My wife once scored us great seats at a concert, front row and centered. I was elated. Not only would we have the closest possible view, but there would be no one standing in front of me, so I could remain comfortably seated the entire show. The Concert But when the concert began, everyone stood—and […]
Why is He Important? I recently happened upon an interesting understanding of time from Joachim of Fiore, of the past, present, and future. It identifies three major eras of the God who is revealed in the Bible. From the perspective of medieval Christendom—as exemplified by Joachim of Fiore—history is prophetically divided into three eras, each […]
An increasing number of people say that they are “spiritual but not religious.” For some this is merely a trendy thing to say, but beyond making them sound hip and appear insightful, it is an empty platitude. For others, claiming to be “spiritual but not religious” is an attempt to abdicate responsibility for their behavior […]
People who pray on a regular basis, at some point, are likely to end up in a rut—a prayer rut. (Conversely, people who don’t pray on a regular basis may also be in a prayer rut of sorts, albeit a different kind.) A prayer rut may be likened to trying to extricate a stuck car: […]
The Judge Gives God a Fleece Ultimately, Gideon, the Judge, obeys God and realizes a great victory, but he first needs a lot of confirmation to deal with his doubts: Gideon first asks for a sign that the angel had really spoken God’s words. God acquiesces; when the angel touches his staff to the food […]
In the United States, the presidential race is well underway, with the election not until next November, almost a year away. Most people who follow such things—and frankly, it is hard to ignore—have polarized positions about who should be our next president, rather it is to re-elect the incumbent or to elect anyone but the […]
Of all the characters mentioned in the book of Judges, the most familiar is likely Samson. This may be because four of the book’s 21 chapters are devoted to him. Another reason may be his unwise, yet intriguing, dalliance with Delilah. As a person, Samson did not have much in his favor. He was self-centered, […]
15 People in the Book of Judges When I think of a judge, I immediately conjure up an image of a person wearing a black robe and presiding over a hearing or trial. Indeed, that is the primary definition of the word “judge.” However, that understanding is greatly misleading when reading the book of Judges […]
I’m weary hearing about the top 1 percent, the wealthiest people in the USA. While too much has already been said about this from a political, social, and philosophical standpoint, I see it as a spiritual issue. For most of us in the US, the bottom 99 percent, we need to guard against a spirit […]
The book of Joshua opens by confirming the death of Moses, followed by a curious instruction: Now you go into the Promised Land. Imagine that, an entire nation was put on hold, unable to move—until Moses died. Moses had to die for them to receive what God had promised to give them. What if Moses […]