Ancient Israel // Biblical Information and Stories
What Is Effective Evangelism?
When I began writing twenty years ago, one of my favorite tasks was telling captivating stories about the life of Christ. At first, I struggled to imagine what had really happened. The Bible gave only a few details, leaving me to imagine what an eyewitness’s emotional journey would have been like. I wasn’t doing well...
Something New Under the Sun
For more than thirty years, Zechariah made his twice-yearly journey to the Temple to fulfill his priestly duties. Eventually, after seeing the same thing day after day, year after year, he came to expect the future to be much the same as the past. No doubt, when he was young, he had prayed for a...
Joseph’s Confidence
When Joseph saw his brothers, he said, “You sold me, but God sent me” (Genesis 50:20). That reality was obvious in hindsight, after he became second in command in Egypt, but I wonder how he felt earlier, when his brothers threw him into the pit, with the intention of killing him. His attitude toward his...
Leverage
At times, Jesus didn’t do many miracles because of people’s unbelief (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:6). I shouldn’t misapply this fact into thinking my believing will force God to give me what I want. I’ve tried that, and it hasn’t worked very well. When I think my believing gives me leverage with God to force him...
Recognizing Jesus
Our world is so different from biblical times. Most of the people loved Jesus and called him Messiah, Prophet, King, and Son of God. I have to work hard to understand why religious leaders hated Jesus so much. The Pharisees and leading priests called him a child of his father, the devil. There were exceptions...
Temptation
Jesus said he did nothing of his own initiative (John 5:19). That is, he didn’t allow his humanity to be the driving force. The Holy Spirit was his driving force. We see evidence of that fact at the beginning of his ministry when he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted...
David and the Psalms
The psalms of the Bible were written to be sung. The musical instruments were different and so was the style. It was as much a contrast in sound as American is to Chinese today. All the psalms weren’t written by David and the ones we have in our Bible are only a fraction of what...
Anointed and Empowered
Young David’s anointing to be king brought recognition of God’s plan. It wasn’t a magic potion that gave him independent power. No, what he learned was “dependent” power. The reason David believed he could slay Goliath wasn’t his skill with the sling (1 Samuel 17). He knew the Holy Spirit would direct his aim because...
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...
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What Is Effective Evangelism?
When I began writing twenty years ago, one of my ...
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Baptism
“You need to be baptized,” the preacher said.
Janice wasn’t so ...
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The Great Plan
Twelve spies went into the land God had promised, but ...
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Holiness
I collect “daffynitions” because I enjoy their humor. They remind ...
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Great Expectations
In a country church in the 1950s, the preacher invited ...
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Suzanne’s Fear
Suzanne knew how paralyzing fear could be. Each time she ...
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Satisfying Hunger
Jack bought six donuts and two apple fritters. Only the ...
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Blind Faith
What is the greatest problem we have? That’s easy—the identification ...
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Something New Under the Sun
For more than thirty years, Zechariah made his twice-yearly journey ...
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Walk with the Lord
After the disciples saw a rich man walk away, unwilling ...
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