Last week, in Lessons from Ezekiel's Temple, Part 5c, we discovered that the number and position of the temple gates reminds us of three important ideas: That God's presence is open to everyone, that it is importance to have a private place to meet with God, and that...
Dealing with grief is perhaps one of the hardest things that we, as humans, must do. Grief may be rooted in a death or illness, or it may be rooted in a loss, such as the loss of support, the loss of a spouse through divorce, the loss of a job, or even the feelings of...
Dealing with grief is perhaps one of the hardest things that we, as humans, must do. Grief may be rooted in a death or illness, or it may be rooted in a loss, such as the loss of support, the loss of a spouse through divorce, the loss of a job, or even the feelings of...
"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart." (Psalm 31:24) The hurricane blew through the Keys and south Florida with a mighty force. The winds howled, and the rain pounded relentlessly for 24 hours. My sister and her husband have a home in Marathon, Fla....
"For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away." (Matt 25:29-30 NKJV) When I was a boy our church didn't have a choir so everyone was expected to sing. That didn't bother me...
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him." (Psalm 127:3 NIV) For some parents, the worst fear is having a child who is handicapped. I have often asked the question, how does today's Scripture apply to raising a child with a severe disability? As...
"the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Neh 8:10 NKJV) The Italian dinners we had after church every Sunday when I was a boy were feasts fit for a king. There were mounds of pasta. There were potatoes, chicken, and meatballs which had been slow cooked for hours in...
"And Jesus wept." (John 11:35) "Big boys don’t cry." I heard those words a lot growing up in America in the late sixties and early seventies. In those days men were expected to be tough and rugged and never shed a tear no matter what. Our heroes were all stone...
In last week's devotional, The Wilderness Experience, Part 5, we discovered that everything in life can, potentially, be a false god, if we make it our focal point. This was the last of Jesus' temptations, but there are still three major lessons to be learned from...
The past few weeks have been difficult. It began when I stood up after eating and immediately doubled over in pain. Then, while driving from church, my daughter hit a deer. My older son learned the store where he works is closing. And my younger son had his wallet...