His Glorious Temple

We’ve heard the rumors for years now. Will a Third Temple finally be built in Jerusalem? As prophesied by Jesus, the temple standing in His day—the Second Temple—was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. Some in the Orthodox branch of Judaism believe a third temple must be in place to usher in the reign [...]

The Rag-Tag Army of Jesus

When David was fleeing from King Saul, long before he was crowned king himself, he ended up in a cave in the wilderness called Abdullam, which means “fortress” or “refuge.” While there, as improbable as it seemed, he gathered to himself a group of 400 men ready to follow him. Their “qualifications” weren’t exactly what [...]

Be Ye Separate

The words that resonate with our generation are inclusion, tolerance, and diversity. We don’t like the idea of excluding anyone from anything, so we have a hard time digesting (or even understanding) verses in the Bible like these: “Come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy [...]

Returning His Gaze

In 1971 the English zoologist Desmond Morris wrote a classic study about human intimacy and how it develops. He suggested that all bonded couples go through twelve distinct stages that build on each other before the couple reaches full intimacy. The first two stages he proposes both involve our eyes. Morris called stage one “eye [...]

Staying Healthy in a Germ-Filled World

In these days of Covid we’ve been forced to ask more questions. Do I really need to attend that concert I’ve been wanting to see? Is it safe to go to a movie theater or worship service if I wear a mask? Can I fly without fear of getting the latest and most contagious strain [...]

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 [...]

Prepared to Share

In Christian circles the idea of “sharing our testimony” about Jesus has fallen out of fashion to some degree, maybe because it smacks of tent evangelism, street witnessing, and in-your-face spiritual confrontations from years ago. But in all other areas of life, testimonials are welcomed among neighbors and friends. We often hear: “Hey, do you [...]

The Face of God

Psychological tests reveal babies less than an hour old will stare at faces far longer than any other object or pattern. They seem to “know” they need to recognize the faces of those who will care for them – those who can be trusted. By four months their brains are processing facial recognition at levels [...]

Eyes to See: Finding Clarity in a World of Illusion

Back before Coronavirus, when we could mix with crowds of people, many of us visited the carnival when it came to town. One feature that always fascinated me was the house of mirrors. My brain would try to process what I was seeing … but always failed because nothing made sense. Even finding the exit [...]

Sudden Falls

“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 [...]