In “Adam was a Vegetarian,” I referenced Genesis 9:2-3 were God added meat to mankind’s diet. There is another interesting item in that passage. In verse two, God says that from then on, all the animals would be afraid of people. This allows us to infer that prior to that time, the animals were not […]
There are more signs that spring is arriving in Michigan—and I couldn’t be more excited. Over the weekend, I noticed an influx of birds—the kind not normally visibly present in the winter. That is the most encouraging development. Even more so is that this morning, I glimpsed a pair of robins, the first I have seen […]
Just two days ago, the sunrise temperature was 1 degree F; I was beginning to wonder if spring would ever get here. (According to the calendar, spring begins in about two weeks, on March 20). Although we have been intermittently flirting with nicer weather, it quickly turns out to be nothing more than a tease. We […]
Fasting for the Right Reasons Although many people ignore its practice, fasting is demonstrated in the Bible and is an encouraged practice. (See the blog entry, “When You Fast…“.) However, fasting rightly requires fasting for the right reasons. Here are some of them: Wrong reasons for fasting includes to earn God’s attention or favor, out […]
If you accept that God exists and exercises providential care over his creation, it is, therefore, reasonable to expect that from time to time, miracles will occur—either for our own good or for his pleasure. As such, an occasional divine intervention is not an irrational desire, but a reasonable expectation. At the risk of trivializing […]
Holding What Gives You Life By Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life, opens with the account of World War orphans who, although provided with all their material needs at refugee camps, were unable to sleep at night. They feared that they […]
Lessons from Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus A reoccurring statement in the Bible is “Here I am.” This was often said to God when he calls out or speaks to one of his children. Abraham, Jacob, and Moses were all expectantly ready to listen to God.We need to do the same. Later Jesus said, “Here […]
I have Christian friends who are staunch, conservative Republicans. When they read their Bible, they see God as a conservative Republican. They cannot comprehend how anyone who follows Jesus could be or think like a Democrat. Their views are found and substantiated in the Bible. I have other Christian friends who are staunch, liberal Democrats. When […]
In the northern clime of Michigan, the ideal time to trim deciduous trees (that is, non-evergreens) is in their dormant state. That means winter. Unfortunately, this winter was colder than most and the snow was deeper. So whenever I considered trimming a few branches, it was either frigidly cold or there was more than a foot […]
Do You Want Justice or Mercy? I have a friend who pursues justice; she wants everything to be fair. The bad thing about absolute justice is that it leaves no room for mercy. In many ways, justice and mercy are opposites: In a paradox of Godly proportions, God is both fully just yet full of […]