I can imagine how breathless and scared the women must have been as they made their way to the tomb that early Sunday morning. The night before, after Sabbath ended, they’d purchased spices for Jesus’ body, which was now in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. They’d watched His crucifixion from a distance and had followed those [...]
Category: spiritual rewards
Long Haulers
My son Sky has always liked machines and big challenges. One vivid memory I have is of him driving our tractor across the field as Tony and I threw bales onto the hay wagon. Sky was only six or seven years old, so his feet barely reached the pedals. But he was grinning from ear [...]
Who is Jesus?
“They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'” (Mark 4:41) Every disciple of Jesus must grapple with this question – not just at the beginning of our relationship with Him, but at every stage following. Who is He? And how does that knowledge impact my [...]
Renewing Our Vows
Vow renewal ceremonies have been around for a while, but only became popular in the 1970s. Now, in the U.S, they make up from 25 to 30% of all wedding ceremonies being booked. Some are elaborate and costly. TV star Rachel Ray and her husband treated their friends and family to a weekend in a [...]
Fearing the Lord our God
I was blessed with one of the world’s best mothers. Her love for her kids was legendary, and her reputation for indulgence? Well, I remember how shocked my kindergarten teacher was when I told her one morning I had hot dogs for breakfast. My mom figured protein was protein. What difference did it make if [...]
Giving It All
With Coronavirus all around us, it’s hard to turn our minds towards anything else. Consumed by worries we never thought possible before – keeping a safe distance from others, washing our hands after every possible contact with the virus, and wearing gloves and masks when we do have to go out – we are shell [...]
On Assignment for God
The first time I encountered the idea of my life circumstances being an assignment from God was when I got diagnosed with cancer. Because I had seen others get healed miraculously, instantaneously by God, I assumed that’s what would happen with me. But when the results kept coming back as positive, and the doctors told [...]
Training for Godliness
When I was a young Christian we used to crack jokes about 1 Timothy 4:8, thinking it was justification for not staying in good physical shape. Here’s how it reads in the KJV (the version we read back then): “For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the [...]
The Wow Factor
Do you like watching “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS? Me too. I’m always blown away by what the experts uncover. People bring in their family treasures to have them assessed and are sometimes dumbfounded – either because the item is worth less than they hoped or is so valuable they need to insure it. Often they’ve [...]
Reverent Submission
The setting where Jesus fought His greatest battle was fittingly an olive grove. As He knelt among the trees and prayed to His Father, He foreshadowed the process the olives around Him would soon undergo. On the tree they were safe and protected, but the time was coming when men would gather them for another [...]