him?
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Zephaniah 3:17
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Luke 22:31-32
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
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Put yourself in Peter’s place. Jesus tells you that Satan has asked to “sift you” – translation, “beat the snot out of you”. That is worse than hearing the school bully is waiting for you in the parking lot. But surely God said “no” to Satan’s request, right? Wrong.
Jesus tells you He has prayed for you. Whew! That’s a relief. Jesus prayed so now the bully won’t be able to touch you or maybe you’ll even beat him up, right? Wrong again.
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Last month, while Jana and I were with our missionaries in Rwanda, East Africa, I received this alarming text.
A few days later, I received this text from another CTEN missionary, Continue reading 
