Karma. The law of cause and effect. Hinduism and Buddhism claim it determines your destiny. In essence, you determine your destiny. Good choices lead to good things. Bad choices lead to . . . well, good luck with that. Sadly, the church has bought into karma. Does the Bible speak of consequences? Of course, it does…

One of my children has the gift of sarcasm. It’s all in fun, of course. Not. I have the same skill set, though I keep my comments to myself.  Entertaining such thoughts is damaging. A negative focus comes all too easily and before I know it, I’m stewing. Agitated. My hackles go up and I’m…

“And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.” Matthew 11:6 NASB Isolated. In prison. For doing the right thing. The hope of the coming Messiah had blazed like a torch as John the Baptist called Israel to repentance. One is coming whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie. I baptize with water. He…

Today’s post, Part 2, continues our discussion from last week of a recent class assignment: Visit a museum, choose a piece of art, and write on it. Carl Rungius titled this painting Caribou’s Death Struggle. Last week, we focused on the battle between brothers. The two caribou battle to the death, but inadvertently lock horns. The…

Have you included the dragon in your calculations? He’s near, you know, roaming, searching. (1 Peter 5:8) Train this dragon? Forget it. He’s not interested in serving. He’s out to get you—in any way he can. Compromise. Rationalize. Desensitize. He’ll steal your blessings, kill your desire for God, and destroy your family. (John 10:10) Clever.…

“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16 NIV God made this promise to David. But did you know God made a very similar promise to Jeroboam? David’s son, Solomon, followed other gods as his wives turned his heart from Yahweh (1 Kings 11:27-39). Jeroboam served…

Abraham. A man of rock solid faith, right? Sometimes. Sometimes, he found himself in the sifty, shifty sand. As we dig our toes into the beach sand this summer, let’s look at the sandy spots that shifted Abraham’s world and avoid them in ours: The Sand of Helplessness: In two incidents (Gen. 12:10-20; Gen. 20:1-18), Abraham…

Deploy: To be sent out for a specific purpose Our armed forces consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Their duties range from special ops to military bands. Likewise, God equips His forces and, as Commander-in-Chief, deploys them appropriately. To what duty has He deployed you? Are you aware of the…

A slight change in trajectory brings a major change down range. I’ve spent some time in Romans 1 lately and the last half of the chapter is sobering. You might know that section as the homosexuality passage, but that’s not its true focus. Romans 1:18-32 tracks what happens when a shift from true center occurs.…

It began with one. One croak. One ribbit. One slimy green frog. And then there were too. Too many. Way too many. Frogs in the pantry. Frogs in the bathroom. Frogs in the bed. Pharaoh summoned Moses, ready to compromise with the God of the Hebrews in exchange for a little extermination work. God exterminated…