Have you ever noticed that one of the first words toddlers often learn is, “Mine!” Sharing is something children must be taught, but a sense of ownership comes naturally. Culturally, there may be differing concepts regarding whether certain things are owned individually or corporately, or in regards to whether they can be owned at all. For example, when Europeans came to America, they had very different concepts of land ownership than Native Americans had. Europeans [...]
Do you long for spiritual breakthrough? Do you long to see God work in miraculous ways in your life? Do you hear others talk about the power of God at work in their lives, but you are embarrassed to admit that you have not experienced it? Do you wonder why some Christians seem to experience something more in their faith? I have come to understand that it is in the nature of God to work [...]
In Matthew chapter eleven, we find Jesus teaching and preaching in the cities. He receives a message from John the Baptist–now sitting in prison–who asks whether or not He is really the Messiah who was foretold. After responding to John’s disciples, Jesus begins to lament the fact that so many people have rejected both He and John because they did not live up to their expectations. He says the people are like children who complain, [...]
Have you been with Jesus? In the Book of Acts we are told that when the leaders and elders of the Jews heard unschooled, ordinary Peter speak, they were amazed and they recognized that he had been with Jesus. Was it because Peter had learned to carefully repeat the words of Jesus? No, it was because Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The very presence of God was with Him. (Acts 4:5-13) The Apostle [...]
If you have children in your life, there is a good chance you have seen the movie, Frozen. In fact, if your household is anything like mine, you may have seen it many times. What is it about the movie that has had such an impact? For those not familiar with the story, Elsa is born with the ability to manipulate ice and snow. Early in the tale, Elsa accidently injures her little sister Anna [...]
I have a little pet. I call him Peeve. He follows me around. He rarely leaves my side. He is a little mangy, and people say he’s angry. They call my poor Peeve names and say bad things about him, just because he bares his teeth, and snarls, and foams a little at the mouth. Well… I will admit he bites sometimes. That is, he bites others often. But in his defense, he only bites [...]
In Romans chapter 14 (see also 1 Corinthians 8), Paul talks to the believers about their differing convictions. Because the meat they could purchase in the marketplace often had been sacrificed in pagan temples, some of the believers had chosen to avoid meat altogether and eat only vegetables. Others chose to eat the meat, knowing the many “gods” were not real gods and that there is only One True God and therefore meat is just meat. [...]
Look carefully at this triangle. It is called a Penrose Triangle and illustrates the concept of a paradox. A paradox is something that seems absurd or contradictory. Our common sense tells us it should be one way, but in truth it is something else. If you are familiar with the artwork of M.C. Escher, he created several works that illustrate visual paradox. [You can view Escher’s work online at www.mcescher.com. See especially: Belvedere (1958), Ascending [...]
A young man lay in his bed. He had lain there for some time now. He sighed dejectedly, rolled over, lay there some more, and then reached for the remote. Turning toward the TV, he grabbed the legs of his pajamas to adjust himself to a more comfortable position and turned on the television. He flipped through the stations until he came to a soccer game. He loved soccer. He watched for a while. As [...]
