December, 2010 // Posts published in December, 2010
The Odds of Winning
The odds aren’t good for winning the Texas lottery, but that isn’t why I’ve never bought a ticket. My choice is based on whether or not I believe I would win, not whether I might. Since I don’t believe, I won’t join the millions who do. When I pray for a miracle, what are the...
Feeling Alone
In the beginning, God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Could that fact apply to more than the marriage relationship? I was the oldest child and grandchild on both sides of my family. I can’t think of any way my parents could have loved me more. I never lacked attention...
Communion
In the Eucharist, I may receive communion, but in following Jesus’ words “this do in remembrance of me,” it has to be something I do. Does Jesus expect more than eating a wafer or tidbit of cracker and sipping a little wine or juice? He promised to be with us whenever two or more people...
Reading Minds
I never try to read people’s intentions, which I admit is abnormal behavior. I used to think I knew what other people were thinking and what their motives were. I found out I was giving other people too much credit and was flattering myself. They weren’t attacking me. They weren’t paying enough attention to me...
Seeing God
My cell phone is an amazing device. I can make and receive calls even though no wires are attached. How is that possible? Something exists in the air that I can’t see. If I were to show my phone to a native in an obscure jungle along the Amazon, where electricity and flush toilets were...
How Did Nazareth Become Jesus’ Childhood Home?
After fleeing to Egypt, an angel told Joseph to take the family back to Israel. He had no intention of going to Nazareth, where he and Mary were social outcasts, but thought to settle in Judea, perhaps in the Bethlehem area where had been before. The Bible tells us he learned that Archelaus reigned in...
Why Should We Believe the Story of the Wise Men?
Many scholars question the validity of the story of the wise men and argue that it has to be a fairy tale. Why? Sending strangers to find a newborn king seems completely out of character for a king who was paranoid about any threat to his throne. A new star was thought to signal the...
How Did Shepherds Find the Baby Jesus?
On Christmas night, the angel told the shepherds how to identify the infant Messiah and named the town where they should start looking. He didn’t give them the exact location. The shepherds lacked the social ranking to create a ruckus in town by searching every stable in the middle of the night. Perhaps they had...
Why Did Mary and Joseph Go to Bethlehem?
The Bible tells us Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem during the reign of Caesar Augustus to register for the census. Such an order would have had a window of compliance, perhaps three months or more. We’re not told why Joseph had to leave at the time Mary was about to deliver. We’re left to...
Why Did Mary Visit Her Aunt Elizabeth?
The Bible tells us Mary went with haste to see Elizabeth, but it doesn’t say why she went or why she returned after three months. Mary faced a severe problem after the angel Gabriel appeared and she became pregnant. She couldn’t hide her secret forever, and who would believe her story? Everybody knew how young...
Categories
Archives
Recent Posts
-
What Is Effective Evangelism?
When I began writing twenty years ago, one of my ...
-
Baptism
“You need to be baptized,” the preacher said.
Janice wasn’t so ...
-
The Great Plan
Twelve spies went into the land God had promised, but ...
-
Holiness
I collect “daffynitions” because I enjoy their humor. They remind ...
-
Great Expectations
In a country church in the 1950s, the preacher invited ...
-
Suzanne’s Fear
Suzanne knew how paralyzing fear could be. Each time she ...
-
Satisfying Hunger
Jack bought six donuts and two apple fritters. Only the ...
-
Blind Faith
What is the greatest problem we have? That’s easy—the identification ...
-
Something New Under the Sun
For more than thirty years, Zechariah made his twice-yearly journey ...
-
Walk with the Lord
After the disciples saw a rich man walk away, unwilling ...
Copyright © 2010-2013 - www.frankball.org - All rights reserved.