When we approach the Garden of Gethsemane we are struck by two things. First, something painful is happening in a beautiful, tranquil setting. Second, we have no clue what the pain is about. In the Garden, where they had gone many times before to rest and pray, Jesus is agonizing this Passover night, and His [...]
Have you ever run across a Bible verse that sets you back, making you wonder what on earth the writer is saying? Some of these are the result of culture. Being from the West, we just don’t understand Eastern expressions and ways of thinking. Other times, it’s more a matter of connecting the dots. One [...]
When you’re a people pleaser like me, truthfully replying to a question can be hard. What do you want me to say? runs through my mind before I even formulate my answer. Admitting this is embarrassing. As a follower of Jesus I know what Scripture says: “Speak the truth to each other” (Zechariah 8:16). I [...]
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. (William Arthur Ward) One day, as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem with His disciples, they were met by ten lepers. Recognizing Him as the miracle worker, the leprous men began to [...]
Approaching the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today holds none of the visual splendor enjoyed by the pilgrims in Jesus’ day. We stood in line at the base of a long staircase coming out of the Jewish sector of the old city, waiting to be admitted at the entry point for non-Muslims, a dingy checkpoint near [...]
In October I traveled to Israel and got to see with my own eyes the places I’ve just read about in the Bible. When I experienced for myself the barrenness of the southern desert region I could understand better how hard it must have been for the Jews to leave the relative fertility of Egypt [...]
“My feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped” (Psalm 73:2). Recently I was marching along in some tall grass, unaware of how treacherous the ground was beneath my feet. Since I’m normally very surefooted, I was confident I’d make it safely through the shortcut. It was growing dark, and we were in a [...]
When we started our accountability group a few years ago none of us had any idea what lay ahead. But my two friends and I felt led to join our lives together, agreeing to meet once a week to share, read Scripture, and pray together. I’m sure glad we did. All of us have already [...]
What would be our reaction if a Christian speaker stood up and began to declare all the reasons why we shouldn’t become a Christian? Picture it. The speaker pleads with us, not to come forward on the next chorus, but to think more about the decision before giving our lives to Jesus. He points out [...]
Hi readers, From time to time I like to encourage new writers by asking them to write a devotional that I can share on my blog post. The following is one done by our friend George Bruce. Enjoy! Little Green Bird A few weeks ago my family and I went camping at Hunting Island State [...]
Adventuring with God 