It is so easy to prize the peaceful times of private, direct communion with God. The disciples of Jesus had such an experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:27-36). So satisfied with the feeling was Peter that he suggested building three tabernacles and staying on the mountain top – while the routine of life…
Never were soldiers, in any army, in any time of history, given a more useless command than that given by Pontius Pilate to unnamed Roman soldiers, posted at the door of a borrowed tomb, outside the city of Jerusalem. These poor soldiers were commanded to secure the tomb. No one was to get in and…
Yesterday was April Fools Day. For many people it was no big deal. They have three hundred sixty-five of them each year. The Bible cautions us to “walk carefully, not as fools (Eph. 5:15).” Some folks think they can do whatever they choose to do whenever they choose to do it. We used to call…
To the charge that I am computer illiterate, I plead guilty. However, as long as I have friends who understand computers and can keep me in line, I am O.K. One thing that concerns me about computer people is their language. Not because it’s obscene, but because it’s unknown by most of the rest of…
Doctors have given me prescriptions for things that ail me and prescriptions that supplement my lifestyle. I have needed both. So did John. Exiled on Patmos, he was hurting as well as in need of a supplemental spiritual boost. When he began to write the Revelation, he got both and in so doing offered us…
In five verses, the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “all things” six times (Col. 1:16-20). You don’t need to have a theological education to know that when one writer uses a phrase that often in that short of a span, he is trying to communicate something about that phrase. In summary, Paul says God put…
Some dentists instruct patients to bite down on a tea bag if their gums are bleeding following extraction of a tooth. Other than that, a tea bag is of very little use alone. However, let the tea bag be infused with boiling water and hot tea results. This image is reflected in Paul’s words in…
Something happened to Saul that I fear. I Samuel 16:14 says, “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.” We Baptists believe strongly that once a person is saved they are always saved – the eternal security of the believer. However once filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, not always filled and controled by…
Every year I read Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest. I have worn out several copies. This year when I read the devotion on Feb. 9, I was reminded of the souce of my strength. In late January and early February each year I am responsible for recruiting, training, asssigning to…